water rises above the surface, and discharges a most beautiful current for several weeks at a time. Tradi tion relates that this well was discovered at the first settlement of the neighborhood.

The other natural well is the one described by Mr. Jefferson. This natural curiosity first made its appearance on the breaking up of the hard winter of 1779-80. All the old people of our country doubtless recollect the great falls of snow and severity of this remarkable winter. The author was born, and lived with his father's family until he was about thirteen years of age, within one and a half miles of this natural well. The land at that period was owned by the late Col. Fielding Lewis, of Fredericksburg, Va., but is now the property of the heirs of the late Mr. Thomas Castleman, in the neighborhood of Berryville. Nature had here formed a circular sink of a depth of some fourteen or fifteen feet, and fifty or sixty feet in diameter at the surface. In the spring of the year 1780, the earth at the bottom of this sink suddenly gave way and fell into the cavity below, forming a circular aperture about the ordinary circumference of a common artificial well. It was soon discovered that a subterraneous stream of water passed under the bottom. There being no artificial or natural means to prevent the earth immediately about the well from falling in, the aperture is greatly enlarged, forming a sloping bank, by which a man on foot can easily descend within eight or ten feet of the water. The current of water is quite perceptible to the eye. The whole depth of the cavity is thirty or thirty-five feet.

Caves in the county of Shenandoah.-Within two or three miles of Woodstock, on the lands of William Payne, Esq. is an extensive cavern, which it is said has never yet been explored to its termination. It contains many curious incrustations, stalactites, &c. From the mouth of this cavern, a constant current of cold air is discharged, and the cavern is used by its owners as a place to preserve their fresh meats in the hottest seasons of the year.

On the east side of the South fork of the Shenandoah river, three or four miles south of Front Royal, there are two caves but a short distance apart, which, like all other caves, contain beautiful curiosities. One

of them many years ago was visited and explored by the late celebrated John Randolph of Roanoke; but the author has never been able to learn whether he committed to writing his observations upon it. One of its greatest curiosities is an excellent representation of the hatter's kettle.

Within about three miles north west of Mount Jackson, Shaffer's cave is situated. It has been explored about half a mile. It is not very remarkable for its natural production of curiosities. Tradition relates an amusing story in connection with it. A very large human skeleton was many years ago found in this cavern, the skull bone of which a neighboring man had the curiosity to take to his dwelling house. This aroused the ghost of the dead man, who, not being pleased with the removal of his head, very soon appeared to the depredator and harassed him until he became glad to return the skull to its former habitation. The ghost then became appeased and ceased his visits. It is said that there are many people to this day in the neighborhood, who most religiously believe that the ghost did really and truly compel the offender to return his skull. The author saw in the possession of Doctor Wetherall, of Mount Jackson, one of the arm bones of this skeleton, that part extending from the shoulder to the elbow, which was remarkable for its thickness, but was not of very uncommon length. At that time he had not been visited by the ghost to demand his arm; but perhaps he was not so tenacious of it as he was of his head.

In the county of Page, within about three miles of Luray, a cave, but little inferior to Wyer's cave, was some years ago discovered, a graphic description of which was written by W. A. Harris, Esq. and published in the Woodstock Sentinel of the Valley, and copied pretty generally throughout the union.

Ebbing and flowing springs.-Pretty high up Cedar creek there is a beautiful spring of clear mountain water, issuing from the western side of the Little North mountain, in a glen, which ebbs and flows twice in every twenty-four hours. It rises at ten o'clock in the morning, and ebbs at four in the evening. It is in a perfect state of nature, has considerable fall immediately from its mouth, so that it cannot conveniently be ascertained precisely what is its greatest rise and fall. When the author saw it it was down, and he could not conveniently spare the time to wait to see it rise. But the author's informant (Mr. J. Bond) went with him to the spring, and assured him that he had repeatedly seen it rise. The author is also informed that there is a salt sulphur spring, on the land late the property of Mr. John Lee, but a short distance from where the Staunton stage road crosses Cedar creek, which has a dairy erected over it. The respectable widow of Mr. Lee informed the author, but a few days since, that this spring ebbs and flows twice in every twenty-four hours, and that if care is not particularly taken at every flow, its current is so strong as to overset the vessels of milk placed in the water.

Falling run.-Some thirteen or fourteen miles south west of Winchester, and within about two miles of the residence of Moses Russell, Esq. in the county of Frederick, is to be seen what is called the Falling run. Between what the neighboring people call Falling ridge (the commencement of Paddy's mountain) and the Great North mountain, pretty near the summit, on the east side of the mountain, a fine large spring rises, forming a beautiful lively stream of water of sufficient force to work a grist mill. This stream pursues its serpentine course through a glen of several hundred yards in width, of gradual descent, between the mountain and Falling ridge. Pursuing its course in a northerly direction from its fountain, for about one and a half miles, it makes a pretty sudden turn to the east, and shoots over a solid granite rock probably not less than one hundred

feet high. The first 18 or 20 feet of the rock over which the water passes is a little sloping, over which the water spreads and covers a surface of 15 or 16 feet, from whence the fall is entirely perpendicular, and strikes on a mass of solid rock; it then forms an angle of about 45 degrees, rushing and foaming over an undulating surface, of about 90 or 100 feet; from thence there is a third fall of about the same length, and the water pitches into a hole of considerable depth; from thence it escapes down a more gradual descent, and within a short distance reaches pretty level ground, and suddenly becomes a gentle, smooth, placid current, as if it is pleased to rest from the violent agitations and turmoils through which it has just passed. At the first base reached by the water, a perpetual mist arises, which, viewed on a clear sunshiny day, presents to the eye a most interesting and beautiful sight. The whole fall is little if any less than three hundred feet.

A short distance to the south of this place, at the junction of the Falling ridge with the North mountain, is to be seen what the neighboring people call "the Pinnacle." The apex of this pinnacle is a flat, broad table, supported on a pivot, and can be set in motion by the hands of a man, and will continue to vibrate for several minutes. There are several small caverns in this rock, and it is known to be the abode of the turkey buzzards in the winter, where they remain in a state of torpitude. Mr. Russell informed the author that he once took out a torpid buzzard in the winter, laid it on the sunny side of the rock, and it very soon regained life and motion.

Trout pond. In the county of Hardy, about eight or nine miles south of the late residence of James Sterrit, Esq. deceased, and a little east of Thornbottom, is situated a most beautiful miniature lake, called the Trout pond. A large spring rises near the summit of the Great North mountain, descending on the west side into a deep glen, between the mountain and a very high ridge immediately east of Thornbottom, in which

glen nature has formed a receptacle of unknown depth for this stream of water. This stream forms a pond covering an area of about one and a half acres, nearly an oblong square. Nature never presented to the eye a more perfectly beautiful sheet of water. It is as transparent as crystal, and abounds with fine trout fish.

The late Col. Taverner Beal, upwards of forty years ago, described this place to the author, and stated that he could safely affirm that he believed he had seen ten thousand trout at a single view in this pond. Col. Beal also informed the author that himself and a friend of his once made a raft, and floated to the center of the pond, where they let down a plumb and line, (the author does not now recollect the length of the line, though it was certainly not less than forty feet,) but did not succeed in reaching the bottom. A Mr. Ghocanour, who resides near this place, informed the author that he had heard it was fathomed many years ago, and was found to be 60 feet deep, but did not know the certainty or truth of this report. The water is discharged at the northeast corner of the pond, and after descending about two miles, works a saw mill, and thirty. or forty yards from the mill falls into a sink and entirely disappears. This sink is in the edge of Thornbottom, a pretty narrow strip of fertile limestone land, which affords between the mountains a residence for four or five families, each of whom has a fine spring of water, all which, after running a short distance, also disappear. The stream of water from the pond, doubtless considerably increased by the waters of Thornbottom, again appears at the northern termination of a very high ridge called "the Devil's garden." It bursts out in one of the finest and largest springs the author has ever seen. It is said that this subterranean passage of the water is fully eight miles in length. This spring is within about one quarter of a mile from Mr. Sterrett's dwelling house, and forms the beautiful stream of water called Trout run, which is a valuable tributary of the Capon river.