The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-02-21

the country seems an unbroken, watery waste. II is
immense morass traverscd by an astonishing num-
Der OF streams, whose origin and whose fato are
equally mysterious Some Of them, of course, How
into the Wacissa River eventually, after repeated
tricks Of hide and SEEK but many Others sink and
never re-emerge from the earth, unless they form
some OF the singular springs which bubble up IN the
middle of the current of the wacissa The frequent
remark Of the negroes would be-
"Dats heap bad jungle just ahead dere, sab )" but
to enter II without a pause-hugo pruning knife in
hand-and slash away the tangled barrier inspired
courage followers and they pressed steadily on
with US.
A JULES VERNE.
AS you enter the real wilderness-the immense
swamp never before invaded by man the imaginative
mind cannot wholly cvade IL sentiment OF awe inspired
by the Unknown that broods over ITS depths
Pictures will rise up OF possible discoveries
bearing than a fanciiul resemblance TO
the COLLINS and kobalds OF childish tradition and the
ghous OF more tragic conception. The pen OF a Jules
Verne or Munchausen might be forgiven its outrage
upon truth for pcoping such country with wonders
which would strain the Imagination OF the reader
THE sANcruM THE CYPRESS.
Far the eye can reach, perhaps, loom the din,
misty spectre like forms OF the cypress, swced as II
by govt or dropsy at their bases, which arc in the
water, but slender and stately above. Tho vista OF
sprt.like after long gazing may seem moro and
ghostly; aud lucky are you If tho iervor OF toll
is conquered by the chill sense OF something super
natural which may Turk the heavy oppression OF the
solitude.
little further you go, Fastening with the hope Of
escaping from this spot sacred 10 the deathike
cypress On on you toll, with beads Of sweat rolling
from each pore, while the pruning hook OF the FORE
pioneer clips away fast ever it At last
ing demurely neighbors the cypress and
behold. what rank cxuberanco Of growth is herel
Here a dense of canebrake, reaching far above
heads and suggesting the presence oil all manner OF
strange and Shiny in its shade. To cut our
way here is impractcable because the stabble would
pierce through our brogans and laccrate our feet
cruelty The only method OF progress is to part the
heavy screen before US and push boldly on. We may
feel tho slippery form OF deadly moccasn under our
tread, but our only safety is TO spring forward sun
deeper in the brake, shouting warning TO those be-
hind us. The moccasn is even more terrible than the
rattlesnake; for he gdes in dark and wet places
sometimes hidden until the foot strikes him and his
fangs buried deep in the flesh. He gives no warn
ing OF his rage, but his stroke quicker than flash Of
lightning
ADVENTURE WITH MocCAsINs.
When had just emerged from great cancbrake
ono day, the Judge leading the way, he suddenly
stopped and motoned us to hand him gun. Look
ing toward him jake the muatto, saw enormous
black moccasin coiled within short distance OF his
feet The Judge had been about to step over log,
when this huge reptile reared its head. Looking
further he saw under bush another snake nearly us
large the first and OF the kind. On the other
side OF the Judge n third crawling monster All OF
them excited with anger at being disturbed. The
Judge had plunged forward without observing strong
pricky vine which had stretched itself from trcc
tree He mad been caught and pinned its tenacious
thorns. The situation more quickly comprehended
than it has described. The nearest moccasin was
shot just before 1t would have struck The others i'm
medlaely suffered the fate. But tho horror oc-
casoncd by the scene wore away only with tho day.
THE PALMETTO TRIBE.
The line many palmetto hummocks, where
the underground Is tangled and intricate like great
bird The palmcocs cluster at the edge OF the
sthcks," and present graceful and picturesque forms
There Is the young and tho aged palmetto growing side
by side. Their increase OF stature Is like that Of the
hoary pillars of coral Oh the oceans bod 1t must u
be reckoncd by years, but by periods. Here is d
stately patriarch Of the trSbe his symmetrical body
rising to slender height OF forty feet His robe OF
soft tinted gray and his has grace and beauty
and majesty The great fans respoLd to the passage of
every breeze In a gIimmcring tremor, and half
tculated sigh escapes them, while to tho wind they
forth eloqucnce all their and couchcd in
language distinct from that OF the pines, spirit.
ual and fanciiu The youths of the palmetto tribe al
though they may be twoscorc OF years old. seldom
doll their swaddling clothes before they have reared
their crests above the It'll shrubbery, but continue
wrapped in dense shield, formed Of the stems OF the
fans which they have long since discarded The close
array of these is an unmistakable record of their
tedious and almost imperccptblc Growth. NeIgbbors
of tho palmcttoes, the clematis and the Jessamnc,
with their baser cousins the brier and the ivy, cling
to the live oak gum and bay The jessamine is hung
with its golden but poisonous chalices, flakes OF
beauty in a wilderness OF gloom.
The first days march led US through all these
scenes but it disclosed marvels Tho sun was fast
descending the mount Of day into the sombre vale of
night, when the thickening shadows warned to
toward the camp The dogs reused deer
poddea along, but too wearied to shoot, and
the light OF the fire 10 front Of the tents welcome