Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-10-29
AmarnIfcent River.

comparatively recent period that the
noble St. Johns, finding its source
in the everglades of Florida and TAX
ing a half dozen lovely lakes in its
embrace as it rolls northwards to the
sea, has been ftly recognized as the
most picturesque and enchanting
stream within our borders. This
grand stream averages three miles in
width for over one hundred miles,
and in places it expands to twice
that width. By looking at a map
of Florida it will be seen that it
communicates with Dunn's Lake, and
directly enter Lakes George, Beres-
ford, Monroe, Jessup, Harney and
Washington in its course. Lake
George is sixteen miles long and nine
miles wide; it is dotted with islands.
The shores of the river are grown up
with live oaks, water oaks, bay, gum
and magnolia, festooned with moss,
wild jessamine and creeping vines.
From Ledyard Bill's works on Flor
ida, we take this graceful sketch:-
"Flowing for some distance between
banks of living green, the river sud-
denly widens, and we come to the
placid waters of the. lovely Lake
George, across which we sail to the
channel beyond. By some strange
instinct and guidance, as it were, we
find hidden behind the tall grass and
floating islands of this really fairy
land, the sought-for channel, though
a half score of equally promising
openings had nearly tempted US
astray.
Again and again this bewitching
transfer is made from lagoon to riv-
er, and from river to lagoon and lake
again. The shores here and there
close to within a hundred feet, and
the river is constantly turning the
sharpest of angles, running back be-
side itself, fascinated, as it were,
then whisking suddenly about as if
ON a wager to outdo itself. On the
other hand, glimpses are had of bays
and mirrored waters whose surface
and shores seem likely never to have
walked to other echoes than those of
the wild birds that inhabit them
Again the river seems lost in be-
wildering perspective of silver
streamlets separated only by some
narrow knife-blade of meadow land
and flowers; but up to them they are
all verdure banked and moss hung,
and vine curtained and flower be-
decked-the very picture of tropical
profusion and summer loveliness.-
The swelling waves from the pass
ing steamers lift and move away
islands that just now were, but
which moment after are seen drift
ing with the current and breeze in
fragmentary sections, each a living,
floating, tropical bouquet.
That passionate sketch is drawn
by a very cool, clear-headed observ-
er. Now let US supplement it by a
single paragraph from Mrs. Stoves
palmetto Leaves" She has been
at Enterprise, on the Upper St.
Johns, and is returning to Mandarin,
her residences:
"Turning our boat homeward, we
sailed in clear morning light back
through the charming scenery which
we had slept through the night be-
fore. 1t is the most wild, dream
like, enchanting sail conceivable
The river sometimes narrows so that
the boat brushes under overhanging
branches, and then widens into beau
tiful lakes dotted with wooded is
lands. Palmetto hummocks, live
oak groves, cypress, pine, bay and
magnolia form an interchanging
picture; vines hang festooned from
tree to tree; wild flowers tempt the
eye on the near banks, and one is
constantly longing for the boat to
delay here and there; but on goes
her steady course, the picturesque
scene around constantly changing.
Every now and then the woods break
away and one sees orange and bana-
ma orchards and houses evidently
newly built"
Let us add to this sketch that the
st. Johns abounds with bass. that
trout, perch and mullet are found in
nearly all the lakes, and that wild
fowl swarm in myriads, whilst the
woods TEEN with game. No one can
be said to have enjoyed the most no
table scenery in the United States
who has not sailed on this glorious
river from Jackonville to Lake Har-
ney. The tide of travel is now large
ly setting that way, and it is COM
puted that at least $4,000 strangers
pass through the peninsula of Flori-
da by this noble highway every win
ter. A day will come when its shores
will be embellished with tasteful
residences, and the whole State mer-
it its appellation of the Italy of
America, for other reasons besides
it's climate and fruits; it will be the
favorite resort of artists, and its
beauty will have worldwide ac-
knowledgement.-EHchange.