Holmes's Notes on the Geology of Charleston. 1S9 



ocean, and are separated from them by narrow creeks often with 

 flats and salt marshes on their sides. 



Several of the Sea Islands have no such separate barrier, but 

 the sand hills or dunes lie along their ocean side. 



It is generally supposed that the sea is rapidly advancing upon 

 our shores, from the fact of these belts having become narrower, 

 and because in some places along the line of coast the sea has 

 encroached considerably ; but from several observations made at 

 different times and under favorable circumstances, I am convinced 

 that this is not generally the case, but that if the ocean does 

 wash off portions of the shore at one exposed point, it deposits 

 the same at no great distance upon another. Let us take for ex- 

 ample the islands at the entrance of Stono Inlet. Look at the 

 old maps, and you will find that the southernmost point of Bird 

 Key, (a cluster of dunes sometimes called Brown's Bank,) for- 

 merly lay some distance within the line of coast formed by Folly 

 Island on the N.E. and Kiawah on the S.W., and had a consider- 

 able bay or inlet between the breakers and its south side, while 

 the channel or principal entrance to Stono River passed between 

 it and Kiawah Island. Compare this state of things with the 

 situation of the Key at the present day. The north side now 

 corresponds with the south line of coast of the two islands, Folly 

 and Kiawah ; the main channel passes between Folly Island and 

 the Key on the opposite side to where it formerly was, and the 

 principal bay is on the north instead of the south. 



But let us consider the causes of these changes. From three 

 several visits in as many consecutive years, made for the express 

 purpose of observing and recording the modifications and chan- 

 ges which have been, and are still in progress at this interesting 

 point of our coast, I infer that the principal agent in their produc- 

 tion has been and still continues to be the current of the ebb tide 

 of Stono River. This stream just before its entrance into the 

 bay, receives the waters of Kiawah River, which, contributing 

 greatly to its force, undermine and carry off the sands from the 

 north side of the Key, and gradually increase the depth and 

 Width of the passage between it and Folly Island. This chan- 

 nel is now the most direct course of the river to the ocean, but 

 formerly having been greatly obstructed by the north end of the 

 key, the current was, in consequence, turned aside and passed 

 around the point of Kiawah. A portion of the sands thus re- 

 moved, have been deposited on the south point of the Key, again 

 to be cast up by the surf and formed into hills or dunes by the 

 prevailing sea breeze, and the rest have been added to the im- 

 mense banks now in course of formation to the south of Kiawah 

 Island, extending from its beach out to sea for one or two miles, 

 a nd in length about three. Those banks are now entirely cov- 

 ered at high water; but a few years only will suffice, at the 





