the complete writings-4-第43章

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ys　like　to　pillory　in　melancholy　couples；　and　some　stray　volumes　of　the　Sunday…school　Union。　　Madame　Sherrill；　who　carries　on　the　farm　since　the　death　of　her　husband；　is　a　woman　of　strong　and　liberal　mind；　who　informed　us　that　she　got　small　comfort　in　the　churches　in　the　neighborhood；　and　gave　us；　in　fact；　a　discouraging　account　of　the　unvital　piety　of　the　region。

The　descent　from　the　summit　of　the　Gap　to　Judge　Logan's；　nine　miles；　is　rapid；　and　the　road　is　wild　and　occasionally　picturesque；　following　the　Broad　River；　a　small　stream　when　we　first　overtook　it；　but　roaring；　rocky；　and　muddy；　owing　to　frequent　rains；　and　now　and　then　tumbling　down　in　rapids。　　The　noisy　stream　made　the　ride　animated；　and　an　occasional　cabin；　a　poor　farmhouse；　a　mill；　a　schoolhouse；　a　store　with　an　assemblage　of　lean　horses　tied　to　the　hitching　rails；　gave　the　Professor　opportunity　for　remarks　upon　the　value　of　life　under　such　circumstances。

The　valley　which　we　followed　down　probably　owes　its　celebrity　to　the　uncommon　phenomena　of　occasional　naked　rocks　and　precipices。　　The　inclosing　mountains　are　from　3000　to　4000　feet　high；　and　generally　wooded。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　ravine　would　be　famous　in　a　country　where　exposed　ledges　and　buttressing　walls　of　rock　are　common。　　It　is　only　by　comparison　with　the　local　scenery　that　this　is　remarkable。　About　a　mile　above　judge　Logan's　we　caught　sight；　through　the　trees；　of　the　famous　waterfall。　　From　the　top　of　the　high　ridge　on　the　right；　a　nearly　perpendicular　cascade　pours　over　the　ledge　of　rocks　and　is　lost　in　the　forest。　　We　could　see　nearly　the　whole　of　it；　at　a　great　height　above　us；　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river；　and　it　would　require　an　hour's　stiff　climb　to　reach　its　foot。　　From　where　we　viewed　it；　it　seemed　a　slender　and　not　very　important；　but　certainly　a　very　beautiful　cascade；　a　band　of　silver　in　the　mass　of　green　foliage。　　The　fall　is　said　to　be　1400　feet。　　Our　colonel　insists　that　it　is　a　thousand。　　It　may　be；　but　the　valley　where　we　stood　is　at　least　at　an　elevation　of　1300　feet；　we　could　not　believe　that　the　ridge　over　which　the　water　pours　is　much　higher　than　3000　feet；　and　the　length　of　the　fall　certainly　did　not　appear　to　be　a　quarter　of　the　height　of　the　mountain　from　our　point　of　observation。　　But　we　had　no　desire　to　belittle　this　pretty　cascade；　especially　when　we　found　that　Judge　Logan　would　regard　a　foot　abated　from　the　1400　as　a　personal　grievance。　　Mr。　Logan　once　performed　the　functions　of　local　judge；　a　Republican　appointment；　and　he　sits　around　the　premises　now　in　the　enjoyment　of　that　past　dignity　and　of　the　fact　that　his　wife　is　postmistress。　　His　house　of　entertainment　is　at　the　bottom　of　the　valley；　a　place　shut　in；　warm；　damp；　and　not　inviting　to　a　long　stay；　although　the　region　boasts　a　good　many　natural　curiosities。

It　was　here　that　we　encountered　again　the　political　current；　out　of　which　we　had　been　for　a　month。　　The　Judge　himself　was　reticent；　as　became　a　public　man；　but　he　had　conspicuously　posted　up　a　monster　prospectus；　sent　out　from　Augusta；　of　a　campaign　life　of　Blaine　and　Logan；　in　which　the　Professor　read；　with　shaking　knees；　this　sentence：　〃Sure　to　be　the　greatest　and　hottest　＇campaign　and　civil　battle＇　ever　known　in　this　world。　　The　thunder　of　the　supreme　struggle　and　its　reverberations　will　shake　the　continents　for　months；　and　will　be　felt　from　Pole　to　Pole。〃

For　this　and　other　reasons　this　seemed　a　risky　place　to　be　in。　　There　was　something　sinister　about　the　murky　atmosphere；　and　a　suspicion　of　mosquitoes　besides。　　Had　there　not　been　other　travelers　staying　here；　we　should　have　felt　still　more　uneasy。　　The　house　faced　Bald　Mountain；　4000　feet　high；　a　hill　that　had　a　very　bad　reputation　some　years　ago；　and　was　visited　by　newspaper　reporters。　　This　is；　in　fact；　the　famous　Shaking　Mountain。　　For　a　long　time　it　had　a　habit　of　trembling；　as　if　in　an　earthquake　spasm；　but　with　a　shivering　motion　very　different　from　that　produced　by　an　earthquake。　　The　only　good　that　came　of　it　was　that　it　frightened　all　the　〃moonshiners；〃　and　caused　them　to　join　the　church。　　It　is　not　reported　what　became　of　the　church　afterwards。　　It　is　believed　now　that　the　trembling　was　caused　by　the　cracking　of　a　great　ledge　on　the　mountain；　which　slowly　parted　asunder。　　Bald　Mountain　is　the　scene　of　Mrs。　Burnett's　delightful　story　of　〃Louisiana；〃　and　of　the　play　of　〃Esmeralda。〃　A　rock　is　pointed　out　toward　the　summit；　which　the　beholder　is　asked　to　see　resembles　a　hut；　and　which　is　called　〃Esmeralda's　Cottage。〃　But　this　attractive　maiden　has　departed；　and　we　did　not　discover　any　woman　in　the　region　who　remotely　answers　to　her　description。

In　the　morning　we　rode　a　mile　and　a　half　through　the　woods　and　followed　up　a　small　stream　to　see　the　celebrated　pools；　one　of　which　the　Judge　said　was　two　hundred　feet　deep；　and　another　bottomless。　These　pools；　not　round；　but　on　one　side　circular　excavations；　some　twenty　feet　across；　worn　in　the　rock　by　pebbles；　are　very　good　specimens；　and　perhaps　remarkable　specimens；　of　〃pot…holes。〃　　They　are；　however；　regarded　here　as　one　of　the　wonders　of　the　world。　　On　the　way　to　them　we　saw　beautiful　wild　trumpet…creepers　in　blossom；　festooning　the　trees。

The　stream　that　originates　in　Hickory　Nut　Gap　is　the　westernmost　branch　of　several　forks　of　the　Broad；　which　unite　to　the　southeast　in　Rutherford　County；　flow　to　Columbia；　and　reach　the　Atlantic　through　the　channel　of　the　Santee。　　It　is　not　to　be　confounded　with　the　French　Broad；　which　originates　among　the　hills　of　Transylvania；　runs　northward　past　Asheville；　and　finds　its　way　to　the　Tennessee　through　the　Warm　Springs　Gap　in　the　Bald　Mountains。　　As　the　French　claimed　ownership　of　all　the　affluents　of　the　Mississippi；　this　latter　was　called　the　French　Broad。

It　was　a　great　relief　the　next　morning；　on　our　return；　to　rise　out　of　the　lifeless　atmosphere　of　the　Gap　into　the　invigorating　air　at　the　Widow　Sherrill's；　whose　country…seat　is　three　hundred　feet　higher　than　Asheville。　　It　was　a　day　of　heavy　showers；　and　apparently　of　leisure　to　the　scattered　population；　at　every　store　and　mill　was　a　congregation　of　loafers；　who　had　hitched　their　scrawny　horses　and　mules　to　the　fences；　and　had　the　professional　air　of　the　idler　and　gossip　the　world　over。　　The　vehicles　met　on　the　road　were　a　variety　of　the　prairie　schooner；　long　wagons　with　a　top　of　hoops　over　which　is　stretched　a　cotton　cloth。　　The　wagons　are　without　seats；　and　the　canvas　is　too　low　to　admit　of　sitting　upright；　if　there　were。　　The　occupants　crawl　in　at　either　end；　sit　or　lie　on　the　bottom　of　the　wagon；　and　jolt　along　in　shiftless　uncomfortableness。

Riding　down　the　French　Broad　was　one　of　the　original　objects　of　our　journey。　　Travelers　with　the　same　intention　may　be　warned　that　the　route　on　horseback　is　impracticable。　　The　distance　to　the　Warm　Springs　is　thirty…seven　miles；　to　Marshall；　more　than　halfway；　the　road　is　clear；　as　it　runs　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river　from　the　railway；　and　the　valley　is　something　more　than　river　and　rails。　　But　below　Marshall　the　valley　contracts；　and　the　rails　are　laid　a　good　portion　of　the　way　in　the　old　stage　road。　　One　can　walk　the　track；　but　to　ride　a　horse　over　its　sleepers　and　culverts　and　occasional　bridges；　and　dodge　the　trains；　is　neither　safe　nor　agreeable。　　We　sent　our　horses　roundthe　messenger　taking　the　risk　of　leading　them；　between　trains；　over　the　last　six　or　eight　miles；and　took　the　train。

The　railway；　after　crossing　a　mile　or　two　of　meadows；　hugs　the　river　all　the　way。　　The　scenery　is　the　reverse　of　bold。　　The　hills　are　low；　monotonous　in　form；　and　the　stream　winds　through　them；　with　many　a　pretty　turn　and　〃reach；〃　with　scarcely　a　ribbon　of　room　to　spare　on　either　side。　　The　river　is　shallow；　rapid；　stony；　muddy；　full　of　rocks；　with　an　occasional　little　island　covered　with　low　bushes。　　The　rock　seems　to　be　a　clay　formation；　rotten　and　colored。　　As　we　approach　Warm　Springs　the　scenery　becomes　a　little　bolder；　and　we　emerge　into　the　open　space　about　the　Springs　through　a　narrower　defile；　guarded　by　rocks　that　are　really　picturesque　in　color　and　splintered　decay；　one　of　them　being　known；　of　course；　as　the　〃Lover's　Leap；〃　a　name　common　in　every　part　of　the　modern　or　ancient　world　where　there　is　a