A new and popular Pictorial History of the United States . he transverse. Though the sides ofthis bridge are provided in some partswith a parapet of fixed rocks, yet fewmen have resolution to walk to themand look over into the abyss : you in-voluntarily fall on your hands and feet,creep to the parapet, and peep over down from this height about aminute gave me a violent head-ache. Ifthe view from the top be painful and in-tolerable, that from below is delightfulin an equal extreme ; it is impossible forthe emotions arising from the sublimeto be felt beyond what they are here:so beaut
A new and popular Pictorial History of the United States . he transverse. Though the sides ofthis bridge are provided in some partswith a parapet of fixed rocks, yet fewmen have resolution to walk to themand look over into the abyss : you in-voluntarily fall on your hands and feet,creep to the parapet, and peep over down from this height about aminute gave me a violent head-ache. Ifthe view from the top be painful and in-tolerable, that from below is delightfulin an equal extreme ; it is impossible forthe emotions arising from the sublimeto be felt beyond what they are here:so beautiful an arch, so elevated, solight, and springing, as it were, up toheaven ! the rapture of the spectator isreally indescribable ! The fissure con-tinuing narrow, deep, and straight, fora considerable distance above and be-low the bridge, opens a short but verypleasing view of the North mountain onone side, and Blue ridge on the other,at the distance, each of them, of aboutfive miles. This bridge is in the county 304 DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF Natural Bridge over Cedar Creek. of Rockbridge, to which it has givenname, and affords a public and commo-dious passage over a valley which cannot be crossed elsewhere for a cf)iisider-able distance. The stream passing un-der it is called Cedar creek; it is awater of James river, and sufficient inthe driest seasons to turn a gristmill,though its fountain is not more than twomiles above. The description of Jefferson first at-tracted the attention of travellers to thisremarkable spot. Of recent descrip-tions, the best is that by Miss Martineau,which is truly characteristic and inter-esting, and is as follows :— At a mile from the bridge, the roadturns off through a wood. While thestage rolled and jolted along the ex-tremely bad road, Mr. L. and I went pry-ing about the whole area of the wood,poking our horses noses into everythicket, and between any two pieces ofrock, that we might be sure not to missour object; the driver smi
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