4 Gold Region of North Carolina. 
d. 
2. It does not appear that any such formation or stratum 
as the diluvial occurs in any of the central or western parts 
of N. Carolina. 
As the opinion expressed in this proposition, together with 
some others enunciated in a former communication to the 
Journal, and to be treated of at some length in the following 
pages, is at variance with what has been heretofore advanced 
and believed in relation to the geology of this part of the 
United States, it is perhaps proper that I should mention the 
circumstances under which a full and undoubting confidence 
in their correctness has been created. 
a. Professor Andrews and myself commenced together an 
examination of the geology of N. Carolina in the latter part 
of the year 1825, and were led almost immediately to the 
adoption of some new views upon the subject ; especially we 
were induced to suspect—1. That no stratum of any kind 
whatever, except what has been derived from their own de- 
composition, covers the rock formations of the upper coun- 
try; and 2, That an extensive tract, extending into Virginia 
on the one side, and into 8S. Carolina on the other, laid down 
as primitive by Maclure, and denominated “ The Great Slate 
ormation,” by Professor Olmsted, (see last Number of the 
Journal, page 236) is in fact a transition formation—the for- 
mer opinion originating, as believed, with Mr. Andrews, and 
the latter with myself. During the three years (nearly) that 
have intervened, all the counties of the upper country have 
been visited, and many. of them traversed in a number of 
different directions. ‘Throughout the whole examination, 
one object—the ascertaining whether our views upon the 
points above mentioned were correct or erroneous, has nev- 
er been lost sight of; and though it is impossible to keep the 
attention at all times so thoroughly awake, that we may be 
sure nothing has escaped us—the limits of such a stratum, if 
it exist, must be exceedingly circumscribed, since no where, 
except in the immediate neighborhood of the rivers, has any 
soil been observed, which did not appear to have resulted 
