The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-05-03
A FLORIDA LAKE.

A walk OF nearly two miles through the
dense palmetto underground OF virgin for.
ests brought us to the western shore of
Lochloosa Lake, one of the best fresh water
fishing grounds in the State. This lake is
about three miles wide aud seven long, en-
tirely forest locked and with no evidence OF
the presence of man withia from one to five
miles of its borders on either side, except
where the Peninsular road touches its east.
ern shore at one point i'll is passage through
this forest country. Immediately bordering
upon the lake is the dense growth OF caD-
ba9e palmetto and cypress, the latter grow
Ing several yards ont into the water and coy.
cred with Southern moss to Nh extent that
entirely conceals the natural foliage. SO that
It hangs in great masses, almost sweep
ing the water the entire circuit Of the lake.
Arranging our tackle, we took our places in
large canoe which lay humping itself
against the trees thickly extending out to a
distance of fifty feet we pushed out from
under the gray canopy Of moss which, like
q vast curtain hung in artistic loops and fes-
toons shut MS in, and on gaining the open
lake found myself surrounded by one OF
the most remarkable scenes upon which |
had ever looked. Imagine, II you can, a
sheet of water of somewhat irregular shape
surrounded by an unbroken line of forest,
whose every limb but served az support
for dense fringe of brown and silver gray
moss in such masses that they bent beneath
its weight and presented the appearance of
piles upon piles of coarse gray lace-work
which had been cast oyerthe entire forest
aud been riyen and tangled by succeeding
storms, making scene of seeming chaos,
weirdness and semi-desolation beyond either
the power of imagination to conceive or the
pen to describe. 70 add TO the strangeness
of tho scene immense eagles' nests might be
seen here and there in the water, the build.
ers of which sailed overhead uttering their
shrill screams, or sat perched upon some
high projecting limb, waiting to swoop down
upon the first unwary member of the hnny
tribe who should approach the surface OF
the water underneath him, Here and there
along the shore immense blue and mix
while herons might be seen, stalking lazily
one foot, dreamily gazing at us, to them
strange intruders. Floating upon the sur
face Of the water, flying from point to point
and perched on surrounding tree tops were
various-new TO me-~water fowls and
plumed birds, the largest of which was the
water turkey, blush black bird, its long
neck covered with yellowish down, and
about the size of an ordinary. turkey. Some
of these birds are said to be worth as much
~ four dollars each, on account of their
plumage. Both the white aud the bluo her.
on OF this region, hapA @hAahiifni piume8
which, little later in the season than this,
extend the entire length Of the back, resem-
bling ostrich planes, and which bring from
one to three dollars apiece 10 complete
tho picture, dozen hinge olligators could be
seen floating with their heads and n portion
of their backs above water the first that
had ever seen alive and in their native ele-
uent CIR BWfa,0 Courier.