The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-01

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fields and white cottages, break the monotonous
face of the forest. PAINS Mountain stands solitary
in the distance; the glisening spires Of Greenvilt
indicate the spot where nestles the little town We
left the day before. With telescope Of high mag
nifying power, it is said, that the spires of St.
Michaels and st. Philips, and tho white sails Of
| the ships upon the ocean, might here been rem
dered visible. To our left-in solemn and stately
grandeur rises tho rocky pile Of Table Rock-at
the head of high spur it projects its castellated
walls, like ON advanced sentinel keeping watch and
ward over the smiling State at it's feet. Between
us yawns the deep, dark valley of tho Dismal.
Behind-peak rising upon peak-and one noun
tain range behind another like vast troubled sea
rise the Alpine heights Of North Carolina. There
is Pisgahs narrow pinnacle mounting into the
sky. Yonder is the black heavy chain of the Balsam
Mountains.
A thick cloud which has been slowly gathering
among these mountain ridges, now assumes form,
and in rapidly increasing dimensions is coming
towards us, it's dark shadow spreading gloom
around its path. The rumbling thunder tells of
the approaching storm, and thus admonished We
determine to seek shelter before We are overtaken
by the heavy rain, which we can distinctly hear
pattering on the leaves in the valleys around us.
Fortunately, the hospitable roof of the Mountain
House, close at hand, affords tho desired shelter,
and here. within view of the storm now raging
around Table Rock, we sit in security until the
lightnings have spent themselves, and the black
clouds have passed over to drench the low lands,
now hidden by the misty mantle from our view.
While our horses take their feed of corn wo
amuse ourselves by stroling to the various points
from which views of this grand panoroma can be
most effectively beheld. At every bend and turn
of the road-from the summit of every rising knoll
all over the mountain side-somo new and entranc-
ing prospect presents ITSELF At one point is vis-
BILE the steep sides of tho Irecpice itself, with its
life-like projecting summit on which, short time
before we had been standing At another, we gaze
down into the deep, dark valley-appropriately
named the Dismal-llko vast trough lined on
either side by dark turning precpices, whose
heights throw an almost continual shadow across
this land of darkness. Not tho least interesting
among the phenomena of this mountain region is
the formation of the Clouds These gather insen-
sibly and rapidly around one high peak after an
other, and rolling down valleys and round rocky
crests, evaporato and disappear as rapidly as they
had originated. Their effect is, however, very
striking the landscape; their travelling shadows
keeping constant motion, which is very pleasing
to the eye, and varies the monotony OF view
which is deficient in variety.
Timo docs not permit to describe tho woodland
beauties of this region. The bubbling springs
gushing from the rocky crevices-the foaming cas-
cades set in rich frames of waving verdure, mois-
tened with constant spray. The rank growth of
the valeys-the stately trees, whose tops tower to
heights almost cmulous Of the mountains, and
whose spreading branches INTERVIEWING overhead,
form vistas of shade grateful TO the toIng travel
ler. Tho rich clusters of rhododendra growing
amidst the barren rocks, and hundred other
flowers which deck these solitudcs and add tho
charm of simple beauty to the wild majesty of
nature.
No finer scenery can DO found in the country
than this region Of our State rds; and it OILY
requires to bo known and descr I'd by somo more
competent pen than mine to soc. for it that at
tention from our travelling pub which it de-
Serves and will repay. PEARLS.