From the dining room, we passed into the last cave, that had been hitherto visited, by the name of Jefferson’s-hall, in which are seen several clefts, and I am persuaded that a new passage could be easily opened, and new caves discovered. In different spots of the cavern, where the crust of the stalactites is broken, we saw hollows, which have not yet been examined. Such an undertaking, seems the more worth while, as this cave is probably in communication with the Madison’s cave, which was discovered by Jefferson, many years ago, and is in the same mountain; its entrance being only three hundred yards distant from that of Wier’s cave.
Wier’s cave was discovered in the year 1806, by a German farmer named Wier; Madison’s cave is not any longer visited; it is said also, that its finest stalactites have been destroyed by the indiscretion of strangers.
My attention in Wier’s cave, was particularly attracted by plates, which came off from the roof of the cavern, and hang from it, so that new stalactites have been formed between them and the roof, the last giving the others a very singular form. One of these plates looks like a large shell of mother of pearl,—another, like a looking-glass. The cave is of course damp, from the dripping of water, but it is less so than I expected, and less than is the case in such caves in Germany and England. The temperature was pretty high, and the air very pure. Our candles burnt with a bright flame, and we felt no difficulty in breathing.
From Jefferson’s hall, we began our rather difficult retreat, and came again into day-light, which was already decreasing.
We spent the rest of the evening with our friendly landlord, by a chimney fire; he had a bible in folio, printed in Nuremberg in the year 1765, with the portraits of my ancestors, the Grand Duke William IV., the Grand Duke Bernhard, and others.
It was interesting to me, to be reminded of my family in such a way, when in the interior of Virginia, and beyond the Blue Ridge.
On the 25th of November, we set out for Charlotteville, thirty-two miles distant, passing over the Blue Ridge. The road is through a country little cultivated, and without a single village; and the number of separate houses could scarcely be more than a dozen. After we had gone about five miles, we arrived at the western base of the Blue Ridge, which affords an agreeable view, being overgrown with wood up to the top. Then we entered a narrow valley, and when the road began to ascend, we alighted and walked over the mountains. I was surprised to find the road less steep than I expected, and it was also pretty good. From elevated places, the day being not so foggy as the preceding ones, we had many fine views of the mountains. The wood consisted of oak trees, and different kinds of nut trees; here and there were colossal fir, larch, Weymouth’s pine and acacia trees. Evergreen rhododendrons, for which some amateurs in Europe spend a great deal of money, are growing here in abundance, also wild vines, which wind themselves round the trees. The prospect on the mountains would have been more pleasant, had there been some marks of human dwellings, but we saw only two miserable log houses, inhabited by dirty and ragged negro families, on the whole tract for eight miles over the mountains; and we met but a few carts loaded with flour.
Having crossed the Blue Ridge, we arrived at a good-looking country house, and a mill called Brown’s Farm, situated at the base of the mountains, and took our dinner there. This house is surrounded by fields belonging to it, and from its piazza there is a very fine view of the mountains. From this place we had yet twenty miles to Charlotteville. The road became less hilly, at least we had no more mountains to cross; however, the road continued very rough, and we were rudely jolted. About eight o’clock in the evening we reached Charlotteville, in which the houses appeared to be scattered. In its vicinity is a new establishment for education, called University of Virginia. The next morning we went to see the university, which is one mile distant from the town.
This establishment has been open since March, 1824, and it is said to have already one hundred and thirty students; but a spirit of insubordination has caused many of the pupils to be sent away. The buildings are all new, and yet some of them seem to threaten to fall in, which may be the case with several others also, being chiefly built of wood. The interior of the library was not yet finished, but according to its plan it will be a beautiful one. The dome is made after the model of the Pantheon in Rome, reduced one half. This place is intended for public meetings of the academy: but it is said that an echo is heard in case of loud speaking, which renders the voice of the speaker unintelligible.
Under the rotunda are three elliptical halls, the destination of which is not yet entirely determined. The set of columns on the outside of this building, I was told is to be a very fine one; the capitals were made in Italy.