Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-09-10
For the Winning ton Journal
JoEEINGS BY THE WAY
An Excursion Upon sue st. Johns,
Fla M the Spring of 1878.
BIZ ONE OF THE LADY ExCCRsIoNIsTs

Ia M the spring Oh 1879.
BIZ ONE OF THE LADY ExcCRsIoN1sTs.
This AFTERNOON a small party of gen.
writer was one, left Jackson
vile Florida upon the steam
er "Forrester," for an excursion up
the ST. John--a pleasure for which
we were indebted to our friend and
townsmau Mr.. j. P. T. who had invi-
ted some clerical friends, and few
ladies to meet his guest Rev. Mr.. W.
Of W. and together to explore this
beautiful river. We made a party
of nine.
The steamer. owned by himself, was
by Mr.. L. tastefully fitted up and fur
plshed with everything that could
minister to material comfort, while
the event proved that the congenial
spirits OF the party were prepared to
do as mach towards their own intel
lectual and social enjoyment
st quarter before p. m. our lit
tie boat steamed off amid the waving
adleus of friends on DO ,rd to one left
solitary on the wharf, whose business
engagements ut the last moment pre-
vented him from sharing the enjoy
ments he had so kindly devised for
others compelling b m to remit his
guests to the care of his other self.
The declining sun smiled upon our
departure Notwithstanding a bar
thrown by a jealous cloud across his
disc as if toremind us that we were vio-
lating an old superstition, forbidding
the commencem n OF a journey upon
Friday But the benignant orb ere
descending below the horizon, shook
off the omen as If to say Do you not
see that Friday ls over then beamed
good night and left us to the stars
But daylight had not yet gone down;
and from many q headland and bay
upon the broad river, there came sug-
gestions of the rich beauty of which
Earth, espe tally in this lovely South
ern wilderness, Is so full. A beauty
softeued and enhanced on this occa-
ion by the hour and the distance at
which il was viewed. For be it known
to you who have never seen it, that
| this river SO obscure till of late, has
few equals in the land, for the breadth
Of waters which it rolls toward the
sea. For at least one hundred NJ les
above its mouth aud apart from from
those more formal engagements called
! lakes. it maintains a constant width
of two to three miles increased at
one point, little above jacksonville
! to six.
| And so, as we sailed into the South,
We chatted gaiIy of the pleasure
before us, or more dreamily of the
beauty around US, till the spell was
| disturbed by the summons to some
thing more mundane, but in its own
place rs necessary. Shalt l name it
Supper
Our young hostess, Mrs. T.. having
assigned to all, their places at the ia
BILE, for we were to be an or lerly par
ty, aud grace having been said by the
Rev. MIR. r. of Baltimore, we sat
down to n board covered with substan-
tia and delicacies, to which our party
! apparently as hungry as hilarious, did
ample Justice.
Supper over, We were glad to ex-
change the lamp light of the cabin for
the softer light of the stars upon deck.
where protected by the roof above us
we could yet through the open sides
watch the passing panorama. Our
floating home, urged by its unseen
machinery along the placid river, gave
US perpetual sense of change. and by
it's motion drew upon us the Southern
breeze. AS the great hours of the
night approached, we gathered once
more within the cabin for family prayer.
IL custom observed both morning and
evening throughout our trip. Then
he more weary retired to their state
rooms The rest still sat apart iii con
verse deep and high. upon subj ects
no longer concerning the
material river beneath the keel, or the
4 e. hn
night, but the invisible and immateriai
river OF human and churchly life and
progress.
But man Cor womsn) is material, as
we'll as spiritual and at length, we
all succumbed to the spell of sleep.
Some time after midnight. we were
aroused by the arrival of the steamer
at Toh OF Cor Tekoi), fifty miles from
JacksonvilIe-the river terminus of the
road to st. Augustine where an
agreeable addition was made to our
party, and our mystic number made up
by the arrival of the Rev. Mr.. M. OF
st. Augustine. and his sister, Miss
NJ, of Virginia.
Formerly, travellers to St. Augustine
d. barked at Picolata, a Spanish settle
ment almost as old as the former place;
but now deserted and almost oblitera-
ted. Within the past year, the road
between Tokoi and st. Augustine has
been laid with T rail, and fu -nished
with locomotive reducing the time
from five hours to one.
The settlements upon the river are
not, with the exception of Jackson
vile, large. Jacksonville has popu
lation of about Is, 600. with accommo-
dations at hotels aud private boarding
houses for 2, 900 guests.
Palatka, the only other town OF
note, lum bers about 2, 900 but during
the winter the temporary accessions
from all parts Of the United States
to the river population are great.
| There passed over the little rail
road of seventeen miles, between
Tokoi and st. Augustine, last season,
about 10, 200 persons. The aOeek[y ac-
commOdation upon the river boats is
for about 2, 600 passengers.
Ihe noises of arrival and departure,
"making night hideous, which had
been intensified by the loneliness and
stiffness of the place aud hour, were
soon hushed and sleep resumed its
empire.
On the morrow We arose early, re-
freshed, and bright as the rays which
sparkled at sunrise upon the waves
arc und us. We reached Palatka, abont
Is miles above jacksonville, and about
100 above the mouth of the river, a
little after daylight, and remained an
hour. Here we found palms, quite
abundant as ornamental trees, and the
wild sour orange lining the streets for
shade. Soon we resumed our delight
full river road heading for the mystic
riOus regions of the South. It was
our first aOhole dav, and after morning
prayers, we welcomed our first break
fast on board, with appetites sharp
ened, and thereafter kept sharp by the
river breezes. AS we ate, we moved
up the shining river, on even keel, and
| without jar or smell of machinery,
famed by the soft morning wind from
out the South, feasting at once eyes
and lungs and palate.
| Floating, gliding DER the waters,
| Softly moving on We go;
| Neught to mar perfect pleasure,