OF THE UNITED STATES. 423 



places, so as to require much time and attention to reduce 

 them to their regular and proper limits, it is however probable, 

 that to the N. W. of the line here described, little or no tran- 

 sition wih 1 be found, although to the S. E. of it, partial forma- 

 tions of secondary may occur. 



The breadth of this transition formation is generally from 

 20 to 40 miles, and the stratification runs from a north and 

 south to a nprth east and south west direction, dipping gene- 

 rally to the N. W. at an angle in most places, under 43 de- 

 grees from the horizon. On the edge of the primitive ; it, in 

 some places, deviates from this general rule, and dips for a shori 

 distance to the south east. The most elevated ground is on the 

 confines of North Carolina, and Georgia, along the S. E. limits 

 to Maggotty Gap, descending towards the N. W. until it meets 

 the secondary; from Maggotty Gap, north easterly, the highest 

 ground is on the northwest side, sloping gradually towards the 

 primitive, which ranges along its south east .boundary. 



The outline of the mountains of this formation, is almost a 

 straight line, with few interruptions, bounding long parallel 

 ridges of nearly the same height, declining gently towards the 

 side, where the stratification clips from the horizon, and more 

 precipitous on the opposite side, where the edge of the strata 

 comes to the surface. 



This formation is composed of a small-grained transition 

 limestone, of all the shades of colour from white to dark blue, 

 and in some places it is red, intimately mixed with grains of 

 grey wacke slate, also of lime spar in veins, and disseminated ; 

 siliceous flinty veins and irregular masses, in many places there 

 is an intimate mixture of small sand, so as to put on the ap- 

 pearance of dolomite, this is in beds from 50 to 5000 feet in 

 width ; it alternates with grey wacke, and grey wacke slate, a sib- 

 ceous aggregate, having particles of a light blue colour, from 

 the size of a pin head to that of an egg, disseminated, in some 

 places in a cement of a slaty texture, and in others in a 

 quartz cement; a fine sandstone cemented with quartz in large 

 masses, often of a slaty structure, with small detached scales of 

 mica intervening, and a great variety of other rocks, not descri- 

 bed or named by any author, which from their composition 

 and situation cannot be classed but with the transition. 



Kk 



