second, at 3924; and Round Top, in the third, at 3804. The southern range, beyond the Hudson, is decidedly lower, its highest pinnacle being considered by the same observer as not exceeding 3000 feet. The best known part is that behind Virginia, named the Blue Ridge ; yet its highest point is stated at only 1908 feet.* The loftier portion in the north is composed chiefly of primitive rocks, and contains vast stores of iron, with valuable marbles; while the more remote hills towards the south are almost entirely limestone, and the Pennsylvanian part contains an extensive deposit of anthracite or bituminous coal. In Carolina and Georgia there are gold mines of considerable value.

The mountains, thus pervading the territory of the United States, place within view of its people a great variety of noble and beautiful scenery. Without indeed rivalling the stupendous grandeur of the Alps, the Andes, or the Himmaleh, they perhaps equal in this respect any chains of secondary magnitude. The northern ridges, covered with immense forests, present scenes of savage grandeur, rising to sublimity. Mount Washington, for the greater part of its acclivity, is clothed with woods, above which rises a naked and rocky summit, commanding a prospect of immense extent and magnificence.+ A chasm in the White Mountains, called the Notch, is described by Dwight as an object almost unique, the masses of granite towering up on each side in the most abrupt and picturesque forms; while a beautiful cascade, from a height of 800 feet, pours down a stream of burnished silver.§ These elevations are said to enclose many picturesque lakes; but this feature occurs on a great scale only in those named George and Champlain, near the borders of

* Silliman's Journal.

Travels in New England and New York. By Timothy Dwight, S. T. D., LL. D., 4 vols 8vo, Lond. 1834, vol. i. pp. 10, 11.

Silliman's Journal.

§ Dwight, vol. ii. pp. 134, 135, 281.

Canada. The former, with its lofty mountains, varied shores, and numerous islands, is considered as constituting the finest object in any part of the States.* The southern hills, though on a smaller scale, exhibit on their steep and rocky sides many very striking aspects. Such in Virginia is the natural bridge, a mass of rock thrown over a cleft two miles long, and above 200 feet deep, with walls so perpendicular, that from the parapet a plummet may be let fall to the bottom. Amid these lower groups, too, the luxuriance of vegetation, the limpid streams dancing in serpentine courses, or through the finest trees, shrubs, wild roses, and vines, with the carpet of moss and creeping plants, make the whole country resemble a delicious garden.†

The rivers of this country cannot attain a first rate magnitude, since, even when they rise beyond the Alleghany, it is from land little more than 200 miles distant; yet they roll down abundant streams, and form at their estuaries fine bays, with excellent harbours. The northern states are in this respect peculiarly favoured. Maine is watered by the Penobscot and Kennebec, ample currents, navigable respectively to the extent of sixty and forty miles; but the numerous islands at their mouths create serious obstacles. In New Hampshire the small Piscataqua expands into the convenient harbour of Portsmouth; and the Merrimac, much larger, has become navigable to Concord, nearly a hundred miles from the sea. Massachusetts has no river which runs more than twelve miles; though the deep bay on which are situated Boston, Salem, and other excellent ports, affords vast commercial advantages. The Connecticut, in a long course from the frontier of Canada, waters a beautiful and fertile valley, forming the state bearing its name. But all the northern rivers are surpassed in im

Dwight, vol. iii. pp. 336, 337. Travels in America, in the years 1827 and 1828. By Captain Basil Hall, 3 vols 12mo, Edin. 1829, vol. ii. pp. 2, 3.

Trollope (Mrs), Domestic Manners of the Americans, 2 vols 12mo, Lond. 1832, vol. i. pp. 271, 272.

portance by the Hudson, from being navigable for large vessels up to Albany; from having its source in the western valley on a level with the lakes; and on account of the islands which enclose the noble roadstead and harbour of New York.*

From the northern mountains also descend two important streams, the Delaware and Susquehanna; the first falling into the great bay bearing its name, the other into the still more spacious one of the Chesapeake. This last receives from the west the broader Potomac, fed by numerous tributaries from the lower range of the Blue Mountains. It passes Washington, the capital, to which ships of the largest burden can ascend. Lower down, the James terminates in the same bay, after running through the fine vales of Virginia, with a navigable channel of 320 miles.†

The

The more southerly rivers rise from the same ridge, and traverse a plain of considerable breadth, so that they have generally an unbroken course. Parting, however, into alluvial branches, they are extremely shallow, with bars at their mouths, and thus of inferior value for commerce. The Roanoke, though running not less than 310 miles, is only navigable for sloops one-fifth of its extent. Cape Fear river is smaller, but rendered important by the emporia of Wilmington and Fayetteville. Pedee and Santee, with several large tributaries, roll a long current through the interior, but have very obstructed communications with the sea. The Ashley and Cooper unite in forming at Charleston the best harbour upon this coast. St Helena Sound has an entrance eight miles wide, receiving the North and South Edisto and the Combahee, yet without a depth of water sufficient for commercial purposes. The Savannah, descending from elevated sources contiguous to those of the Tennessee, enjoys a direct channel navigable all the way to the sea, with seventeen feet at its bar, forming the

Darby, pp. 188, 189, 183, 184, 177, 161, 135-153. + Ibid. p. 123-125, 110, 107.

Farther south run the

valuable port bearing its name. nearly parallel streams of the Ogeechee, the Alatamaha ; then the St Mary's, with a spacious opening and twenty feet water over the bar; but in the present state of the country none of these rivers are of much importance.*

The fertility of this long belt varies greatly with temperature and situation. The New England States, in a colder climate, and traversed by primitive chains, have a rugged surface, better fitted for pasturage than agriculture, and scarcely suited for any grain, except maize or oats. The people, who depend chiefly upon timber, fishery, and commerce, through their persevering industry soon placed themselves in advance of the rest of the union. New York and Pennsylvania have tracts well adapted for wheat and other valuable grains; yet much of their soil, too, is unproductive. Virginia and Maryland are more highly favoured, having fine plains nobly watered, and yielding excellent corn, with the valuable addition of tobacco. The Carolinas and Georgia have a still wider surface, and noble rivers; but, owing to the very uniform level, are in many parts arid, and in some swampy. The climate, though rather too hot for grain. is well fitted for rice and cotton. Florida is still in a very rude state.

We now turn to the western belt, between the Alleghany and the Mississippi, which wears an extremely different aspect. This mighty stream, rising nearly in the northern frontier, traverses the whole in an almost uniform course southward to the Gulf of Mexico. This direction, combined with that of the Alleghany to the south-west, causes an arrangement of surface directly the reverse of that which obtains in the eastern states. Here the principal plain, and one remarkably spacious, lies in the north, forming the fruitful states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Its distinctive character indeed is derived from its rivers. The Ohio, with its tributaries the Wabash from the north, the Cumberland

* Darby, p. 89-101.

and Tennessee from the south, forms one of the noblest basins on the face of the earth. Farther north, too, is a valuable plain traversed by the Illinois. South of Tennessee the mountains approach the river and narrow greatly the intervening valley; but they terminate soon after, leaving on the south the states of Mississippi and Alabama, flat and swampy, but rich in tropical productions, particularly cotton.

This belt, though not quite so fertile as is sometimes represented, rivals in that respect any region on the globe.* It has, indeed, a surface of a somewhat peculiar character. Forests very generally clothe the uncultivated tracts of the western world; but those of America are said to display a grandeur of form and size, a magnificent prodigality of growth, and a depth of verdure not elsewhere seen. The trees in many instances rise to a stupendous height, like columns, not spreading out into branches, but having their trunks clothed with a rich drapery of ivy, vines, and other creepers. Underwood is generally wanting; yet certain moist tracts are crowded with a particularly dense species called cane brakes, almost impenetrable to man, and the retreat of bears and panthers. When the forests are cut down, the soil proves most fruitful in every species of produce. The gay name of prairies was given by the French to a particular tract, bearing some analogy to the steppes of Asia and the llanos of the Orinoco. Abounding in springs, they are too wet to admit of the growth of trees, but are overspread with long thick grass, mingled with numberless flowering shrubs of the most delicate scents and hues. Where not excessively moist, they can without much toil be reclaimed, and converted into good pasturage, or even cornfields. The barrens scarcely deserve such an appellation, being esteemed of second or third rate fertility. Undulating ground, with low hills of peculiar form, is here thinly sprinkled with trees, but covered with rank grass, through which a rill of muddy water sluggishly

* Darby, p. 293, &c.