Connecticut western news., 1875-12-17
Florida.
ITS CLIMATE AND ATTRACTIONS.

HIS OL1AATG AND ATTRACTIONS.
 hr. H. s. Collins, of Collinsville. has
 spent several years in Florida. and seems
 to be thoroughly conYersant with every in.
 habitable part of that state. He has writ
 ten series of exceedingly interesting let
 ters to the Hartford Courdnt, descriptive
 of the various localities: From one of
 these letters we extract the following con-
 earning Tampa, which is said to possess
 more delightful climate, and more attrac-
 tions for winter residence, than any other
 locality ia Florida.
 s
 The steamer Emile leaves Cedar Keys
 once week for Tampa. The gulf IS usu-
 ally quiet anl the land in sight all the way,
 and there are many bits of exquisite seen.
 cry. There are palmettos standing single
 or in beautiful groups, great live oaks with streamers and festoons of grey moss, tall
 spikes of Spanish bayous' (green) in blos- som, rearing their white heads above column of green and beautiful vista be- tween the trees or up the passes communi- eating with the inside channel, giving you glimpsss ot inland waters and masses of
 forest beyond. Pelicans sail swiftly by or stand in dense masses on projecting points
 or sand bars, countless gulis dart and play about, and occasionally concentrate for a
 few minutes over some unlucky school of fish that has come to the surface, filling the air with screams and quick darting forms.
 Running through narrow passage close to Egmont Light, the boat enters Tampa bay. Tampa is village Cor rather capi- tai city,1 seeing there is nothing else of any size nearer than Cedar Keys, of say six hundred whites and rather more blacks the latter living by themselves, hardly know where. It is laid out at right angles, it's west side on the river, the garrison on the south and the pine woods touching its northeast corner. The. streets are wide, sandy where much used, and covered With turf when untrodden. There are ten or twelve stores and considerable business is done-seyeral large schooners sailing to New Orleans, Key West, etc., and some times small steamer owned here and run ming up the rivers here and there; nearly all of these Florida rivers being navigable, some for long distances. There are two hotels-the Orange Grove Hotel, fairly buried in oranges, situated at the northeast corner ot the village, the pine woods com ing up to the house. and Mrs Hanford's. at the opposite extreme Cdiagonally) near the river and garrison. There are several boarding houses also, and were they all full the good folks would assuredly open their. houses at once. will not say that Tampa is the veritable Happy Valley They may quarrel among themselves for ought I know, but certainly there is universal spirit of courtesy to strangers, which goes far towards making sojourn among them pleasant. The houses stand apart sufi- cientlY to give most of them ample gardens, and northerner can hardly pass without stopping to look at the flowers, vines and fruit, so different from our own. Oranges. lemons, guavas, pawpaws, Japan plums, pomegranates, bananas, oceans, all grow here. Great oleanders run wild in the | streets. and roses are on all sides. If they would only take little trouble they might 1 have pretty much everything, as it seemed l to me. As to oranges, this is the place for them. They are not good at St. Angus tine, nor on the lower St. Johns. High up | the river they are sweeter and better, but | none that have found (and have made | solemn and thoughtful tests, going from tree to tree till I could no more. | come near the Tampa fruit, except the h. dian river oranges. You may know these In the market by their thin smooth skin and | r1cher flavor. Usually have found these four or five dollars per hundred at Jackson. Ville once only at two dollars and fifty cents per hundred. What the ueual price may be cannot say. The Tampa fruit is rough skinned generally, but sweet and rich al- I ways. lido not remember of finding 8 | poor one, and late them as, I never dared before, morning, noon and night. They thought fifteen cents per dozen, high price for fine large fruit, and bought them almost any day at one dollar,per hundred. sent home several bags of them which were pronounced of unequaled excellence. Certainly l never have seen any Florida or anges here that compared with them. Tbere are sail and row boats to be had at Tampa, and horses to ride and drive 1 though as there are very few strangers there the supply is rather small now. It ! will keep pace with the demand. The op- portunities for boating are good.
 The officers quarters,' and other gov ernment buildings are pleasant looking | houses, and with broad piazzas, stand here and there under the great branches of the | live oaks, which rise high above them, and | 3 whole regiment might camp and maneu- vre in their shade. Here the good people | of Tampa resort for all recreations. If | they start out for walk they come here as a matter of course. If you have nothing to do, come let us go to the garrison It l is place you can hardly tire of; great | bushes of oleanders fifteen to twenty feet | high; orange trees covered with flowers l wild flowers in the grass; beautiful view over the bay and island ducks and peli- cans so near the shore that you know you could hit them if you only had your gun boats coming and going and weather just | warm enough to render shade delightful, | yet bracing enough to make you want to go a little fnrther-whst can you ask more of nature s..- s