Morning journal and courier., 1883-11-13
A Florida Mystery Settled.

Correspondence of the Tallahassee Flordian.] Is it not strange that a volcano should ex- ist in dozen or more miles of St. Marks, a port that has been visited by ships from va rious portions of the world, at different times, for over three centuries; and that no one has actually discovered 1t !?
 What is more strange is that the existence of the reported volcano was never heard of until within the last few years. Many years ago canal was cut from the Aucilia river, above the natural bridge, to the Wacissa riv- CT, few miles above the place where the supposed volcano is reported to exist. The persons who constructed the canal never, that can learn, said word about seeing any mysterious fire and smoke arising out of the earth.
 The location of the volcano, as near as I can learn, is in township four south, range three east. On the north of it are hammock swamps and sand hills some fifteen or twen- ty feet in height-and 8 little to the north east are rocks of. considerable size that have the appearance of being thrown out of the earth. It is stated that the holes from which they were thrown are plainly to be seen be- Aucils river. South, hammooks, swamps and the Gulf of Mexico. On the west, hammocks, swamps and the Pinhook river and Gum swamp.
 short time ego I met at Newport man from Georgia who had been cutting cedar along the Aucilla and Pinhook rivers since February last He had traversed the coun try bet Ween the rivers looking for cedar tim ber, and observed things closely as he went along. He said at one place there frequent ly arose dense fog or vapor that at a dis tance in the sun resembled smoke.
 few days ago met an intelligent gentle man at Newport who wes born and lived there until the town was in 8 manner desert cd He is thoroughly acquainted with the coast country from St. Marks to Cedar Keys, and spends much of his time in hunting and cutting cedar logs for market around the alleged volcanic region. He said there is a pond in the center of dense hammock of tall timber, between Aucilla and Pinhook rivers and into the pond three branches flow from opposite directions. The water in one of them is very cold and i'll the other two is quite warm, and from this pond rises a vapor that in the sunlight at a distance resembles smoke. He understands surveying, and says that this pond is where the mysterious smoke seems, at distance, to arise. Other parties that have conversed with agree that the smoke seen is vapor rising out of the ham, mock or swamp where the pond referred to above is located. I have given the substance of the conversations that I have had with various parties as briefly as possible, and from it I am led to infer that the supposed smoke from volcano is nothing but vapor arising from swamp or pond.
  port have met a number of persons who have been over in this section hunting, cut ting cedar, etc, and I have taken much pains to inquire about the volcano, the char acter of the country, etc. Two years ago I met a man who had been for some time cut ting cedar along the Aucila Wacissa and Pinhook rivers and shipping it to Cedar Keys. He had traversed the country pretty thoroughly between the rivers where it was possible to get through. In regard to the volc ano, he said in going through some tall timber one very dark, cloudy day. he thought he saw the reflection of light on the leaves above short distance ahead of him he walked on some distance and looked back, and saw it back of him. He retraced his steps, but saw nothing more of it. He said in this section in the swamps were many lit tie islands of timber-some of the trees were high pitch pine.
 In a dry time fire would break out and big pine tree V ould catch and burn for some time. He supposed that the smoke by day and fire at night, which were seen from the ships in the Gulf of Mexico and the hills on the north were from an old pins tree, full of turpentine, burning.
 One evening few weeks ago some gentle men were out on the hills south of Tallahas see They observed smoke far away to the south, that rose to great height above the timber. Some of the party said it was from the volcano. One person said 1t was too far to the west. The residents on the hill said that the smoke had existed there for several days The bearings were taken, and in a few days party went te Wskulla county and found that the smoke arose from new steam mill and cotton gin. The volcano. like ''the richest gold mine in the United States" and the copper mine of Wakulla county, vanishes in yapor.