Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/503

NORTH CAROLINA 489 gether cover 3,000,000 acres. Parts of the Little Dismal swamp have been drained so as to make valuable rice and grain lands; and a considerable quantity of the swamp land may be drained or reclaimed by em- bankment. The middle section is adapted to the production of the cereals, tobacco, and cotton. It possesses great mineral wealth, and abounds in streams affording extensive water power. About 100 m. from the coast the land begins to rise into small hills, and a little further westward is every variety of hills and dales consistent with a fertile country fit for cultivation. West of the Yadkin and Catawba rivers is an elevated region from 1,000 to 2,000 ft. above the sea ; and still beyond this plateau the main range of the Appalachian mountains traverses the state from N. E. to S. W., reach- ing here its greatest altitude. (See APPALA- CHIAN MOUNTAINS, and BLACK MOUNTAINS.) The Iron or Smoky mountains separate the state from Tennessee. Between these two ridges is a plateau whose altitude ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 ft., being the highest plateau of the same extent east of the Rocky mountains. In the centre stands the symmetrical forest- crowned summit of the Sugar mountain (5,312 ft.), and on its margin rises the Grandfather, 5,897 ft., the highest summit of the Blue Ridge, though inferior in altitude to the peaks of the Black mountains. The mountain region pre- sents much beautiful scenery, and affords rich grazing lands and abundant water power. The coast line, beginning at Little River inlet, on the borders of South Carolina, runs nearly E. to Cape Fear, thence N. E. to Cape Look- out, thence in the same general direction to Cape Hatteras, and thence N. to the Virginia line, a distance in all of nearly 400 m. Cape Lookout is about midway between Cape Fear and Cape Hatteras. Two open bays, Onslow and Raleigh, are formed by these capes. Along the whole length of the coast are sandy, bar- ren desert islands, from to 2 m. wide, sep- arated by numerous inlets, few of which are navigable. From these islands shoals extend far into the sea, which render the navigation of this coast exceedingly dangerous. Cape Hat- teras forms the headland of the dangerous triangular island beach which separates Parali- co sound from the ocean. Narrow, shallow lagoons, filled with constantly changing sand bars, extend all along the coast S. of Cape Lookout between the mainland and the sand islands. In the N. E. part of the state, above Cape Lookout, are two extensive sounds, Pam- lico and Albemarle, and a smaller one, Curri- tuck, which are cut off from the ocean by the islands or sand banks before referred to. Pam- lico sound, which is the most southern, extends from S. W. to N. E. about 80 m., and is from 10 to 30 m. wide, with a depth of 20 ft., and terminates westwardly in the wide bays of the Neuse and Pamlico rivers. There are several shoals within this sound.. On the north it con- nects with Albemarle and Currituck sounds^ and on the southeast with Raleigh bay by Ocracoke inlet, the only navigable inlet N. of Cape Lookout. Albemarle sound, which is 60 m. long and from 4 to 15 broad, extends W. into the mainland, and is not connected with the ocean except through Pamlico sound. Its waters are nearly fresh and not affected by the tides. Currituck sound extends N. from the mouth of Albemarle 50 m., passing beyond the limits of North Carolina. It is from 2 to 10 m. wide, and runs parallel with the coast, from which it is cut off, like Pamlico, by narrow sand islands. It connects with the ocean only through Pamlico sound. There are spacious harbors at Edenton, New Berne, Beaufort, and Wilmington. The rivers of North Carolina are numerous, but have shifting sand bars at their mouths, and rapids in their descent from the hilly regions. Cape Fear river is formed by the junction of the Haw and Deep rivers, which rise in the N. part of the state, and unite in the S. E. corner of Chatham co. The Cape Fear follows a zigzag course, the general direc- tion being E. S. E., for about 300 m., inclu- ding one of the head branches, and empties into the Atlantic near Cape Fear. It is navi- gable for vessels drawing 12 ft. of water to Wilmington, 34 m., and for sloops and small boats to Fayetteville, 120 m. The Roanoke has its source in the S. part of Virginia, where it is formed by the confluence of the Dan and Staunton rivers, passes into North Carolina in Warren co., and, taking a serpentine course with a general S. E. direction, empties into Albemarle sound. It is 250 m. long, navigable for small sea vessels for 30 m. and for steam- boats 120 m. to Halifax. By means of a canal round the falls, very small boats are able to as- cend to the Dan and Staunton. The Neuse river rises in the N. part of the state, takes a circuitous course in a general S. E. direction, and empties into Pamlico sound. Beginning a short distance above New Berne, it gradually spreads out into a lagoon. It is navigable for boats to Waynesborough, 120 m. from the sound. The Tar river also rises in the N. part of the state, between the Neuse and Roanoke, and, after a course generally similar to those rivers, with Tranter's creek forms at Wash- ington an estuary called Pamlico river, and is navigable for steamboats to Tarborough, nearly 100 m., including the estuary. The Chowan rises in Virginia, flows a little E. of S., and empties into Albemarle sound. It is navigable for 75 m. Among the other rivers worthy of mention are the Yadkin and Cataw- ba, which rise in the W. part of the state, run S., and reach the Atlantic through South Caro- lina, the former as the Great Pedee, and the latter through the Santee river. From the W. slope of the Blue Ridge flow New river, the Little Tennessee, and several other streams, the waters of which, breaking through the Iron or Smoky mountains, join those of the Ohio and Mississippi. North Carolina is geologically di- vided into three nearly parallel belts or zones.