consist chiefly of pine, interspersed with chinquapin and live-oak. Portions of the island are clear and open. Near the beach there are many clumps of myrtle bushes, matted together with jack wines and Cherokee roses. The island is healthy where exposed to the influence of the sea breeze.

Parry's Island, which separates Beaufort and Broad Rivers, is about five miles long, and is devoted to the culture of sea-island cotton. Broad River is navigable up to Charleston and Savannah Railroad station at Pocotaligo. Steamers and sailing vessels from Saint Helena pass round Port Royal Islnd and enter Broad River by way of Port Royal Ferry and Whale Branch.

Port Royal is one of the wealthiest of the sea islands, and is devoted to the culture of sea-island cotton. Besides this passage of communication between Port Royal Bay and Saint Helena Sound through Whale Branch there is narrow passage, having nine feet at low water, between Lemon and Daw Islands, going down the Chechesee River and entering Skull Creek. A depth of nineteen feet may be carried from Port Royal Bay up Chechesee River to Foot Point, on the Colleton River. This range, a distance of ---- miles, was surveyed in 1859 with reference to a naval depot and coaling station at Foot Point.

Hilton Head Island, which is devoted to the culture of sea-island cotton, extends from Port Royal Bay to Calibogue Sound, and thirteen feet may be carried up the Chechesee, through Skull Creek, to the sound, which constitutes the inland passage to Savannah. The outer shore of Hilton Head Island is so effectually protected by Gaskin Bank and the shoals inside of it, that a landing is practicable in moderate weather. This is facilitated by an inshore channel within the outer breakers.

It may be stated as one general fact, true of the whole coast of South Carolina, that there are from one to two feet less water on the bars during and immediately after westerly gales and as much more during and after northeast and southeast gales. The latter cause the heaviest sea. Another general fact is that those are the most healthy sites which are open to the direct action of the sea breeze. Sheltered points close to the sea-shore will often be unhealthy, while others with asouthern expsoure six or eight miles inland will be perfectly healthy during the summer and autumn.

For the military occupation of Port Royal Bay it would be necessary, in order to escape molestation, to hold three points, and this would probably involve, as the easiest method of holding them, the occupation of the three islands of which these points form part; that is, Hilton Head Island, Parry's Island, and Phillips' Island. It is difficult to give any precise estimate of the exact number of troops required to hold these islands.

At the present moment, when most of the Southern troops are in Virginia or Tennessee, it is probalbe that, nothwithstanding the contiguity of Savannah and Charleston, no very large bodies could be concentrated against us, but the operation would be likely to withdraw the troops from the north. This effect, almost certain as it is, will compensate us for the application of a considerable force on this point. Six thousand men might take possession of Port Royal, but to hold it permanently would probably rquire 10,000 or 12,000 men in addition to the available Navy contingent.

Of those three places-Bull's Bay, Saint Helena Sound, and Port Royal Bay-we have no hesitation in recommending the immediate military occupation of the first, for the reasons already fully given in the preceding PAGEs, viz, its accessibility, direct chennel, safe anchorage,