Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-01-13
NO. ".
TOT e" ~ For the Spectator.
A Trip to Florida---No. V.
MADISON. Florida, Dec. Goth, 1857.

:. A Trip to FlOrida...No. v.
Il MADISON, Florida, Dec. Goth, 1851.
f. Although have written of the climate of this
State already, Messrs. Editors, will take the
liberty of so far revertipg to it as to say. that
we have had but one light frost in December
3 IHyacinths and pinks are in blossom butterflies
are flying, tomatoes are coming up &C., &C.
} How this will compare with your climate just
7 now, ], of course, do not know, as seldom see
La paper from Va,
But it is time to take mp some other subject.
will speak, then, next of the face OF the coun-
TRY, ~ a.s51 9. '.l ?Ji ri lV ~,
4 This, although frequently much more undala-
ting than is generally supposed, is rarely what
you would call hilly. These undulations are
sometimes sufficient to make the face of the
4 country very beautiful. The larger portion OF
the State, however, comes very near to being q
perfect plain and, of course, is very monoto-
nous.
| In West Florida, beautiful and clear streams
of water with gravelly bottoms are said to be
common; and so also near the Atlantic In the
East but in the middle, and in most OF East
| Florida, they are very rare. Under the surface
they are, in many places, rather common: IEls
| is evident from the fact that the earth over
them has, in many places, fallen into the chan
uels, ard been carried off by the water, SO that
the streams can be seen. They appear also,
where they discharge themselves into rivers, as
| is frequent, and after they are as large as your
largest creeks. Usually, they are very strongly
impregnated with lime from rotten limestone"
and the water, which is about the temperature
of your streams in the heat Of Summer, is con-
sidered very unhealthy.
| About II miles Southwest of Tallahasse there
| is spring called the Wakulla, which, | am told
| (for have not seen it nor any of the springs i
am about to describe) is about 100 yards in d.
ameter and 100 feet in depth and yet its waters
are SO clear and possess such powers to magnl'
fy that the smallest piece of coin can be seen on
the bottom and fish appear greatly above their
real size. The channel through which its wa
ters find their way into the Gull, is SO wide and
deep that schooner might ascend II, and set erai
men of war might ride at the same time in the
spring ITSELF If shall ever be: permitted to
visit this spring you may expect q more particu-
lar account.
In the Eastern part of the State and down in
the peninsula. is another, of about the dimen-
sons of the one described, called "Siver Spring"
II takes its name from the peculiar appearance
of the water. A steamboat has ascended the
channel that issues from it to the fountain
head.
Between the mouth of Withlacoocke River
and Tampa Bay; ;are three other springs very SIM
liar to the last but not so large. Their chan
nes vary In length, from 10 to 10 miles, and are
SO large that sloops ascend them readily TO their
heads. a- E. q.
Florida, more than any other country have
seen. abounds in lakes. These vary in size
from 30 wards in length and width, to 40 miles,
Usually they abound in fish SO that those VINO
live near them, can at all times nearly have their
tables supplied. At this season they aboundln
wild ducks also consequently, duck-shooting or
duck-eating is very common. In them some-
times wild geese seek refuge from the rlgors OF
the north. There alligators bask in the sun and
try their art of catching upon unwary dogs, ana
swine, and other animals not too large that
come to the margins. In this art they are said
to be no mean adopts. They swim along IN the
water with no part of the body above its sur
face except their protuberant eyes, until they
get near enough to strike the animal with their
tail; that accomplished and the prize is secure
More or less of swamps are to be met with all
over Florida. In neither west nor middle fior-
ida are they common, and seldom large; but in
the more southern part of the peninsula they
are very common and very large. Ot this no
one need be told who has heard of the Ever
glades," hitherto, well nigh, impenetrable re-
treats of the Seminole Indians:
have sent You already leaf of the Florida
pine. That timber is more abundant IN tins
State than all others, and sometimes very large.
Occasionally there are tracts of land that are
covered with oak, hickory, dogwood, sweet
gum. water oak and magnolia, and sometimes
with magnolia only. The swamps are covered
with variety of timbers-sometimes with cy-
| press exclusively, sometimes with mixture OF
magnolia, stall, green bay-tree," and gum, WIN
thick underground OF bamboo and brambie;;
The magnolia is the most beautiful tree have
ever seen, and for making furniture, it is well
nigh equal to mahogony. 1t is very dlthcut TO
| kill, and, hence, very much disliked by those
who have to clear it off their lands.
In some parts of the State You meet with the
palmetto or "cabbage tree" This for ornament
cannot be easily surpassed. 1t grows sometimes
to the height of 60 feet without limb. 1t then
sends out its beautifully green pettoes from to
TO feet long, on the ends of which are large
and beautiful evergreen leaves. 1t has but
single root, and this runs directly down into the
earth like radish. The wood is very sprlngy
and very Lastly. Many Of your readers Will re-
member that "Fort Moultrie," near Charleston,
in South Carolina, was made of palmetto logs:
In the legends of Spain l had read OF the
cabbage tree" but thought it fabulous; it
turns out however 20 be reality. The top OF
the stem when boiled in water has the taste OF
cabbage, and is very nutricious. Several years
ago surveyor in this peninsula, subsisted for
three days on this alone But must not weary
your readers. Yours truly, ID. b.