Though but a small part of this country is occupied with mountains, every part of it is intersected by rivers. Towards the sea it is watered by the \Vaccamaw, Pedee, Black River, Santee, Wandow, Cooper, Ashley, Stoup, Edisto, Asheppo, Combakee, Coosaw, Broad and Savan nah rivers. Alost of these rivers have a margin of swamp, extending from half a mile to three miles. All of them run in a south-eastern direction front their heads to the sea. Broad river, Coosaw, Port Royal, and other short rivers, are properly arms of the m.a, deep, and of easy navigation. Broad and Port Royal Rivers can a• e.onitnodate a large navy with convenience and safety. Wandow river, which flows into the Cooper about three miles above Charleston, is navigable for about twenty miles. (7ooper viler may be navigated for about lift) nuilc s by schooners and sloops; and its eastern branch iv navigable for a considerable way to l'essels of a similar description. lVhere it empties itself into Charleston harbour, it is about one thousand four hundred yards broad. The harbour is formed by the junction of the Cooper with the Ashley river, which, rising in the Cy press, zinc! other contiguous swamps, expands opposite Charleston to a widtn of two thousand one hundred vards. To vessels of considerable burthen it is nav 421 blc for only a few miles, but admits or sloops and schoon ers miles higher. The Savannah river is hold and deep. Boats of set Laity tons burthen can advance on this river from the sea to Augusta, in the upper dis trict ol Georgia. Here the falls of the river commence, beyond which the nal igation continues for boats or 30 tons to Vienna, sixty mites higher. The Santee is na ‘igable trom the sea to the fork of the Congaree and Waterer. rivers; thence up the Wateree to Camden on one side, and lip the Congaree to Granby on toe outer, for boats of seventy tons. At these places the falls and rapids comini tier ; tile upper branches of Inc rivers are dispersed extensitely ofertile country. '('Lough some times obstructed by rot ks, their current is in general deep alai gentle. hi full livers, light boats, containing several l ogs'aeads or tobacco, have been floated down their streams with safety. The Pedee river, stretching from the sea towards hie mountains, through the no•th ern pall of the state, is navigabie to vessels of seventy tons as far as Greenville to Chatham. '('here tile navi gation is obstructed by rocks and shallows, though, in rod rivers, boats of light_ Mimeo descend with the stream from North Carolii.a. Toe Stun°, Asiieppo, Comba key, Edisto, and Black rivers, tough 11.(1Cii inferior to those •oieo we have mentioned, are all navigable for sonic miles, alai greatly facilitate the into; ai communi catioa of differ( in parts of the country. Inc lalge rivers spread them,eives, by imiumerable tributary streams, throng-rout tax upper country. Sonic of their braocues arc even winei than the rivers themselves. Ktowee, though two hundred yards wide for several mites atm\ e its confine Nt rill the Tugthoo, is we narlowest of these two streams, whose node(' waters till., toe name Savannail river.
In most of the upper districts, but especially in those at a moderate dista.,cit ,rush toe mountains. am„hiag fa cilities are afforded for mi is, and ohier macnioery. i'hc sp,ings w jell issue lac sites of the mountains, after miming sixty or seventy lithe's, beconh; streams from Ito to 20o yards in breadth. '1'11( se,, s they spread wide, :lave ma 1) snoals, aid are so shallow as to be lora..bie. At many of those shoals the falls are scan:it lit, w itli the the aid (it a small oion, to impel the most vveig sty machinery. At some of them the fails are so veat and so .thrtlin, as 1.0 admit twenty feet
Wheels upon the oversoca construction, without any races, or, at most, with very snort races; and, at others, the or locks form a natural dam, quite sufficient for onstrueting as much water as is necessary to drive any kind of mill. Besides these rivers, suialier streams cancel creeks sprint; from the foot attic hills; and will the tvivantage of their falls, are sufficientay powerful to impel machinery of any magnitude. The inhabitants are now beginning to avail themselves of these natural advantages. Many valuable machines have been erect ed for improving and facilitating labour, particularly saw-mills And corn-mills; though it must be owned, that their impro%ement in manufactures have by no means kept pace with their progress mil wealth, ale far from being adequate to their opportimitie,.
Almosl the only lake of which South Carolina ran boast, is a sheet of water in Barnwell distri( t, nearly a mile in circumference. several pla«•s, the rivers have broken through p( ninsulas formed by their streams, and work a channel as wide and deep as circuitous channels in which they formerly (lowed. wilco the months of these channels are partly choked "Pt and the streams in them become slow, they are de nominated lakes. Such is Lowdei's lake on l'ed( e river, (A•I' 111C11 the S1111'01111(111%* lands project elevations 01 near one ((noised feet.
Along the coasts of South Carolina, neap tides rise, in commoo wcathc r, from six to eight fret ; and spring tides from eight to ten. They arc mu( h influenced. however, by the wind ; for, with a south-( asterly wind, !nap tides rise higher than spring tides when it blows from the northwest. Tile depth of v. :tier for some miles from the shore, is from two to live fathoms. In Hy( rs, WIsOSe streams are not impetuous, the tides ascend from thirty to thirty-live miles iu a (Intel line from the sea. In the Santee and Savannah, the' influence of the tide is not perceptible for more than fifteen miles ; and the powerful column of water which they p01.11' down, makes them retain their freshness till within two miles of their disemboguement.
The mineral productions of this country have not vet, perhaps, been suffo iently explored ; but those which are known arc of considerable importance. Asbestos is found near the sources of Lynche's creek. Soap-stones, steatites, rock crystal, white dint, fuller's earth. clays of different kinds and of beautiful colours, potter's clay, isinglass, ochres, chalks, and marls, have been found in different parts of the state. At Beaver's creek, there is a quarry of grey stone resembling freestone. which w of Its well, and splits easily. Hocks suitable for mill stones arc common in the upper country ; good sl. to has been found in some places ; and sumac fine clay S brougm to Charleston, about the year 176), from the Ci•rokee country, which, being sent to England by Dr Garden, teas manufactured into a tea equipage, c nil to t e finest imported from China. The upper country, particular!) the mountainous districts, abound with iron ore of so good a quality, as to yit Id a fourth of its weight in excellent iron. The Cherokee mountains furnish f2;1'1 at abundance of lead ore, so rich as to produce two thirds of its crude weight in pure lead. Specimt ns of copper and of several other metals have likewis been fotiod, and mines of these metals might perhaps be wrought with advantage. There are many valuable 111L C111'111:11 springs within this state, some of which are rising into fame; hut their component parts and real virtues have not hitherto been ascertained with satisfac• tort precision.