The vessel, in which I was to embark for East Florida, being now ready
to pursue her voyage, we sat sail with a fair wind and tide. Our course
was south, through the sound, betwixt a chain of sea-coast-islands, and
the main. In the evening we came to, at the south end of St. Simons,
having been hindred by the flood tide making against us. The Captain
and myself, with one of our crew, went on shore, with a view of getting
some venison and sea fowl. We had not the good fortune to see any deer,
yet we were not altogether unsuccessful, having taken three young
racoons (Ursus cauda elongata) which are excellent meat: we had them
for supper, served up in a pillo. Next morning early, we again got
under way, running by Jekyl and Cumberland Islands, large, beautiful,
and fertile, yet thinly inhabited, and consequently excellent haunts
for deer, bears, and other game.
As we ran by Cumberland Isle, keeping the channel through the sound, we
saw a sail a head coming up towards us. Our Captain knew it to be the
trading schooner from the stores on St. John’s, and immediately
predicted bad news, as she was not to sail until our arrival there. As
she approached us, his apprehensions were more and more confirmed, from
the appearance of a number of passengers on deck. We laid to, until she
came up, when we hailed her, “What news?” “Bad; the Indians have
plundered the upper store, and the traders have escaped, only with
their lives.” Upon this both vessels came to anchor very near each
other, when, learning the particulars, it appeared, that a large party
of Indians had surprised and plundered two trading houses, in the
istmus, beyond the river St. John’s, and a third being timely apprised
of their hostile intentions, by a faithful runner, had time to carry
off part of the effects, which they secreted in a swamp at some
distance from it, covering them with skins. The upper store had saved
their goods in like manner, and the lower store, to which we were
bound, had removed the chief of theirs, and deposited them on a small
island, in the river, about five miles below the store. With these
effects was my chest, which I had forwarded in this vessel, from
Savanna, not being at that time determined whether to make this journey
by land or water. The Captain of our vessel resolved to put about and
return to Frederica, for fresh instructions how to proceed; but for my
part, I was determined to proceed for the island up St. John’s, where
my chest was lodged, there being some valuable books and papers in it,
which I could not do well without. I accordingly desired our Captain to
put me on shore, on Little St. Simon’s, which was not far distant,
intending to walk a few miles to a fort, at the south end of that
island, where some fishermen resided, who, as I expected, would set me
over on Amelia Island, where was a large plantation, the property of
Lord Egmont, a British nobleman, whose agent, while I was at Frederica,
gave me an invitation to call on him, as I passed toward East Florida;
and here I had expectations of getting a boat to carry me to St.
John’s. Agreeably to my desire, the captain put me on shore, with a
young man, a passenger, for East Florida, who promised to continue with
me, and share my adventures. We landed safely; the captain wishing us a
prosperous journey, returned on board his vessel, and we proceeded for
the fort, encountering some harsh treatment from thorny thickets, and
prickly vines. However we reached the fort in the evening. The
commander was out in the forest, hunting. My companion being tired, or
indolent, betook himself to rest, while I made a tour round the south
point of the island, walking the shelly paved sea beach, and picking up
novelties. I had not gone above a mile, before I came up to a roebuck,
lying slain on the sands; and hearing the report of a gun, not far off,
and supposing it to be from the captain of the fort, whom I expected
soon to return to take up his game, I retired to a little distance,
mounted the sand hills, and sat down, enjoying a fine prospect of the
rolling billows and foaming breakers, beating on the bar, and north
promontory of Amelia Isle, opposite to me. The captain of the fort soon
came up, with a slain buck on his shoulders. We hailed each other, and
returned together to the fort, where we were well treated, and next
morning, at my request, the captain obligingly sat us over, landing us
safely on Amelia. After walking through a spacious forest of Live Oaks
and Palms, and crossing a creek, that ran through a narrow salt marsh,
I and my fellow traveller arrived safe at the plantation, where the
agent, Mr. Egan, received us very politely and hospitably. This
gentleman is a very intelligent and able planter, having already
greatly improved the estate, particularly in the cultivation of indigo.
Great part of this island consists of excellent hommocky land, which is
the soil this plant delights in, as well as cotton, corn, batatas, and
almost every other esculent vegetable. Mr. Egan politely rode with me,
over great part of the island. On Egmont estate, are several very large
Indian tumuli, which are called Ogeeche mounts, so named from that
nation of Indians, who took shelter here, after being driven from their
native settlements on the main near Ogeeche river. Here they were
constantly harrassed by the Carolinians and Creeks, and at length slain
by their conquerors, and their bones entombed in these heaps of earth
and shells. I observed here the ravages of the common grey caterpillar
(Phalena periodica), so destructive to forest and fruit trees, in
Pennsylvania, and through the northern states, by stripping them of
their leaves, in the spring, while young and tender.
Mr. Egan having business of importance to transact in St. Augustine,
pressed me to continue with him a few days, when he would accompany me
to that place, and, if I chose, I should have a passage, as far as the
Cow-ford, on St. John’s, where he would procure me a boat to prosecute
my voyage.
It may be a subject worthy of some enquiry, why those fine islands, on
the coast of Georgia, are so thinly inhabited; though perhaps Amelia
may in some degree plead an exemption, as it is a very fertile island,
on the north border of East Florida, and at the Capes of St. Mary, the
finest harbour in this new colony. If I should give my opinion, the
following seem to be the most probable reasons: the greatest part of
these are as yet the property of a few wealthy planters, who having
their residence on the continent, where lands on the large rivers, as
Savanna, Ogeeche, Altamaha, St. Ille and others, are of a nature and
quality adapted to the growth of rice, which the planters chiefly rely
upon for obtaining ready cash, and purchasing family articles; they
settle a few poor families on their insular estates, who rear stocks of
horned cattle, horses, swine and poultry, and protect the game for
their proprietors. The inhabitants of these islands also lay open to
the invasion and ravages of pirates, and in case of a war, to
incursions from their enemies armed vessels, in which case they must
either remove with their families and effects to the main, or be
stripped of all their movables, and their houses laid in ruins.
The soil of these islands appears to be particularly favourable to the
culture of indigo and cotton, and there are on them some few large
plantations for the cultivation and manufacture of those valuable
articles. The cotton is planted only by the poorer class of people,
just enough for their family consumption: they plant two species of it,
the annual and West Indian; the former is low, and planted every year;
the balls of this are very large, and the phlox long, strong, and
perfectly white; the West Indian is a tall perennial plant, the stalk
somewhat shrubby, several of which rise up from the root for several
years successively, the stems of the former year being killed by the
winter frosts. The balls of this latter species are not quite so large
as those of the herbaceous cotton; but the phlox, or wool, is long,
extremely fine, silky, and white. A plantation of this kind will last
several years, with moderate labour and care, whereas the annual sort
is planted every year.
The coasts, sounds, and inlets, environing these islands, abound with a
variety of excellent fish, particularly Rock, Bass, Drum, Mullet,
Sheeps-head Whiting, Grooper, Flounder, Sea Trout, [this last seems to
be a species of Cod] Skate, Skip-jack, Stingray. The Shark, and great
Black Stingray, are insatiable cannibals, and very troublesome to the
fishermen. The bays and lagoons are stored with oysters and varieties
of other shell-fish, crabs, shrimp, &c. The clams, in particular, are
large, their meat white, tender, and delicate.
There is a large space betwixt this chain of seacoast-islands and the
main land, perhaps generally near three leagues in breadth; but all
this space is not covered with water: I estimate nearly two-thirds of
it to consist of low salt plains, which produce Barilla, Sedge, Rushes,
&c. and which border on the main land, and the western coasts of the
islands. The east side of these islands are, for the most part, clean,
hard, sandy beaches, exposed to the wash of the ocean. Between these
islands are the mouths or entrances of some rivers, which run down from
the continent, winding about through these low salt marshes, and
delivering their waters into the sounds, which are very extensive
capacious harbours, from three to five and six to eight miles over, and
communicate with each other by parallel salt rivers, or passes, that
flow into the sound: they afford an extensive and secure inland
navigation for most craft, such as large schooners, sloops,
pettiaugers, boats, and canoes; and this inland communication of waters
extends along the sea coast with but few and short interruptions, from
the bay of Chesapeak, in Virginia, to the Missisippi, and how much
farther I know not, perhaps as far as Vera Cruz. Whether this chain of
sea-coast-islands is a step, or advance, which this part of our
continent is now making on the Atlantic ocean, we must leave to future
ages to determine. But it seems evident, even to demonstration, that
those salt marshes adjoining the coast of the main, and the reedy and
grassy islands and marshes in the rivers, which are now overflowed at
every side, were formerly high swamps of firm land, affording forests
of Cypress, Tupilo, Magnolia grandiflora, Oak, Ash, Sweet Bay, and
other timber trees, the same as are now growing on the river swamps,
whose surface is two feet or more above the spring tides that flow at
this day; and it is plainly to be seen by every planter along the coast
of Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, to the Missisippi, when they bank in
these grassy tide marshes for cultivation, that they cannot sink their
drains above three or four feet below the surface, before they come to
strata of Cypress stumps and other trees, as close together as they now
grow in the swamps.