The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-30
OUTING In FLORIDA KEYS.
"NeSmuck" on the Beauties and Draw
backs of Life on the Gulf Coast.
Heat, Insects and the Off Seasonal Cruise
in g FOur-TOn Sharpie-Shore Birds,
Grange Groves and Grapes.

She Northern tourist who has elected to try the
mild hesperides for twelve month as stamp
ing ground. Hot, dry weather comes OH sometime
in March, and the myriads of poisonous insects
are in season just as every species of desirable
game is out Turkeys, quail and deer are not
shootable with any decent sportsman, and the
shore birds have left for the North The bear
and alligator are in season always; but one does
not for the latter after shootingtwo or three
for novelty The former takes to the hammocks
where he is pretty safe from dogs and men. But
the sandAy, the redbug. the mosquito, the
imam eater" (avlllainous species of chinch), with
several varieties of large hard biting flies, all
come to the front and get in their work with a
vim that begets frantic desire in the average
tourist for the comforts of his Northern home.
It is also the season most trying to the North
erner, as regards climate, and he mostly leaves
for home Having camped out for the past five
months in Florida, l am prepared to say that
the three months indicated above are not the
best in the calendar for that sort of thing. With
me, they have called ON what toughness and en-
durauce had in stock; and, though the worst OF
the insect season is over, [ am pretty well dot
ted with the scars of bites and stings. Yet the
time has passed not so unpleasanty. Canoeing
is always in season, and fishing is good on the
gulf coast any month of the year To one who
has taste for natural history, it will be
found a favorable season; and an excursion by
sail or paddle to the outside beach OF the keys
for the purpose of collecting shells and bathing
in the crisp clear waters of the gulf, is always
in order and costs no more tn an loafng around
camp. In the hottest, dryest portion Of the six
weeks drought that commenced the latter part
of March and lasted into May, l could always
paddle down in the early morning with the ebb
tide and in little more than an hour reach the
the clean, white beach Of the coast where there
was always fresh breeze and the grateful
shade of palms, with an unlimited sea bathing
and as much fishing as heat and laziness al
lowed During the latter part of May there
Here occasional showers that mostened and
cooled the hot, white sand. and by the latter
part of June showers were frequent At this
time there is no lack Of moisture, and not an
hour in the day when the distant rumble of
thunder cannot be heard AS / write there is a
down-pour of rain that bids fair to set the camp
afoat, while the thunder and lightning would
be reckoned sublime, even IN an old set
tied country. Things begin to look favor
able for the outer. The red bug no longer
torments human legs, ankles. and shoulders.
The multtudinous sand-hy has vanished and
the vindictive yellow fly has become only occa
sional, while the poisonous man eater is getting
scarce, and ] have only seen one scorpion in
week. In accordance with the just law of com
pensations, these pests are being replaced with
Nlo hoe huxyo sp,ua a
a bright green tinge to the open pine and oak
woods that might lead the stranger to think the
land fertile, until he found the freshness and
verdure pertaining mostly to black jacks ground
oak, and wire grass.
The numerous and full bevies of half-grown
quail promise we'll for shooting in early August.
while the advent of shorebirds is fixed fact.
They are mere in great numbers. and will become
more plentiful as the season advances
On the Sd inst. | went with Captain K. down
the coast for trial trip of his new four ton
sharpe. We were out five days. visiting Big
Pass, Clearwater. Duneden, and other points of
interest. l took the gun along. just to shoot
what birds we needed for the table, and found
chem more plentiful by far than expected.
Brown breasted snipe were abundant. and plover
sickle billed and straight billed curew were
seen in hockS whenever we visited the outer
beach. We also saw few of the rather scarce
clearwater or scissors BILL and one fine flock of
pink curl6w, trOSoate spoon DILL Inc laSC 4
call the finest of all shore birds, but wary, and
hard to get Coming up the river in the canoe
at low tide, / saw young plover at different
points, full grown, and SO tame that they would
allow the canoe to approach within dozen
yards of them But the few shells | had taken
with me had all been used at Big Pass. and they
escaped unharmed. just here L wish to say a
word about shooting on the water, or beach,
from boat 1t is this Use a light, low open
padding canoe, and sit on the bottom, or very
han frnfx wifi h,1r1C rnS or6o
of the birds, don't use the broad, snowy double
blade, but have short, light single blade that
can be easily used with one hand. Use it with
out noise. and have it tied inboard with bit of
fish-line; then, when near enough, let go of the
paddle and attend to the gun. In this way you
may get in some wicked shots. At Big Pass
/ used q single paddle twenty inches
long and weighing six ounces. Keeping my
right hand over the side, and not taking the
blade from the water, | could approach within
twenty-five yards of a flock without disturbing
their feeding. Then let them have it as they
fed along the plat and got into lunches. Of
course it was potshooting. was shooting for
the pot. ~
At Clearwater we anchored and spent the day,
visiting orange groves, gardens graperies and
flower plats, all of which thrive exceptionally
well there, as do lines, lemons. guavas and figs.
for Clearwater and the ad lacent country is noted
as fertile region, where all semi-tropical pro-
ductlons thrive we'll. and even the kitchen veg
etables VI the North are cultivated with success.
The little town is also popular winter resort,
and has two large hotels. which are we'll filed
during the winter months with boardels Guests
pay from Sl2 to SIS per week for board accord
ing to rooms. and both houses had more appii-
cants than they could accommodate. 1t struck
me that landlord could manage to scuffie alol G
in country town at these prices. We found
the forest growth very different from the oak
and pine woods around Tarpon Springs The
shores are high and very abrupt, forming
bluffs that are thickly overgrown with
blackberry, grape, and other vines indigenous
to the country. with scattering growth of large
live oaks. But the black jack-indicative of
poor land, was wanting. In its place there was
dense growth of very tall oaks. resembling the
black oak of the North, with wilderness of
strong saw.palmettos ard vines underneath.
Such land was held at pretty high figure, and
IN addition it was admitted that it could not be
cleared and brought under the plow for less
than 500 per acre. They were anxious to sell
land. as they are all over Florida. But we de-