90 THE MOUNTAIN. 



portion of the southeastern corner of the State, perhaps one- 

 seventh of the entire surface of the State, and which is consti- 

 tuted of the highly-crystallized metamorphic hypozoic rocks, 

 is made of the middle and lower part of this vast pile of 

 unaltered sedimentary strata which forms the elevated and 

 wrinkled plateau of the eastern side of the continent. The 

 manner in which the rocks are bent and contorted, forming 

 this rugged but highly-interesting and wonderful mountain 

 region of the middle and southeastern counties, is a subject 

 of the highest scientific attraction and exhaustless intel- 

 lectual speculation. It has already been adverted to a 

 number of times, and will be readily understood by reference 

 to the sections ; especially the transverse section showing 

 the style of plication of the rocks. In some parts of this 

 region the whole group of rocks from the crystalline to the 

 coal measures inclusive, is presented for inspection. The 

 series already described as constituted of thirteen easily- 

 separable groups of strata, are recognizable and easily iden- 

 tified over vast extents of geographic distribution by a 

 wonderful homogeneity of mineralogical, geological, and pa- 

 laozoic or fossilliferous characters. In the region west and 

 northwest of the Alleghany Mountains, we are presented 

 with but few of the members of this group of formations, 

 the surface of the state being here made of the carbonifer- 

 ous division and two or three of the underlying formations, 

 the strata being in a different geological position from the 

 southeastern division of the State, and consequently, it 

 shows a different topography, and one which forms a strik- 

 ing contrast with that portion of the State. This difference 

 would strike the most superficial observer. The rolling sur- 

 face of the northwestern region has through its extent 

 only these uppermost formations stretching over the whole 

 region, that tumultuous tossing of the strata with regular 

 crest lines which characterizes the southeastern range of 

 sharp mountains, and those deep-washed regular parallel 

 valleys, here cease, the waves of that magnificent system of 

 the regular Appalachian mountains and valleys gradually 



