OUTLINES. 
155 
posit of 10 to 20 feet, with its torrential stratification, flow and plunge 
structure, and every evidence of violent movement of the transporting cur- 
rents, which, in the later or Champlain period of the great ice age, filled up 
and obliterated the river channel and valley even, in large part : the com- 
paratively insignfieant water-way of the present river having been reex- 
cavated in later times through this deposit, which is doubtless the Orange 
Sand of Hilgard, so conspicuous on the Mississippi. 
Towards the coast, and at levels but little above tide, there are regular 
stratified and nearly horizontal beds of ash colored clays, frequently more 
or less sandy. An example may be seen on the lower Meuse, along both 
shores of its broad bay-like mouth, 5 to 15 miles below Mewbern. These 
beds are 5 to 10 and 15 feet thick, extending but a few feet above tide, 
and abound in littoral and estuary shells, nndistinguishable specifically 
from those now living alongshore, some 30 or 40 miles east. And similar 
beds exist on the sound near Beaufort. It is probably that a large part 
of the gray and ash-colored clays near the coasts of the sounds, east ol 
Pungo and Chowan rivers, also belong to this period, as they seem to over- 
lie the miocene marls, — and they may be considered the continuations and 
representatives of the fossiliferous clays of the Meuse, just described. But 
a closer study of the stratigraphy than has yet been made, or the dis- 
covery of fossils will be necessary to settle the question of their age. 
Above these gravels and clays there is a thin stratum (1 or 2 to 4 or 5 
feet) of marine sand, and in some places of drift sand, which is spread 
over the surface of wide tracts, from the immediate coast at some points, 
quite to the western limits of the formation, and is found at all elevations. 
It is this stratum which gives rise to the name of “ sand hills.” 
The Champlain period was evidently one of depression, as indicated by 
the marine shell beds of the Meuse for instance. But the marine sands, 
as well as the stratified beds on the hills towards the western margin of 
the formation, show a depression of more than 400 feet, and at some 
points of 500; but it is worthy of note that the depression along the 
northern border of the State was only about half as great as towards the 
south. 
This completes the description in brief of the great Quartenary- area 
of the State. But isolated patches of shingle and pebble and rudely 
statified gravel beds are found capping the hills and benches that flank 
the great river valleys of the State, at various elevations above present 
water level, 50 to 150 and 200 feet, and even more, and at all distances, 
up to 2 or 3 miles occasionally. These beds extend quite to the foot of 
the mountains, even to an elevation of 1,200 and 1,500 feet above the sea. 
The beds are generally not more than 3 or. 4 to 6 or 8 feet thick, increas- 
