The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-01

The more familiar one becomes with the
natural scenery of our own country the more
is he impressed with its wonderful variety,
its great extent and occasional magniicencc.
He cannot repress comparisons; they rise in
voluntarily. 1t is perhaps true that in
mountain scenery we have no such crown of
diamonds as Switzerland gives us in a nut
shell, but scattering over our Western bOr-
der are single gems far SURPRISING in magni-
tude and briliancy anything that corner OF
Europe can show us. The American traveller
in Europe is conscious of a want of breadth
in the aspect of nature. There is a lack of
the lavish magniicence which she is ac-
customed to show him in his own land.
There seems to be little opportunity for the
broad and free exercise of his faculties, and
after his natural curiosity is satisfied he is
glad TO return to q field comparatively unoc-
supied, uncultivated, but full of healthy
stimuli for the man of business, the vale
tudinary, and plcasure-seeker. But still,
with the preference for the atmosphere of his
own country, the ordinary traveller, who has
exhausted the fashionable resorts of Europe
the mountains of New Hampshire, of New
York, and the seacoasts of Maine, lives on in
complete and perfect ignorance of the finest
mountain scenery to be found east of the
Rocky mountains. in Northern Georgia,
WESTERN NoIth NdToiiIt, anu CVuthNesltIu
Virginia, within twenty-four TO forty eight
hours ride of the State House dome, the Bos-
tonan's Mecca. | have no space to recapitu-
late description of some of the views to be
found in these regions, which | have at
tempted in former letter. In passing
however, Asheville i'm North Carolina. may
he remembered as furnishing one of the
finest panoramic views of mountain scenery
to be found in our country, the eliminating
point of the Appalachian system reaching
from the st. Lawrence 10 the Gulf of Mexico,
and in the words Of Professor Guyot, "the
most interesting and unknown portion of the
Allegheny range" This elevated region of
North Carolina, $50 miles in length by a
breadth varying from thirty tosixty miles, con
tains within its limits ffty-eght peaks, each
over 5000 feet in height, thirty of which are
higher than Mt. Washington, N. II. Our
route to the North this year included At
lanta, ia, and Chattanooga, Tenn, the lat
ter town for the purpose of making the
ascent to Lookout Mountain, the view from
which has n great local reputation, and is
considered by the people of Chattanooga to
be the finest on the Atlantic slope. think
however, this opinion is founded ON per
baps pardonable local pride, rather than on
| an accurate knowledge of facts. Like the
| Right in Switzerland, and the Beau Catcher
| III Asheville, Lookout Mountain rises alb
ruptly, holding an isolated position in the
| valley of the Tennessee. have not the
| accurate measurement at hand, but the
Point" which is perhaps 100 feet below
| the summit of the mountain, is claimed by
| the residents to he | 500 feet above the
river. The view is extensive and grand, and
| said in exceptionally clear weather to com
mand points in five other States, viz: Ken
| lucky, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina
and Alabama, extending 40 miles. Tn,
| whole view is somewhat disappointing, ther,
| being no higher range of mountains to form
| sufficient background, and is consequently
lacking in effects of light and shade and the
details of perfect mountain view. The
| foreground is fine, aud reminds one forcibly
| of the view from our own MI llolyoke, the
verdure-frnged banks of the meandering
Tennessee forming a perfect "oN-bow, y
while partially inolosed portion of the val
| ley bears a striking resemblance to an Indian
| occasin.-BoSi0D IdrorfiSor.