The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-06-17
{ Correspondence Of the Banner.)
ABBEviLLE, June 8, 1916.

A'eefSN <attet .-allhouSu nave It.
turned from visiting Florida, and have
met with many friends, unto whose nu-
merous personal enquiries, 1 have re-
sponded. Still, the ever increasing anx-
ieties of the people for more light, re-
specting the Land Of F2omers," pro-
duce such a corresponding increase of
enquiries, as am unable to answer, ex-
cept in this public manner.
will then endeavor, in brief man
ner, to answer such enquiries as have
been made.
Lake Monroe, is the head of steam
boat navigation, on the St. Johns river.
1t is probably or 8 miles long, and S
miles broad, lis a beautiful sheet Of
water, and has on its borders, sew eral
small hammocks. There are some
beautiful locations for dwellings on its
shores, some of which are already occu-
pied. Major TAYLoR's place, on the
east side, is splendid place. 1t is built,
on mound of shells, l2 or Is feet above
the level of high water, having a COM
manding view up and down the lake,
and, directly in front, the infant town OF
Meilonville, the county site for Orange
county. On the left of the dwelling,
within 50 feet, is beautiful bay, of per-
fectiy clear water, we'll stored with fish,
hou uIn a. IL
ly deep, to admit the entrance of boat.
The bay covers space of half an acre,
and receives the water of four springs,
one OF which, is perfectly pure water,
and all the others are medicinal, each
possessing properties unlike the other,-
one a sulphur spring, nearly at blood
heat
DR.: SIDNEY srEER, formerly a student
in this Village, has very pleasant
habitation in the village of Mellonville,
one mile from the steamboat landing, on
lake Monroe. Ills plantation is beau
tiful tract of land, on the St. Johns river,
near lake Jesup. 1t seems better a.
dapted 10 the growth of sugar cane, cot
ton and tobacco, than to the growth of
corn. Probably the large roots of weeds
found deeply imbedded in the soil, have
hitherto prevented the growth of corn,
and, that nothing is required, but sub
DUNG those roots, to make it as good
corn land as the world contains. Capt.
J. 0. DUvAL's place, is Of the same kind
of soil, both plantations being on the
same prairie.
Mellonville, will soon be an impor-
tant village: inasmuch as it is the head
of steamboat navigation, on the St.
Johns river, and the county site for.
Orange county. The first county court
will be held there, in this month, and in
all probability, the cases will be decided
according to their merits, as they have
not lawyer in the county.
The lands in the immediate vicinity
of Mellonville, are mostly pine lands,
with small hammocks on the lakes, and,
an extensive prairie on lake Jesup
Black hammock, on the south west
side of lake Jesup, is said to be very
rich; considerable part of it, is alrea-
dy taken up.
The. lands on Manitee river, near
Tampa Bay, are said 10 be very rich;
but are all taken up by the wealthy
planters. from the region Of Tallahassee.
There are said to be excellent lands on
the Hillsboro' and Withalacoochee but
all the good lands are taken up. The
lands about Fort King are very rocky !;
and most of the waters fail in dry
summer; but they are excellent lands
for cotton, and tolerably good for tobac-
co. They, as well as the lands in the
whole of the Alachua country, also the
rich lands around lake Orange, are all
now in the hands of men who are able
TO hold them, and will cost high. The
lands around. Micapopy, embracing
Paine's prairie, are on the Aredunda
Grant, and are held, according to their
value, at from $500 to $1,000 per acre.
These Iandstare very rich, but general
ly drouthy; and the drinking water is
out of fetid limestone-and even that