Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-08-07
Revenge!
Ny fathers death avenged
By his son.
A Wonderful Lake.

A letter in the Pittsburg Commercial
tells how party of gentlemen recently
succeeded in making their way to the
shore of Lake Okeechobee, and in
making partial exploration OF that
great, dismal body of water, which lies
in the midst of the gloomy swamps
and sombre forests of Southern Florida.
Concerning Lake Okeechobee, COM
paratively little has been known,
except in regard to its geographical
position and the peculiar character of
its shores. It is from twenty to forty
miles wide, and is supposed to be over
sixty miles in length, and to cover an
area of more than two thousand square
miles. 1t is surrounded on every side,
except the North, by dense forests of
cypress and pine, and vast and almost
impenetrable swamps.
Several United States forts are stu
ated in this portion Of Florida, some
in the very vicinity of this lake but
its uninviting character, and the entire
absence of suitable means for exploring,
have combined to discourage those
who were stationed there from making
any extensive observations, 80
that succeeding garrisons, from time to
time, went to and came away from
there, and while each wondered what
this curious water contained, all were
compelled to leave without unwilling
the secrets of this secluded lake.
The party were over four weeks in
moving their boat to the shore of the
lake, a distance Of fifteen miles. They
visited q number of islands of consid-
enable extent, upon some of which thew
discovered heaps of stone lying in sucl,
Il position MS to resemble ruins of some
kind of structures. None Of the ruins
were extensive, and the structu res
must, therefore, have been of small
dimensions. Similar ruins, if such
they were, were found in great mum.
bers upon tho small island north OF
this one.
Upon the summit of a cliff which,
stands upon the eastern shore of the
large island, the party fonnl a large
heap of stones lying III l. semi-circulal
form, and facing to the cast. The
length of these ruins was nearly 200
feet in front of tins semi circle, and
about fifty feet from it was Il large heap,
of stones nearly twenty feet square.
Tho ruins found on the plain Dclow,
and upon the small island, we're mucl,
smaller than those found upon the cliff,
being only from five TO ten feet square.
There Gun be little doubt that these
stones are ruins Of ancient struc.
lures, but of what kind of structures
no ono can tell. Their limited size
preclules the possibility of their hav.
ing been used for this purpose by peo
pie Of ordinary size. The lake in the
vicinity of these islands swarmc.l
with alligators, many of them being o
monstrous size and uncomfortable,
tame. This fact, in connection Will
the insignificant appearance of the isl
ands, induced the party to remain bn
a short time in this vicinity
The explorers left their boat upon
the bank Of the bayou, and rct,,rnc.
home very much eratitietl at the sue
cess Of their undertaking. They con
template making another and more
extensive exploration of the lake II
some time during this seas on. and hop
to n.ld mucl, more to their knowlcaG
Of this like. They arr fully satisfied
that the lake ~ more extensive tina
has been generally supposed; that l
extends further south into the cvcrglu.l
swamp, and is somewhat wider tina
hitherto believed. Tho islands foun
in, this lake, although not extensive
are at least beautiful and interesting
and the ruins discovered npon the,
may yet prove to be IL key to the earl
history of one OF til" iovcliest portio,
'of America.