MO TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA.! 
down a long and steep hill, shaded with loftj 
trees, whose branches unite over jour head. 
On one side of the road there are large heaps 
of rocks above you, which seem to threaten 
destruction to any one that passes under them ; 
on the other, a deep precipice presents itself, 
at the bottom of which is heard the roaring 
of the waters, that are concealed from the eye 
by the thickness of the foliage. Towards the 
end of tins hill, about sixty feet above the 
level of the water, stands a tavern and a few 
houses, and from some fields in the rear of 
them the passage of the river through the 
mountain is, I think, seen to the best advan¬ 
tage. 
The Patowmac on the left comes winding 
along through a fertile country towards the 
mountain ; on the right flows the Shenandoah: 
uniting together at the foot of the mountain, 
they roll on through the gap; then suddenly 
expanding to the breadth of about four hun¬ 
dred yards, they pass on towards the sea, and 
are finally lost to the view amidst surrounding 
hills. The rugged appearance of the sides 
of the mountain towards the river, and the 
larg'e rocks that lie scattered about at the 
bottom, many of which have evidently been 
split asunder by some great convulsion, “ are 
monuments/’ as Mr. Jefferson observes, of the 
et war that has taken place' at this spot he- 
