202 DECATUR COUNTY. 



portioned with sand, clay, and vegetable matter. On Richland 

 creek, in the S. E. corner of the county, on the Ochockonee 

 river, between the great and little Attapulgus rivers, and in 

 several other places, excellent lands may be found. 



" The Fowl Town tract of land is said to be the best east of 

 the Flint river. 



" Between the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers is a pine- 

 barren, with some fertile spots, which are better calculated for 

 the growth of cotton than corn, the soil being siliceous. 

 Taken as a whole, it is an excellent county, equal in my 

 opinion to the celebrated Burke lands in their pristine fertility. 

 More corn and cotton can be raised in some parts of Decatur 

 than on the best lands in Burke ; and so far from its being ' a 

 low, sunken frog-pond,' as has been represented, it is a dry, 

 healthy county, much higher above the ocean than Burke." 

 The productions are cotton, corn, sugar cane, &c. On the 

 rich lands cotton will yield from 800 to 1,000 pounds per acre. 

 About 4,000 bales of cotton are annually produced. 



Caves. — There are some caves in this county, among 

 which the Blowing Cave is the most celebrated; but it is not 

 in our power to gratify our readers with a description of it. 



Character of the People, Amusements. — The people are 

 hospitable and industrious. Hunting is the favourite amuse- 

 ment. 



Timber, Trees. — The forests furnish a great variety of the 

 finest timber, such as the pine, cypress, various kinds of 

 oaks, &c. The magnolia and laurel grow to great perfection. 



Name. — This section of the State received its name in 

 honour of Stephen Decatur, who was born the 5th of J anuary, 

 1779, in Maryland, where his parents had retired while the 

 British were in possession of the city of Philadelphia. When 

 he was only a few months old, his parents came back to Phila- 

 delphia. In 1798 he entered the navy as a midshipman, under 

 the command of Commodore Barry. In 1801 he served as 

 first lieutenant of the Essex, one of Commodore Dale's squad- 

 ron to the Mediterranean. Some time after this, he was ap- 

 pointed to the command of the brig Argus, and proceeded to 

 join the squadron of Commodore Preble, then lying before 

 Tripoli. It was here that after some difficulty he obtained his 



