Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-03-22

CO I'D not have BEEN loss than eight hun
dred or thousand feet. and from three
to five hundred yards u width, ond, at
the point where they frs struck it, the
the sides were perpendicular. A sensa-
tion of dizziness wat tclt by all as they
looked down, as it were, into the very
depths of the earth.
Below, an occasional spot Of green re-
icved the eye, and a small stream of wa
ter, now rising to the view, then sinking
beneath some huge rock, was bubbling
and foaming along. Immense walls, col
umns, and in some pl. appeared
to be arches, were seen gtanding, worn
by the water, undoubtedly, but SO perfect
in form that they could with difficulty be-
lieye that the hand Of man had not form
ed them. The rains Of centuries, falling
upon an immense prairie, had here found
a reservoir, and their workings on the
different veins of earth and stone had
formed these strange and fanciful shapes.
Before reaching the chasm, they had
crossed numerous large :trails leading a
little more to the west than they were
travelling, and they were at once conyinc-
ed that they all ccntcgcd at common
crossing near by.
And they were not disappointed, for
they soon came into large road, which
millions Of Indians, budaloes, and mus
tang, had Travelled for years. The descent
looked perilous, but they we'll knew there
was no other near. The older and stead
ior horses were first driven over, while
the more slSittish brought up the rear
Once in the narrow path which led cir
cuitously down the steep descent, there
was no turning back, and the animals I'm
ally reached the bottom in safety. Seye-
raj large stones we're I0osened. during the
descent They would leap, dash, and
thunder down the prccipi,ous sides, and
strike against the bottom with a loud
crash. They found at the bottom a run
ming stream, aud on the opposite side u
romantic dell, covered with short grass,
mud a fayv octtCn p,nplo
A large body Of Indians had cncamped
on the same spot but .aw days previous,
as ms ots,r.---4.-.,- lfaaia3 a o,+l, .,o,.,a
They too, stopped a .tew huurs, 70 gtyc
their horses an opportunity to Craze and
rest themselves. The trail on the west
side was discovered, winding up the steep
and rugged sdes of the precipice.
AS they journeyed along this dell, all
were struck with admiration at the strange
and fantastic figures made by the washing
of the water during the rainy season. In
some places, perfect walls, formed Of a
reddish clay, were seen standing; and
were they anywhere else, it would be i'm
possible to believe that other than the
hand of man had formed them.
The vein of which these walls were
composed was of even thickness, very
hard, and ran perpendicalarly and when
the softer sand which had surrounded
them was washed away, the veins still re-
NAMED standing upright, in some places
one hundred feet high and three or four
hundred in length. There were columns,
too, and such was their architectural or
der, and so much Of chaste grandeur was
there about them, that the travellers were
lost in wonder and admiration.
mother places the brea5t-works Of forts
were plainly visible; then again the frown-
ing turrets of some castle Of the olden
time. Cumbrous pillars Of some mighty
pile raised to religion or royalty were
SC ttcred about; regularity was strangely
mixed up with ruin and disorder, and
Nature had done it all. lla 81.
Niagara has been considered one Other
widest freaks; but Niagara sinks into in-
Significance whcn aJ&1parcd with the
: grandeur of this awful chasm.
Imagination carried them back to The
bes, to Palmyra, and to ancient Athens
and they could not help thinking they
were among their ruins.
Their passage out Of this place was Of
fected with the greatest difficulty, bu
: with safety, after spending five or sly
E hours completely shut out from the world
Again on the level prairie, they looke(
D back, afterproceoding ehunlrel yards
and not sign of the immense chasm wa!
\ visible a.
They were then on a plain at least TIVE
hundred and fifty miles in width, and thi
chasm seemed to be reservoir, and a
the same time conductor Of the heav.
quantity of rain which falls upon it dur
ing the wet season, to the running streams
I, The prairie il undoubtedly the largest i
the world. and the chasm is in perfcc
keeping with the size of the prairie.
nJaEa1J IlT;s