Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-12-20

mnngfONcS tnhb the cartn - entirely hluuen, ana
landing rendered impossible. From n distance
they appear like n regularly shaped mound Of the
darkest green, rising from the water, and seeming
to float upon its surface. The Floridians call them
maugruve keys par excellence, us they are made
OF nothing else.
The pine comes next. Some keys possess toll
erahlv extensive pine barrens, as they are termed,
though We think tho name an unjust reflection on
one unfortunate tree, for the land is not more bar.
ren there than ON most other places. The keys
are not gardens, toy any means. Though the pines
never equal the height of their nlrthern brethren.
aud would look like bushes beside the gigantic
pines OF California, still, they are the loItiest wood
ON the keys.
Then we have the palmetto, the famous soft
wood. used Tor the erection of Fort Moultrie, in
the Revolution, and celebrated for lis power OF
resisting balls. 1t rises, II straight, branchless
trunk for about twenty or thirty feet, and Mt the
top expands into broad leaves, something like al
enormous umbrella.
Oak, also. is to be met with, though for pur.
poses Of tanning it is not indispensable, as the
red mangrove well supplies its place.
An almost endless list follows. OF which only a
few deserve our notice. The handsome yellow
wood, very well adapted for violins, gun-stocks, or
any ornamental work, is often sent to England
where il brings u higt >rice. We have only space
to briefly mention the mahogany madeira, the
mnstic and princewoOd, the stopper and tho torch,
both black and white. The lancewuOd sometimes
I NNCulS ~ NV llhNlN w ~ -" VIZ
for axe-handlcs, the sh ATS Of carriages,0r, indeed,
for any purpose in which great strength and elac-
ITCHY are required. The pige1n plum bears u small
black plum. hardly bigger than II cherry, but very
sweet. The iron wu0d, almost as firm and hard
AS iron, has II fruit much resembling the pigeon
plum, though far inferior in flavor.
The bay cedar is u variety st the common cedar,
but its leaves are fewer and larger. The inner
bark is said to possess remarkable medical virtues.
1t is intensely astringent, and probably initiates
The arnica montana uf the hUmmUpathists in many
of its properties. Whatever these may lie, they
are almost utterly unknown at the north. The
wild s~apadilla must not he overlooked. Its snowy
bark, sputtcd with stains Of the liveiiest crimson,
appears as if some wounded deer had rubbed
against it, in passing, aud left the date of its pas
sage written in blood. The berry is about the
size and shape Of a walnut, and, like the whole
tree, emits n milky juice, en- being cut. Another
tree, or rather ush-for it scarcely deserves n
loltier title-very similar to the last, is the seven
year apple, as the Floridians call it, though why
we confess ourselves unable to guess for it,
small hard apple punctuaIly makes its appearance
every year.
That hard and heavy wood, The lignum vitp
though seldom seen among the keys, occurs on
one So plentiiuliy as to bvstow its own name upon
it. But the largest of the keys, and the key, too.
shat furnishes the most numerous varieties vi wood,
indeed, many which are found nowhere else, is
Largo, II long marrow island about seventy miles
northeast from Key West. 1t is about twenty-five
miles in length, aud OF II breadth diminishing from
five miles to barely three quarters. The soil is
more fertile than ON any other key, and its pro
lductiuns are consequently more abundant and
various. A few scattered llve-Oak trees grow here,
and the wild tamurind. which, though seldom
exceeding forty feet in height, is often more than
two feet in diameter, affords excellent ship
timber.
Largo is peculiarly adapted for the cultivation
of tropical fruits. The lime, the lemon, the sweet
.n,.- ,I, .,,nn, ,nRn tIn larra liz q. trh
would flourish here like the scriptural bay-trce.
The banana, too, and the cOcoa-nut help to swell
the number of its gifts to man, though, as yet,
very few men have taken advantage of its lib
crafty.
Sweet potatoes are raised on several keys
wherever IL small settlement of one or two fam
lies has been made. On Matecumbe, a key neal
Large, the Irish potato has been planted. and
| after several seasons. still retains it's original quail
ties without changing iHtO the sNeet. 1t is aston
; ishing on what a slender support these sweet pDta'
? toes WI flourish. We have often seen II space
between two barr,r rocks entirely filled by AZ
g enormous potato, which seemed to have absorbed
4 all the sill uelr it; for when taken up th,
rock beneath was left bare.
The hemp plant of Florida, sometimes termed
$ sea.snil hemp, from the preference it seems To ex
: hibit for marine situations along the coast, hardi,
e yields to the celebrated Manila in those qualities
that constitute its eXcellence-strength and dura
q bllity. A single strand has proved able to sustai,
IA weight of six pounds, while n fibre Of Manila
hemp breaks alder Il strain OF four or five pounds
e 1t is cultivated on Key West to some extent, thuugl
c the prevailing ignorance. as 10 its valuable proper
5 lies, has, AS yet, prevented 1t from becoming an ex
: tensive article Of commerce.
d The entire height Of the plant varies from ten It
eighteen feet. Near the root, long thick leave
t. spread out, attaining often IL length ut five feet
with II breadth Of ten or twelve inches. Th,
d tbrUus structure of these leaves forms the hemp
Y like the bark ard leaves Of our common hem
n plant, and needs only TO be treated in the SAM
G manner. From the centre Of this cluster. which
e resembles u palmetto tree, could we conceive it
1t trunk to he completely buried beneath n pile q
d sand, Il tall straight shaft rises, and expands ineo
n tuit ut the summit. Here we find the seed in tn
shane Of shoots, arranged sAmmelricali
around the trunk. These fall to the groInd aftei
@ reaching II certain stage of development, and serv
r To propagate the plant for, like the little man
grove 'hub.," wherever they touch the grOun
they take 70 and flourish.
m Llrgo is the only key that can furnish a respect
a. able wild beast. Black bears have been seen there
IT though they are not very numerous. On one &c
nj cusiun. when two men landed from a beat to attac
c n large fellow, near the beach, be pursued then
To IL the h0at, compelled them to vacate the premise,
re- nd quietly took his seat in the stern, while tn
I'd discomfi ed hunters made the best Of their wa
ashure by swimming.
Deer are found ON most of the keys. Althoug
The animals themselves are rarely visible, thei
I'd footprints cover almost every spot whore the sol
p. mud will admit an Impression. They are rattle
~ u degenerated breed though occasionally II iai
:. specimen is encountered. They have a great iunC
h. ness for exploring points and peninsulas, and ac
is vantage pi this harmless peculiarly is often take
ne ny the hunter, The raccoon is not SO shy indeeC
ne they are very nfren caught alive by an activ We mar
III rs they will suffer their pursuer To approach witt
su in Il few feet. The tradition of mans cruelty ha
he evidently never been spread among them.
a Rattlesnakes, m0ccasins, and watersnakei
ch are rather too plentiful for comfort and land an
rk sea birds, Of all kinds and descriptions, help
h. make the air populous.
e, The numerous channels, that wind in all dire,
n tiuns through the keys,are generally well supple
On with fish, that in number and variety emulate I'll
n, birds. There is the grant, very much resemblin
our common perch, and 70 called from the peculia
an sound ii makes, when taken out OF the water.
stranger need only catch one, to perceive at one
a how we'll 'merited is the name. The grouper, III
k. E~jackish, the lcrdly barracuda, and many other
I'll are all abundant, though swarms of sharks, swur,
Dy fish, and saw fish, do their utmost to thin the
- pu,nIar Gl,rGc ~ ,1a.;Aallr o., I,,..a,. a.: :