288 



pie loveliness, without her stern aspect and masculine attire. She has 

 bestowed her blessing upon the land, and spread over it her robes of 

 beauty. 



The limits of an annual report, prevent more than this very meagre 

 notice of some of the characteristics of our Peninsula scenery. 



GEOLOGY. 



Before entering on a description of the geological structure of the 

 southern counties of our State, it may be useful, for a more general 

 comprehension of the subject, to premise a few leading facts relative to 

 the geology of the western States generally. 



It is well known to those acquainted with the geological character of 

 the States west of the Alleghanies, that a large portion of that vast coun- 

 try, designated as " the Valley of the Mississippi," is hme-rock — ^the 

 transition or sub-carboniferous limestone of European geologists. This 

 extensive rock formation may here be traced over more than a million 

 square miles. 



A distinguishing feature, and one which gives character to this whole 

 country, results from the fact that this and its superincumbent rocks 

 have been thrown, by some uplifting force, from a horizontal position, 

 and made to assume the form of vast undulations, like wave following 

 wave. Several immense and distinct basins are thus produced, the 

 sides of which dip towards the centre, but at an angle so small as sel- 

 dom to exceed the fraction of a degTee. This characteristic basin form, 

 is still further preserved, by the circumstance that frequently the over- 

 lying rocks, which embrace the carboniferous formation, or coal meas- 

 ures, have been removed from the ridges of these wave-hke undula- 

 tions, or at least are found occupying only the interior of the basins. 

 In following, therefore, from these ridges of lime-rock in direction of the 

 dip, we come successively upon the next overlying rock, till we reach 

 towards the centre, the highest rock of the series. 



It must not hence be inferred, that the topography of the coimtry 

 always conforms to this basin-hke condition. On the contrary, the cen- 

 tre of the basin may be either higher or lower than the extremities, or 

 be cut across by streams, or present an irregular and hilly aspect. The 

 dip and order of succession of the rocks, however, remains the same. 



We have thus premised so much of the grand features of the geolo- 

 gy of the great Valley country, as to render intelligible to the general 



