SOUTH CAROLINA 193 



most hopeful indications of other useful treasures of 

 the earth. Iron has already been found in quantity, 

 and lead also; but as yet there has been no particular 

 use made of them. Swamp-ore is abundantly found 

 in the rivers and drowned regions of the back country. 

 Of mineral springs only a sulphur water is known, 

 somewhere on the boundary of South Carolina. 



Between Charleston and the ocean lie several islands 

 which help form the bay and the harbor. Those be- 

 come the best known during the last war are : Long, 

 Sullivan's, and James Islands. On James Island, 

 which is of considerable extent, there is placed Fort 

 Johnson, for the protection of the harbor ; the irregular 

 works, of no particular strength or compass, are run 

 up of oyster-shells and lime. They were in part 

 blasted by the Americans themselves when they aban- 

 doned this fort in 1780, and storms and waves have 

 done for the rest. There were there at the time only 

 3 cannon, and a guard of a dozen invalids, to hail in- 

 and out-going ships, examine their passes, and make 

 signals to the town, whenever a vessel is sighted 

 coming in ; for the fort standing on a high bank, there 

 is an open prospect to the city, 3 miles away, and also 

 out to sea. From the fort there extends along the 

 shore a long bank or wall of oyster and other shells, 

 cast up by the water. Next the fort it is at least 4-5 

 ft. high and almost as wide; farther off, it diminishes 

 by degrees. I could not learn whether beneath the 

 surface of the earth there are to be found shells or 

 their remains ; for there is no occasion to dig deep, 

 unless for water, which is to be found at a slight 

 depth on this island and pretty good. 



