_Letters Descriptive of the Virginia Springs—the Roads leading thereto
and the Doings thereat. Collected, Corrected, Annotated and Edited by
Peregrine Prolix. With a Map of Virginia. Philadelphia: Published by
H. S. Tanner._
In our late notice of a _Pleasant Peregrination through the Prettiest
Parts of Pennsylvania_, we had occasion to mention in high terms of
commendation these _Letters Descriptive of the Virginia Springs_.
Seeing them now advertised (very opportunely) as for sale in the city
of Richmond, we take the liberty of calling attention more
particularly to their merits. Every person about to pay a visit to our
Springs, should read the book of course—and every person not about to
pay them a visit, should most especially read it that he may have the
pleasure of changing his mind. The volume is a very small one—a
duodecimo of about 100 pages—but is replete with information of the
most useful and the most enticing nature to the tourist. It is
moreover, as the title implies, increased in value by the addition of
a Tanner's Map of Virginia, in which the usual routes to the Springs
are marked in colored lines. The volume has already been so freely
quoted by all parties, that we can do no more than just copy a few
words in relation to the Red Sulphur Springs of our old and highly
esteemed friend, Mr. Burke, and to the Grey Sulphur of Mr. Legare.
The distance to the Red Sulphur (from the Salt Sulphur) is eighteen
miles over a mountainous and woody region, which grows wilder and more
romantic as you proceed. You pass two or three little valleys, into
which the sun's rays penetrate between the branches and trunks of the
gigantic trees, which have been robbed of their leafy honors by the
process of girdling: the ground below being occupied by Indian corn.
After ascending several successive elevations, the road reaches the
top of a narrow mountain ridge, along which it runs for several miles,
and affords a prospect into the deep and precipitous valley on either
side. After descending from this ridge the road follows for several
miles the bank of a beautiful creek, and brings you to the Red Sulphur
Spring. This is one of the most beautiful and interesting objects in
the Virginia Mountains. It flows from the rock into a quadrangular
reservoir, composed of four slabs of white marble, the lower edges of
which rest on the rock from which the water gushes. The reservoir is
about six feet long, five wide, and four and a half deep; and a
beautiful red and mysterious substance covers the bottom, which
extending some distance up the sides, sheds through the transparency
of the water its own lovely hue. The water is clear and cool, (its
temperature being fifty-four of Fahrenheit,) is very strongly charged
with sulphuretted hydrogen gas, and contains portions of several
neutral salts. It possesses in a high degree the valuable property of
lowering an exalted pulse, and is generally diuretic and aperient. To
a Philadelphian palate its coolness is very gratifying. The spring is
situated near one side of a little triangular plain, almost buried in
mountains, and therefore cut short of its fair proportion of sunshine.
The buildings, consisting of two large and commodious hotels, and
three rows of cabins, are conveniently arranged upon the plain. The
best row of cabins is called Philadelphia row, and is built of brick,
each cabin containing two good rooms, in one of which is a fire-place.
The table and other accommodations are very good, and Mr. Burke, the
proprietor, is making every effort by new and expensive improvements
to increase the comforts of his future guests.
We have only to add, that Mr. B. has since been successful in making
the _Red Sulphur_ every thing which the tourist or the valetudinarian
could desire.
At 10 A.M. on the 10th September, [says Mr. Prolix] we left the Red
Sulphur Spring in a private carriage, to pay a visit to the Gray
Sulphur, situated at the distance of nine miles in a south-west
direction, just within the border of Giles county.
This is a new establishment, grown up by magic since the first of June
last. It belongs to John D. Legare, Esq. of South Carolina, a
gentleman of established literary talent, who by his great enterprise
and good taste, has made this lovely wilderness blossom like the rose,
and bring forth the fruits of civilization and comfort. There is a
comfortable new brick house standing near the middle of a gently
sloping plain of about twenty acres, nearly cleared of trees, and
entirely surrounded by forest-covered mountains, between whose base
and the house are several beautiful conical hills, rendering the view
from the portico exceedingly pleasing. Every thing here is conducted
after the polished and agreeable manner of South Carolina. All is
redolent of the Palmetto, and a little pleasant circle from that
state, may generally be found here.
There are two springs under the same cover, within ten feet of each
other; one containing, inter alia, bicarbonate of soda, which is an
excellent anti-dyspeptic, {593} and is well taken an hour after
dinner, which is always so good here that every body eats too much.
The other contains some sulphuretted hydrogen and several neutral
salts, rendering it aperient and diuretic. It should be taken an hour
before breakfast. The breakfasts and suppers are capital, furnished
forth with various cakes, in form and color new to the northern eye,
of rice, of corn and wheat; and in discussing these interesting
subjects, a quiet deliberation reigns, affording the epicure the
double opportunity of curing hunger and gratifying taste. The wine is
so good, that he who drinks it, falsifies the old adage, that _omnes
errorem bibunt_,—there is no mistake about it.