The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-09-05

selves about tile different creeks that intersect
the coast with an Independence of spirit that would
astonsh GRACE DARLING. They have now, from
long practice, become SO confident of their ability
to guide their barss across the stormy WATER that
ignoring the sterner sex, like the "Lady Of the
Lake,
.tAs shades of eve come slowly down.
And woods are wrapped In deeper rown,
From nnd-rnea b some aged oak, lts
That slauted from the mossy bauk,
The little skins shoot to the bay.
The damsels guideIs ofthetr way.'
McClennanville suffered during the war like
every other place. A battery of artillery, and a
commissary department, long held sway there
and when they retired and the Yankees took pos.
session, the destruction was only made more COM
plete. Few houses escaped a search, and their
owners will long mourn for articles OF furniture
&C.. that were carried off by their Northern
friends. While the Confederates held possession
few left, and the planting was continued long al
ter the more exposed rice lands had been aban-
doned.
rido of eight or ten miles from The village soon
brings the traveller to the rico plantations of the
South Santee, in Charleston District. The river
divides some distance from it's mouth, and forms
an island or delta. In other days this was all un-
der cultivation, together with the swamp land on
the North and South Santees, for twelve miles up
the river Now this is all changed; here and there
the ruins OF mill or dwelling house are to be
seen. and Of the thousands OF acres formerly
covered by a sea Of waving green, only few are
under present cultivation, and the remainder are
fast returning to state of nature.
Previous to the war, about $4,000 acres of rice
was planted on the North and South Santee
Rivers and the delta. This sent to market about
$500 tierces annually. This season only 5000 acres
were planted, Of which the largest portion was on
the North River. According to this Calculation,
only one.fith of the rice land was cultivated, and
Of that one-ffth o large portion was abandoned,
because OF the lateness of the planting, badwork,
sour lands, too,-A eoeea-er,dp, lii 70. u0r ynara.
averaged about 45 bushels to the acre. The
present one will not exceed 10 to Is bushels, and
will he about one eighth Of an entire CROP
One grand reason for the smallness Of the pres
ent crop is the scarcity of labor. Where, before
the war, 1000 negroes, including women and chill
dren, were employed the same region now con-
tains but 5000 all told. Tho main and true reason,
though, is the change in the system. Where
before six or seven rice were planted to the
hand, and on some places about one acre OF high
land in addition, now only four acres are planted,
and that quantity was not all put in the ground
until the middle ofJune.
The negroes have generally a tolerable good
character given them by their employers, aside
froml their natural indolenee and dishonesty
The idea that they would possess the lauds plant
their woolly heads, and if the planters i'll every
section would only unite, and determine upon one
system OF contract, and all agree to abide by its
provisions, the result would be most beneficial to
both parties.
The negro has far more instinct than reason.
He never studies the why and wherefore, but looks
at the question in only one light. AS AL instance,
when it is necessary to hire extra labor the party
SO hired generally receives peck OF corn for his
dsy's services. The negroes OIL q plantation IN
this section stood this imposition, 'so-calsd, for
some time, but at length waited On their employer
and complained that the extra labor gotas lnuch
for ono day as they got for week; but the short
sighted Africans never thought OF thelr growing
crop, and when this was explained to them the
ivory shone fetrfully and they retired With SELF
satisfied chucke. ~.
There arc some places on the river that N we're
left altogether to the negroes, Gni sney
to their crop, tIiat they will hardly realize enough
to feed themselves until January. The evil con-
seononces of this are already visible,-steallng
from neighboripg plantations, shooting and cap-
turing the stock, &c These settlements are
nuisance to both white and black, and it was but
q ehort.siphtcd policy that LETT Africa to its own
resources These darkies have though, seen tne
error of their ways, and Will, no doaDt, coh'sac1
gladly fer the coming year ,,,
Planting on copartncrshp. where both tho par
tipa we're not OF the same intelligence, has always
noen consercd d q bad bargain, and various plans
ba va been tried that wonld equaize the parties
None of these have been 80 successful as the sys-
tom of wares. This does not require more capital
than anv other. Every planter has to advance
nroysions: this is charged to the negro, and de-
dncted from the amount OF pay that Is Que hlm III
the end of the year.=Two planters on the river
have tried this plan the present year WIN sue
cess, and it is probable tnae ~ VIII 10 11le oniy
MANY of the rice plantations had some high
lands Yttached to thcm these were formerly
Jantod in corn and provisions, but this yetr q
bow eyne,.iment was tried, and quantity of this
land PLANTED in sea island cotton. So far the new
cultivation has been q success. Tho lands are
yrrv rich and the yield Will average seventy-hye
hn.hcs to the acre. About one hundred and oigh-
puSncs ~ W nf b land has been planted i'll this
wav and about eighty in corn, but on account of
tc ~ 1 In weather and various other causes, The
iattor will hnrdl, realize more than ten bushels to
.n H., acra The cotton cultivation has been ga
t;.fartorv fiat many OF tae planters contemplate
da,.ad,, m the West altogether for their pro-
Visions, @ % and will put all OF their highlands in cot
ton another year ~ IT,, c,to, ,..o=, 49,.
,,,,dar cnivmtion for many years, and few new
n fy