The Arkansas advocate., 1836-03-11
From he .Velc York Times.
FLORIDA.

all parts of the Peninsula, has obligingiy fur nsilled us with the following sketch of the country, from Tampa Bay to Cape Sable
 :. The country Is well adapted for Indian warfare having, generally, an undergrowth of Saw palmetto, which grows from five to seven feet high, and so thick that almost any numbe of men may be concealed unob- served, unless particular search is made. The oak hammocks have this undergrowth as well as the pine woods. The Indians belonging to 'sthe nation'' have them towns north ofSanybel Island There are, how ever, many settlements, of them south. A. mong them are tie following;- The first is about the same latitude of sanybel fsI- and, and about fifty miles east--the second is about eighty miles up the Sanybel river, and near the everglades---the third village is near the Estaro riyer,-and the fourth IS on the Delaware river near Cape Roman ssI frequently,n says our correspondent, "met large parties of Indians-on their hun ling excursions ill tie interior. They are very reserved in general, but never heard lone of them, at any time, say that they were wiling to remove. On the contrary, they always sad they would never 90: yet, thought that when the time arrived, they would alter their minds. The 'snation h. dianso have no canoes. There are, how ever, Indians scattered all along inc wes- tern side of the Peninsula from Sarasetta Inlet, near Tampa Bay, .o, and south of, Cape Roman. These Indians have all, at some time or other been employed in the fisheries on the coast, which have always been carried on by spaniards, and most of them speak Spanish, They, with few spaniards, and Spanish negroes, fwho say they are lfee,) live together, and nave Tn- dian wives, and when tke Indians belong ting to the nation cone to the seashore. these Rancho or fishing Indians carry them in thelr canoes from one key to another. found all these Indians and negroes jealous of the Americans settling the country.- There is no dependence to be placed on their friendship at any time. The white population in the district have described, Is very sparse. l went up the Sanybel IT. yer in 1883 and '54, and planted a small place to test the land. They destroyed it during my absence. After that cofined my planting to the seashore, where my b,lil- dings and settlements ate located. If the families residing on New river and Cape Florida, have been driven away and mur- dered, think it must be by the Indians re- siding out of the nation. If any of the keys are moiesled, t must be from ,he Indiaps and negroes, &c. residing on the seaboard, because they alone have the means of do- ing so, in their canoes. Spanish vessels from the Havana market, and the fisheries are owned and carried on by Spaniards- except one on Tampa Bay, which Is owned and carried rsi 1 G cur friend GoaptttiB Bunce, who formerly commanded tie slip Pehn- sylvania, regular packet from Charleston to Philadelphia, previous and up to the war of 1872. His vessel is the only American that carries dried fish to the Havana. The Indians cannot burn any light-house en the Atlantic side but Cape Florida. Next that is the light ship commanded by Capt. Walton, a very experienced man, aud very determined. They will never, am sure, attack bis ship. Yhe next lighthouse Is on Sand Key, which Is also safe; and then comes Key West light. That is also safe. There is from Key West, no light uatiI you come to St. Marks. Many of the keys on the Florida Reef are inhabited. They cannot be troubled, unless by the aid of the fishing Indians on the coast. Indian Key Is, III my opinion, the most likely of any 10 be troubled, as they have been in the habit of going there to trade. There are two good stores on that Key. Il was stated in several of the papers of yesterday that t Is fortified. This must have been done re- gently. Nothing of the kind was there twelve months since, when l was on 1t. There are always some of the wreckers ly- ing there, and think t would not be mo- tested. l am fearful that the Indians, Ne groes and Spaniards on the coast are recei- vtng supplies from Havana. If so, the sNation lndiansp will always have their full share, as there is constant intercourse between them. The coast from Cane Ro- man to Tampa bay, ought to be well watch- ed. There are several excellent harbors between those places which are well known to the spauizrds, and but little to our peo- lple. Vessels can come and go as they lipsease without fear oi molcstation, as no