The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-01-22
From the n o. Times Democrat
THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES,

From the n o. Times Democrat
THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES.
We publish elsewhere a full account of
the Times DemOcrats expedition into the
Florida Everglades The story covers
several columns, but is told in as brief
and condensed manner as possible, con
sidering the many features of the trip,
the innumerable incidents that occurred
and the important problems investigated
and solved
The expedition was planned many
months ago, and ample time given for it's
preparation. 1t may be said to have
grown out of former expedition sent out
by the Times DcmocrW under the com
which explored the CalOosahatchcc and
kissmmee rivers, and attracted much at
tention toward Southern Florida its pic
turesqueness, it's climate and the posi-
bilities of its soil. The articles in the
Times Uemocrat Interested the whole
country in Florida, and a general desire
was felt to know more about the country
and particularly about the Everglades
1t was discovered that in this country,
in State which can boast of being the
first colonized OF any portion of the Tn
ion, there existed region of which less
was actually known than of the interior
of Africa.
The best authority on the subject Of
the Everglades has been considered to be
the report made by committee Of the
United States Senate in lS4S. The ques-
tion of the drainage of the Everglades
being submitted to the Senate committee
on public lands, an exploration of this re
gion was attempted This exploration
was failure Mr.. George Mackay, Uni
ted States Surveyor, reported to the com
mittec: every little can be known of the
North Glades. They are uniformly saw
grass, and it is impossible to penetrate
them with canoes in high water, and in
low water they are so generally boggy
that it is impossible to explore them on
FOOT
Lieut.. Francis Marion, in company with
Mr. Buckingham Smith, attempted to ex-
plore them in lS47. He says 1t was
my desire to reach the northern end of
the glades and the region Of Lake Okee-
the islands above New River, but | found
| could not without great delay and trou-
BILE, and therefore abandoned it,
In no wise daunted by the many fail
ures, the Times Democrat decided to
make full and thorough examination Of
this region, and solve the many impor-
tant problems regarding the Everglades.
The expedition was composed not one
merely of adventure it was designed for
useful and practical purposes
1t was desired to find the character of
the immense region of Southern Florida,
known as the Everglades, covering mil
lions of acres, to discover the quality Of
it's soil, and to what crops and purposes it
was best suited.
To test the possibility Of draining this
immense region, and thus giving millions
Of acres to cultivation.
To discover the condition and manner
of life of the Indians who have sought
refuge there.
And finally, at the request Of the Wes
tern Union Company, to test the practi
cabiity of constructing telegraph line
down the peninsula.
All the arrangements for the expedition
were perfected, boats built forit, laborers
secured and every preparation made but
as we have already described all these, we
need not dwell on them further, nor need
we follow up the preliminary movements
of the party to Cedar Keys, Punta Rassa
and up the Caloosahatchie River to Lake
Okeechobee. All this has been told in
former letters. This morning we give
the eventful portion Of the expedition,
the story of it's march from the lake
through the swamps, the saw-grass and
the glades to the Gulf.
The present story commences with
Nov. 4, when the expedition had reached
the great central lake of Florida, Okee-
chobee This lake was found to be shall
low, bnt subject to very tempestuous and
stormy weather, during which its waves
became as threatening as those of the
Gulf, and with its shores low and swampy
and only here and there any dry spots.
Game and fish were both very scarce, but
alligators were superabundant.
1t had been determined that the eXpe
dition should proceed due south. 1t
made, therefore, for the extreme southern
point OF Lake Okeechobee. A gale in
the lake, in which the small boats and ca
noes were Of little use, detained the party
for several days, but on November and
they continued their journey southwark
along the shores Of Okeechobee, discov-
cring a number of islands and several
small rivers emptying into the lake.
These were explored in the hope that
they would take the party some distance
into the Everglades, but after following
their course short distance this idea had
to be abandoned. After several failures
a stream, to which the name of I'D, in
honor of the Times Democrat, was given,
was found somewhat larger than the 9th
ers, and it was determined to ascend it as
far as possible, and from its source to
start into the swamp.
On the morning of November 10, the
party found itself on the borders of the
Everglades, confronted by barrier of
boughs, bushes and vines intertwined,
through which it was necessary to cut
their way. All the arrangements were
now made for the journey. Each boat
was loaded with it's own provisions, SO
that, should they by any chance become
separated there would be no danger of