The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-03-15

rrUsn Florida.
PORT MASON. on LAKE INSTRUMENTATION
70 pLoRIpA-LAgE or THE GOLDEN RAYS
IRON LERsBuRc AND LAKE GRrPFfN To
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES AND LAND, ETC.
correspondence OF the Riohrsond Dispatch.i
CEDAR KEYS, FLA, March 6, 1882.
Prom Indian river ] came back to San
ford. and from thence down the ~. Johns
40 Astor, where took the cars over mar
vow-gauge railroad twcnty-six miles long
10 Fort Mason, on Lake Eustis. Most OF
Che way the land was poor and uninhab-
sed until VIC reached chain OF little lakes,
on whose borders were several new settle
saents and one little village called Altoona.
There Is quite a tide OF emigration flowing
into Florida, mainly from North Carolina,
Georgia, and Alabama, with goodly num-
her from the northwcsterp States. You
sec many new establishments, particularly
an the borders Of the lakes and near the
railroad depots. The first care OF the new
settler seems to be the planting and
protecting Of an orange-grove. Fort Ma
son IL the landing-placc for the lit
tie steamer which plies between that point
and Leesburg, on Lake Harris. Lake Eus-
tis IL seven miles in length and four miles
vide, and Is connected with Lake Harris
river. Lake lIarris--the Indian name for
which Is "Astatula "; Anglice, "The Lake
Of the Golden Rays"--is some seven miles
wide and seventeen miles long. On the
shores Of both lakes are a number OF fine
orarge-grovcs, md on the banks OF Lake
kstatula Is the pretty and thriving village
Of Zslahs (thc Indian name for orange) and
The town OF Lecsburg, where i had the
pleasure OF being entertained at the Viz
1inia House. kept by Mr.. Miller. formerly
Of the Rawicy Springs. Lake Griffin cor
ners up near Lcesburg; and there is such
> host Of lakes through this region that one
cannot help wondering where so much
fresh water comes from in country so
little above the sea-leyel. All Southern
Florida is huge sand-bank, and perhaps
That accounts for it. From Leesburg to
Ocala rio Sumpterville, distance OF fifty
miles. travelled by horse and buggy.
Much OF the distance is through pine for
ssfs, with only two or three small resi-
dences, until you reach Sumpteryillc, a
small village in the midst OF the forest.
The pine timber Is not particularly large,
but IL very straight and tall, and makes
beautiful lumber. The forests have no I'M
derbrush, and have n park-like appear
znce, the ground being covered with
~wire-grass," aud possessed Of poor MI
tritive qualities, as ia evidenced by the
large numbers OF poor cattle you see gra-
King upon il. | have seen many Virginia
yesrlings that would weigh more than n
three-year-old Florida steer. The cost Of
raising these cattle is next TO nothing, and
there are parties that own them in very
large numbcrs-one man hear OF owning
forty thousand. They are mostly sold
t0 Cubans. Between Leesbug and
Ocala l saw the first rocks that | have
seen in Florida, except the torquina forna-
sion OF Indian river. And the change from
the dead, silent roll OF the buggy-whee!s
through the deep sand 10 the rattle and
Sostle OF the stones was relief. Where
ehese rocks commence the land is gently
andulating. more fertile, and more thickly
settled: but as il Il q sort Of rotten lime |
ssone, the water is not so good nor the peo- |
pie over-bealthy. Ocala is a thriving town |
u 1000 inhabitants, and is apparently we'll |
situated for health, as it has fine natural |
drainage; but the water is Of the character |
inst spoken Of. There are some very large |
grange and banana-groves near by, and |
saw several acres in "bunch snaps" that |
arc now in bearing. Two railroads come |
in To Ocala, and ride Of six miles on one |
sf them will bring You to the wonderful |
81 Silver spring." and wonder it il. /
The spring forms basin Of near
100 yards in breadth and 200 yards !
in length. and sends off a volume
Of water that runs with a strong current |
twelve feet deep and thirty yards wide to
where il empties into the Oclawaha, or
&" crooked river" nine miles distant,
Steamers from Palatka run regularly into |
she spring. j saw two lying side by side
IN the spring, each loaded with passen-
gers, and there was room for half dozen
more at the same wharf. The water in the
basin varies from forty-two to sixty feet
IN depth, and is so clear that you can dis
einctlv see nickel on the bottom at The
deepest point. Much Of the bottom, sur
face il covered with kind OF moss or
grass that looks very beautiful. There
are two clefts, where the water CUISINES up,
and one well, where the volume OF water
has entwined sea-weeds and MOSES i'm a
wall about four feet in diameter that looks
n regular a. work OF art. The reflection OF
the sun is very beautiful. Hear what Sidney
Ianier said about il "The fundamental
eues OF the pool when at rest were distri-
buted into innunerable Kaleidoscope
1ashcs and brillancics. The multitudes Of
ish became multitudes Of animated gems,
md the prismatic lights seemed actually to
xaver and play through their translucent
bodies, until the whole spring in a great
blaze OF sunlight shonc like an enormous
luid jewel that, without decreasing for
ever lapses away upward in successive ext
OF dissolving sheens and glitter
nc colors.' Its shores are lined with pail
ncttoes and cypress, all draped with the
moss which Osceola hoped and prophesied
would prove the winding-sheet OF the white
man. OF the country from Silver Springs
10 this place, where the railroad goes three
miles to sea on stills, must speak anotherl
sime, as find my epistlc already too long.
O. NJ II