The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-10

e,.r long, ceaan.likc boat the BARRIER of cons
tlemned souls, OUR black, silent boatnen,
! Charon and his crew. TWAS oppressive.
Toward evening the scene changed. The
river for the first time forked, and taking
| the right.hand one, we soon left trees be-
hind us, and found our river meander1ng
through, broad savannah Of bright, green
grass. 1t was still swamp, but grass swamp:
Here a current was plainly percepflble, ana
the stream became clearer and deeper. 9
Eight miles of this, and we shot into
spring four hundred feet across and more
than fifty deep, clear as crystal, surrounded
to the waters edge with cypress, palm, and
ltye-oak--a circle of watery beauty set in
the sand Of East Florida. 1t was Silver
Spring. By contrast it was beautiful; yet
1t had its own peculiar charm, and In Itself
and by itself would have been admired any
where, even in land of springs and foun-
tains. ..s I'll
This cup Of crystal water has no streams
running into it. The fountains that sup
piled it and formed the river came from be-
low, and burst up under large lodges Of
limestone that formed its bottom. 1t filled
itself to the brim, and ran over at break
in the edge of the cup. Owing to the up
rush of this large stream there Is q constant
undulation impaired to the whole mass OF
water that IL never seen in lakes fed by sur
face streams. The very water seems to Vi
brate and this imparts peculiar appear
ance to everything seen within it. The floor
of this cup by no means consists OF Lodges
OF white limestone; they only appear here
and there, and each one is set in frame OF
long, waving grcen-water grass ana yerdant
moss, whose vivid color and many shades
of green are rendered more brilliant be-
cause they receive and reflect the rays Of
sunshine as perfectly as though in the open
air. This water is so perfectly transparent
that the minutest objects can be seen. In
deed, it magnifies. A pearl button dropped
upon the rocky floor can be. as distinctly
seen as in the palm of the hand.
These white rocks are set In deep borders
of long grasses that continually undulate
with the motion Of the water. And while
OH the surface this rock is merely coarse
white limestone, here the depth, the firing
a different hue, and change its coarse white
into richly-burnished silver, tinged with
green. 1t looks like the changing colors we
Sometimes see in the inside Of some sea-
shells. And this gorgeous beauty is also
undulating; so that the lake is indeed
bath of beauty. Myriads of fish of all kinds
and sizes peculiar to the region (but dark
in color are seen swimming and sporting
in and out Of these Ito them) tall forests Of
grass and moss. 1t Is pleasing sight TO
watch them scrambling and fighting for the
food you throwthem.
You can gather immense numbers around
the boat with few crumbs of bread, and
can fish tor them without the usual uncer-
tainty of the angler here you have your
game always in view. And / can safely
assert that although they are beautiful in
the water, they look very well upon the
table.
I want to have its waters stocked with
goldfish, and thus have an aquarium that
one might sail over and enjoy in full de-
light.
I have seen many wonderful things in
Florida, and many beautiful things, but
nowhere have seen such gem of perfect
beauty as the Silver Spring. up. l..