30 PROCEEDINGS OF TBE [Oct., 1860. 



t ween these Springs and Santee Eiver, this opinion of our friends was f leqnently 

 m my mind, and when, npon a visit to Columbia, I saw at Granby the change 

 of structure at the Falls, where the primitive rocks seemed connected with the 

 newer formations, I was struck with the probal)le trath of this oj)inion. Since 

 then the position of the newer formations has been better known and the 

 ' ' Limestone, " at bluffs on the Santee, has been more carefully examined. 



The Geological Explorations which have been more recently made, explain 

 the possibihty of water entering strata of sand, above the primitive rocks, below 

 Granby on the Eiver, and percolating tlu'ough these strata. 



The ]\Iarl has been lifted from the bed of the ocean in which it was deposited, 

 and in this process has been cracked and lissured, and iiTegularly acted upon, so 

 as to malve its surface extremely uneven. Now, water, meeting ^-ith open fis- 

 sures in this j\larl, would rise into them, if below its original level, and follow 

 them in theu' course, and wherever these fissures come to the siuface, would 

 there appear in the form of Springs. These subterranean streams in the IMarl 

 are well known to exist ; the "Caves" and "Limestone Sinlcs" tlu-oughout 

 the Marl Kegion are evidence of the fact. 



That the source of the water is high up the Eiver is evident from the empty- 

 ing of some of these Springs into the Santee again, as at Eutaw and that neigh- 

 bourhood, while others open below the ridge sepai'ating the waters of the Santee 

 from the head-waters of Cooper Eiver. In the neighboiuhood of Bla^'k Oak 

 Loclc, on the Santee Canal, these Spiings are particularly abundant. 



In seasons of great drought. Cooper Eiver becomes salt to its source, and 

 tlien the only fresh water which enters it in any quantity is fi'om Biggin Swamp, 

 which empties its main Creek into the Santee Canal, and there meets the water 

 from Woodboo Sj)ring, and escapes at the Wooden Lock, at the mouth of the 

 Canal. Now, this water is chiefly supphed by the Spring's issuing from the 

 Eocene Marl. 



Forty years ago, the Eice Lands on Cooper Eiver were as certain as any lands 

 in tlie State, and from their easy access from Charleston, their great productive- 

 ness, the fine roads about them, and the cultivated society of the proprietoi-s, 

 were the most desirable and valuable lands in the State. In times of extreme 

 drought, the salt water would occasionally ascend, for a short time, to points 

 alx)"\e some of tlio Eice Plantations, but it was for so short a time and so rarely 

 that until the great drought of 1818, it occasioned but httle inconvenience. 

 Since then, however, the salt river has been more and more frequent, a gi'adual 

 ajid sfeadj' incre;ise of the difficulty has gone on, the salt water has encroached 

 and the supplj'^ of fresh water so dimimshed, that uncertainty has taken the 

 place of certainty, and there is apprehension now with every crop, that if the 

 season is not a very wet one, the inigation may be imperfect, from a salt river, 

 and a consequent failure, more or less, of the product. 



This cliange in the supply of Fresh Water to Cooper Eiver, has been concur- 

 rent witli the increased culture of Cotton, and can mest probably be explained 

 by reference to tlie clearing up of cotton lands in the region of country between 

 the swamps winch lie at the head of the main Eiver, and theii- necessary 

 drainage for the culture of tliat crop. The best lands are found on the borders 



