COSTA RICAN ADVENTURES

Well I’m back, and as always I had a FAB time. I’m not sure why it takes so long between trips. I should make myself go more often. I am a better person for it. I forget that there is a whole world out there other than this small world here in Charleston. I do have the financial responsibilities of the shop and worrying about who will take care of things at home. But hey no one else worries. It must be nice....

As I explained to the youngest of our travel party (nine total- spanning a 40 year age difference)
We had the Whole Package Tour! both good and bad. It was wonderful hearing her explain to her mother the concept of the Whole Package Tour. That in her getting bitten by fire ants made everything else better or more an adventure. We did get the Whole Package Tour. Incredible vistas, unbelievable flowers and plants, wonderful people, great food and cold cold cerveza! Then the not so nice, Worst roads I have ever seen, fire ants, bad water pressure, no hot water, loss of power for over 12 hours....(I will say it was in the other house not the guest house I was staying in)
More than one mishap with Europcar Rentals in San Jose... The other car , The one we rented from Europcar lost its brakes as we were going over the continental divide, yes, the car with the children in it... I hate to say say it but in the future I would tell everyone to avoid Europcar Rentals. One mishap is OK but the the whole trip it was one thing after another, no apologies, no explanations. I can go on and will if needed. Then as reported this morning ( some of the party is still there) There was a snake incident.

I can say I had some of the best laughs I have had in quite a long time and if you know me I love meeting new people so I was in my element. I do wish we could have found a Map shop or an Antiquarian Book Shop.
It is remarkable to think that so much of what we saw was illustrated here in my little print shop. Illustrated in the hundreds of Natural History engravings and lithographs, painted and printed over a hundred years ago by earlier eyes... eyes like ours seeing these plants and animals for the first time in life.....
The whole expedition, left to right- Steve, Tom, Alex, Julia, Laura
(Lisa's Sister), Maddy, Lisa, and Myself. I know I look out of sorts & mad. I wasn't .....just very hot. I have no idea where Sally, my sister was ...she was supposed to be in the picture. I'll see if anyone else took a better picture and post that one.

The Charleston Palmetto

A couple of years ago I started noticing the image of a Palmetto illustrated in quite a number of engravings of Charleston. I found it interesting, it was prominently displayed in a number of the engravings ...almost the most important character in the image. I can see from images where it stood and really am interested in where the iron railings have gone.


Here it is in a page from the Illustrated London News, dated February 2, 1861

“South Carolina, like the other States of America, has a well-known distinctive name, that of the “ Palmetto State,” a designation arising from the prolific growth of this species of fan palm in its marshy districts. The specimen represented in our engraving grows in the slave market of Charleston, within a stones throw of the Exchange and the Post Office. Thus a good deal of Southern life centers round it. An Iron railing preserves it in the midst of josling dealers, bidding eagerly for gangs of “ likely negros,” who's brawny arms seem just now more likely to be tasked in rasing defensive earthworks than in cultivating either cotton plantations or rice fields. ......”

The Palmetto State: This nickname refers to South Carolina's official State Tree, the Sabal Palmetto. The Palmetto is rooted in historical significance dating back to the Revolutionary War. On June 28, 1776, the British fleet's attack on Sullivan's Island was repulsed. The palmetto-log fort, under Colonel William Moultrie, withstood the barrage of British cannons until the fleet retreated. The Sabal Palmetto (Inodes Palmetto), commonly referred to as the Cabbage Palmetto, was added to the "National" flag of South Carolina, after it seceded from the Union in 1861. The Palmetto is South Carolina's official State Tree. It also appears on the South Carolina State Seal and in the salute to the flag of South Carolina written in 1950 by Mrs. John Raymond Carson and was adopted by the General Assembly in 1966: "I salute the flag of South Carolina and pledge to the Palmetto State love, loyalty and faith."

The image of the Seal of South Carolina was published in Ballou’s Pictorial Newspaper in Boston Saturday, June 21, 1858.

The text reads "The shield on the left displays the palmetto tree, with fasces* at its base, surrounded by the motto,“ Animis opibusque parati” ( prepared in heart and deed) The other shield has a female figure holding a bunch of flowers encircled by the motto, “ Dum Spiro spero” ( while I breath I hope) The supporters are a Continentaller in revolutionary uniform, a figure of Liberty, with the phrygian cap and laurel wreath. Above is a figure of flame blowing her trumpet. Conspicuous over the state arms is the far-famed palmetto tree. A military parade parade is delineated in the distance....”
Harpers Weekly Published in New York, Saturday, December 1, 1860
From the images the Palmetto must have been near the corner of Broad Street and East Bay on the North West corner in front of where the Wachovia Bank stands now.

*Fasces: from the Latin word fascis, meaning bundle. symbolize summary power and jurisdiction, and or “strength through unity” The traditional roman fascis consisted of a bundle of whit birch rods, tied together with a red leather ribbon into a cylinder.