38 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 1 



them." His Majesty, King Numbers, has a power 

 superior to this. * # # * # 



* * * * * * G. L. C. 



From the Raleigh Register. 

 THE MOUJfTAIIVS OF CAROLINA. 



The younger Michaux, on his way from the 

 valley of the Mississippi, in the tall of 1802, pass- 

 ed through the counties of Yancy and Burke; and 

 ifi the small volume, containini^ an account ot his 

 travels, that was published soon after his return 

 to Paris, the opinion is expressed, that in these 

 counties, the Alleghany Mountains attain their 

 greatest elevation, lie mentions, in evidence that 

 this belief is well founded, that his father found 

 trees and plants growing upon them, which he did 

 not meet with again before reaching Canada. 



The geology of these counties has some pe- 

 culiar features. They were visited during the 

 last summer,for the j)urpose of tracing the bounda- 

 ries of their rock Ibrmations, and along with oth- 

 er collateral objects, provisions was made ibr mea- 

 suring the heights of their principal mountains, 

 with their bearings and distances from each other. 

 Some gentlemen in the west, who expressed an 

 interest in the subject, were promised an account 

 of the results; and they are conmiunicated vi^ith 

 some explanatory remarks, to the Register, in the 

 belief that they will not be whhout'interest for 

 persons living in other parts of the state. 



It is well known that the mercury in the tube of 

 the barometer is continually oscillating, especially 

 in the high latitudes; so that we cannot, Irom a 

 single observation of its height, infer the eleva- 

 tion of any place above the level of the sea. But 

 Daville found from a comparison of the Meteoro- 

 logical Registers kept with great care for a series 

 of years in different parts of Europe, that the 

 changes are simultaneous and similar in places 

 considerably remote from each other. 



One barometer was therefore stationed at Mor- 

 ganton, and a record kept of its movements by Mr. 

 Pearson of that place. This served as a standard. 

 The observations made at the same time (nearly,) 

 upon the tops of the mountains and at Morganton, 

 furnished the data for calculating their elevations 

 above that village, and the mean of ten observa- 

 tions, on successive days^ gave what is probably a 

 near approximation to the height of Morcjanton 

 above the level of the sea — 968 feet. Deducting 

 from this the descent to the bed of the Catawba, 

 there remains only about 800 feet of fall between 

 the ford leading over Linville and the sea. This 

 will not be regarded as an extravaijant estimate 

 by those who are acquainted with this stream, and 

 by such as have had no experience in investiga- 

 tions of this kind it will be condemned as falling 

 far below the truth. 



North of the point where the .lames River 

 leaves the mountains, the first high ridge of the 

 Alle^hanies is called the Blue Ridge. In North 

 Carolina, this name is applied to the range that 

 separates the eastern and western waters. This is 

 commonly the first high mountain, but not always. 

 The Table Mountain, which forms so fine and 

 striking a feature in the scenery about Morganton, 

 is not a part of the Blue Ridge, but a spur or out- 

 lier. It seems, when seen (iom Morganton, to be 



a round tower rising perpendicularly from the sum- 

 mit of the first range of the Alleghanies. It is, 

 in fact, a narrow ridge, aflbrding a very fine pros- 

 pect of the fertile 'valley of the Catawba, and its 

 tributaries on the south-east and east, and of na- 

 ture in her wildest dress, where the Linville pours 

 over the rocks along a deep ravine, wholly unten- 

 anted and uncultivated, and of a vast extent of 

 mountain peaks and ranges on the north east. Ita 

 top is 2,45,3 feet above Morganton, and a little 

 more than 15 miles distant in a right line. 



The Grandiather, 17 miles fi-om the Table, and 

 28 from Morganton, has liitherto been generally 

 supposed the highest mountain in North Carolina. 

 But it is found that, being difficult of access and 

 enveloping himself in mystery, it has happened to 

 him, as it does not infi'equently to men, placed in 

 corresponding circumstances, that he has enjoyed 

 a reputation to which he is by no means entitled. 

 The best point of departure for ascending the 

 Grandfather is the Globe Settlement,near the head 

 of John's River, where the traveller will find a 

 pleasant home in a beautiful vallej^, and at James 

 Riddle's 1,600 feet above, on the side of the moun- 

 tain, a faithful and intelligent guide. From the 

 distance and the roughness of the way, it will 

 prove, as my friends and quandum pupils, Messrs. 

 Clingman and Rose Borough can testify, a severe 

 day's labor to a person inexperienced in travelling 

 on loot, to visit the top and return. The summit 

 is 4,588 feet above Morganton. 



We may nolice here an error in the act of the 

 legislature establishinof Yancy County,and assign- 

 ing its boundaries. It is said, that they shall run 

 with the Tennessee "line to the county of Ashe: 

 thence vv'ith the line of said company to the Grand- 

 mother Mountain," &c. ft is here supposed that 

 the Grandmother is either the same mountain 

 with the Grandfather, or a continuation of it, and 

 in the Ashe line, whereas she is 3 or 4 miles distant 

 fl-om both. She sits humbly and submissively at 

 the feet of her venerable spouse, with the little 

 Grandson between — a pattern to all good dames 

 in the country below. From the fact that her head 

 is crowned with the balsam fir (no very certain 

 sign) she may probably have an elevation of 

 2,600 feet. If there should seem to be any thing 

 to warrant a suspicion of a Avant of affection in 

 this worthy couple, in the distance to which they 

 have located themselves from each other, their 

 great bulk should not, whilst we are forming our 

 judixment, be neglected. 



The Roan Mountain is 15 miles from the Grand- 

 father, and 35 N. W. from Morganton, lying di- 

 rectly over or bej-ond, the Hawksbill. It touches 

 the Tennessee line, but the highest peaks are in 

 North Carolina. This is the easiest of access, 

 the most beautiful, and will best repay the labor of 

 ascending it, of all our high mountains. By one 

 of my friends, the preference is given to the Yel- 

 low, which is in fiict a continuation of the Roan, 

 on account of the symmetiy of its fijrm; but it ia 

 considerably lower. With the exception of a 

 body of rocks looking like the ruins of an old cas- 

 tle, near its south western extremity, the top of 

 the Roan may be described as a vast meadow, 

 without a tree to obstruct the prospect; where a 

 person may mount his horse and gallop for a mile 

 or two, with Carolina at his feet on one side, and 

 Tennessee on the other, and a green ocean of 

 Mountains raised into tremendous billows imnie- 



