Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-03-20
NJ 7 S O8 u u A n e o
From the Test'n Literary Journal g. Nfonfhiy Rerier
SKETCH OF THE FLORIDA WAR.-No. I.
A CRUISE IN LAKE oKACuoREE

Il.
If toilsome paddle Of three days. continuance
through the dark gloom OF cypress swamp, so
dense that the up and down rays of tropical sun
could neither penetrate nor remove the dea,h-like
chill which pervaded il; where no sound broke
upon the ear, save the mournful moaning of the
breeze, as 1t swept among the moss-hung and
gnarled branches of the tall trees, which,
''ln many sadd'nng sy liable, repeated
Their wild and savage legends on the winds; -
the distant thunder-like moan of the ALLIGATOR. or
the startling hiss of the speckled moccasin. which
would slide from the tree roots down into its sill
my bed,-where every thing combined TO account
for the Indians belief, that SHINING souls are
doomed eternally to wander through the cypress
shaded bog, kind of mud wrapped purgatory ;
(and indeed the fantastic shapes assumed by The
gnarled, branch-moddelled masses of pendant
moss, would give rise 10 strange ideas i'm the
breasts of more civilized and less superstitious
persons than the ''untutored savage" especially
when alone in the dimness of twilight, rendered
darker by perpetual shade J ifall this would pre-
pare one to gaze appreciatingly on Nature clad in
her lovelicst robes, rcveling in her fairest bow
ers, we were fully prepared to appreciate her
thrilling beauty, emerged from the .sbir
cypress" into Lake Okachobee.
| From the narrow muddy channel which mean
ders in many winding bayou through this
swamp, we opened into broad and beap,;fnl
first soft rays of spring mornings sun were gilt
terlIg like tear-bedewed lashes over beautiful
womans azure eye, and whose bosom was dotted
with islands Tor which arose monument of Ma
lures taste and power, the lofty Magnolia, its
snow white flowers lying in the scooped out bosom
OF It's dark green leaves, the orange and the fra
grant lemon, while luscious grapes hunp tempt-
ingly from ther lofty climbing vines and beneath.
the timid violet, the air seeming myrtle and the
honeysuckle, with thousand other tropical finirs
and flowers, carpeted the productive earth.
AS gazed on the fairy like land and most
beautiful scene, i felt that with one loved and
loving companion, could here dream away exis
tehce' without wish Tor change--our hearts rem
dered pure and innocent by the quiet and beauty
of this second Eden; and Involuntary nv hearts
vision threw retrospective glance towards the
'dark-eyed Spanish maid,' who had before. time
stood with me on the parapet of the old castle at
st. Augustine, listening to the impassioned vows
OF young and adoring heart, while from her lus-
trous eyes glltterng pearls of Joy dropped like
nectar dew from heaven on the envied earth
But my mind soon turned again to the scene
before me; and then L thought Of the ORIGINAL
(shoud not say rghtful y owners of the soil,
those whose rights of inheritance we were ruth
lessly trampling upon, whom with blood stained
hands we were even now pursuing and sighed
as
al thought how man had cursed
What Heaven had made so glorious ~
My reverie was interrupted by the discovery of
smoke on one of the distant islands. We well
Knew that our friends In this neighborhood were
lew, and at once began preparing for duty,
which, to our sorrow and loss, we had before
found ffaught with danger--that of advancing in
our boats upon an island fringed with hammock
TO the waters edge, where an ambushed foe could
lie In perfect safety and coBceament, while they
poured death and destruction into our ranks.
The men, urged by excited feelings, drove our
little boats swiftly over the placid surface of the
lake, towards the smoke. Now, however, signal
smokes were seen to ascend from the dfferen,
parts OF the lake, and we inferred from this that
we were not only discovered, but were running
ourselves into "scrape" as fast as possible. Ca.
noes were darling along in our advance towards the
largest island of the group. and it evident that
the. Indians there intended masse to dispute our
Eruption into their domains.
AS we approached the island, at distance we
could see their dark red forms glancing about a.
mobg the trees, and every now and then a shril
ana prolonged yell would cross the waters, sound.
ing ike the petrel's cry before storm. But as
we neared the island, all again became still and
quiet; not motion was visible on the howery
banks, but the steady waving to and fro of the
green branches in the breeze and the cries of cir
cling birds which were driven from their nests
beneath. We well new the meaning of this omi-
nous stiffness; we had before felt its force. With
our arms prepared, slowly and firmly we rowed
in extended line towards the treacherous ham
mock. We were soon almost within rifle shot,
when the order, "spring TO your oars" was Civ
en-; and, swiftly as the arrow speeds from the
ttwangjng bow, our light boats parted the water.
while their keels grated on the sand, the silence
OF the hammock was broken. II seemed TO be
one perfect sheet of FIRE for an instant; and then,
l0ud above the groans of wounded and dying, the
sharp crack Of the rife and the heavier roar Of our
mpske'ry' rose the shrill war-whoop ringing like
nelis cHortoori in our ears. The impetus piyen
TO orr boats drove them hjoh on the shore. and in
an instant The battle was over. One vollev Of
our musketTy, which bailed buckshol and with