Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-01-16
BEAUFORT AND THE SEA ISLANDS.
Their History and Traditions.
BY j. A. j.

and its surroundings, might prove in
teresting to the rising generation, and to
those, too, who, in the late eventful
period of our history, have taken up
their abode among US. Having a por-
ton Of lpy time just now unemployed
/ propose to commit to paper-and with
your permission, to your paper-a faith
full record of those incidents and events,
"all of which l saw, and part of which
was" In addition, however, to what
may have fallen under my personal OBJ
servation, you will permit me to record
also such traditions Of the olden time, as
our forefathers have handed down to US
with all the outward marks of veritable
facts, not unaccompnied by their sincere
assurances of authenticity, Or. at least, Of
their own implicit faith in the statement
of those handing down to them, in like
manner as they to us. In this go-ahead
age, when movements BY the power OF
steam are too diiatory for our purpose;
and, grasping the ightnings, we trans
NIT our correspondence over the land or
under the sea, with speed exceeding
that of earth's revolution about her axis;
when communications reach their remote
destinations before, as it were, the hour
of their departure; and, even in our
comparatively new country, toWris held
tc be beyond the pale of civilization un-
less able to hold daily intercourse with
the most distant cities, whether of the
east or west-in this progressive age, [
say, it is difficult indeed, to arrest the at
tention. and call back the mind to the
things Of the past. Utility material
wealth, body-comforts, are the desiderata
of the day. Impatient for an affirmative
answer, we ask, ''wiil it pay?' lis there
money in it?" Satisfied with quick
reply to this aL,-important question, We
proceed to lay hold on the present, let
ting ''the dead bury their dead" While
the throng is thus pressing forward, each,
as it we're, propelling the other, We may
find, here and there, one refusing to be
rudcly hurried down the stream without
stopping to note objects of interest on its
banks. Nay, some, at the peril Of being
outstripped in the race, will even look
fondly back at scenes now growing dim
mer and DINNER as the distance is fast
extended by our onward. onward, ward
progress. These delight to
"Ransack the tombs for pastimc, from the dust
"Call up the sleeping hero, bid him tread
"The scene for their amuScnent.---
But I am growing weary Of my long
apology for going back t6the first discovc-
ry of our noble harbor. AS the opinion
was held by many Of our ancestors
and now shared with them, by not few
in our midst, that the fort built by Ri
bault on his arrival here, and called, i"
honor of his King, "Char'es Fort, wa
none other than the old work near the
present terminus Of the Port Royal
railroad and, as many are unaware OF
the existence Of any other work claiming
to be the veritable "Charles Fort" |
have thought proper to set that uncer-
iainty at rest before entering upon my
main purpose. I derive my information
from the most authentic source, the
original account Of the voyages OF
Ribaut himself, and Of his successor.
Laudonniere; as contained in 'L' Historic
de Nouvelc France Parl
MDCXFIII." | am compelled to quote
from memory, as the book is inaccessible.
and of such extreme rarity that the
only copy for sale Gin the worId,' in
1860 was at The Hague, where it was
held Though only single volume, l2mo.
at thirty dollars! | am aware Of no
translation into English. There is, how
ever, a general outline Of its contents to
be found in Hackluyt's Collection OF
Ancient Voyages. A rare Latin version
also exists, with the title Of which, | am
not familiar.
Francis l., anxious that France should
have some share in the glory Of dis.
covcries in the New World, had sent the
Florentinc, Giovanni Vcrazzani to
America as early as 1924. This naviga
tor reached, with his single vessel, the
coast of North Carolina, and extending
his explorations southwark, soOn-too
soon-conc!uded that there were no
havens in that direction. He changed
his course, and ran as far north as Nova
Scotia. Two successive voyages under
Cartier put an end, for the time. to the
expeditions organized by the French
king. 1t remained now, for religi> >uS
zeal to undertake the task abandoned BY
the crown. The great Admiral Coligny
asked permission to found an asylum for
Pro teStants in America Jean Rlbault,
with number Of cmirrants. reached our
southern shores in May. lj62. 1t will.
in all probability, remain forever an I'M
settled question. whether the present st.
Johns River, Fla, or our own May
River, is the stream to which he gave tEe
name of May" OF his Port