The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-23
HERALD EXPLORATION.
Examining the Great Morass
in Florida.
THE WACISSA RIVER.
a Boat Built for the Voyage
Of Discovery.
LAUNCHING "THE CACIQUE."
Beauties Of a Semi Tropical Stream
A MoonIit Sail and Negro
PoIing Song.
THE WACISSA RIVER.
a Boat Built for the Voyage
Of Discovery.
LAUNCHING @THE CACIQUE."
THE EXPEDITION AFLoAT.
OK BOARD rus HERALD Boar The CAcIoUE,
WACIssA RIVER, March %, 1871

OK BOARD rnx HERALD BOAT THE CAcIouEl
wACissA RIVER, March 2S, 1871 !
The exploration chronicled from ,ao HERALD camp
NJ "Snk % Pinhooks' in January and February while
failing in its principal object produced unexpected
fruit-thc discovery II monument OF mysterious
origin In the depth OF the wacssa morass. The sug-
geson naturally arose tina: u represented prehis-
toric time the retrospect Of American annals
Brief and that II might DO porten tous IDOL
long since bereit by time OF its oracles. Archnoo-
gists have ascribed the character far less i'm
posing relics found in the tumuh OF the Mississippi
and Ohio valleys. Tho fact that the lat al swampy
lands Of Florida--so great portion OF Tvs extent
probably at remote period underwent great geo.
logical changes, which Indicated by unscien-
thc examination OF their features renders the pres
OF this stony image In SO uninhabitable place
less remarkable. The morassos may have been
smiling meadows, peopled by
worthy Of antiquarian regrets tho van
ished Etruscans Much OF Florida is 10 geol-
ogists terra inccgnita, and tho opinion that its
enormous tracts OF amphibous country long ago,
BY natural course, greatly depressed lacks tho
lion OF their authority But, laying aside such
hypothesis supposng that the cataclysm occurred
prior to the sculpture Of this rude form, advance
less singular improbable theory than that OF the
respecting the ancient inhabitants OF Switzcr-
land The OF observation left by the carly in.
vadcrs OF Florida mention customs prevailing among
the then degenerate tribes which may well be supposed
10 have been copied by them from the aboriginal or
previous whom they displaced in tho sovereignty
II the land Ono OF these the erection OF mounds
or the purpose Of elevatng their dwellings, above tho
aampness OF the morasses tho carthworks creaed with
mch design being to-day distnguishablc from those
which were merely vast tombs By the small number OF
ha tn
Vega, who chronlced Dc sotos gallant conquest ac-
1uains with them, and mentions in particular ono
the Espritu Santo OF the spanards, Tampa Bay.
After studying this peculiar custom, the finding OF an
IDOL on high island In the midst OF morass and In
tho vicinity Of several well defined mounds, should
Lot appear any more incredible than the former ex-
stencc OF tho lacustrine settlements among the Alps
The island discovered by the HERALD exploring
party found by observation OF udc
sad scrutiny OF the map to Ito out short distance
from the main channel Of the wacssa River, and my
assistants actually reachei and waded stream
before abandoning the line Of survey projected from
the Pinhook Camp They reported to mo the relative
position OF the island therewiih. On its eastern sdc
flows a black and almost fathomlcss tide barely wide
enough for the passage OF a canoe, and which they
wore only enabled 10 by telling
hugo cypress so as to form bridge. Thus
aud-it may be-ncarly at the same place, they
used the means SO often employed by fernando de
Soto IN his weary progress westward to the province
OF Apaachee. From Garclaso do Vegas account of his
ravcrsng the great morass' it would that this
very region was the scene OF that toilsomo march.
The HERALD pioneers assured me that IN all probability
there existed nearly clear passagesby water from the
river to tho island and suggested the possible
OF tho monument on a raft. At the same time, since
had nj ha my
HERALD observatory, near the Sink o. Pinhooks ind-
Gated its haunt TO be in tas vcinage, 1t not unnatu-
rally occurred to mo that exploration OF the sup
posed bayou or passage might gain two ends either Of
which would well reward the necessary toll aud en-
DURANGO Tho HERALD pioneers were re- enlisted for
second expedition and preparations Of quite elabor.
ate character made. l must describe them in
detail
MAGIC RIVER.
Tho Wacssa might well DO called the s.Iver OF
Magic" Twenty-Five miles from the coast of the
wilderness, where 1t leaps in full majesty from the
womb OF the earth, a noble river. Minerals origin
was not more glorious and wonderful Riding through
the shadows OF the forest you como at length to
noble belt OF hickory trees clad In their newly
habilimcnts OF brilliant green and CHEEKY with the
that and warblng Of nnumerable but invisible BIRDS
Suddenly turn in the path, winch has erstwhl.
wandered among dense copses, and you enter a small
glade, beyond which, through low arch of semi.
tropc foliage, Is the sheen OF Elysan waters. A
narrow beach, on which no rippcs lap, descends to
what seems road Of glass, sylvan bayou, crowded
At the margin with the gigantic bonnets of water
lilies, but midway transparent the air we breathe
where unfathomablc fountain boils up In its midst
Beyond is q great concourse oil the bonncts, richly
green, but they encrce broad, STILL crystalline OK.
panse which the surface loses itself In profundity
md island seems to hang midway between two
empty spaces
THE wAcIssA FISHERMEN
Tho scenery reminds you OF The dreams which You
formed when you read the odyssey and Teemaquo
and you half expect to view unconscious Updine
olIing the ea OF lily and q satyr pceping through
the tang copse by the shore to eyes on her
modest exposure. But alas the wacissa knows lew
naiads and many beings resembling the bench
men OF Pan They impose tribute on her lovely
river OF her fish, algators and errapins, and their
souls gross to feel appreciation OF her
poetic motherhood her chaste beauty. IL Is strange
TO think that they would visit her but her
scaly children her bosom Tor the provincial
kct day. But such are tho Wacissa fishermen. They
inspire in the soul of tho lover OF the beautiful su.
preEc and nauscous disgust, and, reader, f
ever you make pilgrimage to the haunt OF
this fair Arcihusa oil Amcrcas Caabria, shun them
as you would the brigand guides OF Italy. They
belong to the poor white class and their characters
are utterly negative OF virtue. To show them KIND
ness Is like petting serpent casting your pearls
before swine They will only wait opportunity to
"turn again and rond you"
TAR-HEEL GosnooTs
Tho Wacssa fishermen employ nat-bottomed skins
to traverse tho river They lightly built OF pitch
pine or cypress. and propelled with poles. SO
mean their aspirations and necessities that what
they week scarcely more than tho diurnal
wages OF q mechanic in tho North. Yet, when an.
Piled them to charter OF thor craft Tor the
HERALD expedition, they recognized me imme.
diatcly meet victim 'ior ways that
are dark and tricks that are vain" The
lyrical .scracker" countenance marked