GEOLOGY OF NORTH CAROLINA. 
2 
The first and only serious attempt to ascertain the northern boundary 
was that made in 1728, by Col. ffm. Byrd and others, commissioners on 
the part of the two colonies, acting under royal authority. From the 
account given by Byrd of this undertaking, it appears that they started 
from a point on the coast whose position they determined by observation 
to be in 36° 31'., north latitude, and ran due west, (correcting for 
the variation of the compass), to Nottoway river, where they made an 
offset of a half mile, to the mouth of that stream, again running west. 
The line was run and marked 212 miles from the coast, to a point in 
Stokes county, on the upper waters of the Dan river, (on Peter’s creek), 
the North Carolina Commissioners accompanying the party only about 
two-thirds of the distance. Beyond this point, the line was carried some 
90 miles by another joint commission of the two colonies in 1719; this 
survey terminating at Steep Rock creek, on the east of Stone mountain, 
and near the present north-west corner of the State, estimated to be 329 
miles from the coast. In 1779 the line was taken up again at a point on 
Steep Rock creek, determined by observation to be on the parallel of 
36° 30'., (the marks of the previous survey having disappeared en- 
tirely,) and carried west to, and beyond Bristol, Tennessee. This last is 
known as the Walker line, from one of the commissioners of Virginia. 
These lines were run and the latitude observations taken with very 
imperfect instruments, and the variation of the compass was little under- 
stood ; so that it was not possible to trace a parallel of latitude. The line 
besides was only marked on the trees and soon disappeared, and as the 
settlements were very scattered, the location soon became matter of vague 
tradition and presently of contention and litigation, so that in 1858, at 
the instance of Virginia, commissioners were appointed to re-locate the 
line from the end of the Byrd survey, westward ; but for some reason 
they did not act. In 1870, commissioners were again appointed by Vir- 
ginia, and similar action asked on the part of this State ; and the proposi- 
tion was renewed in 1871, but ineffectually, as before. In all these 
numerous attempts to establish the line of division between the two Col- 
onies and States, the intention and the specific instructions have been to 
ascertain and mark, as the boundary of the two States, the parallel of 
36° 30'. The maps published towards the end of last century by 
Jefferson and others give that parallel as the line ; and the Bill of Rights 
of North Carolina claims that “ all the territory lying between the line 
above described, (the line between North and South Carolina), and the 
southern line of the State of Virginia, which begins on the sea shore in 
36° 30' north latitude, and from thence runs west, agreeably to 
the charter of King Charles, are the right and property of this State." 
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