VIRGINIA 69 



country on Jackson's, the Fluvannah, and the Green- 

 briar rivers these mountains are said to have a ruder, 

 wilder, more fearsome look, and are likely higher than 

 anywhere farther north on the same chain ; and I all 

 the more regretted that the lateness of the season 

 must prevent me from visiting that region; I should 

 likely have found there more compensation for my 

 pains than on the road to the Ohio. Of the county of 

 Augusta Stanton is the capital, a place by no means 

 inconsiderable, carrying on much trade with the farther 

 mountain-country. The town lies in the remarkable, 

 long, fertile, limestone valley which, between the North 

 and South Mountain, runs through the greatest part of 

 North America, and contains many other towns al- 

 ready mentioned, as, Lebanon, Carlisle, and Shippens- 

 burgh in Pensylvania, Winchester in Virginia, Hagars- 

 town in Maryland, &c. Stanton has no navigable 

 stream near it, but not far away rises the Shannan- 

 dore, which makes a very long course to the north, 

 and finally empties into the Potowmack. There is no 

 other river of those parts which has a direction so 

 different from the general. To the south of Stanton, 

 on an arm of the Staunton river or Roanoke, is the re- 

 markable Rock-bridge,* namely, where this stream has 

 dug out a subterranean way through the limestone. It 

 should be mentioned besides, that in the limestone 

 mountains of that region Cornaa ammonis, it is 

 claimed, has been found, which has not been observed 

 so far in the northern tracts of the range, in Maryland 

 and Pensylvania, that is to say, although it occurs f re- 



* Vid., Beytrage zur mineralogischen Kenntniss des ostlichen 

 Theils von Nordamerika, 102. 



