100 THE CAROLINA MOUNTAINS 
ascended, a delicious fragrance became more and 
more perceptible, until we discovered, growing 
above us on the ledges of the main mountain, great 
airy masses of blossoming fringe-trees that hung 
over the edges of the cliffs and shone white in the 
deep woods behind. The sparkleberry bushes were 
also swinging their snowy bells, and the wild goose- 
berries were trying to rival them in prodigality of 
bloom. These gooseberries, common at a certain 
elevation, are very wild, indeed, becoming, as they 
develop, closely covered with long prickles, which, 
however, does not prevent one from eating them 
when ripe. 
The view from the top of Chimney Rock up the 
Broad River Valley might be described as that of 
grand scenery in miniature. It is the atmosphere 
that makes the mountains here so charming, for, 
seen near at hand, they are rather forbidding with 
their stern, bare rocks. They are frequently finished 
on one side into rounded turrets. One can imagine 
that there might be times when this part of the 
country would appear less seductive than it appears 
on a fair spring day. 
Because of the natural phenomena, so abundant 
about Chimney Rock, the rumbling mountain, the 
caves, the Isolated "chimney," it is not surprising 
that a number of strange legends have collected 
about it, in which ghostly visitants play their part, 
although as a rule the mountain people are not 
superstitious. They go fearlessly through the wilder- 
ness alone, even "lying out" with their herds, or 
