The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-06-06
A VIVID SCENE IN FLORIDA.


The Feast of the Sharks and the Gulls--Thc
Battle of the Sharks and the AlligntOrs--
The Water Reddencd with their Blood.
A correspondent of the New York Sun
gives the following graphic description
Of scenes witnessed on q barren and
nearly inaccessible point on the coast of
Florida Ii you Will look at the map of
Florida, away down the eastern coast of
the fnger-like peninsula, you may see
spot marked "Jupiter," or "Jupiter
Inlet" Some maps make it "Juniper." !"
This is wrong. Its namesake was old
Jupiter, the slave of an army officer,
who was stationed at this point during
the first Seminole war. Jupiter is be-
tween latitude twenty-six and twenty
seven degrees. Although only 100 miles
north Of Key West, it bulges to the east
nearly q degree of longitude beyond
Cape Canaveral. It is probably the
most inaccessible and barren nook on the
whole Floridian coast, and can be reach
ed only in light draught boats, sailing
the whole length of the Indian river.
Sharp coral reefs fringe its shore, and
high hillocks of white sand, sprinkled
with thick clumps of scrub and cactus,
rear their heads above the inlet. The
lively sand crab catches tirehies on the
beach, and hugh turtles deposit their
eggs in the sand. This attracts scores
of bears from the swamps and ham,
mocks bordering the Everglades; for to
them the turtle and it's eggs are tooth
some delicacy. Spotted tiger-cats play
among the sand hills by moonlight, and
the fierce puma prowls along the shore
in quest of king crabs or more substan-
tial diet. The largest puma ever seen in
the State was shot in this region by the
keeper of the lighthouse. 1t was AS
formidable as royal Bengal tiger, and
! measured over thirteen feet from snout
to tip.
The shallow salt water swarms with
! fish. Schools Of mullet and pompino
! flash in the sunlight, and cavallo, bona
! fish, bluetish, red bass, drum, snappers
and groupers are here in myriads. Jew
fish have been caught weighing over 500
pounds. Sawfish, the size of young
whales, surge through the narrow chan
nels, and ravenous sharks from twelve to
twenty feet in length keep rigid block
ade outside. AS the tide rises they
come within the inlet in search of prey.
The bass and other fish that have been
feeding upon the mullet, 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 slowly but surely driven into small
bay by the sharks, who whip the waves
into foam in their hungry fury. Penned
at last, the doomed fish leap in the mir
with terror, AMI shoals of them run
ashore. The sharks charge with rush.
Their jaws snap like pistol shots, and
mutilated fish are scattered over the wa
ter. Schools Of porpoises join in the
slaughter, and occasionally an old alli-
gator shoves off from the shore, sinks
himself like a submarine battery, and
steals bounteous meal.
Nor is an alligator theonly free feeder.
The air is filled with thousands of lilac
feathered terms and gulls. Full well do
they understand the situation. The
rush of their wings is like a breeze in a
forest of pines, and their screams are
deafening. By platoons they dash into
the agitated water, and sore off above
the roaring surf each with fish in it's
bill. The very air sparllles 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 hocks of gray pelicans, larger
than geese, and grave and formal as
judges. The wind whistles beneath
their great wings, but they make no au-
dible expression of satisfaction. Drop
ping into the waves with q great splash,
after a few lubberly maneuvers they
fill their pouches, and sail away as
though the whole affair had been ar
ranged for their own exclusive benefit.
A party of stalwart herons pace the
strand in their Austrian uniforms, and
pick up the tiny silver fish stopping
ashore during the general commotion.
Aud last and least, our little Northern
kingfsher, clad in sky blue suit,
springs his little rattle, and hangs on
the outskirts of the battle, picking up
the choicest tidbits. Such is an every
day scene at Jupiter during the summer
and fall.
A lighthouse is the only sign of civil
zation at Jupiter. 1t towers 160 feet
from sand hill on the main land, and is
plain brick shaft crowned with re-
volving light. Heavy eastern gales COM
bined with the action of the gulf stream,
sometimes shut the inlet. About fifteen
years ago a storm closed the gap. Bill
lions of salt water fish were damned in.
Then long rainy season followed. The
Jupiter, North, Allokehatchie and Lake
Worth rivers, which empty into the In
dian river within mile of the inlet,
poured out volumes of fresh water, but
the ocean had done it's work well, and
the dam remained intact. The fresh
water passed through Hope sound and
forced it's way to the sen through Indian
river inlet, fifty miles north of Jupiter.
The salt water at Jupiter became fresh.
All the oysters died. Trillions of fid-
dlers and hermit crabs gave up the
ghost. The mangrove trees turned a
sickly yellow, and the thousands of in
sects that draw their nourishment from
saline disappeared. Schools Of black
bass left the fresh streams and appeared
Mt Jupiter. Solid acres of fresh water
fishes piled themselves into the blight of
the inlet, and fought for the SEQ water
that oozed through the sand at high tide.
The alligators of the Everglades got wind
of what was going on. They came down
the Allokehatchie and Lake Worth creek
in scores, and attacked the fish damned
in the blight. The slaughter was aston
ishing.
The water turned to blood, and was
carpeted with dead fish. The alligators
were re-enfolced until their number was
estimated Mt five hundred. They gorged
themselves with fish, and dozed away
their days on the hot sand beneath the
scorching rays OF the sun. The beach
was black with their mailed bodies. At
night their mutteled thunder fairly
shook tho foundations of the lighthouse.
One day north wind arose. 1t gath
erred in strength day by day until its
fury was that of gale. 1t began to
back up the waters in the inlet. Rain