“May 18.  To-day we retraced our steps from Nashville to Chattanooga.  It had been raining nearly all night, and we found, when not far from the latter place, that the streams were pouring down from the high lands upon the car-track, so that we came through rivers.  When we dashed into the dark tunnel it was darker than ever from the darkness of the day, and it seemed to me that the darkness pressed upon me.  I am sure I should keep my senses a very little while if I were confined in a dark place.

“As we came out of the tunnel, the water from the hill above dashed upon the cars; and although it did not break the panes of glass, it forced its way through and sprinkled us.

“The route, with all its terrors, is beautiful, and the trees are now much finer than they were ten days ago.

“May 27.  There is this great difference between Niagara and other wonders of the world:  that of it you get no idea from descriptions, or even from paintings.  Of the ‘Mammoth Cave’ you have a conception from what you are told; of the Natural Bridge you get a really truthful impression from a picture.  But cave and bridge are in still life.  Niagara is all activity and change.  No picture gives you the varying form of the water or the change of color; no description conveys to your mind the ceaseless roar.  So, too, the ocean must be unrepresentable to those who have not looked upon it.

“The Natural Bridge stands out bold and high, just as you expect to see it.  You are agreeably disappointed, however, on finding that you can go under the arch and be completely in the coolness of its shade while you look up for two hundred feet to the rocky black and white ceiling above.

“One of the prettiest peculiarities is the fringing above of the trees which hang over the edge, and looking out past the arch the wooded banks of the ravine are very pleasant.  From above, one has the pain always attendant to me upon looking down into an abyss, but at the same time one obtains a better conception of the depth of the valley.  It is well worth seeing, partly for itself, partly because it can be reached only by a ride among the hills of the Blue Ridge.”

CHAPTER V

1857

FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR—­LIVERPOOL—­THE HAWTHORNES—­LONDON—­GREENWICH OBSERVATORY—­ADMIRAL SMYTH—­DR. LEE

Shortly after her return from the South, Miss Mitchell started again for a tour in Europe with the same young girl.

Miss Mitchell carried letters from eminent scientific people in this country to such persons as it would be desirable for her to know in Europe; especially to astronomers and mathematicians.

When Miss Mitchell went to Europe she took her Almanac work with her, and what time she was not sight-seeing she was continuing that work.  Her wisdom in this respect was very soon apparent.  She had not been in England many weeks when a great financial crisis took place in the United States, and the father of her young charge succumbed to the general failure.  The young lady was called home, but after considering the matter seriously Miss Mitchell decided to remain herself, putting the young lady into careful hands for the return passage from Liverpool.