the grandeur of the scene is greatly heightened by the superior
magnitude of the cliffs, which exceed in loftiness, and which rise
perpendicularly--and, in some instances, in an impending manner--two
or three hundred feet; and by which the entrance on this side is
almost environed, as it were, by an amphitheatre of rude and frightful
precipices.

"The observer, standing on the brink of the stream, at the distance
of about one hundred yards below the debouchure of the Natural Tunnel,
has, in front, a view of its arched entrance, rising seventy or eighty
feet above the water, and surmounted by horizontal stratifications of
yellowish, white, and grey rocks, in depth nearly twice the height of
the arch. On his left, a view of the same mural precipice, deflected
from the springing of the arch in a manner to pass thence in a
continuous curve quite to his rear, and towering in a very impressive
manner above his head. On his right, a sapling growth of buck-eye,
poplar, linden, &c., skirting the margin of the creek, and extending
obliquely to the right, and upward, through a narrow, abrupt ravine,
to the summit of the ridge, which is here and elsewhere crowned with
a timber-growth of pines, cedars, oaks, and shrubbery of various
kinds. On his extreme right is a gigantic cliff, lifting itself up,
perpendicularly from the water's edge, to the height, of about three
hundred feet, and accompanied by an insulated cliff, called the Chimney,
of about the same altitude, rising, in the form of a turret, at least
sixty feet above its basement, which is a portion of the imposing cliff
just before mentioned.

"Desirous of illustrating this paper by a front view of the Natural
Tunnel where the creek issues from it, I have, with the assistance
of a particular friend in this city--to whom I am indebted for the
accompanying drawing[1]--been enabled to furnish a sketch which very
faithfully represents some of the appearances I have described. The
embellishments last mentioned, however, viz. the chimney and its
accompaniments, could not be comprised in the landscape.

"The following passages are from my own private journal:--

"Saturday, Aug. 13, 1831. Having ascended Cove ridge, we turned aside
from our route to visit the natural bridge, or tunnel, situated on
Buck-eye, or Stock creek, about a mile below the Sycamore camp,[2] and
about one and a half miles from a place called Rye cove, which occupies
a spacious recess between two prominent