26 
GEOLOGY OF NORTH CAROLINA. 
its eastern and lower border, and breaking by deep chasms, through the 
more elevated and massive western barrier. 
6. The Blue Ridge, then, is not so much a regular and well defined 
mountain chain, as the straggling broken line along which the mountain 
table land breaks off' and drops down (about 1,500 feet) to the level of 
the second slope, or submontane plateau, already described, presenting 
the appearance of a huge scarped terracedike wall. 
Along this terrace edge, or near it, generally rises a low ridge or suc- 
cession of hills and knobs, separated by “ gaps ” which are sometimes lower 
even than much of the adjacent plateau. At several points, however, this 
ridge is removed several miles westward of the actual margin of the 
plateau, and the waters are thrown off to the east, in such cases, by falls 
and rapids. The valley of upper Linville is a conspicuous example of 
this exceptional structure, the real bounding ridge here being Jonas’ 
Ridge and the north end of Linville Mountain, the river breaking 
through the gap between them at Linville Falls. And another instance, 
with conditions a little modified, is presented on the eastern border of 
Henderson county, where the Blue Ridge as seen from the west, almost 
disappears, as at Reedy Patch Gap and Butt Gap and the whole space 
between, of 10 or 12 miles. Here the bounding eastward ledge, con- 
sisting of the Tryon and Hungry ranges is cut off and broken in twain 
as in the former case, but the valleys between have been grooved down 
by the torrents of Green and Hungry rivers, until they are no longer 
considered, at least for the greater part of their course, as belonging to 
the higher plateau. 
7. Such being the character of the Blue Ridge, naturally enough, its 
highest summits and most imposing masses are not found generally on the 
ledge itself, but thrown off to the east or west, on its spurs, and at various 
and sometimes considerable distances. The Black mountains are a nota- 
ble example, and Tryon and Sugarloaf and Swannanoa and many others. 
The general course of the Blue Ridge across the State from the south- 
western corner of Henderson county, near Caesar’s Head, to Fisher’s 
Peak in the northeastern corner of Alleghany county, where it crosses 
into Virginia, is N. E. a little E., but its path between these points is a 
very crooked, broken and recurved line. From the head waters of Green 
River, it makes a quadrant sweep around Henderson county by east to 
north, holding this latter course by Reedy Patch and Hickory Hut gaps, 
and for 25 miles to the Lligh Pinnacle, where the spur of the Black meets 
it and takes up the line. From this point it pursues for 30 miles a nearly 
direct line about N. H. E. to the upper waters of Linville, where it bends 
gradually more to the east for ten miles and then makes a sharp curve 
