Abbe.] 494 [March 6, 
till' soiitliwost stnuiils of the capes (see a, 1), c, lisi'. '2). In two 
eases (fig. 'J, I) and c) this approaeli of the marsli to the water- 
line is so far advaneed that the marshy formation is itself washed 
l>y the waves and forms a low escarpment. These two cases are 
those of the beach just east of the Cape Fear River and the east 
shore of the island at the mouth of the same river. Witli 
respect to the former point, Professor Shaler says^ : " The heaeh 
is continuous around the sweep of the curve to near the mouth 
of Cape Fear River, where the barrier of sand is replaced by a 
shore escarpment." 
Cape Lookout is further characterized by a hooked spit that 
has been built at an angle to the general trend of the cape and 
points shoreward. 
Inference as to movement. — - From these observations we are 
led to infer that the strongest or the most persistent currents on 
this coast have a dii-ection from northeast to southwest. The 
ajjproach to an exjDosure of the marshes on the northeast side of 
the capes and the actual exposure of them in the case of the 
Cape Fear district shows us an evident cutting by the waves on 
this side of the capes, while deposition is shown on the oj^posite 
shores by the sand beaches there forming. Finally the evidence 
of continued south westward growth, as shown by Cape Lookout 
that has a spit continuing beyond the hook ah-eady referred to, 
when taken with the above evidences of southwestward cutting, 
all leads one to conjecture that these cuspate capes are slowly 
traveUng southwestward. 
Explanationa offered. — Mr. G. K. Gilbert in his monograi)h 
on Lake Bonneville describes V-shaped embankments and bars 
where "• in most cases, the shore drift appears to have been 
carried by one current from the mainland along one margin of 
the terrace (embankment) to the apex, and by another current, 
along the remaining side of the terrace back to the mainland " 
(p. 57). These bars described by Mr. Gilbert are lacking in the 
sharp, cus})ate outline, the continuing shoals, and the hooked 
s[)its of the Carolina capes, hence the above explanation does not 
Kt our case very well. 
Mr. Tuomey, former state geologist of South Carolina, observes 
1 OpiDi cit., p. 179. 
I 
