the complete writings-4-第28节

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parently　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；　pricking　Laura　Matilda　to　call　her　attention　sharply　to　her　footing

　　　　〃How　heavy　do　I　journey　on　the　way；　　　　　　When　what　I　seekmy　weary　travel's　end　　　　　　Doth　teach　that　ease　and　that　repose　to　say；　　　　　　Thus　far　the　miles　are　measur'd　from　thy　friend！　　　　　　The　beast　that　bears　me；　tired　with　my　woe；　　　　　　Plods　dully　on；　to　bear　that　weight　in　me；　　　　　　As　if　by　some　instinct　the　wretch　did　know　　　　　　His　rider　loved　not　speed；　being　made　from　thee：　　　　　　The　bloody　spur　cannot　provoke　him　on　　　　　　That　sometimes　anger　thrusts　into　his　hide；　　　　　　Which　heavily　he　answers　with　a　groan；　　　　　　More　sharp　to　me　than　spurring　to　his　side；　　　　　　For　that　same　groan　doth　put　this　in　my　mind；　　　　　　My　grief　lies　onward　and　my　joy　behind。〃

This　was　not　spoken　to　the　group　who　fluttered　their　farewells；　but　poured　out　to　the　uncomplaining　forest；　which　rose　up　in　ever　statelierand　grander　ranks　to　greet　the　travelers　as　they　descendedthe　silent；　vast　forest；　without　note　of　bird　or　chip　of　squirrel；　only　the　wind　tossing　the　great　branches　high　overhead　in　response　to　the　sonnet。　　Is　there　any　region　or　circumstance　of　life　that　the　poet　did　not　forecast　and　provide　for？　　But　what　would　have　been　his　feelings　if　he　could　have　known　that　almost　three　centuries　after　these　lines　were　penned；　they　would　be　used　to　express　the　emotion　of　an　unsentimental　traveler　in　the　primeval　forests　of　the　New　World？　　At　any　rate；　he　peopled　the　New　World　with　the　children　of　his　imagination。　　And；　thought　the　Friend；　whose　attention　to　his　horse　did　not　permit　him　to　drop　into　poetry；　Shakespeare　might　have　had　a　vision　of　this　vast　continent；　though　he　did　not　refer　to　it；　when　he　exclaimed：

　　　　〃What　is　your　substance；　whereof　are　you　made；　　　　　　That　millions　of　strange　shadows　on　you　tend？〃

Bakersville；　the　capital　of　Mitchell　County；　is　eight　miles　from　the　top　of　Roan；　and　the　last　three　miles　of　the　way　the　horsemen　found　tolerable　going；　over　which　the　horses　could　show　their　paces。　　The　valley　looked　fairly　thrifty　and　bright；　and　was　a　pleasing　introduction　to　Bakersville；　a　pretty　place　in　the　hills；　of　some　six　hundred　inhabitants；　with　two　churches；　three　indifferent　hotels；　and　a　court…house。　　This　mountain　town；　255O　feet　above　the　sea；　is　said　to　have　a　decent　winter　climate；　with　little　snow；　favorable　to　fruit…growing；　and；　by　contrast　with　New　England；　encouraging　to　people　with　weak　lungs。

This　is　the　center　of　the　mica　mining；　and　of　considerable　excitement　about　minerals。　　All　around；　the　hills　are　spotted　with　〃diggings。〃　Most　of　the　mines　which　yield　well　show　signs　of　having　been　worked　before；　a　very　long　time　ago；　no　doubt　by　the　occupants　before　the　Indians。　　The　mica　is　of　excellent　quality　and　easily　mined。　　It　is　got　out　in　large　irregular…shaped　blocks　and　transported　to　the　factories；　where　it　is　carefully　split　by　hand；　and　the　laminae；　of　as　large　size　as　can　be　obtained；　are　trimmed　with　shears　and　tied　up　in　packages　for　market。　　The　quantity　of　refuse；　broken；　and　rotten　mica　piled　up　about　the　factories　is　immense；　and　all　the　roads　round　about　glisten　with　its　scales。　　Garnets　are　often　found　imbedded　in　the　laminae；　flattened　by　the　extreme　pressure　to　which　the　mass　was　subjected。　　It　is　fascinating　material；　this　mica；　to　handle；　and　we　amused　ourselves　by　experimenting　on　the　thinness　to　which　its　scales　could　be　reduced　by　splitting。　　It　was　at　Bakersville　that　we　saw　specimens　of　mica　that　resembled　the　delicate　tracery　in　the　moss…　agate　and　had　the　iridescent　sheen　of　the　rainbow　colorsthe　most　delicate　greens；　reds；　blues；　purples；　and　gold；　changing　from　one　to　the　other　in　the　reflected　light。　　In　the　texture　were　the　tracings　of　fossil　forms　of　ferns　and　the　most　exquisite　and　delicate　vegetable　beauty　of　the　coal　age。　　But　the　magnet　shows　this　tracery　to　be　iron。　　We　were　shown　also　emeralds　and　〃diamonds；〃　picked　up　in　this　region；　and　there　is　a　mild　expectation　in　all　the　inhabitants　of　great　mineral　treasure。　　A　singular　product　of　the　region　is　the　flexible　sandstone。　　It　is　a