“The observer, standing on the brink of the stream, at the distance of about one hundred yards below the debouchure of the Natural Tunnel, has, in front, a view of its arched entrance, rising seventy or eighty feet above the water, and surmounted by horizontal stratifications of yellowish, white, and grey rocks, in depth nearly twice the height of the arch.  On his left, a view of the same mural precipice, deflected from the springing of the arch in a manner to pass thence in a continuous curve quite to his rear, and towering in a very impressive manner above his head.  On his right, a sapling growth of buck-eye, poplar, linden, &c., skirting the margin of the creek, and extending obliquely to the right, and upward, through a narrow, abrupt ravine, to the summit of the ridge, which is here and elsewhere crowned with a timber-growth of pines, cedars, oaks, and shrubbery of various kinds.  On his extreme right is a gigantic cliff, lifting itself up, perpendicularly from the water’s edge, to the height, of about three hundred feet, and accompanied by an insulated cliff, called the Chimney, of about the same altitude, rising, in the form of a turret, at least sixty feet above its basement, which is a portion of the imposing cliff just before mentioned.

“Desirous of illustrating this paper by a front view of the Natural Tunnel where the creek issues from it, I have, with the assistance of a particular friend in this city—­to whom I am indebted for the accompanying drawing[1]—­been enabled to furnish a sketch which very faithfully represents some of the appearances I have described.  The embellishments last mentioned, however, viz. the chimney and its accompaniments, could not be comprised in the landscape.

“The following passages are from my own private journal:—­

“Saturday, Aug. 13, 1831.  Having ascended Cove ridge, we turned aside from our route to visit the natural bridge, or tunnel, situated on Buck-eye, or Stock creek, about a mile below the Sycamore camp,[2] and about one and a half miles from a place called Rye cove, which occupies a spacious recess between two prominent spurs of Powell’s mountain, the site of the natural tunnel being included within a spur of Cove ridge, which is one of the mountain spurs just alluded to.  Here is presented one of the most remarkable and attractive curiosities of its kind, to be witnessed in this or any other country.  The creek, which is about seven yards wide, and has a general course about S. 15 W., here passes through a hill elevated from two to three hundred feet above the surface of the stream, winding its way through a huge subterraneous cavern, or grotto, whose roof is vaulted in a peculiar manner, and rises from thirty to seventy or eighty feet above its floor.  The sides of this gigantic cavern rise perpendicularly in some places to the height of fifteen or twenty feet, and, in others, are formed, by the springing of its vaulted roof immediately from its floor.