THE DIVIDING LINE. 
55 
We marked out our quarters on the banks of a purling stream, which we 
called Cascade creek, by reason of the multitude of water-falls that are in it. 
But, different from all other falls that ever I met with, the rocks over which 
the water rolled were soft, and would split easily into broad flakes, very pro- 
per for pavement ; and some fragments of it seemed soft enough for hones, 
and the grain fine enough. Near our camp we found a prickly shrub, rising 
about a foot from the ground, something like that which bears the barberry, 
though much smaller. The leaves had a fresh, agreeable smell, and I am 
persuaded the ladies would be apt to fancy a tea made of them, provided they 
were told how far it came, and at the same time were obliged to buy it very 
dear. About a mile to the south-west of our camp rose a regular mount, that 
commanded a full prospect of the mountains, and an extensive view of the 
flat country. But being, with respect to the high mountains, no more than a 
pimple, we called it by that name. Presently after sunset we discovered a 
great light towards the west, too bright for a fire, and more resembling the 
aurora borealis. This, all our woodsmen told us, was a common appear- 
ance in the high lands, and generally foreboded bad weather. Their explana- 
tion happened to be exactly true, for in the night we had a violent gale of wind, 
accompanied with smart hail, that rattled frightfully amongst the trees, though 
it was not large enough to do us any harm. 
We crossed Cascade creek over a ledge of smooth rocks, and then scuffled 
through a mighty thicket, at least three miles long. The whole was one 
continued tract of rich high land, the woods whereof had been burnt not long 
before. It was then overgrown with saplings of oak, hickory and locust, 
interlaced with grape vines. In this fine land, however, we met with no water, 
till at the end of three miles we luckily came upon a crystal stream, which, 
like some lovers of conversation, discovered every thing committed to its faith- 
less bosom. Then we came upon a piece of rich low ground, covered with large 
trees, of the extent of half a mile, v/hich made us fancy ourselves not far 
from the river ; though after that we ascended gently to higher land, with no 
other trees grov/ing upon it except butter-wood, which is one species of white 
maple. This being a dead level, without the least declivity to carry off the 
water, was moist in many places, and produced abundance of grass. All 
our woodsmen call these flat grounds high land ponds, and in their trading 
journeys are glad to halt at such places for several days together, to recruit 
their jaded horses, especially in the winter months, when there is little or no 
grass to be found in other places. This high land pond extended above two 
miles, our palfries snatching greedily at the tufts of grass, as they went along. 
After we got over this level, we descended some stony hills for about half a 
mile, and then came upon a large branch of the river, which w’e christened 
the Irvin, in honour of our learned professor. This river we forded with much 
difficulty and some danger, by reason of the hollow spaces betwixt the 
rocks, into which our horses plunged almost every step. The Irvin runs into 
the Dan about four miles to the southward of the line, and seemed to roll 
down its waters from the N. N. W. in a very full and limpid stream, and the 
murmur it made, in tumbling over the rocks, caused the situation to appear very 
romantic, and had almost made some of the company poetical, though they drank 
nothing but water. We encamped on a pleasant hill, overlooking the river, 
which seemed to be deep every where except just where we forded. In the 
mean time, neither that chain of rocks, nor any other that we could observe 
in this stream, was so uninterrupted, but that there were several breaks where 
a canoe, or even a moderate flat-bottomed boat, might shear clear. Nor 
have we reason to believe there are any other falls (except the great ones, 
thirty miles below Moniseep ford) that reach quite across, so. as to interrupt 
the navigation for small craft. And T have been informed that, even at those 
