the complete writings-4-第31章

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are　seen　except　at　a　distance　from　the　hotel；　on　the　north　side；　and　the　mountain　consequently　lacks　that　savage；　unsubduable　aspect　which　the　White　Hills　of　New　Hampshire　have。　　It　would；　in　fact；　have　been　difficult　to　realize　that　we　were　over　six　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　except　for　that　pallor　in　the　sunlight；　that　atmospheric　thinness　and　want　of　color　which　is　an　unpleasant　characteristic　of　high　altitudes。　　To　be　sure；　there　is　a　certain　brilliancy　in　the　high　air；it　is　apt　to　be　foggy　on　Roan；and　objects　appear　in　sharp　outline；　but　I　have　often　experienced　on　such　places　that　feeling　of　melancholy；　which　would；　of　course；　deepen　upon　us　all　if　we　were　sensible　that　the　sun　was　gradually　withdrawing　its　power　of　warmth　and　light。　　The　black　balsam　is　neither　a　cheerful　nor　a　picturesque　tree；　the　frequent　rains　and　mists　on　Roan　keep　the　grass　and　mosses　green；　but　the　ground　damp。　　Doubtless　a　high　mountain　covered　with　vegetation　has　its　compensation；　but　for　me　the　naked　granite　rocks　in　sun　and　shower　are　more　cheerful。

The　advantage　of　Roan　is　that　one　can　live　there　and　be　occupied　for　a　long　time　in　mineral　and　botanical　study。　　Its　mild　climate；　moisture；　and　great　elevation　make　it　unique　in　this　country　for　the　botanist。　　The　variety　of　plants　assembled　there　is　very　large；　and　there　are　many；　we　were　told；　never　or　rarely　found　elsewhere　in　the　United　States。　　At　any　rate；　the　botanists　rave　about　Roan　Mountain；　and　spend　weeks　at　a　time　on　it。　　We　found　there　ladies　who　could　draw　for　us　Grey's　lily　（then　passed）；　and　had　kept　specimens　of　the　rhododendron　（not　growing　elsewhere　in　this　region）　which　has　a　deep　red；　almost　purple　color。

The　hotel　（since　replaced　by　a　good　house）　was　a　rude　mountain　structure；　with　a　couple　of　comfortable　rooms　for　office　and　sitting…　room；　in　which　big　wood　fires　were　blazing；　for　though　the　thermometer　might　record　60　deg。；　as　it　did　when　we　arrived；　fire　was　welcome。　　Sleeping…places　partitioned　off　in　the　loft　above　gave　the　occupants　a　feeling　of　camping　out；　all　the　conveniences　being　primitive；　and　when　the　wind　rose　in　the　night　and　darkness；　and　the　loose　boards　rattled　and　the　timbers　creaked；　the　sensation　was　not　unlike　that　of　being　at　sea。　　The　hotel　was　satisfactorily　kept；　and　Southern　guests；　from　as　far　south　as　New　Orleans；　were　spending　the　season　there；　and　not　finding　time　hang　heavy　on　their　hands。　　This　statement　is　perhaps　worth　more　than　pages　of　description　as　to　the　character　of　Roan；　and　its　contrast　to　Mount　Washington。

The　summer　weather　is　exceedingly　uncertain　on　all　these　North　Carolina　mountains；　they　are　apt　at　any　moment　to　be　enveloped　in　mist；　and　it　would　rather　rain　on　them　than　not。　　On　the　afternoon　of　our　arrival　there　was　fine　air　and　fair　weather；　but　not　a　clear　sky。　The　distance　was　hazy；　but　the　outlines　were　preserved。　　We　could　see　White　Top；　in　Virginia；　Grandfather　Mountain；　a　long　serrated　range；　the　twin　towers　of　Linville；　and　the　entire　range　of　the　Black　Mountains；　rising　from　the　valley；　and　apparently　lower　than　we　were。　They　get　the　name　of　Black　from　the　balsams　which　cover　the　summits。

The　rain　on　Roan　was　of　less　annoyance　by　reason　of　the　delightful　company　assembled　at　the　hotel；　which　was　in　a　manner　at　home　there；　and；　thrown　upon　its　own　resources；　came　out　uncommonly　strong　in　agreeableness。　　There　was　a　fiddle　in　the　house；　which　had　some　of　the　virtues　of　that　celebrated　in　the　history　of　old　Mark　Langston；　the　Professor　was　enabled　to　produce　anything　desired　out　of　the　literature　of　the　eighteenth　century；　and　what　with　the　repartee　of　bright　women；　big　wood　fires；　reading；　and　chat；　there　was　no　dull　day　or　evening　on　Roan。　　I　can　fancy；　however；　that　it　might　tire　in　time；　if　one　were　not　a　botanist；　without　the　resource　of　women's　society。　　The　ladies　staying　here　were　probably　all　accomplished　botanists；　and　the　writer　is　indebted　to　one　of　them　for　a　list　of　plants　found　on　Roan；　among　which　is　an　interesting　weed；　catalogued　as　Humana；　perplexia　negligens。　　The　species　is；　however；　common　elsewhere。

The　second　morning　opened；　after　a　night　of　high　wind；　with　a　thunder…shower。　　After　it　passed；　the　visitors　tried　to　reach　Eagle　Cliff；　two　miles　off；　whence　an　extensive　western　prospect　is　had；　but　were　driven　back　by　a　tempest；　and　rain　practically　occupied　the　day。　　Now　and　then　through　the　parted　clouds　we　got　a　glimpse　of　a　mountain…side；　or　the　gleam　of　a　valley。　　On　the　lower　mountains；　at　wide　intervals　apart；　were　isolated　settlements；　commonly　a　wretched　cabin　and　a　spot　of　girdled　trees。　　A　clergyman　here；　not　long　ago；　undertook　to　visit　some　of　these　cabins　and　carry　his　message　to　them。　　In　one　wretched　hut　of　logs　he　found　a　poor　woman；　with　whom；　after　conversation　on　serious　subjects；　he　desired　to　pray。　　She　offered　no　objection；　and　he　kneeled　down　and　prayed。　　The　woman　heard　him；　and　watched　him　for　some　moments　with　curiosity；　in　an　effort　to　ascertain　what　he　was　doing；　and　then　said　：

〃Why；　a　man　did　that　when　he　put　my　girl　in　a　hole。〃

Towards　night　the　wind　hauled　round　from　the　south　to　the　northwest；　and　we　went　to　High　Bluff；　a　point　on　the　north　edge；　where　some　rocks　are　piled　up　above　the　evergreens；　to　get　a　view　of　the　sunset。　In　every　direction　the　mountains　were　clear；　and　a　view　was　obtained　of　the　vast　horizon　and　the　hills　and　lowlands　of　several　Statesa　continental　prospect；　scarcely　anywhere　else　equaled　for　variety　or　distance。　　The　grandeur　of　mountains　depends　mostly　on　the　state　of　the　atmosphere。　　Grandfather　loomed　up　much　more　loftily　than　the　day　before；　the　giant　range　of　the　Blacks　asserted　itself　in　grim　inaccessibility；　and　we　could　see；　a　small　pyramid　on　the　southwest　horizon；　King's　Mountain　in　South　Carolina；　estimated　to　be　distant　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles。　　To　the　north　Roan　falls　from　this　point　abruptly；　and　we　had；　like　a　map　below　us；　the　low　country　all　the　way　into　Virginia。　　The　clouds　lay　like　lakes　in　the　valleys　of　the　lower　hills；　and　in　every　direction　were　ranges　of　mountains　wooded　to　the　summits。　　Off　to　the　west　by　south　lay　the　Great　Smoky　Mountains；　disputing　eminence　with　the　Blacks。

Magnificent　and　impressive　as　the　spectacle　was；　we　were　obliged　to　contrast　it　unfavorably　with　that　of　the　White　Hills。　　The　rock　here　is　a　sort　of　sand　or　pudding　stone；　there　is　no　limestone　or　granite。　And　all　the　hills　are　tree…covered。　　To　many　this　clothing　of　verdure　is　most　restful　and　pleasing。　　I　missed　the　sharp　outlines；　the　delicate　artistic　sky　lines；　sharply　defined　in　uplifted　bare　granite　peaks　and　ridges；　with　the　purple　and　violet　color　of　the　northern　mountains；　and　which　it　seems　to　me　that　limestone　and　granite　formations　give。　　There　are　none　of　the　great　gorges　and　awful　abysses　of　the　White　Mountains；　both　valleys　and　mountains　here　being　more　uniform　in　outline。　　There　are　few　precipices　and　jutting　crags；　and　less　is　visible　of　the　giant　ribs　and　bones　of　the　planet。

Yet　Roan　is　a　noble　mountain。　　A　lady　from　Tennessee　asked　me　if　I　had　ever　seen　anything　to　compare　with　itshe　thought　there　could　be　nothing　in　the　world。　　One　has　to　dodge　this　sort　of　question　in　the　South　occasionally；　not　to　offend　a　just　local　pride。　　It　is　certainly　one　of　the　most　habitable　of　big　mountains。　　It　is　roomy　on　top；　there　is　space　to　move　about　without　too　great　fatigue；　and　one　might　pleasantly　spend　a　season　there；　if　he　had　agreeable　company　and　natural　tastes。

Getting　down　from　Roan　on　the　south　side　is　not　as　easy　as　ascending　on　the　north；　the　road　for　five　miles　to　the　foot　of　the　mountain　is　merely　a　river　of　pebbles；　gullied　by　the　heavy　rains；　down　which　the　horses　picked　their　way　painfully。　　The　travelers　endeavored　to　present　a　dashing　and　cavalier　appearance　to　the　group　of　ladies　who　waved　good…by　from　the　hotel；　as　they　took　their　way　over　the　waste　and　wind…blown　declivities；　but　it　was　only　a　show；　for　the　horses　would　neither　caracole　nor　champ　the　bit　（at　a　dollar　a　day）　down…　hill　over　the　slippery　stones；　and；　truth　to　tell；　the　wanderers　turned　with　regret　from　the　society　of　leisure　and　persiflage　to　face　the　wilderness　of　Mitchell　County。

〃How　heavy；〃　exclaimed　the　Professor