The New York herald., 1877-09-14
FLORIDA'S WONDER.
The Search for the Pill
lar Of Smoke.
PIONEERING IN A BOAT.
The Cacique in a Liquid
Paradise.
NO THOROUGHFARE.
Failure to Penetra to the Mye-
terry by Water.
OLD CHANNELS COMPLETELY CHOKED.
The Morasses Probably Once
Inhabited.
D THOROUGHFARE.
Failure to Penetra to the Mye-
terry by Water.
Id CHANNELS COMPLETELY CHOKED.
The Morasses Probably Once
Inhabited.
ST. Marks, August 5,

The HERALDs exploring party. which was sent TO
Florida to locate the mysterious wonder known to the
natives the ''swamp volcano" was obliged weeks
sgo suspend operations by the increasing suriness
sf the season and the nnumerable reptilian
and insectivorous pests attending IL, many Of
which are Of deadly nature. AS the
chief aim OF the expedition remained unattaincd
have awaited the proper time for renewing the work
before sending you any further accounts of results
As you the effort Of last winter avowedlv
only preliminary one-little more than reconnois
AS the public however, by letters addressed
to the HxRALD has shown desire to know of 1t,
/ enclose you leaves from my journal dc royage,
which conclude the description of the examination
made of the Wacssa River in search OF bayou lead
ing in tho direction Of tho Monumental Island.
This expedition has involved the expenditure Of
largo sums Of money The equipment OF a second one
so that success may oe assured, will demand even
greater outlay. The nature of the country perpex
Ing enough daunt Humboldt, aud the difficult les
presents cannot be surnsunted by any ordinary
means.
EXTRACT FROM THE JOURNAL OF THE ExrLo-
RATION.
PALMETTO CAMP, on THE wAcIssA, June Is, 1877.
The Cacique is moored in miniature harbor.
densey invested with overhanging thckets whore
gayly rides tho water; rocking with the movements
Of the soft rppes that break from the geno current
Of the river She has been relieved OF her burden Of
the stores of the expedition, and they piled tho
shore The negroes are busily employed in erecting
my hut and in gathering fuel for tho fire, on which
will shortly DO cooking fine moss Of mullet and trout
and fat raft duck which fell victim my shotgun
] rccline under canopy Of the widest and most
luxuriant foliage. 1t is studded with the milky white
blossoms of the Cherokee and the chaices OF the
honeysucke, rcdolent of the richest perfume The
Is laden with their fragrance. Ciambering up on some
OF the oftest limbs OF the bays and naples they form
dense, tangled mass-a woof which affords COM
pste shelter one could desire at midday In semi
tropical cline The perfect shade seems to fill the at
mosphero with cool sonse OF seclusion which is a
grateful rel,ef from tho glare Of the yonder
white and CLASSY waters Through the low arch of
tho trees under which floats the Cacique, there
CLEANS splcndor from thor surface which is the
less glorious because am proto1ed from its burning
ardor. The river seems an cmhJdimenl of the pure
Of beauty, OF natures j>etry ON its shore
and around me stand tall pametybes more slender and
stately than the rest of the wood roaring their
symmetrical gray trunks like patricans among plc-
beians Tho least breath OF the sumbrous wind
makes their ouistretchod palms. glinting like bur-
ushed scales of mail in nccks of stray sunshine,
to rustic and tremble, If with inten-
Bity Of emotion, and there seems something
human about them. They overshadowed
by noble oaks and giant magnoas, but not outshone.
The palmetto has q beauty peculiarly its own, and
which not even the date can trench upon. although
its grace and delicacy is ga joy forever" The
magnolias here noble growths however, such as
ronder inclined voluntarily mako apoth
Of the spirit of Nature who splendid
and stately court Their trunks stupendous, and
support whole colonies OF the richest green and
lichens. Their shining oivetinted leaves mnart
bronze hue the forests which relieves the brilliant
verdure Of the naples and hckories. The fishermen,
In defiance OF facts proverbal among them, have
iubbed this sp1t .Tho Peach-trce Camp on what
pretcnco do not know. Perhaps the absence OF The
object suggested the name; but at all events the
HERALD expedition christens IL anew, indicated at
beginning of this letter, for the sake its poetic
beauty.
SPRINGS THE wAcIssA
On May 60 the HERALD party carried down tho
river at rapid rate by the smooth current aud the
muscles Of the 'gondoliers." just below The island
which-so limpid is the watcr-seems to be nfoat on
The ake-ikc cxpanse at the head OF the river, Is
deep and beautiful spring, bubbing up through many
fahoms, but distinctly recognizable at the surface
The fountan-Iiko ebuiton remarkably pretty and
but for the shadows OF Expresses and oaks over
would bo brilliant In keeping with the vulgar spirit
OF the .spoor trash tho lovely wonder has tho
most unpoetical of names, 'scroggins' Landing II
scrogglns were inclined to DO poet what a source
Of inspiration he has at his very door For behind
what looks ike impenerablc phaanx OF expresses
Is ensconced his humble hut, and the believing of his
cattle echoed strangely over the sleeping waters Al
this point the hat pincy woods extend nearly to the
rivers bank, but below it, Ior miles, the forest which
bounds the vision is wholly wthr tho realm OF the
Wacissa. Its aspect reminded mo OF nothing SO
strongly as Mayno Rcid's pen-picturcs OF the bayous
OF the inundating Amazon. The famed Ockawaha
does present any wilder lavish of natures
decorations thar the lovely shores that slowly grew
and iaded to my eye gided with tho current tho
boatman's pole failing to "shoot" the Oacique
that her prov steadily pointed her course as tho
magnetic needle the Pole STAR Ere had passed far
below the head the river guzed down into many
another bottomess spring. in which tho lower depths
were iarkcned by noble trout. parriarchs OF thoir
KIND sailing about unconcernedly II they wcro
unobscrved Jake, tho master, frequently
stood In the bow ami drove his gig
into Anny monster. Sometimes however.
the game proved to be an impudcnt garhsh and he
Knocked on tho barbs with cxecratous oil disgust
Into several or these fountains plunged my hand and
found them, in comparison with tho main volume Of
the river deciously COOL The water though filtered
through limestone, had nc alkaline taste.
AMruIHloUs pEyizExs.
As VIC descended tho rivor white frequently
rose from the drn along tho shore, galIinucs and
rco,s dashed shriekng through the bulrushes spray
Ing the water with their feet; water turkeys dropped
rom dead boughs into tho water, vuturcs Tapped
their heavy wings over deadly fens and shot them
Tor tho sake OF identification. Let us proceed as
uuictly AZ wo might, however failed in the main
ptrcam to surprise an alligator As we approached
they might bc heard slipping into tho water. We
could sec them swimming away toward their
dcus but just as wc came within rifle
range down they would co. so naturally and
easily, would doubt moment after
yards II his eyes had not deceived him. a more 70
pulsvc spectacle, however, were tho huge glIsening
noccasins. baskipg on logs or limbs that were halt