The entire basin of Santee is 250 miles in length, from the mouth of Santee to either the extreme head of Saluda or Catawba; the utmost breadth is 125 miles across the higher branches; but as the basin comes almost to a point at the junction of Saluda and Congaree, and as it is confined to less than 10 miles wide along the main volume of San tee, the mean width may be assumed at 50, and the area at 12,500 square miles.
The Pedee of South Carolina is the Yadkin of North Carolina. Under the latter name this river has its most remote source in the valley between the Blue Ridge and South East Mountain, inter locking sources to the south-westward with those of Catawba; to the north-east with those of Dan river branch of Roanoke: and opposite to those of the Watauga and New River. Similar to the Ca tawba, the upper Yadkin flows to the north of east; the first 60 miles of its course draining the valley comprising Wilkes and Surry counties,North Caro lina, and augmented by numerous confluents from Blue Ridge. Traversing the South East Mountain between Stokes and Surry, the channel bends by more than a right angle, and assumes a course in a very remarkable manner parallel to the Catawba and Santee; a course which it preserves, with par tial windings, through 250 miles to its mouth at Georgetown entrance. 1Vinyaw Point on the north side of Georgetown entrance, is at N. Lat. 33° 11', Lon. 2° 14' W. from W.C.
If, as stated in Armroyd's Treatise on the Internal Navigation of the United States, page 416, it is 247 miles along the channel of the Yadkin from Wilkes ville, in North Carolina, to Cheraw Hill, 6 miles within South Carolina, and thence to Georgetown 270, in all 514 miles, the actual channel must be double that of the comparative length of the river.
In South Carolina the name of this stream changes from Yadkin to Pedee, and the latter term is used where the whole basin is intended to be expressed. That basin extending from Georgetown Entrance in a direction of N.N.W. 250 miles, with a mean width of 70, embrace% an area of 17,500 square miles. Though the main volume receives no tri butary from either side, bearing a near proportion in length of volume or surface drained to the whole basin, yet the confluents are numerous, and some of considerable commercial importance. From the
right, advancing from source to mouth, enter in order, beside many more of minor extent, Little Yadkin, Rocky river, Lynche Creek, and Black River: and on the opposite side, proceeding in a similar direction, the main volume is augmented by Ararat river, Little Pedee and Waccamaw rivers, and by innumerable creeks.
The western confluents of this basin may be passed over without specific notice; hut more attention is due to Little Pedee, and the very remarkable \Vac camaw river.
Little Pedee rises in Montgomery and Moore counties, North Carolina, from which under the name of Lumber river, and between and at nearly equal distances from Yadkin and Cape Fear rivers, it flows 70 miles to the S.S.E., joins with and loses its name in that of Little Pedee. The latter in a general southern course of 40 miles falls into Great Peclee, 25 miles N. from Georgetown.
Waccamaw river rises in Bladen county, North Carolina. It is in reality the drain of an extensive swampy tract between Cape Fear river and Little Pedee river. Leaving Bladen, this curious stream assumes the form of a river, and separating Bruns wick from Columbia county, bends from a southern to a south-western course, enters Ilony District, S. Carolina, within 8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean at Little River Inlet. In place, however, of flowing onwards to the ocean, the channel inflects with the coast for 10 miles, curves thence inland to 12 miles from the coast at Conwaysboro, and again inclin ing very gradually towards the ocean for 20 miles, and reaching within 3 miles, once more declines from, but flows very nearly parallel to the coast an other stretch of 18 miles, finally falls into \Vinyaw Bay or the estuary of Pedee. Thus, for upwards of 60 miles, the channel of \Vaccamaw follows the inflections of the Atlantic coast at a distance of from 3 to 12 miles.
The general bearing of river courses, and the character of the Atlantic coast, so greatly change, as to fully justify engrouping into one physical sec tion the basins of Alatainaha, Ogeechee, Savannah, Edisto, or Charleston, Santee and Pedee.