1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



39 



diately about him. It is the Elysium of a south- 

 ern botanist,as a number oC plants are (bund grow- 

 ing in this cold and humid atmosphere, which are 

 not seen a"-ain till we have gone some hundreds 

 of miles larther north. It is the pasture ground 

 lor the young horses of the whole country about 

 it, during the sunmier. We found si rawberrics 

 here in the greatest abundance and of the finest 

 v^uality, in regard to both size and Havor, on the 

 30lh of July. The elevation ol" this mountain 

 was twice taken, on the 22d and 30th July— with 

 a difi'erence of 28 leet in the results— 5,042 and 

 5,070 above Morganton. Of these measure- 

 ments, the latter was made with the greatest care 

 and in the most favorable weather. The height 

 assigned to the other mountains was also rudely 

 verified from tliis, by means of a water leved. 



The Black Mountain, lyin,^ mostly in Yancy, 

 but tbrming through a part of hs course the boun- 

 dary between Yancy and Buncombe, is a long 

 ridge at a medium distance of about 30 miles from 

 Morganton. It has some peaks of a greater el- 

 evation than any point that has hitherto been 

 measured in North America, east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, and is believed to be the highest 

 mountain in the United States. It is a matter of 

 considerable ditficulty, in the case of a long ridge 

 like this, that swells here and there into a knob 

 two or three hundred feet higher than its neigh- 

 bors, from our inability to determine how much of 

 the apparent elevation of one, amongst a number, 

 is due to its nearness, and how much to height. 

 The Black JNlountain cost nearly a week's labor 

 in fixing upon the peak to be measured and the 

 measurement. We ascended first the summit 

 nearest the road leading irom Morganton to 

 Burnsville, and found it 92 feet lower than the 

 Roan, with peaks considerably more elevated 

 farther south. Yeates's Knob, between the wa- 

 ters of Caney River and Ivey, was next represent- 

 ed as over-topping every thing in that part of the 

 country. Though higher than the Grandfather, 

 it proved to be considerably lower than the Roan, 

 but from its summit we had a fine view of the 

 Black Mountain Ridge sweeping round in a sort 

 of circle, at the distance of 8 or 10 miles, and were 

 able to distinguish the highest Knobs. Two were 

 very nearly equal, but the one at the head of the 

 ridge between the north and middle forks of Ca- 

 ney River, was finally fixed upon as the highest. 

 On its top the Barometer stood at 23.807 inches; 

 and it has an elevation of 5,508 feet above Mor- 

 ganton, or 6,476 above the level of the sea. 



The mean elevation of Yancy county above 

 Burke, is about 1,600 feet; so that it is about 2,500 

 above the level pf the sea. The ford of Toe Ri- 

 ver, near Tliomas Young's is 1,308, and Burns- 

 ville 1,632 above Morganton. The ascent of the 

 Blue Ridge from Turkey Cove Creek to the Gap, 

 is 1,665 feet. 



For the sake of comparison the following 

 heights are given. The first five are copied from 

 Worcester's Gazetteer: 



Mount Washington, in New Hampshire, 

 hhherto accounted the highest Moun- 

 tain in the United States — highest peak 6.234 

 Mansfield Mountain— Vermont, 4.279 

 Saddle Mountain — Massachusetts, 4.000 

 Round Top— highest of the Catskills, 3.804 

 Peaks of Otter— Virginia, 3.955 



Table Mountain— Burke, N. Carolina, 3.421 



GrandliUher, 5.556 



Yeates's Knob, 5.895 



Black, at Thomas Young's, 5.946 



Roan, 6.038 



Hi^rhcst Peak of the Black, 6.476 



There are other high mountains at no great dis- 

 tance from those that were measured, as the Bald 

 Mountain in the western part of Yancy and the 

 White Top in Virginia, which are nearly, if not 

 cjuite, as high as the Roan. In the south eastern 

 part of Haywood county, near the South Carolina 

 line, there is a tremendous pile, and between the 

 counties of Haywood and Macon and the state of 

 Tennessee, the Unikee Mountain swells to a great 

 elevation. But these appear to the eye to be low- 

 er than the Black. 



As the VVestern Mountains, now that their res- 

 pectability in regard to height and interest is as- 

 certained, are likely to attract an occasional visit- 

 er fi'om below the ridge, and perhaps from the 

 neighborhood of the coast, a ihw directions an- 

 swering the purpose of a "Guide to the Moun- 

 tains," are added. 



The Pilot "has not infrequently been the Ultima 

 T/iiiZe, or rather the Columna Uerculis, by which 

 the excursions of such as have travelled hereto- 

 fore in search of mountain scenery have been lim- 

 ited. It is a remarkable mountain, but after ha- 

 ving been for a time amongst the giants of the 

 west, one cannot help feeling some contempt tor 

 the Pilot as he passes it on liis return. Its height 

 is just about that of the low gaps in the Blue 

 Ridge. 



By such as would see more of the mountains, 

 the first point to be reached is Morganton. From 

 this place the Table Mountain is frequently visited; 

 is easy of access, and will hardly be neglected by 

 any one who is in search of beautiful and roman- 

 tic views and prospects. The Falls of Linville, 

 are not far distant from the table, and though not 

 at present a place to be visited by the softer, will 

 repay one of the hardier sex, for the fatigue of find- 

 ing his way by a rough road over the ridges, to 

 Linville Cove — of clambering the j'et rougher hills 

 that still intervene between him and the object of 

 his travels, and of wading the river two or three 

 hundred yards for the purpose of reaching the fi- 

 nest point of view. It is perhaps the wildest and 

 most picturesque scene in North Carolina, with a 

 splendid description of which, if we had room, 

 leisure, and the inclination, we might embellish 

 this comnmnication to the Register. But he is 

 a churl that will insist upon plucking all the flow- 

 ers that adorn his path, and not leave a pink or 

 rose for those who are to come after him. Pass- 

 ing by the Old Fields of Toe, and the Forge, 

 where iron little inferior to the best, if it be not ab- 

 solutely the best made in the United States, is 

 manufactured, he may reach the summit of the 

 Roan by this route, over the top of the Yellow. 

 His fare and accommodation will not however be 

 of the best, and although the poet declares that 



A summer night in green-wood spent, 

 Were but to-morrow's merriment, 



we think a good house and comfortable bed very 

 much to be preferred. 



The other route is by the way of the Pleasant 

 Gardens and Turkey Cove, or (if the Burke 

 County Court will have the road above McKin- 



