the complete writings-4-第27节

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it　it。　　The　Professor　takes　bold　ground　against　these　abnormal　freaks　of　nature；　and　it　was　nothing　to　him　that　the　public　would　demand　that　we　should　see　Linville　Falls。　In　the　first　place；　we　could　find　no　one　who　had　ever　seen　them；　and　we　spent　two　days　in　catechizing　natives　and　strangers。　　The　nearest　we　came　to　information　was　from　a　workman　at　the　furnace；　who　was　born　and　raised　within　three　miles　of　the　Falls。　　He　had　heard　of　people　going　there。　　He　had　never　seen　them　himself。　　It　was　a　good　twenty…five　miles　there；　over　the　worst　road　in　the　State　we'd　think　it　thirty　before　we　got　there。　　Fifty　miles　of　such　travel　to　see　a　little　water　run　down…hill！　　The　travelers　reflected。　　Every　country　has　a　local　waterfall　of　which　it　boasts；　they　had　seen　a　great　many。　One　more　would　add　little　to　the　experience　of　life。　　The　vagueness　of　information；　to　be　sure；　lured　the　travelers　to　undertake　the　journey；　but　the　temptation　was　resistedsomething　ought　to　be　left　for　the　next　explorerand　so　Linville　remains　a　thing　of　the　imagination。

Towards　evening；　July　29；　between　showers；　the　Professor　and　the　Friend　rode　along　the　narrow…gauge　road；　down　Johnson's　Creek；　to　Roan　Station；　the　point　of　departure　for　ascending　Roan　Mountain。　　It　was　a　ride　of　an　hour　and　a　half　over　a　fair　road；　fringed　with　rhododendrons；　nearly　blossomless；　but　at　a　point　on　the　stream　this　sturdy　shrub　had　formed　a　long　bower　where　under　a　table　might　have　been　set　for　a　temperance　picnic；　completely　overgrown　with　wild　grape；　and　still　gay　with　bloom。　　The　habitations　on　the　way　are　mostly　board　shanties　and　mean　frame　cabins；　but　the　railway　is　introducing　ambitious　architecture　here　and　there　in　the　form　of　ornamental　filigree　work　on　flimsy　houses；　ornamentation　is　apt　to　precede　comfort　in　our　civilization。

Roan　Station　is　on　the　Doe　River　（which　flows　down　from　Roan　Mountain）；　and　is　marked　at　1265　feet　above　the　sea。　　The　visitor　will　find　here　a　good　hotel；　with　open　wood　fires　（not　ungrateful　in　a　July　evening）；　and　obliging　people。　　This　railway　from　Johnson　City；　hanging　on　the　edge　of　the　precipices　that　wall　the　gorge　of　the　Doe；　is　counted　in　this　region　by　the　inhabitants　one　of　the　engineering　wonders　of　the　world。　　The　tourist　is　urged　by　all　means　to　see　both　it　and　Linville　Falls。

The　tourist　on　horseback；　in　search　of　exercise　and　recreation；　is　not　probably　expected　to　take　stock　of　moral　conditions。　　But　this　Mitchell　County；　although　it　was　a　Union　county　during　the　war　and　is　Republican　in　politics　（the　Southern　reader　will　perhaps　prefer　another　adverb　to　〃although〃）；　has　had　the　worst　possible　reputation。　The　mountains　were　hiding…places　of　illicit　distilleries；　the　woods　were　full　of　grog…shanties；　where　the　inflaming　fluid　was　sold　as　〃native　brandy；〃　quarrels　and　neighborhood　difficulties　were　frequent；　and　the　knife　and　pistol　were　used　on　the　slightest　provocation。　　Fights　arose　about　boundaries　and　the　title　to　mica　mines；　and　with　the　revenue　officers；　and　force　was　the　arbiter　of　all　disputes。　　Within　the　year　four　murders　were　committed　in　the　sparsely　settled　county。　　Travel　on　any　of　the　roads　was　unsafe。　　The　tone　of　morals　was　what　might　be　expected　with　such　lawlessness。　　A　lady　who　came　up　on　the　road　on　the　4th　of　July；　when　an　excursion　party　of　country　people　took　possession　of　the　cars；　witnessed　a　scene　and　heard　language　past　belief。　　Men；　women；　and　children　drank　from　whisky　bottles　that　continually　circulated；　and　a　wild　orgy　resulted。　　Profanity；　indecent　talk　on　topics　that　even　the　license　of　the　sixteenth　century　would　not　have　tolerated；　and　freedom　of　manners　that　even　Teniers　would　have　shrunk　from　putting　on　canvas；　made　the　journey　horrible。

The　unrestrained　license　of　whisky　and　assault　and　murder　had　produced　a　reaction　a　few　months　previous　to　our　visit。　　The　people　had　risen　up　in　their　indignation　and　broken　up　the　groggeries。　　So　far　as　we　observed　temperance　prevailed；　backed　by　public…opinion。　In　our　whole　ride　through　the　mountain　region　we　saw　only　one　or　two　places　where　liquor　was　sold。

It　is　called　twelve　miles　from　Roan　Station　to　Roan　Summit。　　The　distance　is　probably　nearer　fourteen；　and　our　horses　were　five　hours　in　walking　it。　　For　six　miles　the　road　runs　by　Doe　River；　here　a　pretty　brook　shaded　with　laurel　and　rhododendron；　and　a　few　cultivated　patches　of　ground；　and　infrequent　houses。　　It　was　a　blithe　morning；　and　the　horsemen　would　have　given　full　indulgence　to　the　spirit　of　adventure　but　for　the　attitude　of　the　Professor　towards　mountains。　　It　was　not　with　him　a　matter　of　feeling；　but　of　principle；　not　to　ascend　them。　　But　here　lay　Roan；　a　long；　sprawling　ridge；　lifting　itself　6250　feet　up　into　the　sky。　　Impossible　to　go　around　it；　and　the　other　side　must　be　reached。　　The　Professor　was　obliged　to　surrender；　and　surmount　a　　difficulty　which　he　could　not　philosophize　out　of　his　mind。

》From　the　base　of　the　mountain　a　road　is　very　well　engineered；　in　easy　grades　for　carriages；　to　the　top；　but　it　was　in　poor　repair　and　stony。　　We　mounted　slowly　through　splendid　forests；　specially　of　fine　chestnuts　and　hemlocks。　　This　big　timber　continues　till　within　a　mile　and　a　half　of　the　summit　by　the　winding　road；　really　within　a　short　distance　of　the　top。　　Then　there　is　a　narrow　belt　of　scrubby　hardwood；　moss…grown；　and　then　large　balsams；　which　crown　the　mountain。　　As　soon　as　we　came　out　upon　the　southern　slope　we　found　great　open　spaces；　covered　with　succulent　grass；　and　giving　excellent　pasturage　to　cattle。　　These　rich　mountain　meadows　are　found　on　all　the　heights　of　this　region。　　The　surface　of　Roan　is　uneven；　and　has　no　one　culminating　peak　that　commands　the　country；　like　the　peak　of　Mount　Washington；　but　several　eminences　within　its　range　of　probably　a　mile　and　a　half；　where　various　views　can　be　had。　　Near　the　highest　point；　sheltered　from　the　north　by　balsams；　stands　a　house　of　entertainment；　with　a　detached　cottage；　looking　across　the　great　valley　to　the　Black　Mountain　range。　　The　surface　of　the　mountain　is　pebbly；　but　few　rocks　crop　out；　no　ledges　of　any　size　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。