66 Mr. Kain on the Geology and 
Arr. X. Remarks on the Mineralogy and Geology of the 
Northwestern part of the State of Virginia, and the Eastern 
part of the State of Tennessee. By Mr. Joun H. Katy, of 
Tennessee. . 
"Tue most prominent as well as the most beautiful feature 
of this country, is that succession of mountain and valley, ridge 
and vale, which we meet with in traversing its surface. The 
grand range of Alleghany mountains enters Virginia about the 
39th degree of north latitude; and, pursuing a southwestern 
gourse, spreads out upon the east end of Tennessee, and ter- 
minates near the southern boundary line of that State, in the 
Alabama territory ; and about the 34th parallel of north lati- 
tude. In this view are included the Blue Mountains, the 
North Mountains, the Alleghany, (properly so called,) the 
Cumberland, Clinch, Iron, and Smoky Mountains, together 
with a variety of smaller mountains, spurs, and ridges, all run- 
ning parallel to each other, from the northeast to the south- 
west; and all, I believe I may say, covered with forests, and 
presenting to the eye of the naturalist a most interesting field 
for speculation and improvement. 
With a few exceptions, the geologist meets with none of 
those remarkable appearances which indicate the changes and 
convulsions which have been wrought by time, the great en- 
emy of nature. Occasionally we are presented with a view 
of a sublime precipice, formed by a section which a river 
appears to have made for itself through an opposing mountain; 
and the large masses of ruins, which lie scattered around such 
a place, seem, to the imagination of the solitary traveller, the 
historical records of commotions, awful even in retrospect: 
Most commonly, however, the mountains seem to have lain for 
ages in undisturbed repose; and the streams of water, whe 
they have crossed them, have sought an easy passage through 
the ravines, which do not so often divide a mountain, or ridge; 
at right angles, as wind between the ends of two opposing 
spurs, which pass each other, gradually declining into the 
MNEs 
