IS 



UNITED STATES. 



This chain of mountains differs from those in Eur 

 rope, in being longer and more regular in its ridges, 

 than the Alps or Pyrenees, yet much less lofty. 

 Measurements made with accuracy at various points 

 will afford instructive and satisfactory proofs of 

 this. 



In Virginia, Otter peak, the highest land in all the 

 country, is only 4000 feet high.* 



In the same district Mr. Jonathan Williams, set- 

 ting out from the point where the tide-water ceases 

 to fiovv below Richmond, and measuring his route to 

 the first chain of Blue Ridge, found 1150 feet eleva- 

 tion at Rockfish Gap. A peak near gave hmi 1822 

 feet. Farther on, beyond the town of Stauntom, as- 

 cending a chain of the Alleghanies, he found 1898 

 feet: a second chain, that of Calf Pasture, gave him 

 2247 : and lastly a third, that v/hich divides the 

 rivers and is intersected by none, measured six 

 miles south-west of Red Spring, gave him 2760, 

 feet, or 405 toises, above the level of the ocean. 

 Blue Ridge, at the opening of Harper's ferry, be- 

 low the mouth of the river Shenando, appeared to 

 have nearly the same lieight as at Rockiish Gap ; 

 accordingly its mean height may be estimated at 

 1150 feet, that is less than half the height of the Al- 

 leghanies in Virginia. 



In Maryland, George Gilpin and James Smith 

 took the following levels in 1789: 



On the river Poto v^^mac, from the limits of the tide, 

 that is to say, from the rapids of Georgetown to the 

 mouth of Savage river, in an extent of 218 miles, the 



* See Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, p. 29, 



