Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-07-23
The Beautiful Indian River I'm Flor

A correspondent OF the Baltimore
Sun, at Sand Point, Florida, thus re-
fers to Indian river:
1t is an arm of the Atlantic ocean,
running parallel with the coast, and
separated from the sea by a distance
varying from quarter to ten miles.
1t is one hundred and twenty miles
in length, and from one to six miles
In width, with continuous sea breeze,
clear and healthful. Its shores are
rock bound, of fine building mate
rial, susceptible of being shaped to
suit building purposes, also cOnverti-
BILE into Nme. 1t Is known as the CO.
quine rock; Is equal to mari as u fer
tilizer, and inexhaustible in quantity,
the bed extending from here north-
ward to st. Augustine. From this,
together with the quantity ofifish to
be obtained from the river, there
could be manufactured q fertilizer
superior to very many sold In our
markets. There Is no sickness on In
dian river, and we could see no cause
for disease.
The quality Of lands on the river
vary in color and productiveness. The
kind most sought is the high ham,
mock, varying in color from dark
snuff or chocolate to light gray, the
former of which is the most produc-
tive. The low hammock is of a black
color, suitable for the culture Of the
sugar cane. As the war now pend
ing in the island OF Cuba appears
continuous, and its results will prove
disastrous to agriculture in that coun.
try, and tend to the decentralization
of labor, the advantages which this
country presents to the planter, in
lands equally suitable for the culture
of sugar and tobacco rs those i'm the
Seem of Antilles" must, of course,
be enhanced.
The country bordering on Indian
river abounds In deer, bear, turkeys,
duck and other game, which can be
obtained without great difficulty.
In the garden attached to our camp
about one hundred yards distant, the
track of deer made in their visits to
the sweet potato beds the preceding
night might he seen in the morning
by scores. Bear are plenty during
month of June, when they visit the
beach to hunt eggs in the sand.
Let me give you an idea of the fa-
cility with which dinner can be got
ten up here. On Sunday, q neighbor
living two miles distant, sauntered
with his rifle on his shoulder from his
camp to ours, to spend the day,
brought In gobbler, to season which,
a boy was sent to the river to get a
supply of oysters with which to make
a pie to stuff the turkey. We drew a
large bass from the river, and with a
cast net one of the party caught three
fine ducks, while n fat haunch OF
venison was procured from fine
buck hanging from large live oak
which shaded the camp. So you see
with what facility we procured a
sumptuous dinner. We had no need
for sardines. Indian river challenges
any stream known in its supply of
fine fish of the choicest varieties.
The most valued Is the pompino,
which Is about the size and shape of
the sheephead, but decidedly superior.
Unlike any other fish we know of,
the bones of the pompino are eaten
away with avidity, being of rich,
juicy, grisly substance; the flesh, also,
Is incomparably fine. Their appear
ance is beautiful, having very small
scale of the color of gold and silver.
Next Is the cavalier, something like
the pompino, but not so delicious ;
then comes the sheephead, mullet,
bass, drum, whiting, and many
Others.
All the tropical fruits are here, as
there Is no winter to destroy them,
Indian river being in the 9th paral-
lei of latitude. For early vegetables
for northern market, this Is fine
country, as all the different varieties
grow well. Unlike other portions of
OF the South, the sweet potato Is
planted from the seed but once, as the
vines are always alive and continu-
ously planted. They have been known
to obtain great size, weighing as
much as twenty-five pounds.
While here we visited the celebrat-
ed orange grove of Captain Dummett.
1t has over two thousand bearing
sweet orange trees, producing annu-
ally something 5000, 900 oranges.
IL was, without exception, the most
beautiful sight we ever beheld, The
crop Of 1868 and 90, sold Mt the grove
/ for $1,000. Besides this, there Is
another large grove, owned by Major
Barnum, ON Barnum river, and many
other smaller ones. such Is the In