The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-01-18
Beaufort District, South Carolina.

given, mays at this moment, prove
acceptable. Its length from north to
south is fifth eight miles, and breadth
from easAp west thirty-thrce miles
Its area contains l,224 800 acres. The
northern boundary is straight line
beginning at Matthew'S Bluff on the
! Savannah River, extending to the Great
Saltca cher River. The southern boun-
Diary is the Atlantic Ocean; upon the
east, bordered by the Salcatcher River,
and upon the west by the Savannah
River. No district in South Carolina
is better watercd, has more extended
navlga ion, or larger proportion of
rich land than Beaufort. More than
half the territory is either in swamp or
rich soil reclaimed from swamps, whose
fertility is incxhaustible. The swamp
lands bordering The Savannah River are,
in many localities, four miles wide. The
high ground is sandy, bottomcd on clay,
which lie two feet below the surface
These two soils, the sandy and the marsh,
are The only desert ptions in the district
The staple products are cotton, rice, and
small amount of sugar. Like the two
former, the latter is of admirable quality,
but owing to early frosts, which are
liable to occur at in .ervals Of years, the
crop cannot certainly be counted on
This objcc,ion applies also to oranges,
which from season to season ripen as
finely as any in the world, but once in
about ten years are stricken by frost
too severe for resistance. This may be
as well said Of many o;her tropical pro-
duc,ions. Northern fruits aud grains
succeed partially, but are far more sue
cesstul in The cooler climate and higher
lands OF the more western por ions of he
State.
The only lake in the dis riot is called
Ebonezer, and is eight miles in length,
running parallel with the Savannah
river. The principal rivers, besides the
Savannah, are the Broad, Combec, or
saltcatchcr, Coosaw, Port Royal, Cole
ton, Morgan, May, New pocoaligo,
Coosawatchie, Cooper, Bull and Chez
keessce, all Of which are nayigable.-
The Broad River may be properly term
ed bay. In some places i, is more than
two miles wide. 1t continues of consid-
cradle width for twenty miles from is
mouth, when it suddenly contracts to
very small Dimensions. The various
creeks are almost lnnumerahle.
Many of the islands are beautiful and
sa]ubrlous, and all rich in produc ,ion.-
Upon the scacoast there are Reynolds,
Prentlss, Eddiugs, Chaplins, Hilton
Head, Dawiuskie and Turtle Islands. -
Behind these are St. Helena. Pinckney,
Paris, Port Royal, Ladies, Cane, Ber-
muda, Discane, Bells, DaltLa, Coosaw,
Morgan, Chisholms, Williams lIarbor,
prngs, Ca!wassec, Fording, Barnwell,
Whole, Delos, Hall, Lemon, Hunting,
Barataria, Lopez, Hog, Savage, Long,
Round, and .lones Islands.
The climate Of Beaufort Dis riot is one
OF the plcasantest on the Allan ic sea-
board. A delightful breeze comes in
daily from the ocean, and the constant
rise and fall of the tides keep up per-
petual and cooling agitation Of the air,
which is vocal with hooking birds and
o;her rare songsters. Fish and oys ers
abound III the waters, and game upon
the land. BY way Of drawback. ALI ga
tors are found in the rivers aud of SER
penis, the rattlesnake, viper, black snake,
copper, moccasn, water and others, are
still found upon unsettled tracts
Being an alluvial country, pebble
stones are rarely seen, and no rocks,
except an occasional species formed of
shells, which much resembles marble -
The remains of marine animals are fire.
quently found below the suface, and
shells are in abundance everywhere.
For poll ical purposes, the district is
divided into four parishes st. Peter.
st. Luke, st. Helena and Prince Viii
liam's.
EARLY SETTLEMENT:
Beaufort District was the landing
place of the first settlers of South Caro-
lima, and their earliest place of abode
Port Royal was the spot fixed on for this
purpose: intersected, as it is, in all
directions, with navigable waters; and in
1870, few entcrprising emigrants,
headed by COLONEL Sayle, arrived from
England. Ilil.on Head; bluff now
familiar to the minds of all, was called
after the captain of the vessel which
brought the party. Sayle was cons:itu-
ted the first Governor Of the Provice -
The exposed situation of this place to an
attack from the Spaniards Of st. Angus
tine, who were jealous of the English,
induced the whole colony to remove
northwardly to the site of Charleston
| during the same year.
In 1852, Lord Cardross led small
colony to Port Royal Island from Scot
land: Being dislodged by the Spaniards
in 1886; they abandoned the spot, and
no permanent settlement was made there
till the year 100, and then merely of d
very few squatters
Beaufort, only fourteen miles from the
ocean, with one of the finest por,s and
most spacious harbors in the world, was
named after Henry Somerset, Duke of
Beaufort, one of the lords, proprietors
of the province and the reason for
its neglect, and the adoption of the far
inferior barbor of Charleston, is accoun-
ted for in the enmity Of the Spaniards. -
When that ceased, Charleston was we'll
established, and distanced all hope of
| rivalry. 1t is yet but Small yill.ge Of