Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-06-10
tfrot" hi Nattovot histrgsnsetJ
FLORIDA,

t5'Aabf84
y MfssHs. EptfoHs !4Nnw that pssfn
u permanently established in trlofida, and II
u tide Of emigration fatidlg flowing in theirs,
70 may prove interesting 10 nany Of ypnt feat
,. ers 10 be made acquainted viii The t]hafaete
! Of That country, and more especially With III
eastern portion Of it, about Wiith SO liitl
: has heretofore been known Should a ssfie
Ut communication on This subject prove d
:, sufficient interest 10 eniitle tllem Ia y plae,
! ~ y6nf columns, it is my intention to fnfnisl
I tl'atn, ffptn time tr time, No lejsura permits
Previously IL he commencement sr Ipatil
tiles in le55. tle Territory Of East Hlutid.
Wns almost n fsfta iNpa nitq 10 all eaeept t,t
savage Tribes who inhabited It. 1t is true
that a few settlements bad been established
on lie BORDERS, and lis inlai iof had been par.
tally explored by a few daring adventursrs
but II was nst till after it had been eaten.
sively ttavsfsed by our Armies. and liz most
difficult tetesses penetrated, that 4 correct itea
was formed ever, Ut its general Topography ,
and, Of course. but little was knswn Of it,
resources
The whole Territory nhree hundred and
fifty Itlilss hing and one hundred end ffy wide)
has been 81 thoroughly explored, and q, o.,
Tentatively irtstshtted by fine roads. that there
~ tHt ~" 'fV'ES III ,fts JttttH u "IlfH me
minute Typography Ia bhttef knswn, The
facts ~fevbalsd by The explorations Of DIR army
IN Florida during sevsu FEARS Of active ore.
f]atiohs IRE Of aif IMPORTANT character. inns.
much a. they establish beyond a doubt The
very High tflth bf 4 country which was here.
tofbfH Regarded as I" scarcely worth he cost
sf 6ottduaring IT," II may now be stated
| without ths fear Of fefutatiyn that. in saiutti-
" IL climate. fertility Of soil, in value Of pro.
d%uriinns, and in The facility with which its
productions can be transported 10 market.
East Florida ranks foremost Of all The South.
ern States.
The climate IF East Florida. taking II The
whole year round. is much mbfe agreeable
Than any othar in the United States, or even
than that Of Italy, In The southern portion
OF the psnlnsula, frost 10 never felt, and even
Hs fir north al the Sawannea river there are
generally but three or four nights in a whole
winter that ice AS thick hs q quarter dollar
is f6tthi. The winter weather in East Flo.
rlda ID delightful beyondFieaGripiien. # re-.
ssrnhles vefy fhbeh That searan which, in The
Middle Static, is termed +" The Indian sutn.
insf.' except that in Florida the sky 10 per.
feetly flaar} and the atmosphere more dry
and elastic. G6ftfar1 tn what might Bs ~
pected. The Summer weather in East Florida
is much tiore agreeable and its heat less op.
pfesHivs than 'haf which Ia HKpsfieFifed IN
Northern and Middle States. Thi. is attfi.
butabls. in a great tisssute, td its peninaulat
sittata ion. which CAUSES u to be famed on tbs
east by The Atlantic breezee, and ON the
west by those from The Gulf If Mexico. both
pf which are distinctly felt in tho very eshtre
nf the Territory. Tho summer nights are
Invariably cool, and even the hottest days arc
but seldom opptsssivs In the shade, The
latter fact il Explained by physicians on the
that the insensib'e bsfspiratton
ia ronstitantly etna riating from The
whole surface sf our bodies ia most rapidly
'Vaporated when the atmosphere IL dry and
freezes are prevalent while, OH tho contra.
Y. in humid and sIagnhnt ntmosphsres this ;
evaporation is slow, the pores Of Tie tkid be. +,
otns nltstrueted, and n great portion Of tls :
feet matter which should have been thrown G
fl from ths system Is retaingd, and gives rise, |
. that malaise aud oppression Which are so y
experienced in our Northrn mid v
fiddle States during The sumlner months. ?
Tho great salubrity Of tjls climate IL now :,
lcontrovertibly established by tIs data which 2
most hafraHHing war Of seven years dtra. D
on affords Our army in Florida during this u
averaged about 5000 msn. These y
ion had been gathered from svsry cline y
icy marched in svsry season-~they btDouaok- 4
Z IN every dialtirt-they were aublscied 10 e.
ich hardsliips, privations, and exposures Ms =
70 most likely to produce diHease~-and yet, u
Notwithstanding all this. The proportion Of u
sathH which occurred in The Florida aroty v
including those wtn were Killed IN battIrJ "
tfing tho fret four years Of tho war lthe "
oht mortal portodD was IA but one 10 ibo, y
impaired with those Of The southwestern d. u
zion Of oif army in which the troops were y
at}onod IN co,0f2rfab. quarters This IT, ..
ttant fact Ia prtte,I by statistics IN the Sur. "a
'oI GenornI'a G%fice, aud WA ~pficr1ily 10. u
Red three years ago BY Surgeon General "
Wsoa. a.
Tho mortality which orctred during tho "
u paigne u 1896 aud 1887 in y certain por- .
IN Of The arny, and which gave currency to 'l
u rutfof that the peninsula was unhealthy, o.
II be satisfactorily explained without attri- r'
ting it to the iritsnce of climate. Those "
'ops were stationed dtrtng tho summer and "
/ months on the banks Of Tho rivers, sur. q
unded by extensive swatips, laborinE IN pr
during the day beneath The rays y
a tropical sun, lying on the ground II right 70
posed To heavy dews, living on salt pro. pr
sions, deprived OF vegetables and many TO
iEf iiVtFaHHi lsH ; u " "DHlf W WbllISiS ~
indeed If under such circumstances dig tn
SO had not been generated. Notwithstand, -.
Z these exposufes, however, the diseases IN
lich prevailed ationg them were generally ID
a very manageable character, being, with an
v exceptions, The mildest forms Of remit IN
Mt and intermittent fever !, but, from CON III
exposure 10 the same causes during con
ke scence, r~elapses were freqdent--their
rat AT sopa kar q ~, ~ laprfh br,bor Ir,yp
urvy and other diseases of debility super
ned, and muEtittides fell victims MT TO the
mate, but TO the exposures, hardships, and
TO which they had been so long 5t
bjected. Had these troops been operating ny
der similar circumstances in the mlasmatlc y
of Maryland or Virginia, when Bill io'
Is fev6rd ola high grade are prevalent, we I'm
We reason to infer that the mortality would III
We been dreadful. ~
1t is now clearly demonstrated by the med 1t
Il statistics OF the army in East Florida that al
: miasmatic diseases Of that peninsula are Pr
of a much milder form than those hi,
prevail in the Southern and Middle it
ates. It is well known to the medical o1i- inI
rs of the army that the prevalent disease phi
Fort Melon, Fort White, and Fort Tanning tic
'hich are situated on rivers, and contiguous 10
large swamps, and which have been always ov
puted the most unhealthy positions in the pi
was a, mild form of intermittent
yer, which readily yielded to treatment, and in
1t cases of bilious fever were of rare occur to-
nee. It is also we'll known, that there are ar
rnerous positions on the very margins of the tn
'ers, where even intermittent fevers are OF
known, and where no epidemic of any bu
prevails. OF these, Pllatka. on wi
St. Johns, so celebrated for its salubr!ty, co
o-,,ts n etr;L,ipo instance SI