122 J. L. Campbell— Geology of Virginia. 
stones and overlying shales were too fragile to withstand the 
denuding force of the vast floods of water and masses of sand- 
stone bowlders that have, at some past period of time, come. 
down with violence from the neighboring mountains and the 
valleys beyond. Both the ifthologiosd and fossil oe of 
these rocks show that they are the same as those on whic 
Lexington stands ; but here, as well as along the ie ‘of House 
Mountain, they are softer, and not so extensively permeated 
with white veins, as they are around Lexington, where the 
crushing forces to which they have been subjected have not 
only tended to harden many of the beds, but have produced 
innumerable fissures that have been filled up by infiltration, 
and now present beautiful veins of cale spar. But the under- 
lying coraline bed that forms the base of this epoch, and crops 
out so conspicuously near Lexington, is not brought to the 
surface at this point, yet is found at the distance of a few miles 
on both sides of our present line of section. I have, therefore, 
included it. 
At the distance of two miles above the Baths, we come to 
the base of Hog-back Mountain,* at its northeast terminus, and 
about a mile northeast of where our section crosses. Here the 
North River cuts it off from what was once its northeast con- 
eee ealled Jump Mountain. e ina sandstones 
and nearly parallel etc of North Mountain farther w 
The spurs of Hog-back and the face of the main ries to 
the height of several hundred feet, display an extensive out- 
crop of 4 6, ec (Utica and Cincinnati shales.) These appear 
occasionally beneath the hard sandstones of 5 a, as we pass up 
through the wild, winding cafion that here gives passage to the 
waters that come down from the mountain valleys above, — 
meet at the upper entrance of the gorge to form the Nort 
River. Just where the river issues from the mountain os 
the stream separates into two parts, forminga small island, in 
the middle of weeps rises a spring of sulphur water, now 
known as Wilson's Spring. It evidently rises from the shales 
of 4 b, that here loves the bottom of the river. 
the point at which the turnpike leads us into 
# Goshen Pass,” through which we follow the winding cours¢ 
of the river for several miles. 
In pursuing his course through this crooked gorge the geo- 
* This and Wolf Ridge, immediately in year of it, have evidently been once 
connected with the two ridges of House Mountain, represented on the ge 
section ; though now separated by a besutful valley three miles wide 
