blicity；　　so　kindly　meant；　　I　quietly　left　the　city　from　the　south　side　on　Friday；　February　12th；　and　ascended　the　Ashley　to　Wappoo　Creek；　on　the　opposite　bank　of　the　river。
  A　steamboat　sent　me　a　screaming　salute　as　the　mouth　of　the　Wappoo　was　reached；　which　made　me　feel　that；　though　in　strange　waters；　friends　were　all　around　me。　I　was　now　following　one　of　the　salt…water；　steamboat　passages　through　the　great　marshes　of　South　Carolina。　　From　Wappoo　Creek　I　took　the　　〃Elliot　Cut〃　into　the　broad　Stono　River；　from　behind　the　marshes　of　which　forests　rose　upon　the　low　bluffs　of　the　upland；　and　rowed　steadily　on　to　Church　Flats；　where　Wide　Awake；　with　its　landing　and　store；　nestled　on　the　bank。
  A　little　further　on　the　tides　divided；　one　　ebbing　through　the　Stono　to　the　sea；　the　other　　towards　the　North　Edisto。　〃New　Cut〃　connects　Church　Flats　with　Wadmelaw　Sound；　a　sheet　of　water　not　over　two　miles　in　width　and　the　same　distance　in　length。　　From　the　sound　the　Wadmelaw　River　runs　to　the　mouth　of　the　　Dahoo。　　Vessels　drawing　eight　and　a　half　feet　of　water　can　pass　on　full　tides　from　Charleston　over　the　course　I　was　following　to　the　North　Edisto　River。
  Leaving　Wadmelaw　Sound；　a　deep　bend　of　the　river　was　entered；　when　the　bluffs　of　　Enterprise　Landing；　with　its　store　and　the　ruins　of　a　burnt　saw…mill；　came　into　view　on　the　left。　Having　rowed　more　than　thirty　miles　from　the　Ashley；　and　finding　that　the　proprietor　of　　Enterprise；　a　Connecticut　gentleman；　had　made　preparations　to　entertain　me；　this　day　of　pleasant　journeying　ended。
  The　Cardinal…bird　was　carolling　his　mating　song　when　the　members　of　this　little　New　England　colony　watched　my　departure　down　the　Wadmelaw　the　next　morning。　　The　course　was　for　the　most　part　over　the　submerged　phosphate　beds　of　South　Carolina；　where　the　remains　of　extinct　species　were　now　excavated；　furnishing　food　for　the　worn…out　soils　of　America　and　　Europe；　and　interesting　studies　and　speculations　for　men　of　science。　　The　Dahoo　River　was　reached　soon　after　leaving　Enterprise。　　Here　the　North　Edisto；　a　broad　river；　passes　the　mouth　of　the　Dahoo；　in　its　descent　to　the　sea；　which　is　about　ten　miles　distant。
  For　two　miles　along　the　Dahoo　the　porpoises　gave　me　strong　proof　of　their　knowledge　of　the　presence　of　the　paper　canoe　by　their　rough　gambols；　but　being　now　in　quiet　inland　waters；　I　could　laugh　at　these　strange　creatures　as　they　broke　from　the　water　around　the　boat。　　At　four　o'clock　P。　M。　the　extensive　marshes　of　Jehossee　Island　were　reached；　and　I　approached　the　　village　of　the　plantation　through　a　short　canal。　Out　of　the　rice…fields　of　rich；　black　alluvium　rose　an　area　of　higher　land；　upon　which　were　situated　the　mansion　and　village　of　Governor　Aiken；　where　he；　in　1830；　commenced　his　duties　as　rice…planter。　　A　hedge　of　bright　green　casino　surrounded　the　well…kept　garden；　within　which　magnolias　and　live…oaks　enveloped　the　solid　old　house；　screening　it　with　their　heavy　foliage　from　the　strong　winds　of　the　ocean；　while　flowering　shrubs　of　all　descriptions　added　their　bright　and　vivid　coloring　to　the　picturesque　beauty　of　the　scene。
  The　governor　had　arrived　at　Jehossee　before　me；　and　Saturday　being　pay…day；　the　faces　of　the　negroes　were　wreathed　in　smiles。　　Here；　in　his　quiet　island　home；　I　remained　until　Monday　with　this　most　excellent　man　and　patriot；　whose　soul　had　been　tried　as　by　fire　during　the　disturbances　caused　by　the　war。
  As　we　sat　together　in　that　room　where；　in　years　gone　by；　Governor　Aiken　had　entertained　his　northern　guests；　with　Englishmen　of　noble　blood；　　　a　room　full　of　reminiscences　both　pleasant　and　painful；　　my　kind　host　freely　told　me　the　story　of　his　busy　life；　which　sounded　like　a　tale　of　romance。　He　had　tried　to　stay　the　wild　storm　of　secession　when　the　war…cloud　hung　gloomily　over　his　state。　　It　broke；　and　his　　unheeded　warnings　were　drowned　in　the　thunders　of　the　political　tempest　that　swept　over　the　fair　South。　　Before　the　war　he　owned　one　thousand　slaves。　　He　organized　schools　to　teach　his　　negroes　to　read　and　write。　　The　improvement　of　their　moral　condition　was　his　great　study。
  The　life　he　had　entered　upon；　though　at　first　distasteful；　had　been　forced　upon　him；　and　he　met　his　peculiar　responsibilities　with　a　true　Christian　desire　to　benefit　all　within　his　reach。　When　a　young　man；　having　returned　from　the　tour　of　Europe；　his　father　presented　him　with　Jehossee　Island；　an　estate　of　five　thousand　acres；　around　which　it　required　four　stout　negro　　oarsmen　to　row　him　in　a　day。　　〃Here；〃　said　the　father　to　the　future　governor　of　South　Carolina；　as　he　presented　the　domain　to　his　son；　　〃here　are　the　means；　now　go　to　work　and　develop　them。〃
  William　Aiken　applied　himself　industriously　to　the　task　of　improving　the　talents　given　him。　His　well…directed　efforts　bore　good　fruit；　as　year　after　year　Jehossee　Island；　from　a　half　　submerged；　sedgy；　boggy　waste；　grew　into　one　of　the　finest　rice…plantations　in　the　south。　　The　new　lord　of　the　manor　ditched　the　marshes；　and　walled　in　his　new　rice…fields　with　dikes；　to　keep　out　the　freshets　from　the　upland　and　the　tides　from　the　ocean；　perfecting　a　complete　system　of　drainage　and　irrigation。　　He　built　comfortable　quarters　for　his　slaves；　and　erected　a　church　and　schoolhouse　for　their　use。　　From　the　original　two　hundred　and　eighty　acres　of　cultivated　rice　land；　the　new　proprietor　developed　the　wild　morass　into　sixteen　hundred　acres　of　rice…fields；　and　six　hundred　acres　of　vegetable；　corn；　and　provender　producing　land。
  For　several　seasons　prior　to　the　war；　Jehossee　yielded　a　rice　crop　which　sold　for　seventy　　thousand　dollars；　and　netted　annually　fifty　thousand　dollars　income　to　the　owner。　　At　that　time　　Governor　Aiken　had　eight　hundred　and　seventy　three　Slaves　on　the　island；　and　about　one　hundred　working　as　mechanics；　&c。；　in　Charleston。　　The　eight　hundred　and　seventy…three　Jehossee　slaves；　men；　women；　and　children；　furnished　a　working　force　of　three　hundred　for　the　rice…fields。
  Mr。　Aiken　would　not　tolerate　the　loose　　matrimonial　ways　of　negro　life；　but　compelled　his　slaves　to　accept　the　marriage　ceremony；　and　herein　lay　one　of　his　chief　difficulties；　for；　to　whatever　cause　we　attribute　it；　the　fact　remains　the　same；　namely；　that　the　ordinary　negro　has　no　sense　of　morality。　　After　all　the　attempts　made　on　this　plantation　to　improve　the　moral　nature　of　these　men　and　women；　Governor　Aiken；　during　a　yellow…fever　season　in　Savannah　after　the　war；　while　visiting　the　poor　sufferers；　intent　upon　charitable　works；　found　in　the　lowest　　quarter　of　the　city；　sunk　in　the　most　abject　depths　of　vice；　men　and　women　who　had　once　been　good　servants　on　his　plantations。
  In　old　times　Jehossee　was　a　happy　place　for　master　and　for　slave。　　The　governor　rarely　locked　the　door　of　his　mansion。　　The　family　plate；　valued　at　fifteen　thousand　dollars；　was　stored　in　a　chest　in　a　room　on　the　ground…floor　of　the　house；　which　had　for　its　occupants；　during　four　months　of　the　year；　two　or　three　negro　　servants。　　Though　all　the　negroes　at　the　quarters；　which　were　only　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　mansion；　knew　the　valuable　contents　of　the　chest；　it　was　never　disturbed。　　They　stole　small　things；　but　seemed　incapable　of　committing　a　burglary。
  When　the　Union　army　marched　through　　another　part　of　South　Carolina；　where　Governor　Aiken　had　buried　these　old　family　heirlooms　and　had　added　to　the　original　plate　thirty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　his　own　purchasing；　the　soldiers　dug　up　this　treasure…trove；　and　forty…five　　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　fine　silver　went　to　enrich　the　spoils　of　the　Union　army。　　Soon　after；　three　thousand　eight　hundred　bottles　of　fine　old　wines；　worth　from　eight　to　nine　dollars　a　bottle；　were　dug　up　and　destroyed　by　a　Confederate　officer's　order；　to　prevent　the　Union　army　from　capturing　them。　　Thus　was　plundered　an　old　and　revered　governor　of　South　Carolina　　one　who　was　a　kind　neighbor；　a　true　patriot；　and　a　Christian　gentleman。
  The　persecutions　of　the　owner　of　Jehossee　did　not；　however；　terminate　with　the　war；　for　when　the　struggle　was　virtually　ended；　and　the　fair　mansion　of　the　rice…plantation　retained　its　heirlooms　and　its　furniture；　Beaufort；　of　South　Carolina；　was　still　under　the　influence　of　the　Freedman's　Bureau；　and　when　it　was　whispered　that　Aiken's　house　was　full　of　nice　old　furniture；　and　that　a　few　faithful　servants　of　the　good　old　master　were　its　only　guards；　covetous　thoughts　at　once　stirred　the　evil　minds　of　those　who　were　the　representatives　of　law　and　order。　This　house　was　left　almost　without　protection。　The　war　was　over。　　South　Carolina　had　bent　her　proud　head　in　agony　over　her　burned　plantations　and　　desolate　homes。　　The　victorious　army　was　now　　proclaiming　peace；　and　generous　treatment　to　a　fallen　foe。　　Then　to　what　an　almost　　unimaginable　state　of　demoralization　must　some　of　the　freedmen's　protectors　have　fallen；　when　they　sent　a　gunboat　to　Jehossee　Island；　and　rifled　the　old　house　of　all　its　treasures！
  To…day；　the　governor's　　favorite　sideboard　stands　in　the　house　of　a　citizen　of　Boston；　as　a　relic　of　the　war。　　O；　people　of　the　north；　hold　no　longer　to　your　relics　of　the　war；　stolen　from　the　firesides　of　the　south！　　Restore　them　to　their　owners；　or　else　bury　them　out　of　the　sight　of　your　children；　that　they　may　not　be　led　to　b