688 TOWNS OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 



The roads' leading from the town are fine and well shaded, offering in- 

 ducements for pleasure riding and driving, and there are delightful walks 

 along the Sampit and Black or W3'nee rivers. Winyaw bay is a beauti- 

 ful sheet of water, and North island, on the seaward side of it, has a fine 

 beach, and affords, with the adjacent sea islands, cool and salubrious 

 summer resorts. "Here," says Robert Mills, "besides the refreshing sea 

 breeze, the good things of this life, the treasures of the ocean and the land, 

 are offered in great abundance to the inhabitants." 



LOWER PINE BELT REGION. 



The ten thousand square miles in lower South Carolina, described as 

 the lower pine belt region, contains, according to the census of 1880, only 

 sixteen villages, with an aggregate population of 4,722. Of these AVal- 

 terboro is the largest, with a population of six hundred and ninety-one- 

 If, however, all the small settlements and trading points in this region 

 be counted, they will, with addition of those mentioned in the census, 

 amount in all to seventy-eight. The following account will make them 

 appear still larger, as the settlements in each county will be named, for 

 convenience, under the county, whereas since some of these counties ex- 

 tend into the adjoining regions, towns outside of the lower pine belt will 

 be necessarily mentioned. 



HAMPTON COUNTY 



contains fifteen towns and trading settlements, with eighty-five stores, 

 to-wit: Brunson, nineteen stores; A^arnville, fourteen stores; Lawton- 

 ville, nine stores ; Hampton Court House, Brighton, and Matthews Bluff, 

 eight stores each ; Gillisonville, six stores ; Stafford, three stores ; Rob- 

 ertsville, Tillman's, Early Branch and McNeil's, two stores each, and 

 Peeplesville, Wagon Branch, and McCoy's Bluff, one store each. Of this 

 number, five sell liquor, two are drug stores, two millinery, and the 

 balance deal in general merchandise. One is kept by a colored person, 

 and the estimated wealth of the storekeepers is $438,000. 



Hampton Court House (Township 120) was established in 1876. It 

 has a brick court house and jail, and a population now of three hundred. 

 It is situated in the centre of the county, on the Augusta and Port Royal 

 railroad. 



Varnville, on the same railroad, has a town hall and high-school build- 

 ing. There are three churches, one of which is for colored persons, and 

 has a seating capacity of 1,200. The churches were built at a cost of 

 about $1,000 each. There are two schools, one for white, and one for 



