ST. MARY’S RIVER
St. Mary’s river, having its source in the Okefenokee swamp, enters Cumberland sound near the town of Fernandina, and serves as boundary between portions of Georgia and of Florida.
The stream, which hardly averages over 75 yards in breadth, a few miles distantfrom the sea, is navigable for other than small boats to the second railroad bridge, a distance of about 30 miles by land, though probably double that distance by the river.
At first the river runs through marsh land, though farther up it is bordered by firm and at times high ground, mainly wooded with a thick growth of pine. The river is famous for the excellent quality of its water, and one would believe its banks to have been a chosen dwelling site for the aborigines.
The river was carefully searched by us on either side, all landings and settlements being visited, and diligent inquiry made, resulting in the conclusion that no mounds of importance, and an extremely limited number of any size, were present.
One small mound, partly dug through, was found on the Florida side on the property of Mr. Haddock, and another, about 2 feet in height, was seen at the “Brick Yard” a few miles east of King’s Ferry. So well known along the river was this insignificant earthwork that it was evident that no mound of importance islikely to have escaped our inquiries, made as they were at all points where habitations were apparent.
No shell-heaps were noticed on the banks.
Numbers of stones and fragments of rock proved to be ballast from timber schooners, and not indigenous to the territory.