wood, and white thorn. The country between Green and Cumberland riversis called “ the barrens.” In 1800 the legislature of Kentucky made a gratuitousgrant of this tract to actual settlers, under the impression that it was of littlevalue; but it proves to be excellent land; and hogs and cattle are raised inabundance. The whole state, below the mountains, rests on an immense bedof limestone, usually about eight feet below the surface. There are every-where apertures in this limestone, through which the waters of the rivers sinkinto the earth. The large rivers of Kentucky , for this reason, are more dimin-ished during the dry season, than those of any part of the United States , andthe small streams entirely disappear. The banks of the rivers are naturalauriosities; the rivers having generally worn very deep channels in the calca-reous rocks over which they flow. The precipices formed by Kentucky riverare in many places awfully sublime, presenting perpendicular banks of 300 feetof solid limestone, surmounted with a steep and difficult ascent, four times ashigh. In the south-west part of the state, between Green river and the Cumber-land, there are several wonderful caves.
The principal productions of Kentucky are hemp, tobacco, wheat, and Indiancorn. Salt springs are numerous, and supply not only this state, but a greatpart of Ohio and Tennessee , with this mineral. The principal manufacturesare cloth, spirits, cordage, salt, and maple sugar. Hemp, tobacco, and wheatare the principal exports. These are carried down the Ohio and Mississippi toNew Orleans, and foreign goods received from the same place in return. Louis-ville, on the Ohio, is the centre of this trade. The introduction of steamboatnavigation on the Ohio has been of incalculable benefit to the commercial andmanufacturing interests of Kentucky .
There is a tract of country in the south-western part of the state, east andnorth of Cumberland river, and watered by Green and Barren rivers, about 100miles in extent, called the barrens, which, a few years since, was a beautifulprairie, destitute of timber. It is now covered with a young growth of variouskinds of trees. These, however, do not prevent the growth of grass, and analmost endless variety of plants, which are in bloom during the whole of thespring and summer; when the whole region is a wilderness of the most beau-tiful flowers. The soil is of an excellent quality, being a mixture of clay, loam,and sand. Through this country there runs a chain of conical hills, called knobs.
Horses are raised in great numbers, and of the noblest kinds. A handsomehorse is the highest pride of a Kentuckian , and common farmers own from tento fifty. Great numbers are carried over the mountains to the Atlantic states;and the principal supply of saddle and carriage horses in the lower country isdrawn from Kentucky , or the other western states. The horses are carrieddown in flat boats. Great droves of cattle are also driven from this state, overthe mountains, to Virginia and Pennsylvania .
In 1828 the value of the cattle, horses, and swine, driven out of the state,numbered and valued at one point of passage, the Cumberland ford, was amillion dollars. The returns of the value of exports, agricultural and manu-factured, in 1829, wanted a number of counties of comprising the whole state;but this partial return gave 2,780,000 dollars.
Mammoth For a very interesting account of this stupendous wonder, we are
cave. indebted to Dr. Nathan Ward, who published it in the MonthlyMagazine, of October, 1816. It is situated in Warren county, and in a terri-tory not mountainous, but broken, differing in this respect from all the othercaverns hitherto known. The doctor, provided with guides, two large lamps, acompass, and refreshments, descended a pit forty feet deep, and one hundredand twenty in circumference; having a spring of fine water at the bottom, andconducting to the entrance of the cavern. The opening, which is to the north,is from forty to fifty feet high, and about thirty in width. It narrows shortlyafter, but again expands to a width of thirty or forty feet, and a height of