Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-20
THE LAND OF FLOWERS.
A Tour Through the Best Orange Groves
and the Most Enticfng Parts
Of the Peninsula.

Special Correspondence of the Appeal
LEEsBURGH, FLA, January 15.-The first
par, of my route TO Florida lay through
the most uninteresting parts of Mississippi,
Alabama, and Georgia, that is, the pine
woods region. For hours at time we
would pass through the pines, which grow in
an open, thin, struggling kind of way, with
no underground at all, save an OCCASIONAL
thicket of huckleberry, or "huckieberry
PATCH" as the CRACKERS" call them, and a
few struggling clumps of saw-palmetto.
The change in the scenery in entering
Florida, coming TIA Waycross and Jackson
VILE, is very gradual and does not attract
your attention until you reach Jacksonville,
which, with the shops OF curios, alligator
teeth, trinkets, stuffed birds and animals
suggests the proximity of the tropics, al
though the town itself is very much like any
other Southern towH in appearance, save for
few cabbage palmettos, which have a
rather tropical appearance.
Taking one Of the finest boats of the best
line ON the st. Johns, the DeBarry, we had a
pleasant trip of twelve hours up this tropical
Florida river. There is scarcely any cur
rent at all in the river, so little 10 fact in the
lower part as TO be scarcely perceptible, and
the river is brackish for quite a distance
from the mouth.
Along this river lies the most attractive
part of Florida to the tourist. The msjor
part OF the land on either side is in high
| state of cultivation, that is for Florida, with
orange groves in all stages OF development,
at frequent intervals, which are the FIRST we
had seen at all. There was quite a severe
frost on the meruing that We were on the
river, and the white frost on the dark leaves
with the bright yellow oranges shining out
| from them formed a strange and attractive
picture. The st. Johns is very wide, rang
ing from one-fourth to one mile wide far
up as Lake George, where it spreads out into
| q magnificent lake from four to fifteen miles
wide by some twenty long. Then comes the
jetties, which are placed where the river
| flows into the lake, and which are necessary
| to prevent the form alton of bar, that would
seriously impede travel. After passing the
jetties we are on the upper st. Johns, which
is quite narrow in comparison with the lower,
but which is still a good-sized river. 1t was
here that first noticed what appears TO be
= peculiarly Of all the Florida streams,
the dark brown hue of the water; i. lie not
muddy at all, but very clear, but looking
Down through it the general color is a rich
| brown and not the blue that clear water
generally has.
At Astor We left the steamer and our fell
low-travelers, that il, a very pleasant party
| of Ohioans with whom We had been since
leaving Montgomery, and whose company
had 90 much relieved the otherwise monot-
onous journey, with much regret. This line
of Steamers the DeBarry, connect with the
railroads running out from the river into the
country at Paltks, at Aston and at Sanford,
and making, as they do, good time and set
ting good tables, they are very deservedly
popular. At Asior we took the narrow
gauge ST. Johns and Lake Eustis railroad for
Fort Mason, where we took the Roxie, a lit.
tie toy steamer, which, with q great deal oil
Juggling and putting and wheeling, got us
across Like Eustis and Lake Harris to Lees.
burgh.
| AT Fort Mason, the terminus OF the St
Johns and Lake Eastis railroad, you viii
| probably get a good idea of Florida and
Florida ways. Everything has a sleepy
lazy, careless sort OF air, even the cotton-gir
J near the wharf putting away in a spiritles
sort Of manner, as though il ran only under
protest and didn't want 10 run at all. Tn,
captain, pilot and clerk Of the Roxie Leaned
out of tie pilothouse window in a tired sor
Of way, and in a tired sort Of voice told
tired-lookug negro TO 'get ND and make fas
that headline"
The trip across the lake is very pleasan
, on q sunshiLy day, as we had, and as the sui
| sank to rest behind bank OF violet clouds
lust as we cane out OF Dead river into tn
. broad eIpanse of Lake Harris, every wave
let was tipped With gold and great bars o
golden radlanc. shot upward 10 the zenith
!. and the "caim sad spleudor stole like Al
answer TO my seul;" and IS the grsys Q
twilight came soi.ly down and covered III
horizon with a mantle il seemed that thi
!. must be at last the Place of peace, the Ian
OF conten.ment and quiet happiness. The
4 IN the Infinite meadows Of the heavens blo'
|. somed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots {
4 the angels While on the surface of the wa
: ter blossomed ihea.ther stare, the doubles @
4 those shining down from heaven, and ihu
!, doubled the beauty of the moonless nigh
and thus across the water, past little poiu
Of Light that are Yalans, Corieys Islzn'
u Esperance aDd Oxmoor, till the whist
q blows and stops for landing at Leesburgh
y MAX