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twelve miles from its confluence, and boats ascend eight miles higher. Cape Fear river, so called from the remarkable cape at its outlet, is formed by the union of Haw and Deep rivers, which, after a course of ninety miles from the mountains in the north-western parts of the state, unite seven miles above Buckhorn falls, after which the river takes a south and south-easterly course of 160 miles, to the Atlantic Ocean. Near its outlet, on the eastern side, it receives two considerable branches, running in a southern course, which have the name of North-east Cape Fear and South river. The former is navigable, for vessels drawing ten or eleven feet, to Wilmington, situated on the eastern branch, about thirty miles from the sea. The western branch is navigable for sloops twenty-five miles higher, and boats ascend to Fayetteville, 180 miles from the sea. The north-west and mountainous parts of this state are watered by the upper branches of the Yadkin and Catawba rivers, which will be described under South Carolina. The New river and North Fork branches of the Great Kenhawa also run from the north-western angle of this state. The southwestern side is watered by the branches of the Little Pedee and Wacanaw river, and other smaller streams. North Carolina is not highly favoured with respect to internal navigation, for none of the rivers admit of shipping more than sixty miles. Their mouths are crossed by sand bars, formed, as some have supposed, by their current, and others, by the action of the These bars, preventing the free escape

gulf stream.

of the waters, occasion the banks to be overflowed after a heavy rain.

Islands.-Cape Island, known also by the name of Bald Island and Smith's Island, is about eight miles in length from Cape Fear to New Inlet, and from one to three in width. The soil is light and sandy, and produces live oak, cedar, and the cabbage-tree. Cape Fear, the southern point, is situated in latitude 33° 52′ and 78° 20′ west longitude from Greenwich. This island was formerly joined to the main-land by a ridge of sand, which, about fifty years ago, was swept away by a strong wind, which forced the tide through, forming an opening, called the New Inlet, two miles wide, and sufficiently deep to admit the passage of vessels drawing eleven feet of water.

Minerals.-Iron ore exists in great abundance throughout the mountainous district. Gold ore is found in the sands and gravelly beds of streams, in Cabarrus county, near Rocky river meadow, and Long creek; but a bushel of sand yields but half a dollar's worth of gold. Small fragments of from four to fourteen pennyweights have been sometimes discovered; and a piece of a pound weight was found, in 1809, in a corn field, in Anson county. Cobalt, combined with arsenic, exists in Buncombe county, at the foot of the mountains near Mackeysville. Limestone.-A. ridge of calcareous stone extends across the state in a south-westwardly direction, crossing Dan river to the westward of the Sawra town, and the Yadkin, about fifty miles north-west from Salisbury; none is visible

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to the east of this ridge. Clay, resembling fuller's earth, is found near the subterranean wall in the county of Rowan. It is employed as a cement for the construction of chimneys, and is very durable.

Mineral Springs.-In the counties of Warren, Montgomery, Rockingham, Lincoln, Rowan, and Buncombe, there are several springs of different medicinal qualities, resorted to for the cure of scorbutic affections, and other diseases. The spring in Buncombe county is situated near the French Broad river, and has a temperature of 104° of Fahrenheit.

In

Geological Phenomena.-Marine productions are found in all the low country, at the depth of eighteen or twenty feet below the surface, and masses of shells and sand, called shell rock, which exists in many places near the banks of rivers, and is employed for the construction of the walls of edifices. In the year 1816, the skeleton of an enormous shark was thrown up on the Meherrin river, near Murphysville, at the distance of fifty miles from the ocean. A single joint of the spine weighed 12 pounds; a tooth, 16 ounces. the county of Rowan, twelve miles north-east of Salisbury, there is a subterranean wall several hundred feet in length, from twelve to fourteen feet in height, and twenty-two inches in width, formed of stones of irregu lar shape, and from one to twelve inches in length, all parallel to each other, and in a horizontal direction. The stones appear to contain iron. At the distance of six or eight miles another similar wall has been discovered, forty feet in length, four or five in height, and

seven inches in thickness. Both are supposed to be

natural productions. *

Forest Trees and Shrubs. produces white and red oak, chestnut with yellow flowers. the low country. The moist

The black fertile soil walnut, and the horse The pitch pine covers sandy soil is favourable

to the growth of the black jack. The marshes are bordered with cypress, and cedar of juniper; and the pitch-pines, with which the Alligator swamp is covered, grow so close to each other that the report of fire-arms is not heard at a very short distance. In some parts are maple, (Acer rubrum,) poplar, (Arbor tulipifera Virginiana,) white oak, intermixed with the Magnolia glauca, with tall reeds and briars. + The level sandy tracts are covered with pine and black jack. In the back country, the misletoe abounds; the myrtle wax shrub is common; in the woods, and on the high lands, there is a variety of wild grape.

Plants.-Ginseng, sarsaparilla, the Virginia and Seneca snake-root, and other medicinal plants, are found here in abundance, The shrub called yellow root (Xanthorhiza tinctoria) affords a fine yellow dye, and is besides a palatable and strong bitter. ‡

Animals.The animals are the same as those of South Carolina, and will be described under that head. The pigeons were formerly so numerous, says Lawson,

• See Medical Repository, Vol. IV. p. 227.

+ Williamson's History of this State.

See Dr Woodhouse's Account of this plaut in the fifth volume of the Medical Repository, p. 159.

(p. 44,)" that "that you may find several Indian towns, of

not above seventeen houses, that have more than 100 gallons of pigeons' oil, or fat; they using it with pulse or bread as we do butter. They kill them in the night with long poles."

Fishes. The river Roanoke abounds with rock-fish, some of which weighing from sixty to seventy pounds, have been sold at less than a dollar. Swarms of shad

ascend the Yadkin and other rivers in the season of

spring.

Population.-The number of taxables (white males of 16 years, slaves, negroes, mulattoes, or Indians, male and female, of 12 years of age, and upwards) was, in 1676, 1400; in 1694, 787; in 1717, 2,000. Table of the Population.

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The area being 50,500 square miles, the population, in 1810,

gives 11 persons to a square mile. The increase of whites, during the last ten years, was 39,636, or 117 per cent.; of blacks, 38,761, This is the fifth state in the Union, in re

or 29ths per cent. spect of population.

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