DALE OWEN ON THE WESTERN STATES OF NORTH AMERICA. 44?7 



coal is found there twisted and contorted in a strange manner, al- 

 though in the body of the mountain it is nearly horizontal. 



Even high up on the flanks of the Alleghanies, near the Unaka 

 mountain, the metamorphic rocks are seen preserving the same dip 

 as the inferior strata of East Tennessee ; that is, inclining towards the 

 granitic rocks, with their elevated edges cropping out towards the 

 Cumberland range. 



I am not aware that any fossils have been found in the inclined 

 strata of East Tennessee, except shells belonging to the genus Ma- 

 clurites, and these are in a blackish grey limestone, one of its upper 

 beds. The age of these rocks is a matter therefore which still de- 

 mands investigation. 



Such are the geological formations of the beautiful valley of the 

 Ohio, projected by nature on a scale of grandeur commensurate 

 with the vast territory, the mighty vegetation, the majestic rivers, 

 the gigantic forests, and the wide expanse of trackless prairie that 

 characterise this magnificent region of the West. 



I regret that in this remote and secluded spot, cut off from access 

 to public libraries and cabinets, and unable at all times to keep up 

 with the current researches and discoveries of the day, I should not 

 have been better able to do justice to such a subject. 



2o2 



