h 



Topography of the Kenawha River. 89 



waters 



genial to the beech and the sugar tree. A considerable portion of 

 .this tract will admit of cultivation and already embraces many fine 

 settlements, especially that portion lying on the west side of the 

 Kenawha, between the mouth of Guyandott and Cole creek, where 

 are some extensive tracts of flat lands. From the mouth of Elk to 

 the mouth of Gauly, the country on both side^of the river, with the 

 exception of the narrow alluvions on the water courses, is too moun- 

 tainous and broken to admit of tillage, but will ultimately afford 

 grazing farms. The streams of w^ater rising in these lofty sand- 

 stone hills, are limpid and pure ; free from the turbidness of the 



rising in the clayey hills below the mouth of Elk. It is soft 

 and free from carbonate of lime, so common to most of the streams 

 nearer the Ohio river, where limestone is more abundant. 



Climate of the Valley, 



As we proceed up the valley of the Kenawha, in the spring season, 

 after the unfolding of the buds has commenced, we percieve a strik- 

 ing and marked difference in the progress of vegetation ; although 

 the course of the river is southerly, the change is much more rapid 

 than that of latitude could produce. The foliage of the forest trees 

 at Charleston, is at least a week more forward, than that on the 

 Ohio river near the outlet, although the distance in a direct line, is 

 little more than forty miles north. This f];reat difference cannot be 



altogether accounted for from latitude ; the peculiar situation of 

 the valley, environed by lofty ranges of hills, excluding the cool 

 breeze of the north and admitting the warm rays of the sun, reflected 

 from the sides of the hills, heating and rarefying the air, which is 

 confined to the valley by the walls of hills, no doubt assists the pro- 

 gress of vegetation, fully as much as the additional southern latitude. 

 I visited the valley between the ninteenth and the iwenty fifth of 

 April. The change, at every turn in the riv^er, bringing some new 

 and beautiful varieties of foliage into view, was like that of magic; at 

 Charleston, the quince and coral honeysuckle were in bloom, and 

 peas in the open ground not only In blossom, but with pods two 

 inches in length ; on the garden gooseberry was fruit as large as a 



pea 



M 



»ty four hours before, where the foliage was just beginning to 

 unfold ; while here, it was fully expanded on nearly all the forest 

 trees in the valley, and on many of those on the hills ; as we travell- 

 ed up the stream in the vicinity of "Great falls" the chano-e was 



Vol. XXIX.— No. 1. 12 



