The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-04-12
Southern Travels.

and having taken Pagets boat IN tow
at this point, did not sail as fast, with
the same wind as we had formerly
done. We passed Fort Pierce before
dark, but thereis nothing there to IN
dicate its existence, except few old
tamble-down shanties; which were evil
IDENTIFY used as barracks during the
Seminole War.
Farrell made up his mind that he
would run the boat all night, to make
up lost time, so shortly after dark Pa
get and ourself curled up on the
thwsrts, and wrapping our blankets
about US, slept as best We could,
until morning. Awakening, we found
ourselves in st. Luce Bay, quite a
large and beautiful sheet of water at
the mouth of St. Lucie River. The
bay was literally covered with ducks
and coots, who we're evidently stran
gers to civilized life, as our presence
did not seem to frighten them. We
gave them lesson however, which
cost some of them their lives. The
coot is a small dark colored fowl, with
white, short bill, and halfwebbed
feet; when they are sitting on the wa
ter, they look not unlike the guinea
fowl. When they rise, they tread the
water with their feet, for some dis
tance, helping themselves along by
both sail and paddle, and get out of
gun-shot in short time.
Leaving the bay, We saw several
openings, all of which looked like
navigable channels. Our map giving
no explanation of this feature of the
river, we took what seemed the best
water, and sailed in with a fresh
breeze. After going in about half a
mile, we found that the channel
didn't extend any farther in that d.
rection, so took the oars and pulled
out. Tried another opening, with the
same result, Pulled back and tried
another, and run into the mangroves
on the bank. Here We became DISCUS
ted, and ate breakfast, cooking a fish
which had jumped into our hind boat
during the night. Pulled out and
tried it again. Sailed along for a
while quite briskly, but found we had
struck another "pocket" as they are
called. In this manner we explored
five pockets before We struck the
right channel, which proved to be the
one which had all along looked the
most compromising. We were obi.
ged to pay out money at almost every
turn we made while in Florida, but
this was the only occasion we were
really rejoiced on being "out of pock-
et."
Just here, about the pockets, on the
ocean side, is a place, now as hard to
find as the channel, called Peck s
Landing. Here it was that man
named Peck, years ago, squatted, and
tried to make name for himself and
a home for posterty. He labored
faithfully, but it was Loves Labor
Lost" his bones now enrich the soil
which he once fertilized with muck
from the swamps. The time may come
when all this stretch of land, between
the river and ocean will be settled up,
but it will be years before it can be
made to pay.
1t was Jupiter Narrows We entei ed
after poeketing our boat SO much.
Just after entering we came across a
place on the west shore, where clump
of cabbage palmettoes rose far above
the mangroves, which lined either
shore. Here is one of the regular
camping places for travellers up and
down the river. Wherever you see
the cabbage palmetto you find dry
ground; wherever the mangrove -four
ishes there is almost no ground at all,
and the peculiar formation of the tree
makes it almost impossible to land.
This tree presents the singular specta-
Gle of tree with two "tops," to use
an Irish bull one at the top and one
at the bottom. The mangrove swamps
Drasant tho onraoronca Of n forast n