Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-08
WAKULLA SPRING In FLORIDA.

After many months of weary wandering,
nal, my friend and found ourselves, ON a pleas
ant morning in March, in the little capital Of
Florida. While VIC were enjoying our coffee
with number of gentlemen, one of them asked,
" Have you been to Wakulla!" We were
obliged to confess that we had never heard Of
such place With leok of establishment, he
proceeded to recount its wonders, We listened
as incredulously as you, dear reader, are about
to listen to my description. We resolved to
visit the place; and presuming, with all due re-
spect for your extensive geographical knowl-
edge, that you know no more of them than we
did, make no apology for giving you an ac-
count of our visit to the wonderful fountain.
Our road, which presented the usual variety
of sand and stumps lay through an almost un-
broken pine forest. We saw scarcely brook
or spring on the road to warn us of our ap-
proaeh to the great fountain of Wakula. At
length, after driving some fifteen miles, we
reached beautiful grove Taking narrow
path, we passed through some dense underwood;
land suddenly we wero standing on the edge of
u basin of water, about one hundred yards in
diameter. 1t is almost circular. The thick
bushes were growing to the waters edge, and
bowling their heads beneath its surface We
stepped into skif and pushed of from tho
sho,e. Some immense fishes attracted my atten-
tisp, and seized spear to strike them. The
b Altman laughed, and asked how far l supposed
they were beneath the surface. | replied,
4" 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 traas-
parency. dropped an ordinary pin in water
40 feet deep, and saw its head with perfect dis
tinctness as it lay on the bottom. As we ap-
preached the centre, noticed jagged, grayish
limestone cliff beneath us. 1t was perced with
holes; through these openings we seemed to look
into unfathomabe depth. The boat moved slow
ly on. We hung trembling over the edge of a
sunken precipice, and far, far below it, lay
dark, yawning, unfathomed abyss. From its
gorge came pouring forth with immense velocity
living river. Our little boat, floating on an
element as transparent as the air above, seemed
lowering midway between two worlds.
Pushing on just beyond this mouth, dropped
ten cent piece into the water, which is there
one hundred and ninety feet deep, aud saw it
clearly shining on the bottom. This seems indeed
incredible. The water must possess magnify
ing power, for if such piece of money were ly-
ing at the foot ofa tower one hundred and ninety
feat in height, it could not be seen SO plainly
J from tho summit. We now moved on towards
the south side of the basin, and suddenly we
perceived the water, the fishes that were darting
hither and thither, the long fexile roots, and
the wide -bladed, luxuriant grasses upon the bot
tom, all arrayed in the most brilliant prismatic
hues. The gentle SWELL occasioned by the mo-
ton of our skiff gave to the whole an unduia'
ting motion. Death-likestillnes reisned around.
All seemed magical aud unreal The boyish
dreams which used to have, after reading the
Arabian Nights Entertainments, were actual
lied. A more fairy scene can scarcely con-
ceive.
The Indian name for this spring is wonderfully
significant. Wakulla means " the Mystery ,
It is said that the Spanish discoveries of this
fountain plunged into it with almost frantic joy
They supposed they had found tho long sought
" Fons Juventutis,' or Fountain Of Youth,
which should rejuvsnate them after exhausting
marches and battles.