The general course of the main streams of Dela ware and Susquchannah, it may be observed, cor respond to the course of the north-eastern rivers, and the cause is obviously found in the bend of the mountain system in the basins of these streams. With the western confluents of the Susquehannah, however, commences that long series of rivers, which with partial bends and windings extend them selves from, and nearly at right angles to that part of the great Appalachian system south-west from the Hudson.
With this digression we return to our survey of the mountain chains.
The Blue Ridge we have traced beyond the Hud son towards St. Lawrence basin; we now pursue its range in the opposite direction. Nearly paral lel, and with a very narrow intervening valley, the Blue Ridge ranges with the South East Mountain, in a direction very little declined from S. W. from the Highlands above West l'oint to the Delaware, immediately below the mouth of the Lehigh. In this range, with a humble general elevation the chain is complete, and discharges from the south eastern flank the higher sources of Hackinsac and Musconecung; and from the opposite side, the up per branches of the Wallkill and Pequest.
Traversed by the Delaware, the chain commences to inflect more westward, and to widen in distance from the South East Mountain 45 miles, to where it is again cut by another river, the Schuylkill at Read ing. Still deflecting westward, it continues another stretch of 45 miles to the Susquehannah, which it reaches at and below the mouth of Swatara river. Rising from the right bank of Susquehannah, the Blue Ridge commences a re-inflection to the east ward, but with little change for the first 40 miles, but thence bends to the east of south-south-east, and pursues that direction 50 miles to the Potomac, at Harper's Ferry, and though a small distance below, nearly opposite the mouth of the Shenandoah.
From the High Lands on the Hudson to the Po tomac, in an aggregate distance of 180 miles, the Blue Ridge, except by the large rivers, is traversed by no other stream, and though of moderate mean elevation, is a perfectly defined chain. It is, how ever, only after its rise to the south-westward of Potomac, that map makers have condescended to give it a general and distinctive name. Thence known as the Blue Ridge, this chain once more inflects, and assuming a course of very nearly south west, giving source on the south-east side to the higher branches of Rappahannoc, and some minor confluents of James river, and from the opposing side discharges creeks into Shenandoah, and gives source to the extreme fountains of South river branch of James river, continues 150 miles unbro ken by any stream, to where it is traversed by James River.
Still maintaining a south-western course of 35 miles, the Roanoke traverses it, and is the last stream that interrupts its continuity in the direc tion of our survey. With a slight inflection west ward, the Blue Ridge stretches beyond the Roanoke 170 miles, discharging from its south-east flank the sources of Dan, Yodkin, and Catawba rivers, and from the opposing side those of New River, Wa tauga, and Nolachucky rivers. With a deep curve to the south-eastward, the Blue Ridge, pass ing the sources of Catawba and Nolachucky, con tinues its general south-western course about 100 miles, discharges towards the Atlantic Ocean the numerous sources of Broad, Saluda, and Savannah rivers, and into the Valley of Tennessee the sources of French, Broad, Tennessee Proper, and Hiwassee rivers.
From Hudson to the basin of Roanoke inclusive, the Blue Ridge extends along the Atlantic slope; but leaving the basin of Roanoke this chain be comes the line of demarcation between the Atlantic slope and Ohio Valley or Mississippi basin, and continues so to the region where it separates the higher sources of Savannah and Hiwassee rivers.
The discordance between the delineation of the Blue Ridge on our maps, and the analogy of the Appalachian, to a very different systematic arrange ment, has been already noticed under this head; we may therefore dispense with pursuing the chain where neither its existence or inflections are cor rectly ascertained.
If the whole range of the Blue Ridge in the Uni ted States is taken into one view, it extends from the sources of the Savannah and Hiwassee, to those of Connecticut and St. Francis rivers, and within a small fraction of one thousand miles following the inflections. Geographically it reaches from N. Lat. to 45°, and in Lon. from 5° 30' E. to 30' W. from the meridian of Washington City. Its position and length from extreme to extreme, determined by actual calculation, yields a deflection of very near 41° from the meridians, and for length 920 statute miles. The length and position of the Blue Ridge may be assumed as a scale of reference for the other chains of the Appalachian system in the United States.