The Tioga river rises in the angle between the sources of the Genesee and Seneca rivers, in Steuben, Allegheny, and Ontario counties, in New York, and within 30 miles from the line of the Great Canal.
The general course of the Tioga river is from north west to south-east, by comparative courses about 80 miles. The general course of the Susquehanna proper, already noticed, is from not th-east to south-west, by com parative courses 120 miles.
What in a particular manner renders remarkable the two great northern constituents of the Susquehanna, is their enclosing the two long and navigable lakes Seneca and Cayuga ; the latter stretching, in an almost direct line, from the Great Canal to within 20 miles of the Tioga river, at the mouth of the Newtown creek, about 20 miles, by comparative courses, above Tioga Point ; and the latter, or Cayuga, stretching also from the line of the Great Canal, to within 30 miles from the Susque hanna, at the mouth of the Oswego, about 20 miles above Tioga Point. Nature, in this section of country, seems to have advanced half way to aid the efforts of man in forming channels of communication between the basins of the Susquehanna and St. Lawrence. The two fine lakes of Seneca and Cayuga are each respectively upwards of 35 miles in length, and occupying the angle between the two main northern constituents of the Sus quehanna, would appear to have been placed in their ac tual position, as if to give, in their utmost extent, the greatest navigable facility.
From the Tioga Point, the Susquehanna flows by comparative courses 60 miles, to the mouth of the Lawahannoc creek, in the centre of Luzerne county. In this range, the river flows nearly due south, 10 miles to the western, or, more correctly, north-western, verge of the Appalachian mountains. Hitherto, the entire tribu tary waters of this stream have originated and flown north-west of the Appalachian chain, and on the second ary formation. At the mouths of the Towanda and Wy saukin creeks, the river curves to S. E. ancl enters the mountains, nearly at right angles to their general range. Continuing about 10 miles still farther upon the second ary, the river enters on the great central transition formation, near the mouth of the Tunkhannoc, where it passes the main ridge of the Appalachian chain, and issues into the fine valley of Wyoming, across which it maintains a south-east course to the mouth of the Lawa bannoc. Here the now noble stream of the Susque
hanna again turns at nearly right angles, and flows down the remarkable Wyoming valley, by comparative courses, 70 miles, to its junction with the west branch at North umberland and Sunbury.
The wes.t branch rises entirely in Pennsylvania, and within the Appalachian valleys, though upon the secor.d ary formation. Its general course is nearly front west to east, by comparative courses, 150 miles, to where it passes the main ridge of the Appalachian chain, and enters on the transition formation 20 miles below NVil liamsport. Here the river pierces the mountain, flows into the great valley, and turning to nearly due south 25 miles, to its junction with the Susquehanna.
Below the mouth of the West Branch, the Susque hanna pursues a general direction, a little west of south, 40 miles to the mouth of the Juniata. The latter is literally a mountain stream, and has its whole valley on the central transition formation. Its general course is nearly from west to east, parallel to the West Branch. Similar to the other secondary rivers of the basin of the Susquehanna, the Juniata traverses the Appalachian ridges in several places, and flows in either a parallel direction, or at right angles to those ridges.
Below the mouth of Juniata, the Susquehanna assumes a south-east direction of 80 miles, by comparative courses, and being precipitated from the primitive on the sea-sand formation, loses its name and rank as a river in Chesapeake Bay.
Between the head of the latter bay, and the mouth of the Juniata, the Susquehanna passes three mountain ridges : the Kittatinny above, and the Blue Ridge below Harrisburgh, and what may correctly be called the south east mountain, below the mouth of the Conestogo and Pequea creeks.