In South Carolina. 23 



France and erected the Fortress of Carolina. After a 

 delay of a few days, they sailed round into Ashley 

 River, in April, 1G70, and on the west bank of the 

 river, at the month of Wappoo Creek, at a point " con- 

 venient for tillage and pasturing," they selected their 

 resting-place, and began to lay the foundations of Old 

 Charlestown. 



As early as 1672 the neck of land between the two 

 rivers, to which the names of Shaftesbury (Ashley 

 Cooper) had been given, contained a few settlements, 

 and Governor Yeamans had a site for a new town 

 marked off, which took the name of Oyster Point 

 Town; and as this location afforded better advantages 

 for commerce than the site originally chosen, it sup- 

 planted it in 1680, and losing its former name was at 

 first called New Charlestown, then, in 1682, Charles- 

 town, and in after-years Charleston; though it was 

 recognized by act of incorporation only in 1783, after 

 the lapse of more than a century. "The town," says 

 Thomas Ash, in 1682, " is regularly laid out into large 

 and caj)acious streets. In it they have reserved con- 

 venient places for the building of a church, town- 

 house, and other public structures, an artillery-ground 

 for the exercise of their militia, and wharfs for the 

 convenience of their trade and shipping." "At this 

 town, in November, 1680," says Samuel Wilson, " there 

 rode at one time sixteen sail of vessels, some of which 

 were upward of two hundred tons, that came from vari- 

 ous parts of the king's kingdom to trade there." 



In August, 1671, the ship Blessing, under the com- 

 mand of Captain Matthias Halsted, brought over a 

 second band of emigrants, for whom Newtown was 

 laid out, on Stono River, westward of Charleston; 

 and in December of the same year the Blessing and 



