The Indiana State sentinel., 1874-02-10
oKEECHoBEE.

FLoEzDA's INLAND sEA-HoosKER Ex520EERs
-NB. INGRAM ELE7CHER ORGANIZERS AN
ExBEDIT1oN-THE GREAT FLORIDA Kgxr.
The Eastern. Herald of Palatka, FLORIDA,
has this interesting account Of the wonders
of lake Okeecho5ee, and how some boosters
are exploring themS Okeeehobee is the
largest fresh water lake in Florida, ana is
invested with peculiar interest. We are in.
formed by the old hnnters that the lake is
about sixty miles long and from thirty to
forty miles wide. There is an island in the
centre of the lake where the pink curlsg con-
gregate in vast nura.bers 10 roost at night.
AS TO the rocks in the vicinity of
this lake indicating the antiqui-
ty Of a former civilized rare, is regarded as
a myth, for 1t is evident that no part OF the
Florida Peninsular was ever inhabited with
any othe- than the wild Aboriginees. We
have been very much interested in q late
account given by MIR. AL, Speer, of Orange
county about q trip to lake Okeechobee.
N.Y. Speer and his party transported a
good sized boat, from MellonviEe on wheels !;
amer several days travel through an inter-
naiJlable wilderness, they reached their des-
tin alton on small creek emptying into the
lalxe. They found the lake skirted with a
tn ick underground the haunt of various
wilderness with its inland sea, with
no boat, sail, OF evidence of the face divine
the, howl of wolves, the cries of panthers
and the reverberating believing sound OF
! alligators, was enough, Speer said, to make
a man wish himself back on his homeward
track. The land around the lake is fertils
and sufficiently elevated in places, for habi-
tations. After pitching their tent the party
made preparation tor the hunt They start
ed at day-break remaining till the evening
of each day before they returned. In killing
game they had unparalleled success. They
had
/ MANY HAIR BREADTH ESCAPES.
The number of lear, dear, panther, and
smaller game killed seems almost Incredible
OF the terror OF alligators, Speer said, that
while returning late in the evening each day
to their camp, they were terrified al
the approach of large alligators
they would rise up with theil
i ugly heads within few feet of the boat
] with an ominous glare in their dreadful
! eyes, threatening them with terrible death
at any moment. They did not dare to firt
upon them quiet retreat seemed to then
the better part of valor At night thes'
monsters would approach she camp ant
keep up kissing noise through the night
An alligator is supposed to attain to his ful
growth at the age of one hundred years
imagine then the formidable appearance o.
these monsters in the waters of the Okee
! chobee where they remained for age
undisturbed. There is no littl
excitement here just now about the expedi
ton fitting up for the Okeechobee lake, b,
Mr.. A. j. Root, of Cohoes, N. Y, and MI
!. Ingram Fletcher, of Indiana. These gentle
men, with others, are determined to explor
the waters and surroundings of this iDlan'
sea. That they viii have good time W
have no doubt, and the reading sportin
world will, no doubt, be startled with tn
, exciting wonders of this great Florida hunt
, We do not think that either Root or Fletche
: fear to face the conflict with these monsters
: but 1t will be necessary for them to act wit
|, caution where the alligator is so unacqainte
with man. fl