The New York herald., 1877-02-10

|
ish moss, and in such speculation seems to be far
moro successful than the whale which attempted an
| almeutary experiment with Jonah OF Nineveh. His
| digestive organ seems quite hardy that Of the
| ostrich.
THE GExTRY OF TIKI SWAMP.
| On two sides OF the sink are Floridians call
"thicksn tangled masses Of vegetation. They are
principally composed Of cypress, bay and sweet gum
trees with interstces filed with distorted shrub
called 'tight-eye, thoruy vines and brambles. fhe
palmetto grows ON their outskirts The 'sthcks"
| frequent throughout these woods and generally be-
token spots which have some mysterious connection
with neither cavcrns. The water which collects the
low land covered by the ''thcks" sinks through an
ooze or slime and rcplenishes the reservoirs under
the coral arches from which derived the sources
OF the streams. The camp OF tho HERALD exploring
party is surrounded by "thcks," which the
haunts deer bears and panther and realize per-
haps much Of the wdness OF the verabc wilderness
Soto. The absence Of the Indian tho
solitude As passes across the soughs at sunset
| tho herons cranes and hamingoes rise up from the
tawny waters and lend weirdness to the hour and
scene by the strange sound of their wings. their
gntng pumage and their minor cries as thcy disap-
| pear in the gloom
And far away in the twilight sky
We heard them singing lessenng cry
anG st@ad a@a .ass alo"s in the ssns ass
NATURAL MYSTERIES.
might allude to many other oddities OF nature IN
Florida by way of approaching the object OF the
ploring expedition of the HERALD. But will be brct
SO as be accused of emulatng the conjurer of
guido books and gazettoers. There 'land Sinks"
we'll watcr Sinks and there seems to be much
less 10 explain them than the latter. Many Instances
are remembered by inhabitants OF the dropping OF
fields and the appearance in their stead of pools Of
A phe Of hia Ind
in the county Of Jefferson few years ago, and
stream Of water gushes to-day from the chasm then
suddenly disclosed and again disappears in the earth
Most of the lakes in Florida have mystery The
waters constantly rcplenishcd have cgress by
visible channel One OF the most beautiful
Of the lesser bodies OF water is Lake Lafayette,
lying close TO the line Of the Jacksonville, Pen
sacola and Mobile Railroad 1t Is the gem of the
noble Of hy land known the Lafayette grant,
which was bestowed upon the friend OF Washington
after tho Revolution. II has known outlet As ir
significant of It's mystery 1t has the aspect of the Oldest
stage nature; at least such its look day OF
md-January. The trees, whose foliage is shed
year, seemed clothed In dcsolation. The margin Of
the water is morass, out Of which stern expresses
their cherries dreary pegation of glad
snore they are dead this many long year
and the MOSES have clothed them in hoary gar
ment which, being alive, yet hass the OF death
Some OF the topmost boughs have really produced
new life In form OF green aud glisening mistletoc,
which reminds Of the poetic idea expressed
many the old English ballads. and especially In that
OF .'Lord Lovel"-
Aud out Of hers briar:
They grew and they grew to the chuich steepo top.
Till they couldn't grow any higher.
Tho poet may have borrowed from the English
mistlctoe which Is conspicuous IN love legends Of
the merry sle tho beautiful idea Of Immortality which
he embod,es In these images. writer who visited
Lake Lafayette In summer morning as bright and
sporkling as the have mentioned mid-Jan uary,
calls lake ga strlcss plain of pleasant glory, and
this impression really tho one had whom the eye
turned from spectreke troops Of dead expresses
In order to gain a realistic idea Of Hades, 1t
would seem to that need only
embark in a slight craft and glide into
the outskirts of these ghostly shapes Their white
arms arc ike those OF skeleton aud they moan and
whisper gusts Of sorrow over the silent waters that
wash their feet Tho mosses are like the memory of
oden sins fastened in their marrow, remorsc feeds
upon tho soul. The mistetoc is their only joya
iniscence OF their childhood. Ah the verduro that
will never spring again!
Not more than dozen miles from Lake Lafayette Is
Lake Miccosukie, northward from Monticello about
three miles The tribe OF Indians called Miccosukes
had their hunting grounds around this body Of water,
the whites from Florida its islands and
favorc refugees negroes who before the sleuh
hounds Tho creek which forms the only outlet OF the
lake sinks suddenly from n few miles from It's
source. ltis said that pieces OF wood upon the
water here reappcar the St. Marks River, which
rises in iuil volume from one spring not far distant
MYTH MARVEL.
1t is in portion of Florida which contains these
natural wonders and many moro that therc exists
one more inexpiicabc than any Of these have men
toned Jefferson county extends from the boundary
line OF Georgia to tho Gull. 1t contains Lake Micco-
sukie and several .sinks" having connection with
other It's cypress morasscs arc denmcd for the
multitude Of serpents which lnhabt them The south
cru portion of the county Is fiat aud damp lowland,
extending back about twenty-five miles from the shore
of Appalachee Bay. Tho level OF the highest point
Is but o few inches above that OF the
ocean. The pcnetrabo portion Of this region
Is called the "Flat Pney Woods" 1t is utterly useless
for agricultural purposes, and is Inhabited by only
few Of tho class OF lazy and poverty stricken whito
folks called 'corn crackers" The turpentins dstil-
crs long since went elsewhere and II Is now almost
great solitude Alexander Selkirk's island The
''corn cracker is equally without a rIval but little
benefit does he derive IRON his Sovereignty
lie is monarch Of all he surveys,
His right there Is none to dispute
And he exercises that right by doing idlIng II
this OF words be admissible, than most othor
PROBLEM OF NATURE
| No greater confirmation of this statement need be
asked than fact am about to give. For tho whole
OF the period sInco whito men camo to Middlo
Florida" mystery has haunted this region Tho
''corn crackers" have lived for forty years within
few miles of It's known vicinity; yet they have never
made single effort TO dspel Not even the hope Of
possible gain has yet stirred them from lehargy
which seems begotten OF the drowsy melody OF the
piney hosts.
JOURNALISTIC EXPLORATION.
| This mystery is apparently due TO nature alone. II
has engaged tho proIoundcst consideration Of ntclli.