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With the sand hills the middle country may be said 

 to commence, stretching in a belt of from twenty to 

 forty miles from Savannah river, to the upper part of 

 Pedee river, and thence into North Carolina. In 

 general, this land is barren. At these places sand 

 hills rise one hundred and fifty, or two hundred feet 

 above the adjacent lands ; from whence a prospect 

 of many miles is presented over the surrounding 

 country. And little else is to be seen growing on 

 them, than pine trees of very stunted growth, small 

 shrub oaks, and one or two species of lupine. Their 

 soil is of so sterile a nature, that in niany places it 

 produces no grass to cover it ; and the tracks of any. 

 animal passing over it, are discernible as if they had 

 been upon snow. The low grounds among these 

 hills are either extensive swamps and bays, or nar- 

 row vallies, into which the mould from the adjacent 

 high lands has been deposited by the rains which run 

 down their sides. Hence they become suitable for 

 agriculture and pasturage, and are principally those 

 places, near which settlements are effected. In this 

 belt or middle country, the hills of Santee arise two 

 hundred feet high ; the soil is a mixture of sand, 

 clay and gravel, well calculated for grain, indigo and 

 cotton, affording at the same time, the most healthy 

 settlements within the state. Beyond this belt, and 

 from the first falls of the rivers, loose stones appear 

 along the declivity of hills; and in meadows, flower- 

 ing shrubs, of a singular appearance present them- 

 selves ; the long moss is no longer seen, the soil 

 changes to a dark and fertile mould, the country 

 rises, currents become rapid, and are often opposed 

 by scattering rock§. At length the mountains spring, 



