Worcester daily spy., 1861-11-11
Port Royal and Beaufort.

The entrance is an inlet from the Atlantic,
| in latitude 81 deg. min. N, fifty mics
| southwest of Charleston, and fifteen miles
| northwest of Tybee Inlet, the entrance of Sa-
vannah river. The opening from the Atlantic
isabetween Edding Island and Hilton Head
| Island, and Mt that point is about three miles
| wide. The prolOngation inward of Port Roy
al entrance is called Broad river and Port
Royal River. Running up this for about
| twenty-five miles, being off eastward through
the Coosaw river, and coming out to the At
Rie again through ST. d HsaS2nH aS5nHt S4qpal S34%qsnly KSg KESa
miles by fifteen. This amphbious region is
| cut up by numerous rivers, creeks, and in
| lets, into a great many islands (Sea Islands) of
various SECS, the chief Of which are "Port
| Royal" "St. Helena paris" Ladies, -
| "Coosaw, " "Morgan," "Dathaw," 'Edding," +"
"Chaplin," "Prentiss," and "Hunting."
Along the coast OF South Carolina, as in
North Carolina and Georgia, stretches Il low
and narrow sand bar--a kind Of defensive out.
work OF the land, seldom inhabited except by
lost indians and runaway negroes, who subsisl
by hunting and fishing. AT distant intervals
there are shallow breaches through which the
quiet tide steals in twice day, swelling the
natural lag0Uns and daninling the outlet Of the
fresh water stream till the current is destroyed
and turned back, and their food dispersed far
and wide over the debatabe land OF the Cy
press Swamp Then, wien the heavy rains
III the interior have swollen the rivers, their
eddying currents.deposit along the edges of
the sandy islands and capes the rich freight
they have brought from he cacareous or gra-
pitic mountains in which they rise, with the
organic waste OF the great forests through
which they flow. This is the soil of the rice
and cotton plantations, which are always found
in such parts of the tidal swamps adjoining
lar ,r tba iy isla lntt
nearly dry at ebb of the water.
The entrance to Port Royal is the best chan
mel for ships through the bars in the whole
range OF ports below Norfolk. From Beaufort
vessels OF eight or nine feet of water may 90
through land to Charleston. From Charleston
vessels drawing seven or eight feet of water
may go through land to the river Midway in
Georgia, which lies thi ty miles south of Sa.
vannah. On the coast it is observed, that
northeast, easterly and southeast winds cause
higher tides chan other winds, and also some.
what alter their course. AT Port Royal Ell.
trance the tide flows, on the change and full
days Of the moon, at u O'Clock About six
leagues from the land IN twelve tathoms of
water, tile flood sets strongly to the southwark
aud the ebb to the northward farther off from
the shore there is 10 tide at all. Near to the
entrance of the harbor there is strong in
dFaGght during the flood tide, and an outset
with au ebO tide
Within Port Royal entrance, even over tie
bars, there are three and halt fathoms water,
or twenty one feet, and probably twenty ty.seyen
ttet at high tide.
Port Royal Island is surrounded by the
Broad, Port Royal, Coosaw and Beaufort
Rivers, and is about twelve miles long and
six wide. On the east side OF the island, and
about midway, stands the town OF Beaufort
on Beau0rtriyer, the approach of which does
not admit vessels of over eleven feet draft
Beaufort is about ten miles from the Charleston
and Savannah railroad and this important line
is itself directly approachabe by water through
Broad River and St. Helena Sound and
Combahee River A force moving up the river
from Beaufort, via Beaufort and Coosaw and
Port Royal rivers, would strike the Charleston
and Savannah railroad at about midway be-
tween Charleston and Savannah, and about
fifty miles from either city-a fact which
renders obvious the immense strategetc i'm,
portance Of that line. Beaufort is the New.
port Of South Carolina, and has white popu
latOn o. about one thousand.