Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-05-21
UbilAren's department.
Letter to the Enquirer" Children.
CAMP BEAUREGARD, s. c., |
Wednesday, May 10Th, 1861.

keenly regrets that his being "off to the
wars" has prevented an undisturbed weekly
communion with you, through the ENoUI-
RER's "Children's Department. Some of
you have kindly reminded him by letter,
too, that, though ABSENT he is not forgot
ten by the little folks; and this makes him
all the more desirous of having talk with
you in some way. He has so many things
to do that he cannot write to all Of you sep
arately; so he proposes to adopt this form
of reply. Here then is the bargain: all of
you write to your absent editor whenever
the spirit moves you, Quaker-ike; and he
will respond in print. Will you agree to
that?
I would love to have you here with me
"A whole flock of you in your white gowns
and bonnets, and linen round coats and
pantaloons. For if you we're to come to
Sullivan's Island now, you would need to
have your light garments and sweet sum-
mer looks on. Imagine, then, the molasses
and cake.crumbs washed of your lips, the
candy off your fingers. your heads combed
and all neat and tidy; and come take a
walk with me along the beach.
As we 90 up the eastern beach of Sulli-
vans Island, we will have the ocean to our
right hand, stretching away, away, farther
than the eye can reach-much farther, for
it is nothing but ocean to England and
France, which are 5000 miles away. The
water never rests. 1t is always in motion.
The waves chase each other to the shore,
and tumble over, and break into foam upon
the sand, and run off as far as they can,
when they retreat to the ocean. As far as
you can see around you, you will observe
little boats with sails, and steamboats, and
large sail.ships, plying to and fro; somo
from the North, some from the South, some
from Europe, bringing sugar, molasses, cof-
fee, dry goods, &c., and carrying off cotton,
rice and other articles to various parts of
the world. I have counted 40 or so, large
aud small, visible at one time to the naked
eye, at this place; and you can often see
more from the battery, the sea a.shore pleas.
ure grounds, Of Charleston. But our ene-
my has here now great big war-steamer
with guns on it that will shoot balls as large
as your heads three or four miles, to make
the merchant-vessels quit going to and fro.
So we may not have so many sails to give
life and animation to the waters Of our bay,
after little while.
The next thing you will be struck with,
is the number of shells you vii. discover
all about your feet. Here are some rough,
ugly shaped ones. They are oyster shells
These grow in beds, and look, little dis
tance off, something like long pile of small
stones. They are planted this time of the
year, in marshy places along the coast
where the high-tidc covers them twice a day
The oysters eat meal and I know not what
all; and multiply and grow very rapidly
They are good to cat every month that has
an or" in it, they say. They are taken up.
and carried in "oyster sloops" to Charleston
where they are worth about dollar pei
bushel. I have seen some men crack them
as you would a hickory nut or walnut, and
eat them alive. They have "salty, slick
ish, sweetish" taste, when eaten in this way
There are, also, clam shells, couques
star-tish, and many other kinds, along the
beach. They are washed out from the sea
by the tide. As we walk along you vii
gather up handsfull to take home with you
Perhaps you will get to see a porpoise
These lubberly creatures are sometimes az
large as mule. They breathe the air, al
though they live beneath the water JUS
like the whale. Every now and then they
put their noses out to get breath. Our vol
unteers occasionally amuse themselves ..
shooting at them.
Sharks are sometimes seen also. w
have heard it said that lady who was once
bathing in the surf here-as is custom 0
summer-was caught by one, and carried
down, never to be seen any more. Th'
! other day some negroes, a-boating, caugh
shark about eight feet long, and brough
it ashore. 1t was new sight to many o
US. 1t was an ugly thing, with teeth sharl