28 South Beach. 



that protruded far from his head, and had hardly a human 

 expression. There was more of the white visible than of 

 the colored iris, and the effect was ghastly — he looked to 

 have the soul of a demon. He was in a hole, adjusting a 

 post beneath a tottering bathing house, and I and another 

 man approached — I from curiosity to see the wild eyes, 

 which I had noticed on my way up the beach, and he to 

 inspect the progress of the work. But those frightful eyes 

 were truthful windows to a soul, and their possessor 

 demanded, with an oath, what we had come to see. 



Beyond New Creek much of the old time quietness 

 still remains ; we may ramble as of yore and sniff the salt 

 breeze, and make a quiet loitering inspection of that won- 

 drous hoard of wreck that ocean has flung to the land. 

 The great value of these free gifts of the sea have always 

 been taken account of, and in the days of the Revolution, 

 in the announcement of the sale of the Seaman farm, the 

 beach and its wealth are not forgotten. The property is 

 described as " a valuable plantation that did belong to 

 Mr. Jaquis Poilloin, deceased, containing 190 acres, 

 exclusive of the beach and flats on the front of the said 

 farm, which will be included in the purchase, on which 

 comes great quantities of seaweed (a very valuable 

 manure)." 



Even in the days of summer I have rambled for miles 

 without meeting anyone — have gone in bathing and sat on 

 a log and ate my lunch while I dried, the warm, gentle 

 breezes blowing about me. One day as I came upon the 

 beach from the meadows there were heavy black clouds in 

 the south, and a distant sound of thunder. Soon the sun 



