LIFE OF WILSON. 
CXXV 
tie had eaten the whole bark from the trunk, even to that of 
the roots. 
“ Nineteen miles from Lexington I descended a long, steep 
and rocky declivity, to the banks of Kentucky river, which is 
here about as wide as the Schuylldll; and winds away between 
prodigious perpendicular cliffs of solid limestone. In this deep 
and romantic valley the sound of the boat horns, from several 
Kentucky arks, which were at that instant passing, produced a 
most charming effect The river, I was told, had already fallen 
fifteen feet; but was still high. I observed great numbers of 
uncommon plants and flowers, growing among the cliffs; and 
a few solitary bank swallows were skimming along the surface. 
Reascending from this, and travelling for a few miles, I again 
descended a vast depth to another stream called Dick’s river, 
engulfed among the same perpendicular masses of rock. 
Though it was nearly dark I found some curious petrifactions, 
and some beautiful specimens of mother of pearl on the shore. 
The roaring of a mill-dam, and the rattling of the mill, pre- 
vented the ferryman from hearing me till it was quite night; 
and I passed the rest of the road in the dark, over a rocky 
country, abounding with springs, to Danville. This place 
stands on a slight eminence, and contains about eighty houses, 
chiefly log and frame buildings, disposed in two parallel streets, 
crossed by several others. It has two ropewalks and a woollen 
manufactory; also nine shops and three taverns. I observed a 
great many sheep feeding about here, amidst fields of excellent 
pasture. It is, however, but a dull place. A Roman Catholic 
chapel has been erected here, at the expense of one or two in- 
dividuals. The shopkeepers trade from the mouth of Dick’s 
river down to New Orleans, with the common productions of 
the country, flour, hemp, tobacco, pork, corn, and whiskey. I 
was now one hundred and eighty miles from Nashville, and, 
as I was informed, not a town or village on the whole route. 
Every day, however, was producing wonders in the woods, by 
the progress of vegetation. The blossoms of the sassafras, dog- 
wood, and red bud, contrasted with the deep green of the pop- 
