692 TuANSACTioys of the A^ierican institute. 



The Alleghanies, proper, have ceased before reaching tlie State, but 

 a range runs parallel to the Blue Kidge, forming the boundary 

 between North Carolina and Tennessee, called the Unaka or Smoky 

 moilntains. This last is cut through by all the waters rising in the 

 former which flow west. All these, except Xew river, which enipties 

 into the Ohio, go to form the Tennessee river. Between these two 

 ranges are high mountains ; well situated table lands and beautiful 

 valleys, wide and fertile, cluster along each rill and creek and river. 

 Asheville is the geographical center of all this intermontane region. 

 Its location is on the French Broad river, along whose banks run the 

 old Indian trail and the early settlers' road; in fact, having been 

 ever, until late years, the only good pass through the mountains. 

 This whole region has an average elevation of about 3,000 feet above 

 the level of the sea. The climate has not its superior for evenness of 

 temperature and dryness of atmosphere ; the mercury seldom goes 

 above or even as high as eighty-two degrees in summer, and then 

 but for a few hours, and not often lower than twenty-eight degrees 

 in winter. Dr. H. P. Satchell has made a careful examination of 

 this whole section, and pronounces it the healthiest part of the United 

 States, especially for consumptives. It has long been the summer 

 resort of wealthy planters from the far south, attracting them and 

 others by the beauty and grandeur of its scenery, as well as its 

 delicious, invigorating climate. The scenery on one of its rivers, 

 the French Broad, has been the wonder and the admiration of all 

 who have ever seen it ; and Mr. Sweetser, in his guide-book of sum- 

 mer travel, says it is equal to that of the Ehine. lie stands not alone 

 in this opinion ; Leanman goes into ecstacies over it. The geologi- 

 cal formation of this whole region is primary. Just beyond the 

 mountains on the west, in Tennessee, we have the secondary forma- 

 tion and abundance of coal. Limestone is plentiful, especially in the 

 extreme southwest, where fine marbles of white, gray, mottled, 

 black and flesh color, are found. Iron, copper, lead, silver, zinc, 

 manganese and gold, are found in considerable quantities, but liave 

 as yet been but little worked. The soil is a dark gray or black 

 loam, except in some of the river valleys, where it is a mixture of 

 these with red and yellow clay. It is extremely rich, even to the 

 tops of the highest mountains. The chief crop has bdtn corn ; but 

 the farmers are beginning to awaken to the fact that the small 

 grains are better suited to their soil, and that the fattening of beef is 

 more profitable than raising hugs. Hence their attention has been 



