The Coolidge examiner., 1934-08-24

Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington. y C.-WNU Service.
"HE Atlantic's rolling waves
do not break against the main
- land OF Georgia. A startling
statement. that. Yet II is true. for
the surf skaters on the smooth
sandy beaches OF the islands that
stretch Ike protecting band off
the coast.
These are the famed Sea Islands
Of Georgia. the Golden Isles OF
I Guale' as they were known TO Six
teenth century Spanish map-mak-
/ ers.
The low-lylng Jumps OF land,
spawned by the tides and winds of
/ the 100-mile arc Of the Georgia
coast. were once friendly hunting
grounds where Indians stalked
deer. wild turkeys. raccoons. opos-
sums, and waterfowl. Today, as
subtropic Fairgrounds and winter
retreats OF happy isolation. they
have again become hunting pre-
serves and game sanctuarles.
| What history has marched across
the savannas and hammocss and
| beneath the moss-scarfed arms of
| the mighty live oaks OF these is
lands In the nearly four-century
span since white men entered this
New world theaterl
Here, In the late sixties of the
Sixteenth century. came Spanish
grandees and black-frocked friars,
from their Florida headquarters at
/ 81. Augustine, TO plant sword and
cross among the Indians TO the
| glory OF the king" Here, too,
came adventurous French voyagers
10 trade and to make unsustained
colonial claims.
Bold pirates and buccaneers,
such as Argamont (the notorious
"Abraham") and Blackboard. after
plundering along the Spanish Main.
brought into the hidden anchOrages
| OF these secluded waterways their
treasure galleons and. under cover
OF the island oaks. found respite
| from their high adventures.
Here. IN the 1905. came Gen.
James Edward Oglethorpe and his
followers, who. within a few years,
struck blows that helped preserve
for the Anglo-Saxon race a large
/ ~nrtfnn ~ fha Cnnffnanf
Refugee Santo Domingo plant
ers, escaped French royalists, hu-
man cargoes from African "slav-
ers." wealthy antebellum aristo-
Gratis Of the old South, masters of
extensive island plantations: then
ruin. and. finally, delayed rehabili-
tation. mark the succeeding chap
ters OF the Sea Islands history.
Five flags have waved over this
off-shore cluster of lands where
some OF the earliest seeds Of Amer
lean trade were sown.
Lesson In Coastal Geography.
However, the unfolding panora-
ma gained from the vantage point
OF an airplane cockpit Is essential
ly lesson in coastal geography.
not history, even though Isolated
bits OF old Spanish ruins, Ogle-
thorpe's Fort Frederick. and rem
nants from prosperous colonial days
can still be distinguished through
the foliage.
Between the leeward side OF the
islands and the mainland lie ex-
panEve reaches Of salt marshes,
ranging roughly from two to eight
miles In width. Generally wide at
the northern end. toward Savan-
nah, they narrow at the lower por-
tIon of Cumberland, the southern
most member of the Golden Isles.
AS you fly along the chain Of Is
lands you can trace a continuous
serpentine passage in the network
OF sounds, delta-divided river
mouths. and meandering creeks. 1t
is the inside, or Florida, Passage, a
portion of that inside water route
| WHICH t<uuS al lhC way AAVh
New York to the Florida Keys.
AS you swing to a course over
the ocean side Of the islands, an
interesting feature of their forma-
ton is revealed to advantage.
Heavenly wooded areas appear in
long bands, stretching in a north
and-south direction, and are sep
arated by slender marshes and
ponds,
Where De AvlIes Landed.
One cannot visit st. CatherineE
without recalling that April day in
1866 when Menendez de Aviles,
one Of Spain's ablest pioneers, and
his party of so men dropped an
chor and came ashore on this is
land. He had established st. Au-
gustine, in Florida, only the year
before, and was already out to de-
stroy the remaining traces Of any
settlements the French may have
| founded.
One writer pointed out that no
where else had he seen such de-
,ightful setting for great house
! as that on Sapelo island. In the