Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-02-15
"reminiscences Of Travel,
.UNRER FIFTH.


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vicinity. Micanopy is situated about
half way between the Atlantic and
the Gulf of.Mexioo, and tookits name
from an Indian chief called Micco who
formerly resided there. II was after
wards an American fort during the
war. Many battles and skirmishes
took place in and around this fort,
and the scars of bullets and cannon-
balls are still to be seen upon the
trees, in hammock near Micanopy.
The lands lying east Of this place
are generally barren sand hills, al
though there are some good lands
for ten or twelve miles, but towards
the north and west there are lands
equal to any in the United States in
point Of fertility. Payne's prairie,
~ y
lying north is Of considerable extent
and very productive. Wachiva ham,
mock, Fish Prairie and several others
that might be mentioned are very
fertile. and the lands generally lying
north. south, and west, are of a So.
perior quality. The principal pro-
auctions Of this latitude are sugar
and cotton. Corn and oats grow well
in hammock lands, and potatoes are
Just athome in the sandy soil. The
cotton raised in this part Of the
country is. the sea-island or long sta.
tple, and generally commands from
thirty to fifty centsper pound in the
Charleston market. Hogs do well
in this 1country and COWS laruriate or
the prairies and are a source of great
profit to the owners. Speaking o.
cows reminds me of scrape my
| friend George and Igot into one day
We were passing. BY marsh in the
edge of a large prairie, where hun
Edreds Of cattle were. grazing, anl
seeing calf mired down in thu
|
marsh we undertook to extricate it
Its bleating enlisted the sympathies
of about four hundred cows, which
came at Us like a thousand of brick
and fairly made the earth quake, ant
if ever you saw fellows show thei
heels, we did it in as scientific man
ner as five had been running agains
time. We made good our escap,
and concluded to have no more to d.
With calves unless they were brough
to the table. There are some beau
ltiful lakes near Micanopy, and the,
abouad in fish,, ducks, water. turkies
cranes, wild geese, and alligators.-
Wanburgh bake lies about two mile
north, and is about two miles in di
ameter, and is surrornded with a for
est Of magnolias. bays, hickory ,ash,ett
Tuscowillough lake an0 prairie lie
about one quarter Of a miis south
aud affords plenty game for sports
| men in winter time. Orange lax,
hes about five miles southeast, ant
and on its western shore is the lar
| gest Orange grove ever saw. j and
several friends visited this grove {
few days after arrived in Micanopy
This grove covers four or five hun
dred acres, and the trees grow Sc
close as to form a complete thicket
The orange tree generally grows
about fifteen feet high, and is from
three to four inches in diameter
The bark is nearly smooth, but the
tree is covered with jags likeour crab
apple or thorn apple trees The
leaves are a rich dark green, and are
very much like the leaf Of our black.
haw. i penetrated the grove about
one mile and half and was entirely
enraptured With the scene. ] could
scarcely realize that the scene before
nae vas a reality. As far as the eye
could penetrate, the luscious fruit,
like golden apples, hung half bid
among the sglistening leaves. Look
round on every side and still the
overwhelming sense Of beauty, grand
eur, md ysubIimity, fasteps on the
tmipds Then think how vast the ex-
tent, and how inexhausiible the treas
iure is. Hundreds Of Wagon loads
might be taken away and scarcely.
be missed. Ia the spring you may
see blossoms, halfripe and ripe or
anges on the same tree. so that there
ia always a crop Of ripe oranges any
time Of the year, We filed our
sacks with oranges and returned to-
Micanopy; and for several nights