"The Devil's garden" is truly a wonderful work of nature. Between two lofty ranges of the Sandy ridge and North mountain a strip of ground, about half a mile in width, commences rising gently from the head of Trout run, and pursues its regular ascent for three miles, when it abruptly terminates, at its southern extremity, in a vast pile of granite rocks, having a perpendicular hight of some four or five hundred feet. This immense pile is entirely separated from and independent of its neighboring mountains, having a vast chasm on its two sides and southern termination. At its south end it is covered with nearly level rocks, forming a floor of about an acre. This floor is curiously marked with fissures on the surface of various distances apart. On the eastern side of this floor stands a statue, or perhaps it may more appropriately be called a bust, about seven feet high: the head, neck and shoulders, bear a strong resemblance to those of a man, and from the breast downwards it gradually enlarges in size from two and a half to three feet in diameter. It is without arms. It stands on a level table of rock, is of a dark color, and presents to the eye a frowning, terrific appearance. When this singular curiosity was first discovered, some superstitious people concluded it was the image of the Devil; and hence the name of "The Devil's garden." Near his satanic majesty anciently stood a four-square stone pillar, of about two and a half feet diameter, and ten or twelve feet high. This pillar is broken off at its base, crosses a chasm, and reclines, something in the form of an arch, against the opposite rock.

About 100 feet below the stand of the statue, a door lets into numerous caverns in the rock, the first of which forms a handsome room of moderate size, the floors above and below being tolerably smooth and level. From this room there is a handsome flight of stone steps ascending into a room of larger size, and so on from one room to another, until twelve different apartments are passed through, and then reaches the top of the rocks.

The late Mr. Sterrett, in riding with the author to view this extraordinary work of nature, said that it was difficult for an old man to get access to the inlet, of course I did not attempt it. Mr. Babb, who resides in its neighborhood, informed the author he had frequently explored the cavern; and the young people of the neighborhood, male and female, frequently, in parties of pleasure, visit and pass through its various apartments.

Lost river. Here again the eye is presented with another evidence of the all-powerful arm of God! This river heads in several small springs, on a high ridge of land near Brock's gap, which divides the waters of the North fork of the Shenandoah from the waters of the Lost river. This water course meanders through a beautiful valley of fine alluvial land, a distance of about 25 miles. On its west side, some ten or twelve miles below its head springs, is a cavern at the eastern base of "Lost river mountain," which has been explored about one hundred yards (some say more) from its mouth. Over the inlet is a handsomely turned arch twelve or fourteen feet wide, and six or seven high. From this cavern is discharged a stream of beautiful water, remarkable for its degree of coldness. It is called "the cold spring cave." The mouth of this cave effectually preserves fresh meats of every kind from injury in the hottest seasons. This cave exhibits but few curiosities.

Some 10 or 12 miles further down, the river comes in contact with Lost river mountain (which is of considerable magnitude), has cut its way through the mountain, and about two miles further down has to encounter a second mountain called Timber ridge, through which it has forced its way, and one and a half or two miles further has to contend with Sandy ridge, a mountain of considerable hight and width. Here the water and mountain appear to have had a mighty struggle for the ascendency. In flood times, Mrs. River, despising all obstructions, forces her way through a yawning, frowning chasm. But at times of low water, when her ladyship is less powerful, his giantship the mountain

defies all her power to remove a huge mass of adamantine rocks, which obstructs her passage in the gap; but to remedy this evil, Mrs. River has adroitly and cunningly undermined the mountain, formed for herself a subterraneous passage, and generously supplies her sister Capon with all the water she has to spare. It is impossible for the inquisitive eye to view this mighty work of nature without being struck with the idea of the great obstruction and mighty difficulty this water had to contend with in forcing a passage through this huge mountain. The author viewed this place with intense interest and curiosity. At the western base of the mountain, the water has found various apertures, one of which is under the point of a rock, of 7 or 8 feet wide, which appears to be the largest inlet. For the distance of about a quarter of a mile from the sink, not a drop of water is to be seen in times of drought. There are several large springs which issue from the mountain in the gap, forming a small stream, which always runs through it. The water of the river has a subterraneous passage of full three miles, and is discharged in several very large springs at the eastern base of the mountain. These several springs form the great fountain head of Capon river.

An old man and his son, (their names not recollected,) whose dwelling is very near the sink, related a very singular occurrence which they represented as having happened a few days before the author's visit to this place. They stated that several dogs were in pursuit of a deer on the mountain-that the deer ran to the brink of a rock, at least 100 feet high, which is very near the sink, and the poor animal being pretty closely pursued, leaped from the rock, and falling on a very rough, stony surface, was terribly crushed and bruised by the fall, and instantly expired. They immediately ran to it and opened the large veins in the neck, but little blood was discharged. They took off the skin, and cut up the flesh; but most parts of it were so much bruised and mangled as to be unfit for use.

Capon river exhibits several great natural curiosities: Near its head waters is a rock called "the Alum rock,” from which exudes native alum, and forms a beautiful incrustation on its face, which the neighboring people collect in small quantities, but often sufficient for their domestic purposes of staining their cloths.

About two miles above the forks of this river, is situated "Caudy's castle," a most stupendous work of nature. It is said by tradition that in the time of the wars between the white and red people, a man by the name of James Caudy, more than once took shelter on the rock from the pursuit of the Indians, from whence its name. It consists of a fragment of the mountain, separated from and independent of the neighboring mountains, forming, as it were, a half cone, and surrounded with a yawning chasm. Its eastern base, washed by the Capon river, rises to the majestic hight of 450 or 500 feet, while its eastern side is a solid mass of granite, directly perpendicular. A line drawn round its base probably would not exceed 1000 or 1200 yards. From its western side it may be ascended by a man on foot to within about 90 or 100 feet of its summit. From thence the rock suddenly shoots up something in the form of a comb, which is about 90 or 100 feet in length, 8 or 10 feet in thickness, and runs about north and south. On the eastern face of the rock, from where the comb is approached, a very narrow undulating path is formed, by pursuing which, active persons can ascend to its summit. The author called on Mr. John Largent, (from whom he received much kindness and attention,) and requested Mr. L. to be his pilot, which request was readily acceded to. Mr. L.'s residence is less than half a mile from the spot. In his company the author undertook to ascend this awful precipice. Along the path a few laurel shrubs have grown out of the fissures of the rock. With the aid of the shrubbery, the author succeeded in following Mr. Largent until they reached within 20 or 25 feet of the summit, where they found a flat table, 4 or 5 feet square, on which a pine tree of

5 or 6 inches diameter has grown some 10 or 12 feet high. This afforded a convenient resting place. By supporting myself with one arm around the body of the tree, and a cane in the other hand, I ventured several times to look down the precipice, but it produced a disagreeable giddiness and painful sensation of the eyes. From this elevated situation an extensive view of what is called the White mountain presents itself for a considerable distance, on the east side of Capon river. The beautiful whiteness of this mountain is produced by a considerable intermixture of fine white sand with the rocks, which almost exclusively form the west side of Capon mountain for several miles.

Nine or ten miles below this place, in a deep rugged glen three or four miles east of Capon, on the west side of the mountain, the "Tea table" is to be seen, than which nature in her most sportive mood has seldom performed a more beautiful work. This table presents the form of a man's hat, with the crown turned downwards. The stem (if it may be so termed) is about four feet diameter, and about four feet high. An oval brim, some 7 or 8 feet in diameter, and 7 or 8 inches thick, is formed around the top of the stem, through which a circular tube arises, 12 or 14 inches in diameter. Through this tube a beautiful stream of transparent water arises, and regularly flows over the whole surface of this large brim, presenting to the eye one of the most beautiful fountains in nature's works.

Ice mountain. This most extraordinary and wonderful work of God's creation certainly deserves the highest rank in the history of the natural curiosities of our country. This mountain is washed at its western base by the North river, a branch of the Capon. It is not more than one quarter of a mile north of the residence of Christopher Heiskell, Esq. at North river mills, in the county of Hampshire, 26 miles northwest of Winchester. The west side of this mountain for about one mile is covered with loose stone of various size, many of which are of a diamond shape. It is probably