Hitherto we have specified two anchorages as desirable; it remains for us to speak of the third and the best. The south channel, as we have said before, has seventeen feet at low water and twenty-three fet at mean high water; it is therefoere quite superior to the others. It leads to an anchorage in five fathoms of water within half a mile of the northeast point of Hunting Island and near the new light-house. Both the anchorage and the adjacent shore are healthy throughout the year. The island is about six miles long, with an average width of little more than half a mile to Johnston's Cree. It is wooded and is stocked with deer, being used as a game preserve. A small creek (Johnson's), with a narrow channel fifteen feet deep near its mouth, runs close to the shore. This is a suitable spot for a coaling depot. There is timber for constructing a wharf, for which there is a natural site near the mouth of a small creek.

We have said that the two anchorages on the north and south sides of the sound are independent of each other. It is so, but the isolation of that which is protected by Hunting Island is the most complete. Here, as in Bull's Bay, and in these two places alone, the military occupation of a single point, remote and inaccessible to a large force except by great expense of time, labor, and money, secures the roadstead, the depot, and the channel of approach; and, moreover, this channel is the best of the three leading into Saint Helena Sound, from the broader space of which it is effectually separated by a natural barrier of banks, partially dry at low water. Neither shells nor solid shot could molest the shipping, nor hardly projectiles from rifled cannon; and the possession of this anchorage commands a considerable extent of inland navigation, though less than that on the north side.

Vessels of heavy draft can pass into Morgan River by turning the spit of a shoal near Hunting Island Point, and those of light draft by an inner channel between Oyster and Egg Banks. Vessels drawing ten feet of water may take an inside passage from Hunting Island to Port Royal Bay, entering the latter through Station Creek. Three points of meeting of the tide occur. The channel is bold in general, but intricate, requiring a pilot. Many wooded hummocks and one large house must be passed within pistol shot. Between Saint Helena Sound and Port Royal Bay are found four inlets-Fripp's Skull, Prtichard's, and Trenchard's, of which the first and last only, having ten and thirteen feet, respectively, at high water, can be made available for the uses of commerce.

It is estimated that 4,000 men, in addition to the co-operating naval force, would be sufficient to take and hold Hunting Island, which would be defended, like Bull's Island, by an inclosed work on the point and a line of intrenchments across from the sea to Johnston's Creek at some distance from the light-house. The intrenchments would be less extensive on account of the island beingmuch narrower.

In order to fill out our notes on this vicinity we shall observe that at the eastern end of Saint Helena Island, which forms the right ban of the outlet of Morgan River into Saint Helena Sound, stands the plantation of Mr. Coffin, at whose house commences a public road, called the Sea-side road, that extends thirteen miles to Port Royal Bay, at Land's End. Two miles from Mr. Coffin's a road diverges to the right, leading to Ladies Island and Beaufort, distant eleven miles. Both these roads are lined with the residences of gentlemen and sea-island cotton plantations.

Parrot Creek, joining Morgan and Coosaw Rivers, has been referred to. Opposite to it is Village Creek, leading to a village on a bluff, the summer resort of the Saint Helena planters. Four fathoms may be carried