The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-05-04


black pit. 1t seems to me like little fresh
snow at the bottom of a deep, new-made
grave. | turn to the other side and look
up, but can see no sun, no sky, no cloud,
no hills, but grauite wall stands up four
thousand feet above. We turn a sharp
curve, the chasm widens a little so | 90
out OF the platform, the better to see around
me. and al. one look is enough for life
time. | can see about five hundred yards
ahead faint blue streak which | know to
be the sky: hill top on hill top jostle each
other in wild confusion. Up near the blue
streak notice two red lines, one above the
other, running along the mountain side
and on them dark intervals; the red lines
are the railroad, and the dark intervals the
tunnels on it, one almost above the other,
1000 feet above Us. | look across the
marvellous canyon and another f1int, red
dish line appears, and that too IS the line
Of the railroad. When will it cease TO rise?
Oar train IS now divided into two sections,
the curves being 100 sharp for The seven
cars to turn on. We 90 up the sides Of the
mountains in the same way shat you go up
each flight of stairs of your house, for the
road is laid like 4 stairway. Some times
our section IS in front and again appears to
be in the rear, and 50 we climb to the upper
tunnel. and yet we seem no nearer the bald
heads of those suilen hills, whose rent sides
show no signs of life. We cross the chasm
on an iron bridge, not long one, but very
high. We have crept along the last red
streak, shot through two tunnels, look
down aud cease to think, but feel as if
had left the lower world behind; and as it
is said that it is the toughest and crook
eldest road that leads to heaven" feel as
if was fairly on my way there.
We reached Matucama, sxty-two miles
iui,an nd ard eight thousand miles above the
sea- 1t is small cluster of houses mes
ding in q little nook On the side of the
great mountain Our next stopping place
is called Tanboraque, still two Thousand
feet higher. 1t is a watering station, and
as We stopped TO ill the tender, left the
iccting ledge, which gave little shade from
the midday sun, whose hot rays shot down
in fierce torrents Of fire. | felt very weary
and exhausted, but oh. what place to seek
rest. We had passed over fifty miles Of
read since we saw the last sign Of vegeta
tion-no tree, no shrub, nothing green,
Death was forever coming into view. the
deep black chasnl, the oveIhaugirg cliff,
the perpendicular granite wall, the rent
crag and bare mountain side reaching
heavenward, so the grand, the majestic in
nature paled on the sight, and our eyes
became hungry and vainly sought some
homeiy scene. It is a narrow gorge walled
in by granite. look upward and the sky
appears like huge sheet of copper-no
clouds visible no trees on the hill sides,
no daisy Or butter cups, but shaft upon
shaft SHOT upward, some like great towers,
some like tall steeples, some like battle
ments of great fortress. | look il vain
for cottage home-no life; listen, but |
hear no signing Of the breeze. no rustling
Of the foliage; beauty is dead, and the
winds have gone to the funeral. These
were my thoughts ten Thousand feet above
your lowly little town of Elkton. Onward
and still upward we must go; soon We come
to lonely sheet of water-Caim as one of
the pools bordering your own bright river.
1t is called Blue Lake; a short period ago
4 part of the side of mountain rolled
down, taking a portion of the railroad with
it into the river, completely damming it up,
so that water rose to a great height and
formed this lonely little lake, whose bosom
is as blue and clear as the eye of heaven.
On the lower side the water cut channel
through the barrier, where it leaps out,
making glorious cascade of great height
and volume, whose sparkling waters fling
rainbow hucs across the stern faces of the
cliffs, making the grim old fellows fairly
TO smile. Aud SO we keep moving, until
almost stopped by another of those jutting
points, aud to turn which the road has to
make such fearful curve as to make your
hair stand on end; but when once round, Il
scene of rare loveliness opens to our view.
In dish-shaped depression. basking in
golden sunlight, nestles the charming little
town of San Ma;io. seventy eight miles
from Callao, and ten thousand and six hun
bred feet above it. The mind can scarcely
imagine the contrast presented by the smil-
ing. restful quiet of this town to the hard,
frowning and forbdding, though grand.
aspect of its surrounding. 1t has about
two thousand inhabitants; their white cot
tages covered with creeping plants and
beautified with flowers, fruit trees and
green lawns, and look as if they might be
the abode of a blessed race; a liver is in
sight, dancing and sparkling over its peb-
bly, bed, and, as looked upon it, | thought
of Longfellow, and, in the gladness of my
heart, shouted " Laughing Water-Minne-
haha."
no DE CONTINUED