Between four and five miles southwest of Savannah, as its limits were at first ascertained, and on rising ground, the village of High-gate was laid out in 1733. Twelve families,—mostly French,—were here located. A mile to the eastward the village of Hampstead was formed the same year, and peopled by twelve families,—chiefly German. These settlers were engaged in gardening, and their principal business was to supply the inhabitants of Savannah with vegetables. Francis Moore, who visited these little towns in the spring of 1736, describes them as being “pretty,” and says that the “Planters are very forward, having built neat Huts and clear’d and planted a great deal of Land.”
It would appear, however, that the prosperity of these villages was of short duration. We are informed that in 1740 but two families remained at High-gate, while Hampstead was entirely abandoned.[272]
For the protection of the few families to whom a home at Thunderbolt had been assigned, a small fort was erected; but as early as 1737 it had fallen into decay.
On the north-east point of Skidoway island, ten families were placed and a fort built in 1734. This attempt at colonization proved so unsuccessful that four years afterwards the village had disappeared and the fortification was in a deserted and ruinous condition.
A similar fatality attended the effort to plant a colony of ten families near the light-house on Tybee island the year after Savannah was settled.