VIRGINIA. 



VIRGINIA. 



1031 



RHw Mid Cow-Pasture Hirer are the ohiet The James 



KiTCT tho* formed rum with great rapidity outhward between high 

 . and turni to the eMt boTe Pattoniburg, t which place it 



ie M6 fee*' abov* the (M-tara!, and b*gini to be navigated. It nae 

 through the Hue Ridp at the Balcony Kalln. which are avoided by a 

 canal about viz mile* long which ran* parallel to the river. At Lynch- 

 burg the UreJ of the river U 600 feet above the tea. Below Lynch- 

 ban it turn* to the oorth-eait and runs with great rapidity, but u 

 navigable. Above SooUville it pane* the iouth-ea*t mountains, and 

 at that place iu level U only 855 feet above high water-mark, and at 

 Columbia, at the mouth of the Rivanna, only 178 feet Lower down 

 the current of the rivrr U gentle until it approaches the falls above 

 Richmond, where it descends 80 feet within 6 miles, and immediately 

 below the falls it meet* the tide-water. A canal connects the tide- 

 water below and the navigable water above the falls. Below the falls 

 the river gradually widens and assumes the features of a bay, and 

 after a course of 90 miles farther it merges in Chesapeake Bay. 1 he 

 wide expanse of its mouth, known RB the Hampton Roads, affords a 

 harbour for vceeel* of any si, but it is not safe in winter. Ships of 

 the line can ascend more than 20 miles above Hampton Roods; 

 veesels of 250 tons sail up to Warwick ; and of 125 tons to Rockets, a 

 mile below Richmond. The whole length of James River is about 

 500 miles. The largest of its affluents is the Appomaltox, which rises 

 at the base of the South-East Mountains, and runs about 150 miles ; 

 Tseseh drawing 7 feet water can ascend to Petersburg, 20 miles above 

 iU confluence with the James, and the navigation is continued above 

 the falls there by the Upper Appomattox Canal. Two others of the 

 affluent* of James River are navigable : the Kiranna, which joins it 

 from the north, which by a canal is made navigable to Pineus, within 

 one mile and a quarter of Charlottesville ; and WiUit Siver, which 

 joins the James from the couth a few miles below the embouchure 

 of the Rivanna, and is navigable for 20 miles from its mouth. 



AVnurmoitd Jtirer, which flows only 15 miles and falls into Hampton 

 Roads, is navigable for vessels of 100 tons as far as Suffolk, 10 miles 

 from it* mouth. 



The ffotlovay and Mchtrrin rivers drain a large part of the country 

 south of the James River, each of them running about 100 miles, and 

 uniting, after having entered North Carolina, to form the Ckowan 

 Rirer. 



The upper course of the Soanol-e lies within Virginia. [CAROLINA, 

 NORTH.] It U navigable in Virginia below Monroe. Its largest 

 affluent, the Dan, belongs almost entirely to Virginia ; it drains the 

 most southern portion of the Atlantic Slope, and is navigable for boats 

 a* far as Danville. 



The Ohio divides Virginia from the state of Ohio, having between 

 these two states a course of 355 miles. It is navigable all this distance 

 for steamers of light draught. [MISSISSIPPI RIVBR.] The M onongahela, 

 one of the principal branches of the Ohio, is also noticed under 

 Unarmippi RIVER. It is formed by three rivers, Cheat River, Tygart'B 

 Valley River, and West Fork, which rise iu the Alleghany Mountains, 

 and though not of much use for navigation, are of great value for the 

 abundant water-power which they furnish. The Monougahela affords 

 an easy navigation for steam-boats as far as Morgantowu, about 10 

 mile* from the boundary of Pennsylvania. The Little Kanawha, 

 which joins the Ohio at Parkersburg, runs more than 100 miles, and 

 with iU principal affluent, Hughea liiver, is much used for bringing 

 down lumber, Ac. The Great Kanawha rises beyond Virginia, in the 

 ' valley inclosed by the Blue Ridge and the Iron Mountains ; it traverses 

 the mountain region by a course of 120 miles, and is swelled by the 

 confluence of it* great branch, the Qreenbrier River. After it leaves 

 the mountain region iU rapidity is so great that as far down as the 

 month of Qauley River the stream flows between high rocks with such 

 force a* to render crossing it very hazardous. Two miles below that 

 place are the Great Fall", a fine cataract of 22 feet over a natural dam 

 of rock* which spreads irregularly across its bed. Below this place it 

 become* navigable, and from Charleston, 60 miles above its confluence 

 with the Ohio, it is navigable for large steam-boats. Its affluents, the 

 Klk Kiver, which joins it at Charleston, and the Coal River, which joins 

 it 12 mile* low, r down, are navigable during freshets for a considerable 

 distance. The Ouyandotte and the Big Sandy River, both of which 

 flow above 100 miles, are chiefly valuable for their immense water- 

 power. 



The most (Onthern portion of the mountain region is drained by 

 Mveral rivers, which by their junction, which takes place in the state o: 

 Tcnnewee, form the Tennessee River. These rivers are called, from eas 

 to west, Holnton, Clinch, and Powell's. They are the only rivers that 

 drain the mountain region which are navigable in their natural state. 

 The canal* of Virginia are very important and costly work*. They 

 are the Alexandrian Canal, from Georgetown to Alexandria, 7 \ miles 

 Jnmr* River and Kanawha Canal, which is completed from Rich 

 mond to Balcony Falls, 148 mile*, but i* eventually to bo carriec 

 along the valley of the Kanawha to the Ohio ; Dismal Swamp Canal 

 from Deep Creek to Joyce's Creek, 23 miles; and 11 miles of brand 

 canals; total 1S9J mile*. 



The railways of this state are also on a very grand scale, being 

 part* of the great lines which extend from the Atlantic to the West 

 and are connected with all the main lines of the neighbouring states. 

 On the 1st of January 1855 there were iu Virginia 23 lines of railway 



laving 837 miles of road in operation; and 1095 miles additional 

 were in courxe of construction or projected. 



Otology, Mineralogy, <tc. The geology of Virginia has engaged 

 much attention, and been illustrated iu the writings of many of the 

 moit eminent geologists of Europe and America. By far the larger 

 mrt of it belongs to the Alleghany system, and is sufficiently described 

 inder AI.LEOHANT MOUNTAINS. Here it will be enough to say that 

 eruptive and metamorphic rocks traverse the state in a north-east and 

 south-west direction, corresponding with that of the Allegliauy range ; 

 and consist of granites, syenites, porphyries, gneiss, traps, Ac. On 

 the west of these igneous rocks, also traversing the state in the same 

 direction, occur Lower Silurian strata, having a depth of 3000 feet, 

 and consisting of limestones and sandstones. These are skirted by a 

 jroader band of Upper Silurian rocks, comprising three or four varie- 

 ties of gray and blue limestones. Beyond these are beds of Devonian 

 rocks, consisting of limestones crowned by vast beds of very thick 

 old red-sandstones. West of the Devonian rocks we come upon the 

 ^arboniferou* formation. The lower carboniferous strata occupy only 

 a narrow belt, and are chiefly represented by red schist and siliceous 

 conglomerates. But the upper carboniferous or coal-measures occupy 

 ;he whole western side of the state, and form a portion of the great 

 coal-basin of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. New Red-sandstone 

 occurs iu small basins, whose general direction is parallel to the dislo- 

 cation of the Alleghanies. Strata of lias also occur iu a band of from 

 10 to 12 miles wide, and about 50 miles long, extending from Rich- 

 mond to the neighbourhood of Washington ; they arc inclosed in a 

 deep and narrow granitic furrow, and consist " of a coarse-grained 

 sandstone, formed from the decomposition of the surrounding granite, 

 a species of micaceous schist, often very clayey, and passing iuto 

 black slate; and lastly, beds of coal placed chiefly at the lower part 

 of the formation, 40 or 50 feet in thickness." The whole eastern side 

 of the state consists of Eocene and Post-eocene strata. The post- 

 eocene strata have a profusion of characteristic fossils, and Sir Charles 

 Lyell assimilates them in age to the English crag and the faluns of 

 Touraine. 



Virginia is extremely rich in minerals. In the Upper Atlantic 

 Slope, gold, iron, black-lead, copper, and limestone are found. Gold 

 is found in a wide tract south of Fredericksburg, and extending 

 parallel to the Blue Ridge, into North Carolina and Georgia : a con- 

 siderable quantity has been obtained. Bituminous coal is found and 

 extensively worked in the neighbourhood of Richmond, along the 

 James and Appomattox rivers, at Wheeling on the Ohio, on the 

 Kanawha, on the borders of Pennsylvania, and at several other places. 

 Anthracite is obtained in the valley of the Potomac and elsewhere. 

 In all there have been traced five tiers of coal-seams, with an 

 average thickness of from 30 to 35 feet; and beds not directly con- 

 nected with these occur elsewhere. Iron-ore is abundant aloug the 

 base of the Blue Ridge, and in the mountain region iron-ore of very 

 good quality occurs. Lead-mines are worked in the Iron Mountains. 

 This region abounds also in limestone, sandstone, slate, gypsum, and 

 other useful minerals. The country west of the Alleghany Mountains 

 is richer iu minerals than the other parts of the state. Besides 

 abundance of bituminous coal and iron-ore, beds of limestone are 

 extensively distributed, aud the caverns, which are of frequent occur- 

 rence in the limestone rocks, furnish large quantities of nitre. The 

 region west of the Blue Ridge contains several hot-springs and other 

 medicinal springs, which are resorted to by invalids, and the inhabit- 

 ants of the lower countries on the Atlantic, during the summer heats. 

 Salt-springs are very numerous, and salt is made in sufficient quan- 

 tities to furnish with this article most of the countries west ot the 

 Appalachian Mountains. 



The climate, soil, and agricultural productions have been already 

 noticed in describing the several geographical regions of the state. 

 It will be enough to say here, by way of summary, that Virginia 

 is one of the largest wheat-growing states of the Union ; raising 

 very largo quantities of maize, oats, barley, and rye, and a consider- 

 able quantity of buckwheat. Very largo crops of common and of 

 sweet potatoes are also grown. Of tobacco, a larger quantity is grown 

 than iu any other sttite, though Kentucky has nearly reached to a 

 level with it. The quantity grown iu Virginia in 1850 was 

 56,803,227 Ibs. Cotton is grown pretty largely in those parts which 

 are suited to its culture. A little rica is raised. Of hemp a larger 

 quantity was returned in 1850 than in any other state, but the returns 

 of hemp are known to have been very inaccurate. Of flax, the only 

 state which grows a larger quantity is Kentucky. A considerable 

 quantity of maple-sugar is made. The forests, and the kinds of trees 

 which grow in them, have bee:i already noticed. The timber is of 

 excellent quality in the mountain regions and in great abundance, 

 but the cost of carriage interferes with its extensive export. A large 

 quantity of lumber is however sent down the rivers annually. 



Virginia ranks among the principal grazing states of the Union. 

 It possesses a very large number of horses, horned-cattle, sheep, and 

 -wiif. Increased attention has been paid of late years to the breeds, 

 and the stock has been greatly improved. A large amount of wool 

 of good quality is annually clipped. Butter is madu to a great extent, 

 also a good deal of cheese. 



Wild animals are now rare on the east side of the mountains, but 

 they are not uncommon in the western districts. The most common 



