New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-12-27
THE TRIBUNE
A Cru,.e ia LnGe Okacbo,,,.

cation in the Western Literary Journal and
Monthly Revew'-a work which has been fayora.
bly noticed in our columns.
IF toilsome paddle of three days' confirm
ace, through the dark gloom of a cypress swamp
% derss that The up-and down rays of a tropical
sun could neither penetrate nor remove the death.
Ike chill which parvaded 1t where no sound
broke upon the car, save the mournful moaning
Of the breeze as 1t swept among the mosshung
and gnarled branches Of the tall trees, which
In IN many ,adi'ning syllable, repeated
Their wild aud savage legends 10 the winds -
the distant tlandcr-lkc moan OF the alligator, or
The startling hiss Of the spcckled moccasin, which
would slide from the tree roots down into its
shiny bed,-wheye every thing combined to &c.
count for the Indians belief that SHINING souls
a'e doomed cteDnally to wander through the cy.
press shaded bog, kind Of mud-wrap2ed pur.
gatory; (and indeed tho fantastic shapes assumed
by the gnared, branch modelled misses of pen
dant moss would give rise to strange ideas in the
breasts of more civilized and less supcrstitious
persons than the untutored savage" especially
when alone IN the dimness Of twilight, rendered
darker By perpetual shaded if all this would
prepare one TO gaze appseciatingly on Nature,
clad in her lovciles robes, revelng i'll her faIcst
b,wcrs We were fully prepared to appreciate her
thrilling beauty, as we emerged from the "big
Cypress" into lake Okachobee.
From the marrow muddy channel which mean.
Gcrs in many winding bayou through this vast
swamp, we opened into broad and beautiful
lake, OH the clear light blue waves of which, the
first soft rays o. spring mornings sun were
plitlering like tear bedcwed lashes over bcauti-
fal wjman's azure eye, and whose bosom was
dotted with islands from which arose as nonu-
Ineps Of Natures taste and power, the lofty
magnolia, It's snow. white flowers lying in the
scoopej.out bosom of It's dark green leaves, the
orange and the fragrant lemon, while luscious
grapes hung temptingly from their lofty, climbing
vines and beneath, the timid violet, the AIR
seeming myrtle aud honcysucke, with thou.
sand othc- tropical fruits and flowers, carpeted
The productive earth.
AS | cazed on the fairy land Ike and most
beautiful scene | felt that with one loved and
loving companion, l could here dream away ex-
s;ence, without a wish for changc-our hearts
rendered pure end innocent by the quiet and
beauty of this second Eden; and involuntarily
INV hearts vision threw retrospective gance
towards the dark eyed Spanish mad" who had
before. time stood with me on the paraFet OF The
old castle at st. Augustine, listening to the I'M
passoncd vows OF a young and adorng heart,
while from her lust1ous eyes the gitterlDg pearls
Of Joy dropped Ike neclar-dcw from heaven Oh
the envied earth.
But INV mind soon turned again to the scene
before me and then | thought of the original
should not say rghtful y owners OF the s,i,
those whose rights of inheritance we were ruth.
cssly trampiing upon, whom with blood stained
hands we were even now pursuing and sigh.
a. though, how man had cursed -
What heaven had made so glorieus
NV reyerie was interrupted by the discovery OF
smoke on one Of the distant islands. We well
knew that our friends in this neigbborhood were
few, and at once began preparing Tor u duty
which, to our SORROW and loss, we had before
found fraueht with danger-that OF advancing
ia our boats upon nisland fiingcd with hcmElock
to the waters edge, where an amousheo ioe
could lie in perfect safety and concealment
while they poured death and destruction INTO cur
ranks.
little boa,s swiftly over the placid surface OF the
lake. towards the smoke. Now, however, signal
smokes were seen to ascend from the different
narts Of The lake, and we inferred from this that
we were not only discovered, but were running
ourselves into "scrape" az fast as possible
Canoes were da,ting along in our advance to-
watds the largest island OF the group, and 1t was
evident ,hst the Indians there intended Ell n,dSse
to DISPUTE our Eruption into their domains.
Az VIC approached the island, at distance
we could see their dark red forms glancing ABOUT
among the trees, and every now and then shfi'i
and prolonged yell would come across the waters
sounding like the petrc!s cry before som. nu!
as we neared the island, all again became stu
and quiet; not motion was Vlsloe Oh 'ue nov" "
e-v hanks. but the steady waving 10 and lto OF
,hs Green branches in the breeze, and the ores OF
c;,cipg birds which were driven from thar rests
beneath. We well knew the meaning VI 'hiS
om;nous stiffness: we had before tclt It's force
With our arms prepared, slowly ana hrniy We
rowed in extended Inc towards tho 'rsacieio Que
hammock We were soon almost Within iiii'
shot. when the order, "spring to your oars, was
given and, swiftly the arrow specos rom lhe
twanping bow, our light boats Paitoa .ae ~a''t'
While their kees grated TN the sand' lhe sneiIo
Of the hammock was broken. II seemed u 10
one perfect sheet of fire for an instant; ana 'oe'
loud above the grcans oil wcuhtea ehu u1nis,
Tho charm crack Of rifles, and the heavier rear oil
OR muskeiry. rose the shfiu war ~
like bell's caarivayi IN our cars. Inc i'"pe'u'
given to our boats drove them high on the sn"fo'
and in AN instant the battle was over. One vohcy
of our musketry, which hailed buck-snot ana
ounce bullets through the hammock, and WIN
cheer the men rushed to the charge with tle pay
opet bat the willy foe had fled, and when IN t''c
hot pursuit, we gained the opposite sioe oi ' ,o
island. we behed them already far out OF the iaSo
en- route for the main land. Whrc the warriors
were engaged in opposing our landing me W.
men and children had mustered IN their canoeS'
for flight; and the men with savage YET hesn,
wi,ted policy used throughout the var had tiea
as soon ss their first FIRE had been delivered, tsey
ENGINEERING 1I' the defeat Of their party may
safely say, that of all the actions during the war;
oneia ended without the loss OF man Oh ,ae
ade OF the enemy, while mary Of the whites. les
were killed. This i do not attribute 20 Any .LS
want Of skill or bravery on the SIDE OIL In .n0
whites, but to the fact OF the Indians pelig oei-
ter acquainted with the count'y-thei:eeoie "u
yancng or re,reatiug with greater achlly, . the
also that for the first three years o, .ne maa' af
{ strseug il" I after the present approved style,