The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-04

8. SdrGnndh. city Of Savannah
furnishes the next accessible harbor, to
which there is single entrance, with
depth of water of eleven feet at mean low
water on the bar. At high water vessels
drawing fifteen, can reach the city, and
those drawing eighteen feet can anchor
within two miles of tine city. Savannah,
is one of the most important 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 en-
trance by sea is effectualy 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 en-
! trance with ten feet of water on the bar.
The place has no cOnnectionsn or impOr-
tancc, except its proximity to Savannah.
Ossabaw Inlet, off the mouth of the Ogee.
chcc river, has depth of fourteen feet
on the bar. st Catharines channel has
eight and half feet on the bar, and is
| not more lliIl lhO hlhC
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 sin
gle inlet, with thirteen feet Of water on
the bar, called Doboy Inlet. The place
has no railroad or other commercial con-
I Dection with the inland towns
o. Brunswick.--The entrance to the
harbor Of Brunswick is by ST Simon's
Inlet and Sound, which has a depth of
seventeen feet at mean low water. The
channel of Turtle river, leading from st.
Simon Sound, has twenty one feet Of wa
ter up to the town. Brunswick has
railroad partly finished, hich is intended
to connect it with the great national roads.
At present it could not be made an i'm
portant port of entry.
FLORIDA.
10. Fernandina.-T first important
sea port after leaving Savannah, is Fer
/ nandina, near the entrance Of st. Mary's
river, the boundary between Georgia and
| Florida. The entrance is by n channel
between Cumberland and Amelia Islands,
with fourteen feet of water on the bar.
| Fernandina 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 important commercial point.
1t was proposed to make this road part Of
great communication between New
York and New Orleans.
IL. 81. JOhn's Rirer.-The st. Johns
river is broad arm Of the sea, extending
almost parable with the coast for dis
tance of one hundred and sixty miles, af-
! rrctcd by the tide almost to its source.
There is a depth Of seven feet at mean low
water on the bar. The channel up to
Jacksonville affords about twcnty-three
feet of water. There is great deal of
uncertainty in the navigation of these in
let's, as the bars are constantly 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 st.
Johns river. On this river is Jackson
Vile, which is about twenty.scven miles
/ from the bar at the entrance of the st.
Johns.
~. ST. Augustine.- The last place of
any importance on the Atlantic coast of
J tAe 9Gete;, p. .,.,.,rc, rs st 1ugiiSGnc" The
entrance to this harbor is by two inlets,
with only five to six feet Of water on the
bar at low tide. The harbOr is command
ed by Fort Marion. an old Spanish work
which has been renovated. The CONNER
cial facilities of St. Augustine are limited,
and the place of small importance as n
port of entry. Southwark from st. Au-
gustne there is a stretch of seventy miles
Of Shoal and sandhar before another inlet
OPENS passage Tor ships Of even the
lightest draft. This inlet has less than
five feet of water at low tide, eight in high
water, and leads only to few small fish
ing towns.
Indian River Inlet, one hundred and
ten miles to the southwark, has channel
of barely three feet water, leading to Fort
Pierce and Fort Capron, established du
ring 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 Safes Government, render
ed safe by recent reinforcemcntS and sup
plies. 1t is of great importance as ma
val station and strategic point, being one
of the keys to the Gulf of Mexico.
IA. Fort Jefferson. ofKcy West
lie the -Tortugas Islands, at the largest Of
which is TOrtugas barber, guarded by
Fort Jefferson. This fortlication, recent
ly garrisoncd and fully provsiOned, may
be considered safe for almost any cOntin-
geney. The havh0r is valuable Strate-
glc 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 few shall
low and unimportant inletS leading to
small fishing towns, surrounded by will
derneSS. The harborS thus opened up
are valuable only as afiordng safe anchor
age in storm. Among these are Char
otte Harbor and Tampa Bay. Boca
Grande is the proper entrance to Char
lo;te Harbor. The bar is five miles west
of the entrance, and has ten to twelve feet
Of water.
10. Tampa Bay.-The south entrance
of Tampa Bay has depth of nineteen
feet, and the north entrance a depth of
seventeen feet at mean low water.
16. Cedar Keys-The first port on the
Gulf coast of commercial value is Cedar
Keys, situated ten miles south of the
de6ouchme"t of the Suwanee river. This
is one Of the termini of railroad which
crosses Florida connecting with roads
north and west The entrances to Cedar
Keys harbor are narrow the best has a
depth of only eleven feet over the bar.
The bar of the Suwanee river, ten, miles
above, has but five feet of water.
II. 81. NdrEs.-One hundred miles up
the coast. after turning to the west; St.
Marks is reached, a town commercially
important on account of its connneciionJ
bV railroad 0t TalIo haSoaa both NTH tho