CAROLINA

CAROLINA, NORTH, one of the United States of North America, bounded N. by Virginia, W. by Tennessee, S. by Georgia and South Carolina, and E. by the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between 33. 50. and 36. 30. N. Lat., and 75. 25. and 84. 30. W. Long. Length 430, breadth 198 miles; area, 43,800 square miles, or 2,803,200 acres.

The entire coast is lined with low narrow belts of sand, broken through at intervals by channels, communicating between the ocean and the lakes or lagoons which lie between the sand-banks and the mainland. South of Cape Lookout, these inlets are numerous and the lagoons narrower; while north of that cape the converse is the case. Beyond these banks are extensive shoals; furious gales, too, are prevalent; so that, altogether, the navigation of this coast is highly dangerous. Ocracoke Inlet, the only navigable passage north of Cape Lookout, is full of shifting sand-banks, and at low tides even in the main channel has only six feet of water. Roanoke Inlet, opposite the island of that

name, is now obstructed; but operations have been commenced for re-opening it. To the northward, between the main land and the narrow beach stretching southward from Cape Henry, lies Currituck Sound, 50 miles in length by from two to ten in breadth. West of this, running inland, is Albemarle Sound, 60 miles in length from east to west, and from 5 to 15 in breadth. Its waters are fresh, and not subject to tidal influences, though they are affected by particular winds. These two sounds communicate with the Sound of Pamlico, which lies south of Currituck, and is 86 miles long by from 10 to 20 in breadth; its general depth is about 20 feet, but it abounds in shoals; it is somewhat influenced by the tides, and is connected with the ocean by Ocracoke Inlet. Cape Hatteras, the headland of the triangular island which separates Pamlico from the ocean, is one of the most dangerous projections on the American coast. Cape Fear and Cape Lookout are also, as their names indicate, dangerous points on this coast. The islands are barren, and only inhabited by a few fishermen and pilots.

From the coast, for 60 or 80 miles inland, the land is low, traversed by sluggish and muddy streams, and abounds in extensive marshes and swamps, which cover about one-tenth of the whole state. The soil, except along the banks of the streams, where it is often fertile, is sandy and barren. The natural production of this soil is the pitch pine, which attains a fuller development here than in the states further north, and yields vast quantities of tar, pitch, turpentine, and lumber. The swamps are usually overgrown with cedars and cypresses, intermingled with maples, poplars, and white oaks, and having an almost impervious undergrowth of reeds, grasses, briars, &c. Some of these swamps have been drained, and produce good crops of rice and cotton.

Beyond this region the country begins to rise into small hills; stones appear and ripple the surface of the streams. For 40 miles beyond the flat region, as far as the lower fall of the rivers, extends a flat belt of land, moderately undulating, with a sandy soil, of which pitch pine is the principal natural production. West of the falls, the surface is more undulating, the streams flow more swiftly, and the land is more fertile, producing wheat, rye, barley, oats, flax. Farther west, beyond the Yadkin and the Catawba, is an elevated region forming part of the great table-land of the United States, and lying from 1000 to 1200 feet above the level of the sea. Towering above it are the peaks of the Blue Ridge, the chief of which are the Black Mountain, with an elevation of 6426 feet, the highest east of the Rocky Mountains; and Roan Mountain, the summit of which is a broad meadow, with an elevation of 6038 feet above the sea. Mount Ararat, or the Pilot Mountain, in Surry county, situated in a comparatively level region, exhibits a striking symmetry of form, being nearly cylindrical, and from the summit, which is accessible by a path in some places nearly perpendicular, the view is grand and extensive. Between the mountain ranges in the western part of the state the soil is productive.

North Carolina is well watered by numerous streams, many of them very considerable, but offering few facilities for navigation. They are generally shallow near their mouths, or lost in lagoons, or broken by falls in the upper part of their courses. Cape Fear river is the principal one whose course lies entirely within the state, and is, moreover, the only large stream that flows directly into the ocean; its principal sources are the Haw and the Deep, which rise near the northern boundary of the state, and unite their waters at Haywood, in Chatham county; it flows in a S.E. direction, and has a course of about 280 miles. At Fayetteville it is navigable for large boats, and above Wilmington it forms two branches which re-unite below that town, flowing to the ocean in a broad, sluggish stream, obstructed by sand-banks, and difficult of navigation. By diminishing the breadth of the river, and by stopping up some of the smaller outlets, these

defects have in some measure been removed, and the main channel, as far as Wilmington, has a depth of from 12 to 13 feet. The S.W. or main entrance has a depth of from 10 to 14½ feet on the bar. The Chowan and Roanoke flow into Albemarle Sound; the former, formed by the union of the Meherrin and Nottaway, is accessible for small vessels to Murfreesboro'; the latter is navigable for 30 miles for the small craft which ply on the sound. The Tar, which flows into the Pamlico Sound, is navigable for vessels drawing 8 feet of water to Washington; and the Neuse, also flowing into the Pamlico Sound, for large boats to Kingston. The Waccamaw, Lumber, Yadkin, and Catawba, pass into South Carolina. From the west of the Blue Ridge flow New River, Wataga, French Broad, Little Tennessee, and Hiwassee, the waters of which flow into the Ohio.

Professor Olmsted, in his report on the geology of North Carolina, has given a full and accurate account of its mineral resources, which are extensive and valuable. The low country consists of deposits of sand and clay, similar to, and belonging to the same age (the tertiary) as those of Eastern Virginia and Maryland. These beds contain few minerals, but abound in deposits of shell, marl, fossiliferous limestone, green vitriol, and bog-iron ore. A ledge of micaceous rocks, seen in the ravines and beds of rivers, forms the line which divides the low land from the upper country. Formations of mica slate, chlorite slate, gneiss, and granite, lie west of this line. Among the minerals of this section are hematitic iron ores, plumbago, and occasionally soapstone and serpentine. This strip is succeeded by a belt of sandstone, running south-westerly from Granville across the state. Freestone of different qualities is abundant in some parts of the formation, which also contains argillaceous iron ore, and some coal measures of great extent, including the best varieties of bituminous and anthracite coal. Next to this is the great slate formation, about 20 miles in breadth, running from N.E. to S.W., quite across the state. Within this district are found numerous beds of porphyry, soapstone, serpentine, greenstone, and very fine whetstone-slate. The slate formation is succeeded by another belt of primary rocks, reaching nearly to the Blue Ridge. This comprises the gold region of North Carolina. Iron ore is also abundant, chiefly in the form of magnetic oxide, and has been extensively wrought. The gold district is for the most part barren, and the inhabitants poor and ignorant. The principal mines are Anson's, Read's, and Parker's. The first is in Anson county, and was once productive; but operations have been retarded by a dispute as to the ownership of the land. Read's mine is in Cabarras county, and was the first wrought. Large masses of metal, weighing 400, 500, or 600 pennyweights are occasionally met with, and one piece was found weighing 28 lb. avoirdupois. Parker's mine is situated on a small stream 4 miles south of the Yadkin. The metal exists chiefly in flakes and grains; but a mass weighing 4 lb. 11 oz. has been found.

No state in the Union possesses a greater variety of staple productions. All kinds of grain growing in the north are successfully cultivated. The striking diversity of climate and soil between the low lands of the east, the high lands of the west, and the moderately diversified interior, produces a corresponding diversity in its agricultural productions. The low lands yield cotton, rice, and indigo; and grapes, plums, &c. grow spontaneously. Further west, in the interior and valleys of the high lands, the soil is well adapted for wheat, tobacco, hemp, Indian corn, and the grains and fruits which flourish northward. The mountainous districts afford excellent pasturage for herds of cattle and horses.

By the census of 1850, the improved farm lands amounted to 5,453,975 acres, and 15,543,008 acres of unimproved land attached to the farms. The principal productions are wheat, rye, Indian corn, oats, rice, tobacco, cotton, peas, beans, potatoes, barley, buck-wheat, hay, hemp, flax, hops, &c. The value of home-made manufactures during the above year was $2,086,522. During the last few years several cotton and woolen manufactures have been established.

Carolina. The progress of the population from 1790 to 1850 was as follows:—

The number of males engaged in professions, trades, and other occupations in 1850 was 139,387; of these, 81,898 were farmers and 28,143 labourers. The births for the year ending 1st June 1850 were 16,548 whites and free coloured, and 8086 slaves; deaths, 6028 of the former and 4329 of the latter.

The militia is composed of 79,448 men, of whom 4267 were commissioned officers. Every white male citizen between the ages of 18 and 45 years, unless exempt by law, is liable to military duty. The revenue from all sources for the year ending 31st October 1852 was $366,728; the expenditure, $249,254.

The value of exports for year ending June 1851, was $431,095; imports $206,931. The total shipping owned in the state at 30th June 1850, was 45,218 tons, of which 14,932 tons were registered, 27,535 were enrolled and licensed, and 2751 licensed (under 20 tons). The enrolled and licensed shipping are all employed in the coasting trade, and of this 3228 tons were navigated by steam. The principal ports are Wilmington and Newbern. At 1st January 1853, 249 miles of railway were in operation.

The state in 1850 had 2657 public schools, with 2730 teachers, and 104,095 pupils; 272 academies and other schools, with 403 teachers and 7822 pupils; and 5 colleges with 29 teachers and 513 pupils. The number returned by families as attending school during the year was 100,591 whites and 217 free coloured; in the former case being equal to $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$ of the white population. Adults who could not read and write, 26,239 male, and 47,327 female whites, and 6857 free coloured. There were 4 public schools, 19 Sunday school, 5 college, and 9 church libraries, with 29,592 volumes, in the state. The total number of churches in the state was 1795, with 572,924 sittings. Of these churches 615 were Baptist, 784 Methodist, 151 Presbyterian, 50 Episcopal, 49 Lutheran, 54 Free, and 4 Roman Catholic.

The legislative body consists of a senate and house of representatives; the former composed of 50, and the latter of 120 members. The right of suffrage is vested in every free white man 21 years of age who has resided in the district for 12 months, and owned a freehold within the same for 6 months; but the freehold qualification is not required in voting for representatives. The senators and representatives are chosen biennially. The governor is elected for two years, by the persons qualified to elect members of the house. The supreme court consists of a chief justice and 2 associate justices, and holds three sessions annually, 2 in the city of Raleigh, and 1 in Morgantown. The superior or circuit courts, of which there are 7, consist of a judge and solicitor, who hold courts twice a year in each county of the state. North Carolina sends 8 representatives to the American congress.

The first English settlement in North America was made on Roanoke Island in the state. Queen Elizabeth in 1584 granted by patent to Sir Walter Raleigh such lands as he might discover in America "not possessed by any Christian people." He accordingly despatched two vessels, which anchored early in July in Ocracoke Inlet; and the accounts brought home were so favourable that Sir Walter at once sent out a colony. Discouraged, however, by their contests, and the scarcity of provisions, they returned home. A few days after their departure, a ship under Sir Richard Grenville arrived; and finding the colony gone, left 15 men with provisions for 2 years to keep up the settlement. Raleigh then sent out another colony, which landed on Roanoke in July 1587, but found no traces of Grenville's men except a few scattered human bones. About 100 persons were left at the settlement; but on account of the troubles consequent on the attempted Spanish invasion of England, Roanoke was not revisited till 1590, when none of the colonists were found. The first permanent settlement was made in 1650 by some whites from Virginia; and in 1667 the colony obtained a representative government. In 1717 it was brought under the direct control of the crown; and in 1720 was divided into North and South Carolina.