The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-08-19

is one of the most magnificent waterfalls
In this country, yet these scenes are so
common and this being somewhat out Of
the way, but few of our citizens have ever
visited it. From below it looks like an
unbrok ken sheet of water. When the stream
is at its lowest stage, it falls into the basin
in dense mist, and if the sun be in GER
tain position, the cataract midway is SPAN
ned by brilliant crescent.
1t is q remarkable fact, that Immediately
opposite the streams have named, as well
as many intermediate ones that have not
named, and having their sources on the OPP
posite side of the same range of hills, and
running in exactly the opposite direction,
are precisely similar streams, having the
same peculiarities. The sources of most of
them are not stones throw apart.
have told you in preceding part of
this letter, that our rivers run from east to
west, the North Fork sweeping the base of
Clinch Mountain, and the South Fork the
base OF Iron Mountain. On top of the for
mer rises stream called Brumley, which
runs due east along its summit several
miles, and then making short curve runs
several miles due south to the North Fork.
Immediately opposite the source of Brum-
ley, and running about the same distance
in the same direction on the Iron Mountain,
is stream called Shady, which makes the
same sort of curve opposite that of Brumley,
and in about the same distance finds its
way due north into the South Fork. These
streams are almost exactly alike, their wa
tiers never become more than slightly dis
colored, are almost as cold as the springs
in the valley, and are filled with speckled
trout.
have taken so much space tie describe
| few of our streams, that l haven't left N.Y.
| self room to talk about springs. l may
| say, however, they are everywhere, from
the bottoms of the lowest valleys to the
SUBMITS of the highest mountains
know at least score in this county,
any one Of which affords as much water
as your Bynum's Run, and would turn
mill. | am acquainted with two that
have mills within so yards of the toun-
tain-head, which are never still for the
| want of water. | know of several so deep,
| that no bottom has ever been sounded,
some OF them very large. Among the rest,
we have in this county one that GIBBS and
| flows, not with the regularity of the tides,
but at irregular intervals and frequent,
sometimes as often as half dozen times
per day. This is little singular at an
elevation of more than 1000 feet above the
level of the sea, but those of your readers
who are familiar with Natural Philosophy
| and understand the principle of a siphon
| will not be at loss to account for the phe-
nomenon. When it flows it rushes out in
a succession of waves, and then subsidies
into very modestand npretending spring,
| snugly ensconced in the mouth of cavern.
Our mineral springs are numerous and of
| all varieties. On one farm in this county,
and within circle OF less than a quarter
of a mile, there are six springs, viz: a
chalybeate, an alum, magnesia, sulphur,
| limestone and freestone | doubt if the
world can furnish as great Il variety in AS
small an area, and they are all bold and
ever flowing
The foregoing, presume, will suffice to
convince you that Southwestern Virginia
is most bountifully supplied with water
none of your sleepy, lazy streams, but they
| go leaping and romping off, as if in a hurry
to mingle with the Father of Waters, and
wake the echoes of the mountains as they
dance along, singing their wild hallelujahs
Before this letter reaches you, Messrs.
| Editors, expect to be in the mountains of
Tazewell, of which | hope to be able to
give you an account on my return. AS
may be gone a week or two, your readers
will have breathing spell, as far as | am
| concerned, and many of them, very likely,
wouldn'tcar if never get out. So adieu,
until you hear from me again.
Respectfully, G. B. c.
-1Jingaon, Va, August 10, 1870.