purchaser came forward at the same time, ready to make a cash payment: but Dr. MARTINE, having passed his word to Mr. HARLESTON, could enter into no new bargain, until the expiration of the time given to him for the payment of the money.

Mr. HARLESTON went to Charleston, and procured the amount, but on returning over the Goose Creek road, on crossing a bridge, he was thrown from his horse. His money was in bills of credit of the Province, which getting wet, he apprehended his bargain would be lost, as the time for payment would expire at 12 o'clock that night, and therefore, there was no time for going back to town to procure other money. He, however, opened his bills on the road, and attempted to dry them, placing lumps of earth on each. As he was waiting for them to dry, a puff of wind blew some of his bills over the bridge into the water. Had he hesitated a moment, they would have been lost, he therefore, leapt into the water and recovered them. Mr. HARLESTON used to describe this as a very anxious moment with him, night was coming on, and he had yet far to ride. He dried his bills at last, however, and proceeded on his journey, reaching Dr. MARTINE'S half an hour only, before 12 o'clock, where he found the gentleman that had been competing with him, sitting ready to purchase the land, should he not return in time to comply with the terms of sale.

The tract of land thus purchased by Mr. HARLESTON, comprised those two valuable plantations "Richmond," and "Farmfield." Mr. HARLESTON immediately established himself at Richmond, and commenced the arduous work of banking and clearing the

swamp. In the subsequent division of the property, Richmond fell to Col. HARLESTON's daughter Jane, who married Mr. EDWARD Rutledge, and Farmfield was the portion of his daughter Eliza, who married Mr. THOMAS CORBETT.

In writing of Farmfield, I find my blood courses more quickly through my veins, and I feel as if I was standing upon hallowed ground! To me, this is the most endeared spot of all others upon the river.— With every part of it is connected some thrilling association of the past. This was my boyhood's home!

Oh! how sweet and how lasting are all our childish impressions!

"How dear the school boy spot

We ne'er forget, tho' there we are forgot."

It is neither strange nor mysterious, however, that the heart should cling as fondly as it does to its earliest feelings—feelings which have the power to restore in a moment to us, all things as they were, and even re-people the old places, with those who have gone before us, and who, whilst living, used to love and bless us! In my visions, I often rebuild the old house at Farmfield—make up again the now desolate garden, with its then beautiful roses, and run about once more in its pleasant walks—restore the old shrubbery that no longer grows about it as it did, and the little ring before the house, round which in my play time, I used to bound, like a courser, as free and as careless too!

The thoughts of early days, though saddened they must always be in many respects, are nevertheless,

welcome ever to us all, for our best pleasures I am sure, are among those, which our own spirits possess the power of making, in looking back upon the past, and recalling our own buoyant step, and our own sunny smile, a silvery light traced, as it were, upon the pathway of existence, like that phosphoric brightness which the keel of a vessel sometimes makes, but always leaves behind it on the wave!

NUMBER FIVE.

"Alas! poor Yorick! I knew him-Horatio!"

In my last number, we had progressed up the Eastern Branch of Cooper River as far as Richmond, and Farmfield. At the former place, for many years, lived Mr. JORDAN MYRICK, an agriculturist, of whom it is not too much, perhaps, to say, that

"Take him for all in all,

We shall not look upon his like again."

As Mr. MYRICK long held a prominent place among the planters on Cooper River, it is not irrevelant to my subject, to dwell awhile upon his early history and subsequent career. Mr. MYRICK was a native of Brunswick county, State of Virginia. He came to South-Carolina, about the beginning of the present century. His uncle, MATTHEW MYRICK, being engaged at that time, as an overseer at Dean Hall, employed him as an underling at that place. Mr. MyRICK has often been heard to say, that though his uncle may have taught him something, yet he derived his first lessons in planting from "old Joe," the driver at Dean Hall, when he first arrived there. Old Joe attained to a great age. He died only about five years since, on which event, the present proprietor of Dean Hall, out of consideration for the service he had done, and the respect that was due to his memory, gave the negroes a holy-day, that an opportunity

might be afforded them, to pay with becoming decency, the last tribute of respect to one that had been for many years, by his excellent example, "a shining light" among them. A tablet marks in the burial ground at Dean Hall, the final resting place of this faithful slave!

After acquiring some knowledge of planting, MyRICK, one day crossed the river, and borrowed a horse from Dr. READ, at Rice Hope, "to look," as he said, "for business in the Parish." He obtained employment from Mr. DAVID DEAS, at the Villa. He settled, subsequently at Richmond, where he soon rose into eminence as a planter-distinguished for his untiring industry, great judgment, cool head, and acute observation. His success in the management of negroes, too, was remarkable; whilst his discipline was always efficient, he was never otherwise than just to the accused, kind to the faithful, and humane to the sick!

These qualifications soon made character for him on the river, and he obtained the most profitable employment, as a confidential friend, and Superintendant of various plantations-as an evidence of his diligence, and the "success of his ministry," he realized a fortune of nearly $50,000.

When he first took the management at Richmond, it is said that the average crops were only 140 barrels of rice. In a few years, by his skill and perseverance, he increased the average to 500 barrels a year.

As much attached, however, as Mr. MYRICK always was to Richmond, "the Villa" was the place on which his fondest affections were set. He was of