36 
GEOLOGY OF NORTH CAROLINA. 
as the only one of all the rivers rising in the Blue Ridge which reaches 
the Atlantic within the State. Its drainage area (in North Carolina) i s 
about 3000 square miles, and aggregate of river lengths, 325 miles; its 
principal tributaries being Town Tori', coming in from the west, in 
Stokes county ; and Mayo River and Smith's River, which enter on the 
north side, in Rockingham, and Ilico , in Person. Its fall from Danbury 
to the sea is 686 feet. It is navigable the whole distance from the east- 
ern border of Stokes, except at a few shoals and rapids, and these are 
easily overcome by canals and other simple contrivances of the system o^- 
slack water navigation ; and in fact, such improvements were once par_ 
tially effected and the whole length of the river navigated ; and steam- 
boats now ascend to the lower falls at Weldon, and flat boats are used on 
the other navigable stretches to the borders of Stokes county. It dis- 
charges its waters by several mouths into Albemarle Sound. 
The fourth River system includes the four streams which rise along the 
southern slope of the easterly ridge, or watershed whose northern de- 
clivity is drained by the Dan, viz : Tar River, Neuse River, Haw River, 
Deep River and Cape Fear, (and the lower portions of the Yadkin and 
Catawba, as above described). 
Tar River rises along the west side of Granville county and among the 
mountainous swells on the eastern edge of Person, and flows first in a S. 
S. E. course, and then more easterly, receiving several large tributaries, 
and drains most of eight counties, an area of nearly 5,000 square miles. 
The fall, from the junction of North Fork, is more than 100 feet, the last 
considerable water power occurring near Rocky Mount, on the Wil- 
mington and Weldon Railroad, the seat of Battle’s cotton factory. It is 
navigable to Tarboro’, II miles east of the Railroad. Its aggregate length 
is 175 miles. 
Reuse River has its head waters among the same highlands, in the 
south of Person and Orange counties, and pursues the same course as the 
Tar, to Smithfield, the head of navigation, in Johnston county, and 
then making a similar easterly turn, reaches Pamplico Sound at Newberm 
receiving at this point a large tributary on the south side, in the Trent 
River. Its breadth at Eewbern is two miles, and it rapidly widens to 
five, and at length to seven and eight miles. Its fall from the northwest 
eorner of Wake county, where it takes origin in the union of three streams 
at one point, ( Flat River , Little River and Lno), to Newbern, is about 
310 feet ; aggregate length, (adding that of two other large affluents, Con- 
tentnea and (another) Little River, which enter from the north), about 
325 miles, and drainage area very near 5000 square miles. 
LLaw River and Deep River , the components of the Cape Fear , rise in 
