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Show IJn TRAVELS THROUGH NORTJI AMERICA: preach towar ·d ~ t 11 c p1a c.e .IS WI' ld 'aI HI rom:1 ntic. . _ After• crofling a. lllltnber• o. f fmall h1. lls, w l li.C I 1 n· r onl.! ab o v e the other Jll iuccd_l ton, you ,lt Llfr pct- nvc th · brea I< 1.1 1 1 1c Dl uc' r>-...t cJl:,;.., .c., '•I t the fame lltlll: tht: road [ud k nly · · 1. ]turnJI10', Jnus < 0 ,,111 '' t Jonnu· ·' tnd {tcep hill, {h:-•~ ded wit11 lofty trcLS~ v•n oic· ,::,b r.\ nc 1t cs. 1.1111· 1,.... ovt·r· your heJd • On one ildl.! of the ro,ul the• re , rc 1 rgc J1 ·a ps o f 1. 0 ., ...r. s, .•1 Lu ove y. ou , which fi ·cm to threaten d_e !.l rucl:ton 1 J any one that paffcs under them; on the other, a d~·cp pr CIJHCe prc-fcnts itfdf: at the bottom of which is hc:trd the roanng of _the w.1, crs, that are concealed fJOm the eye by the thicknefs of the foha ge. rowards the end of this hill, aho 1t fixty feet above th level of the water~ ftands a tavern and a f~w houres. and from fome field ' in the rear of t I1 em tl1 c paurr. 1g'-'' of the river throuocr ll the niOuntain is, I think, fccn to the befl: advantag · The 1 atowm::~c on the left comes winding a ong through a h:rtilc country towards the mountain; on the right flow. the Shenandoah: · t. o- too-ether ·tt the foot of the mountain, they r 11 on through the UUJ lllb b ' gap; nl en lrl l dcl 111• y CXf andinbc r to the breadth of abou t four hund.r ed yards, they pafs on towarJs the fea, and arc fin,1lly lofl: t~ the v1cw amidfl: furronndi ng hi1ls. The rugged a pp 'arance of the 1Ides of the mount:-~in towards th river, and the large rocks that lie fca ttercd about at the bottom, many of which have evidently bem fplit afundcr by [orne great convulGon, " re monum 'nts," as 1\Ir. JeffiTfon obfcrvcs~ '' of the war that has taken place at thi. fpot bet'S'-::11 river and moun" t.tins; anJ at firfi fig 1t hey lead us int an opinion that mountains " were created be ore rivers began to flow; that the waters of the " Patowmac and henandoah were dammed up for a time by the Blue " I idgc, but continuing to rife, that they at length broke through at ,, this fpot, and tore the mount:~ in ;1:f.mdcr fro n its fLunmit to its bafc:.'' Certain it is, tlut if the Blue Ridge c ultl be again matlc entire, an immenfe bo ly of w .1ter would be form ed on the wcflern fide of it, by the Shen:mdo: !1 :tnd P·ltowmac rivers, an<l this body of \>Vater would be de pdl:, and confc.:qu''ntly would aCt wi th 1 1ore force in G1pping a paifage for jrfclf through tl e mountain at the identical fpot where the gap now is than at any other, for this is the low fi fpot in a very extended tract ROCY ~ LOOSio.T,;ED, DY RAIN. ti· tt of COUntry. .A. {?,J.-UJCC at -th~ ri1 :1p wilJ he fu ( i rent tO (tti. fy any JKrfi n on this pot'Jt; it will at OIH.c k fc.:c ,l, th..Jt all the rivers ol the adjJcYnt cou;~try bend t 1 ·ir ourfcs ]Jithcrwards. Whether the ridge, hovv~ ver, as l ft riginally C!Hirc, or wh ·thcr ::t break was left in it for the p:-~O':lgc f the river s, it is impoi ibh; at this day to afce.rtain; but it is very evident that the fide of the g;lp ha vc been r duced to tht.ir prefcnt ru gged ilate hy fomc great inum!Jtion. Jn ckc i, itl pro.fing that the Patowmac and Shenandoah ever role during a. flood, a common circum( ancc in fpring and autumn, only cqually high with v.:hat J. me' River did iu 179 5• that is fifteen feet ab vc their tdt1:1l level, (uch a cir umJhncc might have oc afioned a very m. teri: I alteration in the ;Jpp ... Jrancc of the gap. The Blue Ridge, on each fide of the Patowmnc, is formed, iiom the foundatioi to the fummit, of large rocks dcpofitcci in beds of rich io t C;Jrth. This c:-~rth is vcr y readily wa{hcd away, and in that caf" the rocks c nfequcntly become loo(e ; indeed, they arc frcqu ntly loofcncd cv n by heavy !how rs of rain. A proof of this <lme within my own obf~rvation, which I ihall never forget. It had b ·en r.lining c ·c:ef1ively hard the whole morning of that Jay n which I arriv d· at thi place; the evening however was very fine, and being anxious to behold the ii·cne in every point of view, I crofl~ci the river, <lnc.l ;J(ecnd d the mountain at a fieep p;1rt on the oppofite fide, whcr<! there was no path, and many brge projcaing rock . I had w.1lkecl ttp about fifty yards, when a large fl:one that I {ct my foot upon, :1nd which appea red to me p rfeCl:ly firm, all at once gave w.1y; it had bccu 1 oi~ned by the rain, and brought down fuch a heap of orhc ·s with it in its fall, with fuch a tremendous noifc at the f.'lme time, that I thought the whole mountain was corning upon me, and expett ... c every moment to be dallied tb pieces. I ilid down about twc:r ty feet, and then luckily caught hold f the branch of a tree, by whi h I clung; but the fl:ones ftill continued to roll down heap after heap; f~vl!r. I times, likewil~, after all had been fl:ill for a minute or two, they again began to fall with increafed violence. ln this . ate of fufpenfe I was kept for confidcrable time, not knowing I ut that fome fl:on Iarscr than the rcfi migh T 2 gtvc |