The descriptions of the Natural Bridge and Friede’s cave, near Rolla, previously referred to as being on page 16 of the same volume, are as follows: 

“On Clifty Creek found the chert bed of Sec. 21-5 occurring about sixty feet from the top of the Third Magnesian Limestone, with a road passing over its upper surface, presenting it very favorably for observation.  It seemed here to be broken by vertical cracks into large rhomboidal blocks.  Further up this creek in a wild and secluded spot, observed a Natural Bridge with six feet of this chert bed at its base, and Silicious Magnesian Limestone above.  The span of this bridge is about thirty feet, an elevation of opening about fifteen feet above the water, the thickness of the rock above is about twelve feet, and width on top about fifteen feet.  Two small streams come together, one from the west and another from the south-west.  A point of the bluff on the south-west fork spans the northern fork, and terminates about sixty feet beyond in a sharp point; a few large masses of rock lie near the termination of the promontory, and fifty feet beyond, the bluffs of the opposite hills rise abruptly from the bottoms.  The bluffs, both above and below, are very precipitous, the middle and lower beds of the Third Magnesian Limestone forming perpendicular escarpments, frequently studded with cedar, some occurring on top of the bridge.  A perfectly clear stream of water courses through this valley.  The bottoms near are overspread with a dense growth of trees and vines, among which latter I noticed the Muscadine grape.  The valley at this part being shut in by its perpendicular cliffs with not a path to guide the traveler through the dense thickets, is wildly picturesque and romantic in its loneliness.”

Of the cave he says:  “This cave is a quarter of a mile east of Cave Spring Creek, and has a wide and elevated entrance; passing into it a hundred yards or more, the passage narrows, and in order to go further a stream of water has frequently to be waded through; this passage has been followed by some persons several miles without finding any object of interest; but a few hundred yards from the entrance, by diverging to the right, we enter a large chamber, studded with stalactites and stalagmites, many uniting and forming solid columns of support.  Many of these are very beautiful, and often as white as alabaster.  There are other large rooms, but they possess no peculiar interest.  Found large deposits of earth on the floor having a saline taste.”

Of the extensive pine forests in Ozark County, he says:  “The size and quality of the timber will compare favorably with that of the celebrated pineries of Wisconsin and Minnesota.”

In several other counties the pine is equally good, and other valuable timber everywhere abundant, although in a school geography published in 1838, the following descriptions of this region occur: 

“The lowlands of the Mississippi are bounded by the region of the Ozark Mountains.  With the exception of the alluvial tracts on the borders of the streams, it is extremely hilly and broken.  The mountains rise from eight hundred to eighteen hundred feet above the streams, with rounded summits and often perpendicular cliffs, and have a rocky surface, which admits only a scanty growth of timber.” * *