The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-23
THE FOCUS OF THE SEMI-TROPI-
ICAL AREA.

The head land known rs Cape Fear,
extending out to sea as a shallow,
form the noted Frying Pan Shoal.
From this cape the shore lines form
the two right angles of square; west
of the cape, the coast trends north of
west, while on thenorth, the coast line
trends a little east Of north. At the
point of junction of these two lines
/ fright angles) thetemperature is
greater than elsewhere, and can be
very properly termed the focus of the
isemoi-tropical area-at this point, the
/ Gulf stream approaches very near the
coast This section has already been
/ described as the FrOstless area.
| DESCRIPTIVE TOPOGRAPHY OF
THE SEMI-TROPICAL AREA.
Pamiico Sound forms the northern
! boundary Of the semi-trOpical area It
could be very properly called the sea Of
North Carolina. This sound with its
estuaries, and other bodies OF water
/ farther north temporize and tone
down the cold north winds of winter.
/ From Pamlico to near New Inlet.
! New Hanover county, there is n salt
water sound that divides the east main
coast line from that OF the ocean. 1t
is from one to three miles wide, over
one hundred miles long, and at certain
points navigable. Making out from
this sound are four broad uavigable
estuaries extending back into the
country twenty or thirty miles, and
many tide-water creeks.
OYSTER BEDS.
The sound and its estuaries, creeks
and cores, actually cover a continuous
bed Of oysters from Pamlco to the
bead Of the sound. 1t Is over one hum
p, dred miles long and is perhaps one Of
the largest beds Of oysters TO be found
in the world.
FISH AND WILD FOWL.
! All the various kinds of fish are
found at all seasons Of the year in this
sound, and during winter il is visited
by numerous wild fowls, ducks, geese
and swans, affordiug cunning to
sportsmen.
= SOUNDS, INLETS AND BANKS.
it is connected with the ocean by
numerous inlets, thus forming be-
tween the sound and the sea long mar
row islands, known as the banks On
the east and west shore lines South
/ ern boundary there is another sound
I twenty-five or thirty miles long lying
, between themain shore line and the
Atlantic. 1T has its inlets and banks,
teens with fish and is visited by wild
fowls. 1t contains deposits OF oysters.
Located in the extreme southern por-
ton Of the semi-tropical area, and
having an open sea front to the South,
it receives the prevailing winds that
are warm and balmy in winter, and re-
frehing in summer. The main shore
offers great inducements for either
winter or summer resort. The bath
ing in the surf or the sound waters is
excellent, the temperature of the wa
ter is neither too cold or too tepid, but
refreshing and invigorating.
THE INTERIOR.
| The interior OF the semi-tropical
area is favored with numerous naviga-
BILE streams. There is Trent, which
forms a junction with the Neuse at
Newbern and the four estuaries of the
sound north. On the east are the New
! port, White Oak and New rivers, while
in the central portions are the North
east and Black rivers, which form
junction with the Cape Fear. All three
Of these rivers are tidal and navigable
at all seasons.
PLATEAU, RIVERS AND EBEVA-
TIONS.
! The eastern part OF North Carolina
is generally supposed to be very low
and level country, formed by alluvial
/ deposits that have encroached upon
the sea. This description corresponds
more properly to parts of the section
north of Pamlico Sound and the Neuse.
But the south country is divided into
series of plateau, the highest gener-
ally being about one hundred and fifty
feet above sea level.
The lateral range Of the mountains
that extends down as far as Chatham
county, continues as a high table land,
, following along the south side Of the
Neuse, crossing the Wilmington &
Weldon Railroad at Dudley's at an ele-
vation of $50 feet, it sweeps around the
Head Of Northeast river, passing be-
tween this river and the head waters
/ OF the Trent, then 30 the south side of
New river, and approaching withiR
eight miles of the Atlantic, in OnElow
county, at an elevation of over one
hundred feet. This ridge at less ele-
walton forms the divide between Holly
Shelter PocOsin and the sound, and ex-
tends TO near Scotts Hill, Pender
county.
After crossing Haw river is not sew
cred by any crossing stream, save by
Sandy run and Pocosin in Onslow.
This range Of elevated land sends
out lateral plateau that ramify por-
tons Of south Lenoir and Wayne, ana
parts of Duplin and Sampson coun-
ties.
There are passing out from between
these plateau deep bottoms that soon
widen into a width Of from one to
three miles, and long before they reach
the ocean, they merge into tide-water
streams, having along their edges con-
siderable areas of tide-water swamps,
forming what is generally known as
rice lands. These broad depressions
or bottoms range from theocean back,
thus conducting into the interior
warm air of the Gulf stream, the de-
pressiens being sheltered by the ele-
waited plateu. This combined arrange
ment of nature aids in modifying the
climate OF this section in winter.