16 JOURNAIv O^ THE 



miles in Watauofa county and 50 miles in Henderson. Its 

 ends are in Virg-inia and Georg-ia, and it took a Northeast 

 and Southwest course. It was probably a lake for a long- 

 time until it flowed over, most probably in Henderson 

 county. We find evidences of shores in Transylvania 

 county that were evidently made by a lake. These syclines 

 and the rivers that occupied them may be seen on map (1) 

 It can be seen from the map that the orig-inal drainag-e of 

 western North Carolina was not as it now is. Yet the 

 present rivers are in many cases in the orig-inal river beds. 

 The orig-inal river of the Asheville syneline headed in the 

 northwest with what is now New river, ran southwest 

 and crossed near Boone into the head waters of Watauga 

 river, ran along the head waters of Wataug-a, but in the 

 opposite direction taken by the Wautag-a now, for a few 

 miles aud crossed into the head of what is now Linville 

 river, ran down the stream for about 20 miles and crossed 

 into Brush creek and then into Toe river. At this 

 point Linville river now enters what is known as the 

 g-org-e. This is a very deep valley that has been cut 

 since the orig-inal drainag-e we are describing-. The river 

 that cut throug-h this g-reat plateau has captured the 

 Linville river and led it throug-h, but at the time we are 

 describing- this g'org-e did not exist and the natural 

 outlet was throug-h Brush creek as stated. The river 

 continued down Toe river as far as the fork known as 

 South Toe, and there it crossed the present g-ap known 

 as the Toe river g-ap. Down Swannanoa to French Broad 

 and up French Broad and out throug-h Mud creek into 

 South Carolina, thence to sea. The drainag-e on the 

 southwest began with the Hiwassee river which has since 

 been captured and inverted, and ran east or a little south 

 of east to Valley river, up Valley river, across Red Mar- 

 ble Gap and into Nantehala river, down this to its junc- 

 tion with Tuckaseege river, thence up Tuckaseege and 

 across w^hat is now known as Road Gap, down Richland 

 creek to Pigeon river, up Pigeon to the great bend and 



