Its Cafcades and Caverns?
The only remarkable Cafcade in this country, is that of the Falling Spring in Augufta. It is a water of James' river, where it is called Jackfon's river, rifing in the warm fpring mountains, about twen- ty miles fouth weft of the warm fpring, and flowing into that valley. About three quarters of a mile from its fource, it falls over a rock 200 feet into the valley be- low. The flieet of water is broken in its breadth by the rock, in two or three places, but not at all in its height. Be- tween the flieet and the rock, at the bot- tom, you may walk acrofs dry. This catarad will bear no comparifon with that of Niagara, as to the quantity of water cojiipofing it; the flieet being only 12 or 15 feet wide above, and fomewhat more fpread below; but it is half as high again, the latter being only 156 feet, ac- cording to the menfuration made by order L 40 ] of M. Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada, and 130 according to a more recent ac- count.
In the lime-done country, there are many caverns of very confiderable extent. The mofi: noted is called Madifon's Cave, and is on the north fide of the Blue ridge, near the interfeftion of the Rockingham and Augufta line with the fouth fork of the fouthern river of Shenandoah. It is in a hill of about 200 feet perpendicular height, the afcent of w^hich, on one fide, is fo fteep, that you may pitch a bifcuit from its fummit into the river which wafties its bafe. The entrance of the cave is, in this fide, about two thirds of the way up. It extends into the earth about 300 feet, branching into fubordi- nate caverns, fometimes afcending a little^, but more generally defcending, and at length terminates, in two different places, at bafons of water of unknown extent, and w^hich I fhould judge to be nearly on a level with the water of the river; how- ever, I do not think they are formed by . if! e\'(' r/n///(//it ofMadison \s cdve.on a