David Maring

Winyah Bay (1) David Maring

The story of Winyah Bay is one that has lain hidden for many years, but a recent archeological excavation finally uncovers its secrets. The story of the unforgettable people of the bay is revealed in a mixture of history, romance, and the triumph of the human spirit. During early human migrations, cultures prosper upon its banks, and then disappear. The first group to inhabit the area is a Pre-Clovis people. They came from Europe during an ice age when that continent is connected to North American. They became extinct after the arrival of the Sioux, who migrate from Asia when ice connects Alaska with that continent. This tribe's gene pool is later expanded by the Vikings and Welsh. In 1521 Captain Gordillo arrives in Winyah Bay on a mission to find a suitable location for a settlement. The Spanish capture Indians who have a white complexion. When the ship returns to Santo Domingo, Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon, who financed the expedition, takes one of the natives as a servant. He names him Francisco after Saint Francis, and Chicora after the land that he claims is his country. Lucas takes Chicora to Spain, where he attends the court of King Charles in Seville. The Spanish nobleman receives a charter to settle the Winyah Bay Area. In 1526 Lucas arrives at the mouth of Winyah Bay with 600 settlers and 70 slaves. There will be trouble with the Indians and the slaves. But it is a fever that will doom the settlement. Many years after the Spanish depart, a British trader from Charles Town arrives in the region. He finds a local population that has been changed by their earlier contacts with Europeans. After taking a wife whose brother is chief, he becomes a man torn between his life as a trader and his life as a member of the educated elite in Charles Town.