hershky.] The Hirer Terraces of the Orleans Basin. 



427 



remnants represent mainly the lower members of the series, par- 

 ticularly the 120-foot terrace. 



The Middle Basin, extending from Redneck Rock to the 

 Wilder Ferry, is about two and one-half miles from nortb to 

 south and one and one-half miles from east to west. The three 

 highest terraces are well represented along- the northern border 

 of the basin, where it is entered by the small Sims Creek and the 

 large Camp Creek. The river in early times displayed a strong 

 tendency to undermine the northern wall of the basin, and thus 

 excavated the valley in that direction to an abnormal distance 

 from the main line of the river. There is a central basin one 

 and one-half miles from north to south and one-half mile in 

 average width, floored by broad expanses of the two lowest ter- 

 races. It is largely cultivated in farms owned by the Orleans 

 Bar Gold Mining Company. The village of Orleans is situated 

 near its eastern border. In early times the river seems to have 

 endeavored to cross this basin on as long a course as possible, 

 but now it runs straight across it in a southwesterly direction 

 until it impinges on a slate ridge, where it is sharply deflected 

 toward the northwest. The basin also contains very important 

 remnants of the 120-foot terrace. The slate mountains bordering 

 the basin rise from 2,000 to 3,000 feet above it, probably none of 

 them quite reaching the Sherwood level. 



The Lower Basin is two and one-half miles in length and one- 

 fifth to one-third of a mile in width at the level of the "forty- 

 five foot terrace. ' ' Most of this width is ocupied by the river 

 and extensive gravel bars, but long, narrow strips of the lower 

 terrace remain on the southern side of the river. They are in 

 large part cleared and cultivated, as the Wilder farm, compris- 

 ing thirty-five acres. Higher terraces are sparingly represented, 

 although there is an important remnant of the highest, and also 

 one of the ' ' 120-foot terrace. ' ' The slate hills bordering the 

 basin have slopes of 20° to 45° and rise 1,000 to 2,000 feet above 

 it, with much higher mountains at a short distance farther back. 

 The basin is terminated at the lower end by the river passing 

 into an exceedingly narrow, crooked rock gorge. 



