Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-20
STUDIES IN
NATURAL HISTORY
BY JAMES HENRY RICE, Jr.
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF
SOUTH CAROLINA

|
The state of South Carolina has a
coast line of one. hundred and. ninety
miles, measuring across the inlets of
various kinds. Two thirds Of this coast
is fringed with network of islands;
the upper portion, from a point oppo-
site Georgetown to the North Care lima
line, is bare of islands, except for oc-
casional isand-spits, like Pawley's is
land. These small islands merely mark
where the sea has cut off narrow rim
from the land. Below Georgetown, all
the way to the mouth Of the Savannah
river below Savannah, Georgia, islands
are continuous. Those islands,. which
are surrounded by deep water are call
ed sea islands. They vary great deal
in character, as will be seen later.
Some are heavily tirnbered; others are
almost, if not quite bare of trees. The
adjacent mainland partakes of the gen.
eral character of the islands opposite.
The main river system consisting of
the Santee and it's tributaries, runs for
long distance almost through the
centre Of the state. At intervals arc
dense swamps, most Of them on the
north side of the river, and all subject
to- overflow in time of freshets. Al
Georgetown the main river system IS
reinforced by the two Peedees, the
Black, Waccamaw and Sampit, the
latter short and Of small Importance
except that it. forms the .harbor for the
city Of Georgetown.
The WaecamaW River.
|. The Waccamaw river, like the st.
Johns, in Florida, runs parallel with the
sea coast for, nearly two hundred
miles, after rising in Lake Waccamaw,
! in Columbia county, n. c..
| More Of this river system will be
discussed later; it Is very interesting.
Just now please note that South caro- /.
lina's rivers DRAIN large portion OF
North Carolina. The Saluda, the
Broad; the Wateree, known higher up
as Catawba, the Great Peedee known
lin North Carolina as the Yadkin, az
bring water from the Blue Rdse
mountains far in the western slde OF D,
North Carolina. For this reason all
these rivers are muddy.
In very ancient times. millions of
years ago, the Santee river certainly
emptied into Charleston harbor, after
pa ssing through Wambaw swamp. This
great volume Of rushing water was
required to scour out q depression
large enough for a harbor. Just 3
little over a hundred years ago, Santee
again broke through WambaW and
emptied into its ancient mouth at
Charleston. This was in the year lT96.
In that same year Savannah river
broke through; the swamps OF the pres
ent Hampton county and emptied INTO
Port Royal harbor, which was us
mouth ages ago. os
Beginning at the present mouth OF
Santee river sand following the genera
course of Wapdo river which joins the
Cooper in sight of Charleston, there IS
a strip of country about. six miles wide
that extends to the mouth of the Ogee-
chee river below Savannah. THIS is
the true coast the region famed tor
sea island cotton before the war pe-
tween. the states. This region IS prac,
tically without sWamps: The genera
growth -. is hardwood, oak, hickory,
magnolia palmetto, ASH maple, cypress
and gum, with the large pine forests
abound rurthef inland, where exist the
swamps. Out of these swamps were
made the rice fields. They were below
river level and1ience easily flowed from
the river. THIS 'word, flowed; belongs
to the speech of the rice fields. An up
countryman would say flooded. He
docs this unconsciously, for all around
him lands are flooded. that is, violently
covered with IL rush of water. In these
swamp areas however, lands are flow
ed. that is, gently covered by the rise
of the tide.
Travellers on the Southern railway,
bound from Columbia to Charleston,
will note in the vicinity of St.
Matthews, a line of red hills These
run across the state, becoming sand
hills in places. Between these hills
and the respective mouths of the Saw
annah and Santee rivers the country
was once the ocean bed. Gradually.
the process running through immense
intervals Of time. this hollow was filled
in by the rivers and it became a vast
marshy plain. over which giant beasts,
now no longer found on earth, roamed
at will.
Again from Augusta, Georgia right
through the state, passing Columbia
and Camden on the way, Il line of