The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-04-21
The Sea Coast of North Carolina.

SAND REEF, COAST n. c., !
March 1S. 1868.

l wrote you last from the edge of the sea- the
Atlantic ocean. Before leaving the Reef, have
looked around some, and have seen some novel
things. ...' ... .. .-.. ....-
As said, glance at the map of North Caro-
lima shows a long narrow strip of land running
along the entire coast of our State. 1t varies in
width from half mile to two miles, and con
tinues the whole length, some three hundred
miles. The part where am is strip of twelve
miles, between Cape Lookout and old Topsail
Inlet. . -.E- -.
One here sees mystery explained. We often
hear that the Atlantic Ocean once extended to
u North and South line, running not over six
miles East of Raleigh. Impossible, says some
one. If he will come and stand upon the beach
he will understand how it might be true Every
wave from the sea leaves something behind it on
| the beach; little sand, shell, a little trash
and thus the troubled sea that cannot rest" is
doing day and night, summer and winter. There
is a ceaseless depositing going on; several waves
in minute and every wave leaves some material
| watched it with intense interest, and | could
well understand that if this is kept up six thou
sand years. the land would grow extensively; and
| foresee another thing-nanlely if this cease
less washing up of sand and she'll, mire and dirt
continues Tor SIX thousand years more, the point
where L stand, although now within hundred
feet Of the sea will be a hundred miles, and
Beaufort will be to the sea, what Raleigh now is.
an inland town.
! Not hundred yards from the salt water line
I the sand rises in hills to height of twenty to
| fifty feet, with oyster shells intermixed A little
watching reveals this secret also AS the sand
and shells lodge ON the beach, the strong winds
from the sea blow the particles back from the
water; but instead Of travelling over wide plain.
these particles lodge against bush or sea skele-
ton, and there forms little mound which grows
| with time; more and more sand and shells are
added until it forms hill that overlooks the
ocean. ....
| These hills like the beach are pure sand and
shells and as the shells do not dissolve without
pulrerizing OF burning they lie like pieces OF
glass, 50 far as fertilizng goes. The tond is.
| therefore, barren on the beach and over the hills
! 1t produces nothing, hardly spear Of grass
grows there, no vines, no shrubbery even. much
less tree. The scenery is the valuable part.
| could linger here for hours. watching the wave
and listening at the rearing sound. 1t resembles
the noise of distant but tremendous water falls.
With my back to the sea, a very different
scene is presented From the hills | have lnen-
toned, you see wide spread underground that
is as rank Texas border. Between the sea
and the sound, the land is more or less depressed
And in this basin there lies thick coat upon
the sand Of vegetable soil, and in this grows
variety Of evergreen plants as thick as they can
stand.
One of the most prominent of these growths
is the Yeopon. 1t is North Carolina tea, thick
as hops 1t is evergreen-it grows four feet
high-the leaf is snall-the plant is beaut full
it bears curlalt shaped and colored berry.
It is used as a beverage by the residents of
the Reef said by those who like it, to be good
1t is fully equal to sage ten" or any Of our
! ''ycrb tea" and about much like our store
tea" as long sweetening' is like short.
Its attraction is in its looks, any further ac
! quaintance-it is like the Frenchman tasting
sap-sage, touching his throat delicatey with his
fore-fnger, ''Sare," says he. lit is disgust"
The Gall Berry fourishes on the Reef-it is
( a sure sign of poverty--it has black berry-thc
plant is the same size with the tea, and is
exceedingly ABUNDANT
My boatman tells me that these arshes
abound in scorpions and that in hot weather they
travel around '.ke-ke-ke considerable" lie is
colorcd, the scorpions are yellow.
Notwithstanding the sterity of the soil these
Reefs are thickly settled. Little huts dot the
whole scene. They are made Of slabs or the
boards of broken vessels that drift ashore.
1t is said that when a family once gets lodged
on the Reef, they never get able to get away
again. They and their descendants remain there
generation after generation, for want of money
enoug h to get to some other place
It would be hard to conceive Of population
| that takes the world easier than these Recfers.
They seem to have courts, police collectors or
any of the other nuisances from the tax depart
ment-they can read but little-they are
| tremely poor-they live in mere cabins, and
seem to need or care for but few comforts. Here
and there, there is an old fashioned loom, but
where they get either cotton or wool does not az
pear to the traveller
1t is surprising how completely clans and
oysters pervades this poor earth. When
an up-country-nan begins to pity these poo
sand hers, let him remember whilst they
do not enjoy the fruits of the earth as he does
the fruits of the sea they do enjoy in full. In
stead of having to send to Norfolk for oysters.
they can safely wait till O'Clock before startin2
to look out for dinner at one. At distance from.
| the cabin not exceeding two hundred yards, lie
CLANS and oysters in vast abundance. They
pick the fattcst and best and carry home enough
for ten families the size of their own \ twelve
wear old boy can more than keep the family sup-
piled with these rich articles In this it is like
| the country the Yankees started to look for.
where Turkeys run roasted all with forks stuck
in their breasts
The main dependence Of these Refers, is to
pundcr the wrecks Of vessels as they drift ashore.
! The huts are usually built behind the sand bills
that is with the sand between them and the
coast. Across the moor and over the sand hills
are numberless little paths leading ont to the
beach. Along these paths there are two classes
a Il Il q