United States, as one of the most sublime of the productions of Nature.
It is on the ascent of a hill which seems to have been cloven through
its length by some great convulsion of Nature.

Although the sides of the bridge are provided in some parts with a
parapet of fixed rocks, yet few persons have resolution to walk to them,
and look over into the abyss. The passenger involuntarily falls on his
hands, creeps to the parapet, and peeps over it. Looking down from this
height for the space of a minute, occasions a violent headache; and the
view from beneath is delightful in the extreme, as much as that from
above is exquisitely painful.

The following beautiful sketch is from the pen of the Rev. John Todd, of
Philadelphia, author of the Student's Manual, Simple Sketches, and other
admired works.




ROCK BRIDGE.


On a lovely morning towards the close of spring, I found myself in a
very beautiful part of the great valley of Virginia. Spurred on by
impatience, I beheld the sun rising in splendour, and changing the blue
tints on the tops of the lofty Alleghany mountains into streaks of
purest gold; and nature seemed to smile in the freshness of beauty. A
ride of about fifteen miles, and a pleasant woodland ramble of about
two, brought myself and my companion to the great NATURAL BRIDGE.