14 
GEOLOGY CF NORTH CAROLINA. 
which vary in breadth from less than half a mile to 4 and 5 miles, to 
within a few miles of the month of the Cape Fear River, where occurs, 
in a narrow isthmus of sand, the only interruption of this inland water- 
way. Below the wide bay-like mouth of the last named river the chain 
is continued to and beyond the southern border of the State. The 
depth of the narrower sounds is frequently very small, only sufficient to 
float the smallest vessels at low tide, but that of the larger varies from a 
few feet to three and a half fathoms. From the larger sounds project 
many bay-like arms, commonly called rivers, because they serve as the 
mouths of streams ; but they are true bays, having a breadth of 2 or 8 
to 5 or 6 miles, and a depth about as great as the sounds to which they 
belong. The greatest of these bays is the widened expanse of Tar river, 
(Pamplico river), and of the Neuse below Newbern, both of which are 5 
and 6 miles and upwards in breadth. But Bay river, Alligator, Pungo, 
Chowan, and all the larger rivers entering Albemarle from the north are 
of the came description. 
The entire surface covered by these sounds and bays is not less than 
3.300 square miles. 
The sounds, bays and rivers are connected with the ocean by numerous 
inlets , and with one another and with Norfolk harbor, partly by natural 
and partly by artificial water ways, (Dismal Swamp Canal and Albemarle 
and Chesapeake canal and others), constituting, with the navigable 
stretches of rivers that penetrate inland about 100 miles, a connected net- 
work of more than 1,100 miles of water way, for steam and sail vessels, 
furnishing the best facilities for carrying the produce of nearly half 
the territory of the State, either to Norfolk, or directly into the great At- 
lantic highway of the world’s commerce. And by two or three addi- 
tional canals of a few miles length much might be added to the value of 
the above aggregate of navigable water ways, which is already greater 
than that of New York, with her grand system of expensive canals ; and 
greater than that of any other State, except perhaps, Louisiana. 
Islands . — The largest and most noted island in the State is the his- 
torical locality called Roanoke Island , situated in the straits which con- 
nect Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. Its area is about 25 square miles. 
Cedar Island in the southern end of Pamlico is about as large, and there 
are numerous other small islands enclosed within the general boundaries 
of many of the sounds. Smith's Island, in the mouth of Cape Fear, 
is a wide, flattish, triangular area of about 15 square miles. Currituck 
Island has lost its insular character by the disappearance of Currituck 
Inlet, and now forms part of a very narrow peninsula about 75 miles 
long, with its isthmus near Norfolk, Ya. Goat Island is the most 
