The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-07
THE WILDS OF FLORIDA.
A Newspaper Party Penetrates There
to Find Out About Some Smoke.
Where They Find Immense Saurians
Unknown Islands and Ancient Idols.

The exploring expedition sent out by the
New York Heral to penetrate the wilds of
Florida and ascertain the cause of mysteri-
Gus column of smoke long famous, is max
ing progress. The correspondent is sending
some entertaining letters to the Herald from
which the following extracts are made:
Noon found us at the terminus of the
Zine" which we were eager to extend. But
the reader must not suppose that it was as
easy going there as it is to walk down Broad
way on even the sloppiest day of the thaw-
ing season. / found that the "judge" had
penetrated into a far worse region than that
previously explored. The tall, thick
growth of expresses cast gloom
upon the dark waters which languidly licked
their feet-a gloom so he Wy, so contagious,
that it seemed to fill the very soul of the
adventurous explorer and to warn him in an
inexplicable way worthy to be studied by
the psychologists to desist from the ruthless
curiosity which would lead him still further
into this sombre wild. 1t seemed veritably
a desert, for Of the massive vegetation there
was nothing apparently which could render
subsistence to living being. A chill pervad-
ed the atmosphere which crept into our
marrow, and the slothful breeze reminded
one of the cold, sepulchral air which is said
to accompany ghosts when they walk on
earth. Certain it seemed that none
OF the higher species OF vertebrates
haunted this strange solitude; not even a
warbler was there present to tighten the
ponderous silence with its CHEEKY chirpings;
but on looking down into the tawny water
in which our feet and legs were submerged
We were startled and Mortified by a9pari-
tons at which our depressed and timid
imaginations gave the most loathsome and
dreadful aspects. greenish, slippery veg
etable substance, half slime and half moss,
IL L. Izt - h. nj
against it were revealed the crawling shapes
of huge moccasins, called because of their
deadly animosity to man water rattles."
They, however, have rattles and give
no warning of their proximity. They
pass through the water with rapid
rush when they are angered, coming down
upon their prey like the tabled sea serpent
which adorns sailors yarns As We stood,
doubtful what to do, these noxious things
never ceased to glide, and their scaly folds
seemed to thicken around us Evidently
we had entered a. very den Of the evil one,
perhaps the corridor of hell, pillared by the
CHASTITY emblems of death-the misty cy-
presses Luckily there were several little
mounds banked up about the bases OF
large trees close to us, and on these we
sprang, and, hastily jumping from one to
the other, fed from the reptiles. 1t was
some time before we ventured again into the
water, and not before We reached broad
and rapid current We made our way to II
as best we could by jumping from mound to
mound, or fran one fallen tree to another.
To cross the main channel of the stream,
however, it was necessary to again go into
the water. We waded in cautiously, and
the "judge," who was in the van, insured
our safety by feeling his ground as he ad-
vanced with his faithful Jacobs staff"
In the middle the water was nearly as
high as our chins and the current swept
az with ALARMING ctrQnOth II NJ
while nearing the more shallow margin that
we espied huge water reptile, a moccasin,
ploughing along the surface of the water
with great rapidity toward our little party.
Jake declared him TO be the largest of the
species that he had ever seen. The Judge"
who was nearest the danger, struck at him
with desperate yigor with his only weapon,
the Jacobs staff" The blow fell short,
and the monster never paused in his course,
but rolled the rippies about him the more
angrily. One of the men then dashed the
water with sapling, which he
bore in his hand. but trepidation
had SO unnamed him that he
could not reach the enemy. The snake
then stopped and lay on the surface looking
at as with his forked tongue darting
menacingly. We could now observe him.
His size was almost stupendous, and at
short distance he might have been mistaken
for young alligator. levelled my gun
dUu otub SOiuc llC olOb thiOu6u hAo
He turned half over and wriggled and twist
ed himself into all SORTS of knotty shapes.
He had not disappeared when We reached
the expresses, having passed very near him.
| With a forked poll moose was slipped over
| his head and he was dragged into shallow
water, where the remaining vitality in him
was speedily dispatched. He was as large
around as a woman's arm and his form
| showed its immense muscular development,
| quality which makes this species ter
rible, since they swim so rapidly and strike
with the swiftness of thunderbolt-
INTERESTING ANTIQUITIES.
We had reached an island. The interior
was thickly shaded by gint live oak and
magnolias. which so shut out the rays of the
sun that the atmosphere was laden with
| dampness like that of some ancient crypt.
| But IL was small and soon explored. Beyond
| il was another island, and not so circum-
scribed in its limits and apparently mainly
! covered by pines, although there were scat
tered over il groups Of live oaksand magno-
las. We crossed deep run" to reach it,
and found it's soil 50 much like that of the
| other that at once concluded that the first
growth OF timber, which was probably
live oaks and magnolias, had been
| once hewn down by the hand of man. 1t is
| well known that in Florida q strange phe-
nomenon occurs in forestry when the pri-
| meval growth of TIMBER is destroyed. Should
| II be pine, the new forest which will spring
ND will consist of the hard woods, such as
oak, bay, magnolia and gum tree, and it is
supposed that the pine will succeed these
after they have been cut of. Comparing the