Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-16

TWO rivers aud surrounded by low rice
marshes, is difficult Of approach.@ There is
an approach through Elliotrs Cut from
Stone River North Edisto River between
Charleston and 81. Helena Sound, has nine
feet of water on its bar at mean low tide.
This and the Stone and South EdistO River
entrances are good harbors Of refuge from
northeast winds for vessels Of light draft.
Z. BEAUFoRT.-Following the coast down.
ward, the next seaport of any importance is
Beaufort South Carolina. This place, sit
uaed on St. Helena Island, is aoces-
sible by two inlets, viz the South Channel
of ST. Helena Sound in depth seventeen
feet; the second inlet, of twenty feet, being
, the southeast channel Of Port Royal en-
trance. Beaufort River has an average
| depth of sixteen feet at low water, to q
point within two miles of the city, and
nearly fifteen up to Beaufort. The en-
trance to this port is easier than that of
/ Charleston, but as there are no railroad or
river communications with the interior, the
importance of the place as port of entry
is limited.
GEORGIA.
g. SAvANNAH.-The city of Savannah
furnishes the next accessible harbor, to
which there is a single entrance with
depth of water of eleven feet at mean low
water on the bar. At high water, vessels
drawing fifteen feet can reach the city, and
those drawing eighteen feet can anchor
within two miles of the city. Savannah is
one of the most Southern Atlantic cities,
having connection with the interior both
! by lines of railway and the Savannah
| River The city is entirely surrounded by
rice swamps; would be difficult of approach
! by land, and the entrance by sea is effect
ually guarded by Fort Pulaski, on Cockspur
Island, under whose guns all vessels have
to pass in entering. Fort Jackson is three
miles below the city. Warsaw, not far
from Savannah, is reached by an intricate
entrance, with ten feet of water on the bar
| The place has no connections nor import
nnce, except its proximity to Savannah.
! Ossabaw Inlet, off the mouth of the
! Ogeechee River, has depth of fourteen
feet on the bar. st. GATHERINGS Channel
has eight and a half feet on The bar, and is
not more than two hundred yards wide.
Sapelo Inlet has from eighteen to twenty
feet of water These three channels lead to
Sunbury and other insignificant places on
the sounds, not connected by railroad or
navigable rivers with the interior. Darien,
on the Altamaha River, has a single inlet,
with thirteen feet on the bar called Deboy
Inlet, The place has no railroad or other
commercial connection with the inland
! towns. ...
8. BRUNswIcK.-The entrance to the har-
Dor of Brunswick is by St. Simons Inlet
and Sound, which has depth of seventeen
feet at mean low water. The channel of
Turtle River, leading from St. Simon Sound,
has twenty-one feet of water up to the town.
Brunswick has a railroad partly finished,
which is intended to connect it with the
great national roads. At present it could
not be made an important port of entry.
FLORIDA.
10, FERNANDINA.-The first important
point after leaving Savannah is Fernan-
dina, near the entrance of st. Mary's
River, the boundary between Georgia and
Florida. The entrance is by channel be-
tween Cumberland and Amelia Islands,
with fourteen feet of water on the bar. Fer
nandina is connected by railway, one
hundred and thirty-fve miles in length,
running across the State, with Cedar Keys,
on the Gulf of Mexico, and is thus an i'm
portant commercial point. 1t was proposed
to make this road part of great commune
cation between New York and New Or
leans.
IL. ST. JoHN's RIvER.-The St. Johns
River is broad arm of the sea, extending
almost parallel with the coast for distance
of one hundred and sixty miles, affected by
the tide almost 10 its source. There is a
depth of seven feet at mean low water on the
bar The channel up to Jacksonville affords
about twenty-three feet of water. There is a
| great deal of ofuncertainty in the navigation of
| most of these inlets, as the bars are con-
stantly shifting. Ossabaw and St. Simon's,
! Georgia, have been tolerably constant in
! depth, and the channel of Sapelo quite so,
the changes being favorable in depth and
position. A single vessel could effectually
blockade the st. Johns River. On this
river is Jacksonville, which is about twenty
seven miles from the bar at the entrance of
the St. Johns.
12. ST. AUGUsTINE.-The last place of
any importance on the Atlantic coast of the
Southern States is st. Augustine. The en-
trance to this harbor is by two inlets, with
only five 10 six feet of water on the bar at
! low tide. The harbor is commanded by
| Fort Marion, an old Spanish work, which
has been recently renovated. The CONNER
cial facilities of ST. Augustine are limited,
and the place is of small Importance as q
port of entry. Southwark from st. August
inc there is q stretch of seventy miles of
| shoal and sand bar before another inlet
opens o passage for ships of even the light.
of water at low tide, eight in high water,
and leads only to few small fishing
towns.
Indian River Inlet, one hundred and ten
miles TO the southwark, has a channel of
barely three feet water leading to Fort
Pierce and Fort Capron, established during
the Indian Wars.
! 13. KEY WEsT.-Key West is harbor
on the island of that name at the southern
extremity of Florida. A well-constructed
fort Fort Taylor,) guards the town and
various entrances, which is in the hands of
the United States Government, rendered
safe by recent reinforeem ents and supplies.
1t is of great Importance as q naval and
strategic point, being one Of the keys to the
Gulf of Mexico.
Ssl4. FORT JEFFERsON.-West of Key West
is the Tortugas Islands, at the largest of
which is Tortugas Harbor, guarded by Fort
jefferson. The fortifcation, recently gar
risoned and fully prOvisioned, may be con
sidered safe for almost any contingency.
The harbor is valuable strategic point, as,
together with Key West, it commands the
entrances to the Gulf of Mexico. On the
Gulf coast of Florida, coasting northward,
there are n few shallow and unimportant
inlets leading 10 small fishing towns, sur
rounded by wilderness. The harbors thus
opened up are valuable only as affording
safe anchorage in q storm. Among these
are Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. BOea
| GranJe is the proper entrance to Charles