The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-19

all sense oil the beauty OF SCENERY Ut III
terest in It's various sources Of knowledge:
The SsyannAhs, in which we sailed all
dsy Saturday, gradually merge into q
chain al beautiful slGkOs-Lakea Grimm,
Eustice and Harris. We entered Lake
Griffin on Saturday evening. II Is q
Charming sheet OF water, with hlgh
banks, un some of which are fine building
sites. In the dim gray Of the dawn, Sun
day morning, we woke to find ourselves
tied up to q wharf IA Okahumke. we
turned over and went TO sleep, and when
we awokc again the boat was far on her
homeward way again We were just
passing out OF Lake ElstaCe into Lake
Griffin as we lett the breakfast table. 1t
was as lovely Il day as heart could imag-
inc, aDgelically clear and fresh, and our
quarteite sat on the deck and sang hymns
In infinite variety. 80. -Fn~y-. ,
In our youth a religious hymn was the
most long.draWn and doleiul sonnd con-
ceivable. Now, under the genial culture
Of the Sunday.schOol, hymns have budded
and blossomed; they are full OF lie, and
color and motion.
Sunday night tue wonders Of our vOY-
age came to climax. The captain had
announced 10 US that the boat would enter
the Silver Spring between one and two
o'clock, and advised US 10 sit up If we
wanted to sec the very finest part OF the
route. Sel"'!0iD
We did sit up, prepared as We were by
q nights experience in wild forest traY.
cling. We were taken bV surprise by
the wonderful scenes through which we
passed. ~. u
We seemed floating through IN i'm
mense cathedral, whose white marble
columns met in vast arches overhead
and were reflected in the CLASSY depths
below. The dusky plumes OF the palmetto
waving above, lit by torChlight, looked
like the fine tracery Of u wondrOus sculp;
tured roof. The brilliant under.white Of
the bay leaves, the transparent red oil the
water maple, and the soft, vivid feathers
Of the cypress, had magical brlllianCy
as our light passed through the wooded
hisles. The reflected freight gave the
most peculiar effect. Every trunk, and
limb, and branch OF the trees, down TO
the minutest spray, was OF glistGning
whiteness, like ivory. The gray moss
that strcamed down seemed like crapy
wells of silver, and was OF wonderful
profusion, in some cases yelling the trees
entirely.
In the stiffness Of the night our gliding
boat seemed to float like spectre; clouds
OF fragrance were waited TO US from dis
tant orange groves. The cranes and
herOns and wildwood birds would awake,
dazed with the glare of our torches, and
futtcr into our very hands as we passed.
We took one step from the sentimental
TO the ludiCrOus, when one OF our party
most unexpectedly captured a ;water.lur.
key from u Dough Just ovetnhr heals, md
held him aloit in wild excitement. The
poor bird made the best use Of his long,
snaky neck, throwing himself with open
mouth hither and thlllIcr among the com.
pany with u pluCky show Of fight, till, be.
tween laughing and alarm, we were thor,
oughly disComposed and prevailed upon
his CaptOr to throw him back into the
trees.
What q night was that Everybody
watched and wondered, aud the most pro;
sale grew poetic. About ono o OltCk we.
glided into Silver Sprinf 3un, and by two
We were all gathered on the lower deck,
looking down into transparent depths that
gave the impression that our boat was
moving through air. Every pebble and
aquatic plant we glidcd over seemed, In
The torCh-light, invested with iPfismNtic
brightness. When the boat at last came
to the landing in the Silver Spring, we
laid US down 10 sleep, fairly tired out with
excitement, TO wait Tor morning. -
Monday morning broke bright and
beautiful, and there we lay in q little
wooded basin quarter OF mile in diam.
ater, with all the under world clearly
revealed from its translucent depths. The
water had the crystalline clearness and
The magical prismatiC reflections which |
gave such charm 10 the blue grotto at
Capri. Ribs OF limestone rock are seen
far down, and the spring boils and bubbles |
upward, throwing In thousands Of gallons
q minute without making more than
ripple on the surface.
A party Of US got into little skii and
located oVer.thG iransparGntdepth. .EY..
cry variety Of water was growing and
laCeS E loftRs b5Etoas, 'n SHSh lad Is
heights and its depths, lis caVerns and
yroItos. We could see the fish darting
ilther and thither, and mark on thai
brilliant sands at the bottom various OH
ects which had been thrown in by ex4
travellers. The water was
lbout the same high temperature viii
he spring at Green Cove. The shore
we're clothed With tropical forests alE
ltoundi and here and nherp Rs copld sec
larry flocks Of b peculiar and beautiful
white lily which grows abundantly on
hose waters. From star.shAped CRlyEl
If six narrow white leaves comes out q
silver cup, from the edges Of which rise