The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-19
For the Dispatch.
Inland Elnr1ssn.

slenderegs and long tail for n fly-br,lsh, siie
Florida horse will bear any weight ana y"
any distance. He arnbles along VIII shoi =;
quick step that does not tire the ,'uc. "nu
yet trayerses many mile OF roao o.. ns,. ~
sunrise and sunset. He is hardy. TOO, easy 70
saa,, md ~ ass cannot be had Qor he liz gen
eral{y mnacoI,ainted with hay. and turns up
his nose in great indignation when you offer
him srch stuff. he can find his own meal in
The nearest swamp or pond. He will wade
or swim out and put his head under water.
as though he was going a-tiShfne-nlle on
the long water-grass, and NIL himseH VIII
fresh food, and come forth sat,saied US TO 10
hath. And he fools the flies at the same
time. TN .,
in day further than you care to ride. You
had better not take dog along unless you
dislike him and want to lose him he will
feed the first alligator you meet in fording
stream. They are remarkably attached 70
dogs, aud receive them always with an open
expression Of countenance. Indeed, the
rider should be on his own guard; If there
is ANYTHING dogmatic or puppylsh about
him it were best LEFT with some one else, or
In his trunk. The alligator, though very
discriminating animal, might mistake the
biped for his resemblance, and his attentions
would BEL joke.
They are r7ncly troublesome, however ;
and there is more amusement IN shootlnSat
them than danger from their attacks a
traveller need not be uneasy aDo'it nisut
lodging in the wooas OF ioa ba made sua II yi
are hospitahfe, or IL charSe oe iii''''e ~ Wiz
be small one. a-...
on course no traveller will venture into the
uninhabited portions without guide ne
10 certainly lost otherwise. But with
knowing guide YOU may camp out comfort
ohly. A palmetto hut is quickly made, and
game and fish easily caught. You can live
Roughly. In the pine country 1t Is not ne
cesSary to keep the road; you can pass
readily through the woods, between these
tall palm trees.
CHIfoLA.
On horseback you may visit many curi 10;
ties not easily accessible otherwise. Inc
Big Spring of Chipola is one OF these. here
II river rushes out OF the grouna Win ia TS
volume of water and great force. The
opening is from a high, swelling bank,
almost hill in size, and the water bursts
ND through masses Of rugged rock with
furious rapidity, us though impatient OF
confinement and anxious to get into the
light of day. The high bank Is covered
with large, noble-looking oaks, and the orr
fee from which the water flows Is amour
thirty feet deep by eight feet wide: Just
below the surface large rock diFlucS IL
into two parts, and the sunlight shining
into the rocky bottom is reflected in all the
colors of the rainbow. and the undnlAtmg
rushing water gives motion and beauty 10
the colors. 1t is q beautiful sight. rms
spring forms q river of clear water nearly q
hundred feet across and eight feet deep; IL
Joins and helps to form the river Chipola.
NATURAL BRIDGES.
Or YOU may visit some of the natural
bridges, of which so many are found IN
Florida. A river will sink into the earth,
and the waters come up again shorter or
a longer distance of. One of them is three
miles long, or broad rather; others are
only few feet. In one place connection
between two of these spring lakes has
been traced eight miles, and did hear that
some brave fellow had gone underground
in canoe from one Of these springs to an
other in time Of low water. On one of
these bridges battle was fought during
the war; the Confederates, small party
Of boys and old men, taking position on it,
and thus, with both flanks protected, resist
ed and repulsed The attack.
sISK-HoLEs.
You will often find sink-holes, where the
ground, undermined by running waters,
has suddenly given away and sunk down
bodily, trees and all.
A party of hunters described to me such
q scene. They were camping, and heard
crash, and felt the earth shake near them.
On rushing to the spot they saw the earth
still sinking, deep chasm formed, and the
edges still dropping in. The water was
rushing up, and the trees; most OF when h
still stood upright, were slowly being SUB
merged by the rising waters, until their
very tops were covered. That grove would
have been bad place TO camp and sleep on
unless man knew how to swim.
In some of the lakes few miles from the
sen the ebb and flow Of the tide is percepti-
BILE, although the water is not sait-Just as
the tide is felt in o fresh-water river fur from
its mouth. Sea fish are caught in these
lakes.
I was amused with the Florida carts-not
with their make and appearance, that was
rough enough-but with their gearing.
The cart-horse or mule is saddled, and the
drivers ride. If q road is impossible, or il
there is no road, the shafts are slipped out
of the back-band, and the teamster becomes
a horseman. AS there is no going down
hill there is no need of any breeching. A
cart-ride is amusing; you have the driver
before you, jolting up and down on horse
back, by way Of prospect.
On horseback you can choose your dis
trict, and either stay in some Of the rich
and highly-cultivated cotton regions or
wander through gloomy pines or in swampy,
fat lands.
You may visit the refined city of Tallahas-
see and enjoy its beautiful surroundings, or
you may 60 towards the Everglades and en-
ter the Indian country, and hunt with
them, or get among the cattle-raisers.
The Indians do not like strangers, and
are not sociable but there is talisman
that will move them out Of stoicism into
cordially. There is a sesame that will open
an Indians heart and mouth, and that Is
whiskey. The race is truly barbarous.
They are the only sayages who have never
invented an Intoxicating liquor OF their
own. They are fond OF liquor, and Will
drink; vet, however much they drink, no
one ever saw nm Indian have delrium tre-
mens. ! think the reason is that the Indian
has not intellect enough to 90 mad. 1t re-
quires brains to enable one to become
insane, and the Indian seems wanting in
this necessary article.
However, ride into their country, put up
with chief, give him whiskey in moderate
quantities, promise him more, and he and
his are at your service as long RS you
choose to stay. He will become garrulOus,
mix I'D his English and Indian in IN imper-
feet polyglot, swear friendship, not let his
dogs bite you, feast you to the extent of his
cookery, share his hut, &C., with you, and
take you hunting. met one young fellow
who had led this life with them and enjoy
ed it. He was welcome so long as his whis-
key lasted.
That Florida war must have been rather
expensive undertaking. One Of the actors
in Il told me that besides the lives lost and
the health ruined it must have cost to kill
or remove one Indian rather more than
$4,000. It would have been cheaper to