Year: 1874

mond DISPATCH gives the follow
ing description of one of the great
est wonders in the South, the Salt
Pond Mountain or Mountain Lake,
III Giles county, Va


Seven hours of delightful stage rid
ing bangs us to our destination, and
though it seemed a. if cur Journey
were endless we are fully repaid fol all
our fatigue by the beautiful view that
ereets our eyes as we life them from
the paper Imagine, if you can,
beautiful smooth sheet of water fully
a mile long and half a mile wide, bor-
dertd on three sides 10y rhododendron
aud laurel trees. The water is so elea
that the trees are reflected their full
length, and we cannot but wonder how
uecD This lake is. We take Il buat,
row ourself to where the water setin>
deepest, drop orr line in, let it run its
full length, eighty feet, but do not
strike the bottom The view from
this point il quite grand.


In front OF us rises Bald knoi., Il
highest peak in the State, 4, ,444 feet





.l0nc of this peak, upon which the
lake is, stand the various hotel build
incs having significant names such ~
the q Central, Bachelors Retreat,
Liberty Hall, and the United States
10 our right the beautiful range rx-
tends, till lost to view. while 20 our
left appear other mountains quite lofty
though unknown to us by name. We
8 ! IL
ful There being 40 current in the
lake) that it requires q e persuasion of
three dinner bells 10 bring us back to
the boat-house. There is what is call
ed hill up here just about two hun
dred yards from the hotel proper, from
the top of which one gets view of the
valley covering fifty miles at least
In this valley on clear day you can
easily distinguish Pearisburg the capi-
tai seat of this county, costly situated
at the foot of mountain called An
gels Rest. This is fully twenty-five
miles from here.


Not to be Outdone by others we arose
early this morning to see the sun rise,
having ascended Bald Knob to get
fine view of it. Well were we repaid
Beneath US at a distal.ce of five hun
dred feet lay q sea of clouds, out of
which the top OF some lofty mountain
appeared here ard there. But we turn
to see the sun rise, as slowly tue huge
red bali comes over a distant noun
tain. We again look at the valley and
it is bathed in rosy light. We tried TO
look at the sun once more. but cOnclu-
ded not to. We had seen enough that
morning to give lis food for many an
hours meditation. We must not neg
Iect t. meation that we had an excel
lent appetite for breakfast.


Hearing some speak of going to the
Cascade, we asked permission, and
joined the party. We feel that we
cannot do justice to the grandeur and
wiiGness of the scenery at the fail, nor
give but faint idea of the impression
il makes upon one when it first strikes
the view. One feels as if he were on
sacred ground or. rather. as if lie had
been lifted TO q higher Sphele. There
are unite a nnmbe- of falls that are
passed on the way down to the Cas-
caie. and it is amusing to hear.tEe
question asked by the unsophisticated
as that the Cascade 9'i as each one
comes i'm view. When the Cascade Is
reached no one thinks of asking the
question. They are too full for utter
ance.


We take scat in the glen, face the
cascade, and attempt To sketch the
fall, as also the natural steps leading
down to where we ara. But our feel
ings are too highly strung for anything
of that sort. We try to take in as
much as we can of the scene to treas
ure up in the store.house of memory.
for we feel that we are gazing upon
one of Gods great handiworkss