Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-03-21
Cboit Titeraturt.
Wakulla Spring in Florida.

Afte- many months of weary wandering,
writes correspondent of the Providence
Journal, my friend and I found ourselves,
on pleasant morning in March, in the lit
tie capital of Florida. While we were en-
joying our coffee with number of gentle
men, one Of them asked, Have you been
to Wakulla p We were obliged to confess
that we had never heard of such place.
With look of astonishment, he proceeded
to recount its wonders. We listened as
incredulously as you, dear readers, are
about to listen to my description. We re-
solved to visit the spot; and prcsuming,
with all due respect for your extensive ge-
ographical knowledge, that you know no
more of them than we did, make no apol-
ogy for giving you an account of our visit
to the wonderful fountain, RI
Our road, which presented the usual va
riety of sand and stumps lay through an
almost unbroken pine forest We saw
scarcely brook or spring on the road to
warn US of our approach to the great foun-
tain Wakulla. At length, after driving
some miles, we reached beautiful grove
Taking narrow path, we passed through
some dense underwood and suddenly we
were standing on the edge of basin of
water, about one hundred yards in dame
ter. 1t is almost circular. The thick
bushes were growing to the waters edge,
and bowling their heads beneath its surface
! We stepped INTO a skif, and pushed off
from the shore. Some immense fishes
attracted my attention, and seized spear
to strike them. The boatman laughed,
and asked how far supposed they were
beneath the surface. [ replied about four
feet He assured me that they were at
least twenty feet from me and it was so.
The water is of the most marvellous trans
parency. l dropped an ordinary pin in
water forty feet deep, and saw its head
with perfect distinctness as it lay on the
bottom. AS we approached the centre,
noticed the jagged, grayish limestone cliff
beneath us. It was pierced with holes
through these openings we seemed to look
into unfathomable depth. The boat moved
slowly on. We hung trembling over the
edge of sunken preeipice, and far, fal
below it, lay dark, yawning, unfathomed
abyss. From its gorge came pouring forth
with immense velocity living river Oul
little boat, floating on an element as trans
parent as the air above, seemed hoverine
midway between two worlds.
Pushing on just beyond its mouth,
dropped ten cent piece into the water
which is there one hundred and ninety fee
deep, and saw it clearly shining on tn
bottom. This seems indeed Incredible
The water must possess magnifying pow
er, for if such piece of money were lynn
at the foot of tower one hundred an
ninety feet in height, it could not be see
so plainly from the summit. We no,
moved on towards the south side of tn
basin, and suddenly we perceived the water
the fishes that were darting hither an
thither, the long fexile roots, and the wide
bladed, luxuriant grasses upon the bottom
all arrayed in the most brilliant prismati
hues. The gentle swell, occasioned by th
motion of our skiff, gave to the whole a
undulating motion. Death-like stillne.
reigned around. All seemed magical an
unreal. The 6oyish dreams which I use
to have, after reading the Arabian Night
Entertainment, were actualized. A mo-
fairy scene [ can scarcely conceive.
The Indian name for this spring is wo
r derfully significant. Wakulla means I'll
/ Mystery 1t is said that the Spanish di
coverers of this fountain plunged into
with almost frantic JOY. They suppos
: they had found the long sought Fons j
= ventutis, or Fountain of Youth, whi
; should rejuvenate them after exhaustil
j marches and battles