arth, which gives growth to many large
trees. The residue, with the hill on both sides, is one solid rock of
lime-stone. The arch approaches the semi-elliptical form; but the larger
axis of the ellipsis, which would be the cord of the arch, is many times
longer than the transverse. Though the sides of the bridge are provided
in some parts with a parapet of fixed rock, yet few men have resolution
to walk to them, and look over into the abyss. You involuntarily fall on
your hands and feet, and creep to the parapet, and look over it. Looking
down from this height about a minute gave me a violent headache. If
the view from the top be painful and intolerable, that from below is
delightful in the extreme. It is impossible for the emotions arising
from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here. On the sight of
so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing as it were
up to heaven, the rapture of the spectator is really indescribable!
The fissure, continuing narrow, deep, and straight, for a considerable
distance above and below the bridge, opens a short but very pleasing
view of the north mountain on one side, and blue ridge on the other, at
the distance each of them of about five miles. This bridge is in the
county of Rockbridge, to which it has given name, and affords a public
and commodious passage over a valley, which cannot be crossed elsewhere
for a considerable distance. The stream passing under it is called Cedar
Creek: it is a water of James's River, and sufficient in the driest
seasons to turn a grist mill, though its fountain is not more than two
miles above[24]."

[Footnote 24: Upon this occasion it may be observed, the most wonderful
thing, with regard to cosmology, is that such remnants, forming bridges,
are so rare; this therefore must be an extraordinary piece of solid
rock, or some very peculiar circumstances must have concurred to
preserve this monument of the former situation of things.]

Thus both in what is called the Old World and the New, we shall be
astonished in looking into the operations of time employing water to
move the solid masses from their places, and to change the face of
nature, on the earth, without defacing nature. At all times there is a
terraqueous globe, for the use of plants and animals; at all times there
is upon the surface of the earth dry land and moving water, although the
particular shape and situation of those things fluctuate, and are not
permanent as are th