Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-05-11

uidu, uutIOuucu uy his lOOt. Inc odnhs
Of the former wonderful river are untrod
den because man can not reach the heights,
the latter because there is nothing to tread
upon. There are few landings upon the
river, some of them built on piles, and
reached through the swamp on timbers
and planks by the wood and provision
selling Crackers" who live back from
the river on the occasional high ground.
Silver Springs, is the terminus of the regu-
lar trips of the beat; but was but half
way place to lis. 1t is basin of water 200
feet across, and the water is so clear that
five-cent nIckle thrown in at a depth of
sixty feet can be distinctly seen upon the
white sand at the bottom. The wster
from this spring forms a rapid stream
known as Silver Springs Run, which
emptles into the Ocklawaha, and is as
cended by all the steamers. Beyond Silver
Spring the trees ON each side of the river
recede, and leave In their places a marshy
growth of reeds and water plants, and the
next morning found us sailing through an
open prairie-like country. Here are great
quantities of such game as ducks, coots,
gallinules, limpkins. water-turkeys, rail,
white herons, curlew, -moccasins and
alllgators. Everywhere on the river guam
titles of black bass can be caught. Our
rifles and shot-guns now began to make a
great deal of noise, and those of the Com
modore and Captain Edwards did consider
able execution. 1t was not, however, till
We got into Lake Griffin that we began to
see and get the big allIgators. AS We
slowly sail along by the low, flat shores of
the lake, every rifle is ready and every eye
eagerly looking for the black body of the
reptile lying asleep in the grass on the edge
of the lake or by some marshy inlet. Sad
denly we hear our colored pilot exclaim
''Dar's 'gator!' The pilots bell imgles,
the boat slows up, and, as we draw nearer
and nearer to the monster. the rifles are
raised and the Commodore's or Captains
signals breathlessly awaited. There is a
sharp report, followed by regular volley,
and then, while the great tail splashes the
water or beats the ground, the grinning
deck-hands are summoned to drag the beast
on board, sometimes not dead, but wound
ed, and the upper jaw rises and falls with
vlndictive energy, the teeth grinding on
the nearest object, causing among the
captors lively apprehension as to the
safety of their feet. Many "'gators" fell
victims to the brigade, but more escaped,
as it is hard to approach them near enough
for shot on account of the noise made by
the boat. We spent that night at Lees |
burg, having during the day sailed over a
great deal of the lake. and gone into creeks |
and inlets where no steamboat had ever !
been. The next morning Sunday, as we
were sailing down the river on our return
voyage, alligator steaks were placed upon
the table and found to be quite palatable, |
in taste somewhat resembling, but beng
rather an Improvement upon sturgeon. |
Few, however, care to make an entire meal
upon alligator meat, and one gentleman,
who was known as Prof. Appollinaris, |
from his fondness for that exhilarating
beverage, Appollinaris water, absolutely |
refused to touch it. He offered 81 to any
ore who would take it from his plate. |
where it had been placed before he knew |
what it was; then, as no one would help |
him, with the handle of spoon poking it |
onto read-plate, he built barricade of
biscuit and milk-jugs to hide the dainty |
morsel from sight, and finally, after hear
ing few joking illusions to the meat of
the gator, he rose from his seat, SICK ct
heart, and retired TO his state-roOm.