The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1877-06-28
A Vivid Scene in Florida.

a CORES pondcnt Of the New York Sun
gives tho following graphic description cf
scenes witnessed on barren and nearly
inaccessible poin: on the coast Of Florida.
If you will look at the map of Florida.
away down tho eastern coast, you may see
spot marked Jupiter" or. Jupiter In
let" Some maps make it juniper.
This is wrong. Its namesakc was old Ju-
pter, the save of an army oficer, who
as stationed at this point during tie
first Seminole war. Jupiter is between
latitude twenty SIX and twenty seven dc.
grcs. Although ouly 120 miles north OF
Fey West, it bulses to the cast nearly a
deg zee Of longitude beyond Cape Canave-
raj. 1t is probably the most inaccessible
and barren nook on the whole Floridian
coast, and can be reached only in light
draught boats, sailing tho whole length of
the Indian river. Sharp coral reef ffinr
gcs its shore, and high hillocks of white
sand, sprinklcd with thick clumps ofscrub
and cactus, rear their heads above the in
let. The lively sand crab catches frefies
on tho beach, and huge turtles deposit
their eggs in tho sand. This attracts
scores Of bears from the swamps and ham,
mocka bordering the Everglades; for
them the turtle and its eggs are TOOTH
some delicacy. Spotted tiger cats play
among the sand hills by moonlight, and
- -.'s"ssis- -al""s INV e''of0-rti
quest Of king crabs or moro substantial
diet. The largest puma ever seen in the
State was shot in this region by the keepr
er of the lighthouse. L: was as iormida-
BILE as Royal Bengal tiger: aud measured
over thirteen feet from snout to tip.
The shallow salt water swarms with
fish. Schools of mullvt and pompino
fash in the sunlight, and cavallo, bona
fish, blucfsh, red bass, drum snappers and
groupers are here in myriads. Jewish
have been cought weighing over 600
pounds. Sawfsh, the size of young
whales, surge through the narrow chan
ncls, and ravenous shasks from twelve to
twenty feet in length koepa rigid block.
adc outside AS the tide rises they come
within the inlet in search Of prey. The
bass and other fish that have been feed
ing upon thr mulet, become in turn the
victims of the shark. The smaller fish
dart to and fro, making the water boil IN
their efforts to escape. Millions are SLOW
ly but surely driven into small bay by
the sharks, who whip the waves into foaln
in their hungry fury. Penned ut last,
the doomed fish leap in the air with ter.
srs 6 efaa4st xtFt f FasF 45cT jaws
snap Ike pistol shots, and mutila'ed fish
are scattered over the water Schools Of
porpvises join in the slaughter, and occa-
.ionaly an old alligator shoves of FROM
the shore, sinks himself Ike . submarine
battery, and steals bountceus meal.
Nor is an alligator the only free feeder.
The air is filled with thousands Of lilac
feathcred terms and gulls. Full well do
they understand the situation. The rush
Of their wings is like breeze in the to1.
est of pines, and their screams are deaf
ening. BY pla.oon4 they dash into the
agita. led water, and soar OF tho roaring
surf each with a fish in its Lill. The very
air sparkles with fish, for the gulls toss
their victims up until they catch them BY
the head. Then they are easily bolted.
High above the terms float focks of gray
pelicans, larger than geese, and grave
and formal as judges. The wind whistles
beneath their great wings, but they make
no audible expression Of satislaction.-
Dropping into the waves with a great
splash, after few lubbcrly maneuvers
they fll their pouches, and sail away as
though the whole affair had been arran-
gcd for their own exclusive benefit. 4
party Of stalwarl herons pace the strand
in lL.eir Austrian uniforms, and pick up
the tiny silver fish stopping ashore during
the general commotion, And last and
Least, our littlo Northern kingRsher, clad
in sky blue suit, springs bis little rat
tie, and hangs on the outskirts Of the
battle, picking up the choicest tidbiis -
Such is an every day scene at Jupiter du-
ring the summer and fall.
A lighthouse is tho only sign Of civili-
zation at Jupiter. 1t towers 1G0 feet
from a sand hill on the main land, and is
a plain brick shaft crowned with q rcvolv"
ipg light. Heavy eastern gales combined
with the action of the gulf stream, some
times shut the inlet. About fifteen years
ago a s',rm closed the gap. Bilious Of
salt water fish were damcd in. Ihen.a
long rainy season followed The Jup .
North, Alokehatchie ard Lake Worth
rivers, which cmty into tho lnaian river
within nile Of the inlet. poured out VOL
umes Of fresh water. bat the ocean had
done iis work we'll. aud the dam remain
ed intact The fresh water passed through
Indian river inlet, fifty miles nocih of Ju~
piter.
The salt water at Jupiter became fresh.
All the oysters died. Irilil"ns OF hdltf'
and hermit crabs gave up the ghost. TIL
mangrove trees turncJ a slck!y yellow, and
the thousands Of insects that draw their
| nourlshment from saline disappeared
Schools Of black bass, left the fresh streams.
and appeared at Jupiter. Solid acres Of
fresh water fishes piled themselves into the
blight of the inlet, and fought for the s'a
water that ookcd through tho sand At high
tide. The alligators Of the Everglades got
wind of what was going on. They came
down the Allokehatchie and Lake Worth
i al 81 ,b lnm