the complete writings-4-第38节

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ystem　abruptly　breaks　down　into　the　vast　southern　plain；　where　the　observer；　standing　on　the　edge　of　the　precipice；　has　behind　him　and　before　him　the　greatest　contrast　that　nature　can　offer。　　He　must　also　take　the　rail　to　Waynesville；　and　visit　the　much…frequented　White　Sulphur　Springs；　among　the　Balsam　Mountains；　and　penetrate　the　Great　Smoky　range　by　way　of　Quallatown；　and　make　the　acquaintance　of　the　remnant　of　Cherokee　Indians　living　on　the　north　slope　of　Cheoah　Mountain。　　The　Professor　could　have　made　it　a　matter　of　personal　merit　that　he　escaped　all　these　encounters　with　wild　and　picturesque　nature；　if　his　horse　had　not　been　too　disabled　for　such　long　jaunts。　　It　is　only　necessary；　however；　to　explain　to　the　public　that　the　travelers　are　not　gormandizers　of　scenery；　and　were　willing　to　leave　some　portions　of　the　State　to　the　curiosity　of　future　excursionists。

But　so　much　was　said　about　Hickory　Nut　Gap　that　a　visit　to　it　could　not　be　evaded。　　The　Gap　is　about　twenty…four　miles　southeast　of　Asheville。　　In　the　opinion　of　a　well…informed　colonel；　who　urged　us　to　make　the　trip；　it　is　the　finest　piece　of　scenery　it　this　region。　We　were　brought　up　on　the　precept　〃get　the　best；〃　and　it　was　with　high　anticipations　that　we　set　out　about　eleven　o'clock　one　warm；　foggy　morning。　　We　followed　a　very　good　road　through　a　broken；　pleasant　country；　gradually　growing　wilder　and　less　cultivated。　There　was　heavy　rain　most　of　the　day　on　the　hills；　and　occasionally　a　shower　swept　across　our　path。　　The　conspicuous　object　toward　which　we　traveled　all　the　morning　was　a　shapely　conical　hill　at　the　beginning　of　the　Gap。

At　three　o'clock　we　stopped　at　the　Widow　Sherrill's　for　dinner。　　Her　house；　only　about　a　mile　from　the　summit；　is　most　picturesquely　situated　on　a　rough　slope；　giving　a　wide　valley　and　mountain　view。　The　house　is　old　rambling；　many…roomed；　with　wide　galleries　on　two　sides。　　If　one　wanted　a　retired　retreat　for　a　few　days；　with　good　air　and　fair　entertainment；　this　could　be　commended。　　It　is　an　excellent　fruit　region；　apples　especially　are　sound　and　of　good　flavor。　　That　may　be　said　of　all　this　part　of　the　State。　　The　climate　is　adapted　to　apples；　as　the　hilly　part　of　New　England　is。　　I　fancy　the　fruit　ripens　slowly；　as　it　does　in　New　England；　and　is　not　subject　to　quick　decay　like　much　of　that　grown　in　the　West。　　But　the　grape　also　can　be　grown　in　all　this　mountain　region。　　Nothing　but　lack　of　enterprise　prevents　any　farmer　from　enjoying　abundance　of　fruit。　　The　industry　carried　on　at　the　moment　at　the　Widow　Sherrill's　was　the　artificial　drying　of　apples　for　the　market。　　The　apples　are　pared；　cored；　and　sliced　in　spirals；　by　machinery；　and　dried　on　tin　sheets　in　a　patented　machine。　　The　industry　appears　to　be　a　profitable　one　hereabouts；　and　is　about　the　only　one　that　calls　in　the　aid　of　invention。

While　our　dinner　was　preparing；　we　studied　the　well…known　pictures　of　〃Jane〃　and　〃Eliza；〃　the　photographs　of　Confederate　boys；　who　had　never　returned　from　the　war；　and　the　relations；　whom　the　traveling　photographers　always　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　professio