Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-15

A STORY OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA.-
When cutting through the swamp below
the confluence of Reedy and Davenport
creeks, about ten miles southwest Of
Kissimee city, writes railroad surveyor
to the Florida Times Union, water was
yery scarce. The swamp was very thick,
full of expresses, cypress knees, and Il
small evergreen two feet higher than the
knees, and just thick enough to cover some
of the largest moccasn snakes L have
ever seen. Five a day averaging four and
a half feet in length, by half foot at the
center in circumference disposes of the
snakes. | will add that these snakes had
probably never seen a man before. They
would look at me with that unconcern
which plainly told that they were moi
aware Of my relationship to that party, the
descendants of whom were to "brulse the
serpent's head"
1t had been very dry and there was no
water in the swamp except the run OF :he
creeks. The ever refreshing breeze, pe-
cul;ar to this country, did not penetrate
the swamp. The mosquitoes and deer
flies were not absent. For three days,
though in land of plenty. as you shall
see, we had been going without water for
10 or - consecutive hours. Sometimes
we would find little pool, always, how
ever, finding at least one moccasin near it.
Killing the snake, we would then proceed
to drink the water from his pool, the pool
being about large enough for him to turn
around in. Finally, May 80 ofthis year. a
shanty on an island was seen. Rushing
to the shanty for water, some was offered,
which was very black and offensive to the
smell. 1t came from. the settlers "gator
hole.' | mention this, merely to show
the extremity to which settler, who was
too law too dig a we'll, six or eight feet
deep, was reduced. While resting at noon
one of the darkes expressed the sentiment
of the party, in saying, II would give fifty
cents for drink of water just at that
moment one of the largest and blacklist
old crows have ever seen attracted my
attention. He was so large, SO black and
so dignfied until, had | been of an imagi
native disposition, Poe's Raven" might
have presented itself to me. saw this
crow put his bill into cluster of broad,
long leaves, growing on tall cypress
The leaves were green and converged at
the bottom, forming an inverted bell.
The smaller end was held to the tree by
roots, graphing the bark. Feeding on
the water which it catches and holds, the
air plant becomes q cistern. Almost
every tree in the swamp had at least one
plant on it-some Il half dozen. had
only to reach out my hand, seize one, and
press it or invert it. The crow had dis
played better knowledge of the situation
than we had. Within easy reach of us
there were 100000 cisterns. The water
held by the lower leaves of the plant is
generally trashy. Cutting off the long
leaves to within a few inches of the body,
the plant may be bent over. The water
being caught in your hat and drunk as il
runs, continuous stream of pure, cold
water may bo obtained. Cutting the
bottom leaves very short, the trashy water
does not run into your hat or cup, From
one plant have often gotten as much as
a pint. am writing now for those who
are too lazy to build a cistern, dig an
eight foot well, or who haven't an old
black crow to show them where to find
streams of plenty. Had Moses been here
he would have needed crow, not 8
staff.