Between the mouth of Cape Fear river and Pamlico Sound, extends a range of low islands, with a narrow channel intervening between them ancl the main shore. Into this channel are discharged a number of small streams, undeserving particular notice.
Cape Lookout is remarkable as being the southern extremity of a very singular chain of long and narrow islands, enclosing two very large gulfs or sounds. Cape Lookout is at North Lat 34°, 22', and East Lon• from Washington City 0° 05', anu is the south-west end of Corebank island. Between this island and the main shore extends Core Sound, about 20 miles in length, opening gradually into Pamlico Sound, between Ocricoke inlet and the mouth of Neuse river. From Cape Look out to Cape Hatteras is 75 miles. At the latter the coast of the United States turns to nearly clue north, which course it maintains 135 allies to the north of Che sapeake bay.
Capeiliateras, at North Lat. 45° 10', East Lon. from Wasnington City. 1° 05'. lorms the salient point of a long, low. sandy reef, extendtng from Ocricoke New Inlet 60 .-oiles. Within this reef spreads Pamlico Sound, into which are discharged Neuse and Pamlico rivers.
Neuse river rises in Orange county, in North Ca rolina, aud flowing south east by east 160 miles, opens by a very wide estuary into Pamlico sound. The tides ascend Neuse 12 or 15 miles above Newbern, and thus far vessels of considerable tonnage are taken; the river is, however, navigable for boats to near its source. Neuse river rises at North Lat. 36°, West Lon. from Washing ton City 2° Its mouth is at North Lat. 34° 50', East Lon. Iron) Washington City, 0° 20' North-cast from Ncuse flaws the Pamlico river. The two streams originate nearly together, their gene ral courses nearly para11.1, and but very little difference exists in the space they respectively drain ; takcn to gether, they. drain about 9000 square miles. Pamlico is frequently denominated Tat river; it rises near the southern border of Virginia, a little farther north than the sources of the Nense river. Washington, Green ville, and Tarborough. towns of considerable trade, stand upon its banks. Vessels drawing 9 feet water ascend to the former place 40 miles; boats of 40 or 50 tons are navigated above Tarboiough.
Thus far northward Cotton is more or less the staple commodity raised for exportation ; but though that veg.e table continues to be cultivated in the basin of the Ro anoke and Chowan, it is more rare and of less value than more southwardly.
North-east from the mouth of the Pamlico river stretches a flat marshy Peninsula, 60 miles in length by 43 in breadth. This peninsula is limited on the east by, the narrow inlet which unites Pamlico and Albemarle sounds, and is united to the main land by a compara tively. wide isthmus, between Washington on the Pam lico, and the mouth of Roanoke river. The counties of Wishington, Hyde, Tyrrel, and Beaufort, in North Carolina, occcupy the extensive alluvial tract between Pamlico and Albemarle sounds.
The latter is the estuary of two large rivers, the Ro anoke and Chowan. The Roanoke rises in the chain of the Appalachian mountains, and is formed by two blanches, the Staunton and Dan rivers. Thus far, the eastern side of the Blue ridge bounds the sources of the Atlantic streams, but the Staunton branch of Roanoke rises west of the Blue ridge, in Bottetourt and Alont gomery counties in Virginia, interlocking with the sources of the Great Kenhawa branch of Ohio, and James river flowing into Chesapeake hay. After form ing a considerable stream it pierces the Blue Ridge, and winding about 150 miles by comparative courses, joins Dan river between Halifax and Charlotte counties in Virginia. The extreme northern source of the Staun ton river is at North Lat. 37° 23', West Lon. from Washington City S° 20'. Dan river rises partly in Vir ginia and partly in North Carolina, by a great number of small branches, flowing from the Blue ridge, and op posite to the sources of the Great Kenhawa. Below the junction of the Dan and Siaunton, the united streams taking the name of the R ,anoke, flows by comparative courses south-east by east 150 miles, falls into the south west angle of Albemarle sound. The tide flows up the Roanoke to Halifax, at the foot of the Gi eat Falls, about 100 miles following the windings of the river, and 75 miles by land front the mouth.