OP THE SIMPLE PRIJIITIVE ROCKS-SERPENTINE, ETC. 31 
the whole series of formations, from the primitive (limestone and 
quartz from the most ancient primitive) to the most recent allu¬ 
vial ; nor is it possible, often, to tell, with mere hand specimens 
before us, to which of the great classes one of these rocks belongs. 
Thus the argillite at Barbee’s mill, might be regarded as primitive, 
until we find it alternating with rocks that are beyond all doubt 
transition—and so of the hornstone, until we find it graduating 
into, and forming part, of a rock that is made up of pebbles and 
sand. 
In all these cases the rule of morals, “ nosciiur a socio” —its 
character may be determined by observing that of its associates, 
is to be applied. Wherever we find well characterized granite, 
gneiss, or mica slate, the mass of the mountains in which those 
rocks occur is to be regarded as primitive, until facts are pro¬ 
duced which prove parts of them to be of more recent origin. 
Subordinate beds of argillite, hornstone, compact-feldspar, lime¬ 
stone, serpentine, or quartz, amongst those primitive rocks, are 
to be presumed to be themselves primitive, whilst the same sub¬ 
stances associated with transition rocks, are to be regarded as 
transition. Small bodies of rock, having the distinctive charac¬ 
ters of argillite, are found amongst the primitive mountains of 
the western counties. It abounds in our transition strata. Pri¬ 
mitive limestone is rare, but there are beds of it in Stokes, Sur¬ 
rey, and Buncomb, where it is raised and burnt into quicklime. 
Primitive soapstone is found in Warren, Wake, Iredell, and pro¬ 
bably in many other counties. Compact-feldspar occurs amongst 
the recent primitive rocks on Chapel Hill. 
Before proceeding to the transition rocks, it may be remarked 
respecting the class we have just finished, that the granite gene¬ 
rally underlies all the others, as the W’ernerian theory requires ; 
but not always. It frequently rests upon both gneiss and mica 
slate, or alternates with them. The lowest of all the rocks, the 
floor or foundation stone, upon which the others rest, is supposed 
in all cases to be granite. On this is superimposed a stratum of 
gneiss or mica slate, then a layer of granite, upon wdiicli comes 
a stratum of the other member of the series. Granile also ira- 
I'erses the other rocks, iiniler the furm of veins. The most 
decisive evidence is furnished, ivhere this occurs, that the i?7i- 
perfect crystallization it exhibits, is not as JVerncr supposed, 
from aqueous solution, but is the result of cooling from an 
igneous fusion. These veins must also be more recent than the 
including rock. In the Western mouidains, the granite, gneiss, 
and mica slate, are contemporaneous formations, as is proved 
!)}' the fact of their alternating with and passing into each other 
in a thousand difierent ways. These changes are particularly 
remarkable on the road from Wilkesboro’ to .Icfierson, in the 
ascent of the Blue-Ridge. All granile is not of the same age, or 
was not formed at one time. The granite of Chapel Kill is more 
recent than that of Wake or Wilkes. 
