Thus far, in all its range from the Hudson, the Kittatinny chain is broken into links by the higher sources of the Atlantic rivers, and similar to the South East mountain and Blue Ridge the base gra dually rises, ascending the vast inclined plain obliquely, until it reaches the highest apex between the sources of Roanoke and Little river. Here the lowest gap, through which a projected canal is in tended to be carried, is 2049 feet above the level of the Atlantic Ocean. See Table IV. The chain now inflects to a course considerably west of south-west; and is traversed by New river or Upper Kenhawa. Beyond the latter stream, under the local name of Iron mountain, discharging to the eastward the confluents of New river, and from the opposite Hank those of the south branch of Holston and Watauga, reaches the extreme north-eastern angle of Tennessee.
At the preceding remarkable natural and politi cal point, the chain assumes a direction very nearly ItITTYT TI.- to the S.W., and under the various names of Iron mountain, Bald mountain, Smoky mountain, and Unika mountain, pierced in succession by Watau• ga, Doe, Nolechucky, French Broad, Big Pigeon, Tennessee Proper, and Hiwassee, according to Tanner's United States, merges into Blue Ridge in the northern part of Georgia, between the sources of Coosa and Iliwassee rivers.
If the whole mass of the Kittatinny is the estimate, it exceeds the Blue Ridge, though no peak of the former rivals in elevation the peaks of Otter. Both chains are almost every where in a natural state clothed with timber.
In the existing state of our mountain geography it is impracticable to attempt a systematic review of the chains beyond the Kittatinny.
Alleghany Mountain, or the main spine of the system, has received no more definite delineation than the minor chain, and it is evident from the analogy of the system that the term Alleghany is applied to ridges of different chains. Where exact information cannot be given, silence is best; but with a view to stimulate to future inquiry, I shall hazard the hypothesis, that the Catsbergs or Cats kill mountains of New York are a part of the same chain with the Alleghany of Pennsylvania, Mary land, and Virginia.
Catskill mountains, properly to called, rise very abruptly from the valley of the Hudson, discharg ing northwardly the Schoharie river into the Mo hawk, westwardly the extreme sources of Susque hannah, and south-westwardly the sources of Co quago and Popachton rivers, or the two main constituents of Delaware river. The Catskills are
part of a mountain nucleus, rising iota peaks from S000 to 3500 feet above the tide level. From this burr, if the term is admissible. two chains.
The first or minor chain south-westward ly towards the Delaware, and between the sources of Nevesink and Popachton rivers; traverses De laware river, and is mingled with the numerous chains between the Kittatinny and north-east branch of Susquehannah.
The principal chain, however, which stretches from the Catsbergs, extends also south-westwardly between Coquago and Popachton rivers; is tra versed by the main volume of the former, and rises in Pennsylvania by the local name of Tunkhannoc mountain. The latter name is continued to where the chain is broken by the passage of the north-east branch of Susquehannah river, below the influx of Tunkhannoc river. Between the two main branches of the Susquehannah, this chain inflects to S.W. by W. in full conformity with the corresponding di rection of the South East Mountain, Blue Ridge, and Kittatinny, and by the local name of Bowman's mountain. reaches and is traversed by the west hratilt of Susquehannah, at the Great Bend below Pennsboro'; thence extending very nearly due west by the name of White Deer mountain and other local terms, merges into the valley of Bald Eagle creek, and sweeping to S.W. assumes the distinctive name of Alleghany Mountain.
The length of the chain from the Catsbergs to where it is unequivocally known as Alleghany, is about 200 miles. Curving round to S.S.E. be tween the sources of Bald Eagle and Juniata on the eastward and the sources of the West Branch west ward, the base of the Allegheny reaches the sum mit between the Atlantic slope and Ohio valley, discharging the higher branches of Juniata east ward, and those of Kiskiminitas westward. It is this part of the Alleghany which is traversed by the rail road to connect the two branches of the Pennsylvania Canal. The summit level where the road is to pass, is by admeasurement 2291 feet above tide level, but so rapid is the descent on both flanks of the chain, that Frankstown, on a western branch of Juniata, and almost at the eastern foot of the mountain, is only 910, and Johnstown, at the forks of Kiskiminitas, about 16 miles westward from the mountain, is 1154 feet above tide level.