The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-12
miscellaneous.
SOUTHERN FLORIDA.

The Mobile Tribune has a letter descriptive OF
Southern Florida, from which we make the follow
ing extracts:
The "Keys,n or almost innumerable islands OF
the coast of Florida of soft lime rock OF the
tertiary formation il being of the same age and the
same belt which crosses the Tombigby, al or above
81. Stephens and the Alabama, in Clark and Mon |
roe counties whence il stretches through Butler
and Conecuh counties, into Florida, where 1t per-
vades nearly the whole State, either as the sub
stratum near the surface of the earth, or which
is too often the case it forms the superior stratum,
when il gives the country the appearance OF almost
hopeless sterty-a few sunted pine trees, or a few
other trees shrubs merely struggling for exist
among the limestone ''heads" which frequent
y rise TO the height of ten feet, though no larger
than mans body The Bahama Islands are of
the same rock formation, likewise a part OF the
Island of Cuba, and nearly the whole Peninsula OF
Yucatan
The 'Keys" have but little soil on them OF any
kind, but what there is contains, much TO my sur
prise no sand-it being composed of the detritus
of "rotten limestone" alone. There are some ex-
ceptions to this, such Pine Island and Cay Bis
cayne, where there is little sand mixed with the
soil, and in such places the pine in dwarf state
usually appears. Many of the "Keys" are thickly
covered with vegetation, such mangrove, &C..
few, such as Key Vacas and Key Largo, have
large trees them, and of kind, too, that will be
useful in ship-building, among which are the wild
tamarind Ia species of locust) and the dog wood,
which closely resembles the East India teak
On most of the ''Keys" or Islands there are no
inhabitants the only exception, believe, are the
Tortugas, Key West--one house on Saddle Keys,
ten or twelve miles from Key West; few families
of Bahamans on Key Vacas; some four families on
Indian Key, beautiful circular island OF less than
hundred acres, and one family at Cape Florida,
Gay Biscayne,) who keep the lighthouse. On the
main land are some five families In the vicinity of
the Miami river, which emptles into Biscayne Bay,
some ten miles north of Cape Florida. Key West
i,as a population of about three thousand, more
than half of which from the Bahama Islands,
they being the descendants of refugees from North
Carolina who fled to those islands during the Reyo-
luton This class quiet, orderly race-catch-
ers of turtle, fishermen, wreckers, and divers, but
too much of Rip Van Wnkleism in them ever to
do great deal toward developing the resources OF
the land.
The renal nder of the population, the greater
share of which from northern States, are mostly
engaged in the same occupations, but Principally at
xyrecking and business herewith connected. The
morals of Kew West are said to have been I'M
proved much within the last four or hve years
This presume, the case for at present there are
very few towns that have as little drunkenness and
vice or that attend to the courtesles or CIVIL
t;as of life But from some cause, which II would
be well TO inquire into, none of the people there
seem 10 endeay,or seriously to reap any other har-
vest from the county except such as PROVIDENCE al
intervals scatters along the reefs. There Is SAT-
work on the Island which Is carried on IN limited
manner. 1t makes the best SAIL IN tne woru lor
packing pork But while there is aouhoahce Vi caPi
tai for purposes connected with wrech. us, lee mas
not yet been enough applied to the purpose OF I'M
proving the salt ponds, to scarcely test their
bilites of making that staple article do not think
however that altogether from the lack OF capi-
tai that the salt ponds are SO little worked-they
lack the right kind of labor. The present propre-
tor told me that last fall large pond was crystal
ized ready for "raking'' Immediately before the
hurricane at hand The pond had 10
be raked or the winds would drive in the water and
dissolve the salt His own negroes were otherwise
employed and to the salt he offered enormous
wages, but he got but few negroes from their
masters.
The American part of the town is built up in a
very credtable manner and many of the houses
have yards filled with beautiful shrubbery, and there
are perhaps hundred cocoa-nut trees growing IN
most thrifty manner. They have, however, been
planted for ornament, not profit, and IT is strange
from the with which they are cultivated, the
large amount of waste land and the value OF the
tree after it begins TO BEAR that there should not
now be more thousands of trees on the Isle thar
there are single trees. They bear IN seven years
from planting, and IT is estimated that each tre'
will produce at least three dollars worth OF frui
yearly. Frosts not known on Key West,
and Key Largo, with soil sufficiently deep to cult
vate not only cocoa nuts, but every description o
tropical fruits vet there has been any progress
made TO raise fruits either for market or home con
sumption.
On the main land, from Cape Sable to the heaC
Of Blscayne Bay, between the everglades and sea
there is but little good land. The principal part o
il has little, and in places no soil above thu
lime rocks. Where there Is soil there are ale"
pine trees scattered over the land, and here thu
q coonty," (the plant from which the arrowroot Il
made grows, believe, in its greatest profusIon
There are, however, many hammocks covered VIII
live oaks and other trees Of like kind, even II IN
soil il not sufficiently deep TO grow any OF the tro
pical fruits These hammocks are scattered alon
the coast at intervals of few miles, and was IN
formed by gentleman that ! met at the mouth Q
the Miami, who had been exploring, that ne say
a few thousand acres Of land near Cape Sable
which he had no doubt would make the very bes
Of sugnr lands From his account they resemble
some of the prairie lands near the gulf, IN Texas
The only business now pursued on the Mlan
river is making the coonty" INTO arrowroo
Hitherto this root has been used 10 limited eS
tent on the coast for that purpose, but was groun
by hand and impure wel-water used for WASHING
but this establishment uses machinery for reducln
the root TO pulp, and the pure water at the ede
of the everglades for separating the " starch irol
the hbrous part OF the root, and IT ~ now turnIn
out an article which will in every way bear con
parison with the Bermuda arrowroot Ihls bus
ness might be carried any extent desirable as II
supply Of the root is inexhausuble, and grows spo
taneously on the very poorest lands, but beir
rather thIny scattered over the patches OF soil,
somewhat expensive gathering the root. The pr
prietor Of this establishment gave great preferen
70 negro labor, and said that he could not continl
the business with white help alone.