SPRING AT THE CAPITAL. 165 



has a charm to the ear quite independent of its in- 

 trinsic merits. 



Outside of the city limits, the great point of inter- 

 est to the rambler and lover of nature is the Rock 

 Creek region. Rock Creek is a large, rough, rapid 

 stream, which has its source in the interior of Mary- 

 land, and flows into the Potomac between Washing- 

 ton and Georgetown. Its course, for five or six 

 miles out of Washington, is marked by great diver- 

 sity of scenery. Flowing in a deep valley, which 

 now and then becomes a wild gorge with overhang- 

 ing rocks and high precipitous headlands, for the 

 most part wooded ; here reposing in long, dark 

 reaches, there sweeping and hurrying around a sud- 

 den bend or over a rocky bed ; receiving at short in- 

 tervals small runs and spring rivulets, which open up 

 vistas and outlooks to the right and left, of the most 

 charming description, Rock Creek has an abun- 

 dance of all the elements that make up not only pleas- 

 ing, but wild and rugged scenery. There is, perhaps, 

 not another city in the Union that has on its very 

 threshold so much natural beauty and grandeur, such 

 AS men seek for in remote forests and mountains. A 

 'ew touches of art would convert this whole region, 

 extending from Georgetown to what is known as 

 Crystal Springs, not more than two miles from the 

 present State Department, into a park unequaled by 

 anything in the world. There are passages between 

 these two points as wild and savage, and apparently 

 as remote from civilization, as anything one meets 



