300 TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



allow more than an observation as to the immediate locality. It has 

 happened that in his several attempts, both from the north and the 

 south, he never succeeded in reaching the highest portion of the 

 range. 



The Black Mountain lies wholly on the western side of the Blue 

 Ridge, the name given in this State to the mountains which divide 

 the waters of the Atlantic from those of the Mississippi. ^ It is nearly 

 twenty miles in length, and in form almost makes a semi-circle, with 

 one of its ends projected in the direction of its tangent. In a })art of 

 its course it approaches within three miles of the Blue Ridge, and is 

 c<mnected with that mountain by a lower ridge than itself. _At the 

 junction there rises a pyramidal peak, known as the High Pinnacle 

 af the Blue Ridge, and which is probably the very highest point of 

 the " Great Divide," surpassing, I think, both the Grandfather and 

 the Hog-back. About one mile north of where this connecting ridge 

 unites with the Black, stands Mount Mitchell. Something more than 

 one-third of the entire chain of the mountain runs from this peak, 

 first in a westerly, and at length in a northwesterly direction. 

 Rather more than half of the ridge of the Black, therefore, lies to the 

 northeast of Mount Mitchel. The chain in its entire length is covered, 

 not only on its top, but down its sides, for one or two miles, with 

 dense forests of the balsam-fir tree. Its dark green foliage gives the 

 mountain, whether seen in summer or winter, from all points of the 

 compass, and at all distances, the appearance of ground recently 

 burnt over, and irresistibly suggested the name by which it has been 

 known since the earliest settlement of the country. That point which 

 I am satisfied is the highest of the range, is situated about three (3) 

 miles to the northeast of Mount Mitchell. Having lately visited it, 

 with a view of determining, as nearly as possible, under the circum- 

 stances, its altitude, I now propose to give you the results of _my ob- 

 servations. I shall, in the first place, assume that the height of 

 Mitchell's Peak has been correctly ascertained, though, in common 

 with several subsequent observers, I am inclined to think that Dr. 

 Mitchell rather understates its real altitude above the sea. During 

 his observations he had a barometer stationed at Asheville, for the 

 purpose of comparison with that which he carried with him. Ashe- 

 ville he estimated to be twenty-two hundred (2,200) feet above the 

 level of the ocean. He gave for the height of the peak bearing his 

 name six thousand six hundred and seventy-two (6,6*72) feet. Between 

 this and another point my comparison has been so made as to leave no 

 doubt whatever of the superiority of the latter. During the period 

 of my observations, one barometer was observed by Mr. W. McDowell, 

 the clerk in the Bank of Cape Fear, at Asheville, and another by 

 Dr. A. M. Forster, who lives a mile from the village, and who was 

 kind enough to assist me in this manner. From this place to the top 

 of Mount Mitchell the distance is not more than twenty miles in a 

 direct line. The barometer which I carried with me has been in my 

 possession some months ; and repeated trials at various elevations, of 

 well-known heights, have given me the iullest confidence in its accu- 

 racy. Whenever there is a difference of ten feet in the height of two 

 stations, no difficulty is experienced in determining it. On the 8th 



