Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-08-07
Revengel
lily fathers death avenged
By his son.
A Wonderful L.akA

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 it's geographical
position and the peculiar character of
its shores. 1t 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
it's 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, q distance of fifteen miles. They
visited n number of islands of consid-
e1able extent, upon some of which thew
discovered heaps of stone lying in such
a position rs 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 we're, were found in great num-
bers upon the small island north of
this one.
! Upon the summit of cliff which
stands upon the eastern shore of the
large island, the party fonnd large
heap of stones lying III semi-circular
form, and facing to the cast. The
length of these ruins was nearly 200
feet in front of this semi circle, and
about fifty feet from it was a large heap
of stones nearly twenty feet square.
The ruins found on the plain below,
and upon the small island, were much
smaller than those found upon the cliff,
being only from five TO ten feet square.
There can bs little doubt that these
stones are ruins of ancient struc-
lures, but of what kind of structures
no one can tell. Their limited size
precludes the possibility of their hav.
ing been used for this purpose by PEG.
pie of ordinary size. The lake in the
vicinity of these islands swarme%l
with alligators, many Of them being OF
mOnstrons size and uncomfortably
tame. This fact, in connection with
the insignificant appearance of the isl
ands, induced the party to remain but
Il short time in tl>ia vicinity.
The explorers left their boat upol
the bank Of the bayou, and returned
home very much eratified at the sue
cess Of their undertaking. They con
template making another and NOR
extensive exploration Of the lake Il
some time during this seas on, and hop
to Mid much more to their knowlcdg
Of this like They arc fully Statistic,
that the lake Is more extensive thai
has been generally supposed; that l
extends further south into the everglad
} swamp, and is somewhat wider thai
hitherto believed. The islands foun,
in; this lake, although not extensive
are ut least beautiful and Interesting
and the ruins discovered npon thei
may yet prove to be a key to the earl
history of one OF the ioveliest portion
'of America.