392 
the ‘Smoky’ Mountains. 
to the portions that lie between terminal points where 
the rivers intersect it. Other local names have been 
applied to minor subdivisions and to summits; but 
the most prominent portions are known to the native 
population by names which agree with those used on 
the existing published maps of the region. 
The Alleghany Range and the Blue Ridge are in 
general parallel to each other. The greatest distance 
between them is across Haywood and Transylvania 
counties, where they are fifty-five miles apart; while 
where they are closest they are only eight miles apart. 
They are also parallel with the coast-line; and a con- 
tour map of the state will show that it is crossed from 
south-west to north-east by a series of parallel ridges 
from a point within four miles of the coast to the 
Blue Ridge. The first of the ridges reaches an ele- 
vation of between seventy and eighty feet; and the 
succeeding ones increase in height, one after the oth- 
er, until they culminate in the mountains of the 
western part of the state, where the general elevation 
is from 4,000 to 6,000 feet. 
The Blue Ridge in this section is of peculiar inter- 
est, because in its details its course is very crooked. 
It is entirely unlike the long, straight ridges of 
eastern Tennessee. It enters the state from Virginia 
with an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea-level, and 
reaches its maximum height of about 6,000 feet at 
Grandfather Mountain, which is the highest sum- 
mit in the ridge; although hitherto, High Pinnacle, 
near the Black Mountains, has enjoyed that reputa- 
tion. The next highest point to the southward is 
Sugar Mountain, with an elevation of 5,200 feet. 
From the latter point the range drops to low sum- 
mits, that do not usually exceed 3,600 feet above sea- 
level. ‘These continue southward to Humpback 
Mountain, a distance of fifteen miles, when there is 
arise to 4,800 feet; and from here to Bear Wallow 
Mountain the range is of a quite respectable eleva- 
tion. At High Pinnacle, where the ridge joins the 
Black Mountains, the height is 5,600 feet. From 
Bear Wallow southward, the range is comparatively 
insignificant; but, as the state line is approached, it 
once more rises, and is of considerable importance 
as it passes from the state. 
South and east of the Blue Ridge are the low- 
lands, while to the westward is the high plateau sec- 
tion. The difference in elevation between the two is 
generally about 1,000 feet in a distance of some two 
or three miles. The difference in seasons, between 
the two sections, is from two to three weeks. A view 
of the ridge from the west, at many. points, would 
give an idea of insignificant elevation; whereas the 
same section, seen from the east, would be quite 
imposing. This peculiarity of the ridge is charac- 
teristic in North Carolina, with the exception of 
the section lying between Humpback Mountain and 
Sugar Mountain, in which the eastern and western 
descents are about equal. 
North Carolina, west of the Blue Ridge, contains 
about 75,000 square miles, of which some 5,500 have 
already been surveyed,— 4,000 by Mr. Yeates’s 
party, and 1,000 by Mr. Bien. The remaining por- 
SCIENCE, 
These names are applied . 
Py 
[Vou. IIL, No. 60. 
tion will be surveyed by Mr. Yeates during the next 
season. The map will be on a scale of two miles to 
the inch, with contours two hundred feet apart ver- 
tically, which will show the country in considerable 
detail. The existing maps of the region have all 
been generalized, and are more or less indefinite. __ 
The topographical features of the region are entirely 
dissimilar to those of the adjacent portions of Virginia 
and Tennessee. In the latter the strong orographical 
features of West Virginia and south-western Virginia 
gradually die out, while in North Carolina there ap- 
pears to be no regular system when compared with 
the other states. The only resemblance is, that the 
Blue Ridge and the Alleghany Range are in general 
parallel with the ranges of East Tennessee. The 
distinctive topographical feature in North Carolina 
is the existence of cross-ranges which connect the 
Blue Ridge with the Alleghany Range, making im- 
mense drainage-basins, whose outlets are through the 
latter to the western river-systems. These cross- 
ranges, with the exception of the Great Smoky Moun- 
tains, are of more importance than the ranges which 
they connect; as they generally have a greater alti- 
tude, many of the summits reaching a height of 
more than 5,000 feet. The principal ones are the 
Rich Mountains, the Cockscomb Range, the New- 
found Mountains, the Great Balsam Mountains, the 
Cowee Mountains, and the Nantehaleh Mountains. 
The Balsam Mountains share with the Smoky and 
Black Mountains of North Carolina, and the White 
Mountains of New Hampshire, the distinction of 
being the highest mountain masses in the eastern 
United States. The spurs of the cross-ranges form an 
intricate maze of drainage and topographical details. 
The Black Mountains, a range ten miles in length, 
with seventeen summits, are neither one of the cross- 
ranges nor one of the transverse ranges, but a spur 
from the Blue Ridge, with which they are parallel. 
The highest point is Mitchell’s High Peak, which 
is the highest summit east of the Rocky Mountains. 
Mr. Yeates, by barometrical measurement, obtained 
for it a height of 6,717 feet, which is six feet higher 
than any previous measurement. The coast and 
geodetic survey, by means of vertical angles, fixed its 
height at 6,685 feet above sea-level. The elevation 
given by Professor Guyot is 6,707 feet. Major James 
W. Wilson, chief engineer of the W. N. C. R.R., at 
the request of Gov. Swain of North Carolina, ascer- 
tained its height by means of levels, and fixed it at 
6,711 feet. 
The French Broad River is the principal stream of 
western North Carolina, and is a stream of much 
beauty, flowing through a valley of great fertility. 
Its course in the Transylvania valley is very sinu- 
ous, and its flow sluggish.. The Indians designated 
this portion of its course ‘sleeping serpent.’ From 
Dunn’s rock, a precipice that overlooks it, thirty- 
six bends can be counted as the river winds in its 
tortuous course through the farms in the valley below. 
Almost all the small streams, as well as the large 
rivers, of the section, have good water-powers, which 
must eventually be utilized for manufacturing pur- 
poses. 
