66 Mr. Kain on the Geology and 
probably die there ; that the aborigines have made them a place 
of burial; and that the streams of water which flow through 
them in wet weather, carry with them not only great quantities 
of leaves, but many other vegetable productions. 
The natural bridge is celebrated as one of the greatest curi- 
osities of the world. Viewed by a geologist, it would probably 
be considered as a cave (so to speak) unroofed in all but 
one place. It seems improbable that if the ravine’ had been 
made by a convulsion, which had split and separated the rock 
to the distance of fifty or sixty feet, any part of it, and particu- 
larly so large a mass as that which forms the bridge, should 
have been left, without exhibiting any marks of violence. The 
rock is limestone. It is known that this rock wears away 
rapidly under the attrition of water ; and the supposition does - 
not appear improbable, that, in the lapse of ages, so large 4 
creek as that which flows below the bridge, may have worn as 
deep a ravine as that which now strikes us with so much sur- 
prise. In short, may not a cave have been originally formed ; 
where the ravine is now, and the pending portion of it have 
fallen in at every place except that which now forms this cele- 
brated natural curiosity ? 
Mineral Springs.—The mineral springs of this region are 
- numerous and diversified. Chalybeate springs are promiscu- 
ously scattered over the whole of it; and springs impregnated 
with sulphuretted hydrogen are quite common. Salt springs 
and licks are fownd more in the western than in the eastern range 
of mountains. That which was first wrought by William King, 
is well known. The salt here is associated with gypsum. ja 
the same range of mountains, farther to the southwest, there 
are now several other salt-works, and also one to the west, 2 
Goose Creek, in Kentucky, which has been very productive. 
The Warm Springs.—These springs are situated ina country 
which presents many attractions to the travelling geologists 
and much light, it is hoped, will yet be thrown on the geology 
of our country, by a more minute and accurate examination of 
it than has yet been made. 
The warm springs ooze through the sand on the south bank 
ef the French Broad river, in the mountains which divide the 
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