The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-11-30

section OF the state lying between thu
Suwannee river on the east, and the Ana.
lachicola river on the west, and betwasn
the Georgia line on the north and tho
Gulf coast on the south tract of conn.
try about one hundred and twenty-6va
miles in length, east and west, and varv.
ing in width from forty to ninety miles
north and south. It is composed Of the
counties of Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin
Leon, Wakulla, Madison, Taylor, Lafav.
cite and Hamilton. Of these, Franklin
Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor and LAFAYETTE
have a coast line on the GulfIof about
one hundred and seventy miles, which in.
cludes in its extent the seaports of Ana.
iachicoia and st. Marks, each of which
has good harbor, and bota Of which.
before the days of railroads, were found
capable of accommodating the entire
commerce of the Apalachicola valley re.
gion In southeastern Alabama aud south.
western Georgia, including the commerce
of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, as
well as all that portion of Florida ada
cent, an area Of many thousAnd square
miles in extent, which sustained CON-
merce and population almost equal to
that Of the present day. Sine the ex-
tension of the railroads from. Savannah
to Chattahoochee on the Apalachicola
river, not to mention the network of rail
road lines north OF, and connecting Eu-
faula, Ala, and Columbus, GA, with the
West and East, the commerce of these
two ports has declined almost.td notbino
but without any inh erent defect in them
selves.
Typographical The Topography of
the country included in the boundaries
given above is varied and Interesting.
Along the Gulf coast the surface consists
ofalmost continuous marshes and swamps
not necessarily deleterious to health, be-
ing salt, but forbidding residence and
cultivation within some miles of. the
water. Next come low table lands, COW
cred with pine and cypress forests, and
known as the flat-woods." These extend
to the foot of the hills which form the
third level of elevation, and, beginning
from twelve to twenty miles, back from
the coast, rise in successive elevations to
the height Of nearly three hundred feet
above the level of the sea. These hills,
together with the broad, ferEile valleys
which lie between them, and the high
table lands which extend northward into
Georgia, were originally, ana ARE now
partially, covered with heavy and mag
nifcent growth of live-oak, red-bay or
Florida mahogany, magnolia, water-oak,
hickory, blackjack, white-oak, land pine;
and are interspersed with hundreds of
creeks, rivers, lakes and ponds of pure,
fresh water. The largest stres!ms are the
Oklockonee, New, Wakulla, St, Marks,
Aucilla, Econfna, Fenholloway, Estein-
batchie, Withlacoochee and Suwanee
rivers, the last named navigabfe for small
steamboats, to Ellaville in Madiso on coun-
ty. The principal lakes arc Iamonia,
twelve miles long; Jackson, seventeen
miles long; Lafayette, seven miles long;
Miccosukie, twenty-five miles long, and
Bradford, all in Leon county
The Jacksonville, Pensacolafa1d Mobile
Railroad extends from Jacksonville on
the Atlantic coast westward to the Apa-
lachicola river, passing centrally through
Madison, Jefferson, Leon and Gadsden
counties. The st. Marks branch extends
from Tallahassee, twenty-five miles south
ward to St. Marks, on the river of that
name, which is navigable from, It's mouth
to the town, distance of about eight
miles. A light house of the second class
stands at the mouth of the river. United
States custom-houses are maintained at
St. Marks and Apalachicola, both of which
are ports of entry.
Historical and Descriptive The coun-
try above described has been called by
brilliant and delightful writerlon the sub
ject, The Tallahassee county, or Pied
mont Florida Ianier's Florida, 1879;
and his words are chosen as 4he best in
which to give brief sketch of the region
which abounds in legends, relics and tradi-
tions, as well as the most beautiful
scenery in tho Sonth
In the year 1859, after DeSoto had
made his landing in Tampa Bay Tor
Espiritu Sa'sto Bay, as he called it,, he
Jared northward with his army for several
days, and came to a "Great Morass,"
about which he made de,oair then
marching four days longer through fer
tile and well-inhabited country, he arrived
at the Indian village of Anhayea Tor An
hayea,) situated in the midst thereof; and
appears to have made his headquarters
at that place for some little while, await
ing there the return of the exploring ex-
petitions which be sent in vsrious direc-
tions. Several circumstances make it
probable that this Anhaycs <as near the
present site of the city of Tallahassee;
and / am told that complete suit of old
Spanish armor was found nottlong ago in