Savannah morning news., 1886-05-10
FLORIDA EXPLORATIONS.
Everglades, Lakes, swamp and Forest
in the Peninsular state.


which, under the direction of Mr.. Joseph
Wilcox and Prof. Angelo Heilprin, was
recently organized by the Wagner Free
Institute of Science, of Philadelphia, has
returned, after an absence of seven weeks,
bringing with IT material which promises
to be of the first scientific Importance.
On Saturday eVeLiug last Prot. Heilprn
made verbal report to the Wagner In
stltute, which, among other matters, gave
the following points of Information about
the expedition and the observations made.
The primary object of the expedition,
which was directed to some Of the most
inaccessible parts of the State, and to re-
gions hitherto largely in the nature of a
terra iHc0gl0td to the scientific
investigator, was the examination of the
shallow waters fauna OF the Mexican
! Gulf, and the determination of the geOg-
insula. Numerous "drags" along the
sea-bottom were made between Cedar
keys-the starting point-and the mouth
of the CalOOsahatchie river, or to within
| about 200 miles OF the trOpic, but in no
| instance did the fauna present that va
rietal and numerical development of forms
| that might have been expected from re-
| gion lying so far removed TO the south.
| The extreme cold weather OF mid-winter
which had just preceded, and whose ei-
! fects upon both animal and vegetable
| life were clearly visible even be.
yond the 9th parallel OF latitude,
| had, doubtless, much to do with the
thinning or dispellng of the fauna,
| killing many of the forms, and driving
Others to seek shelter in the more favored
regions of the "further" South. Myriads
of dead fish, banked up in wind-rows hum
| dreds OF feet In length, bore testimony to
the devastating effects Of the cold, no less
| than the withered and autumn-tinted
foliage OF the mangrOves, whose remark
| able forms constitute such a distinctive
feature OF the west coast keys. The To-
calties ofspecial interest visited along
the coast and shore, where scientific OBJ
servatiOns were conducted, are the Ho-
mosassa and CheesOwhiska rivers, An
clote bay, Clearwater harbor, Tampa and
! HillsbOrough bays, the HillsbOrough and
Big Manatee rivers, Sara Sofa and Gaspa-
rilla bays, and Charlotte harbOr.
THE CALoosAHATCHIE RIVER.
From Punta Rassa the expedition was
directed through the wilds Of the Calico
sahatchie to Lake OkeechObee, which was
reached after a laboriOus boat journey
| of nearly six days. For much of its
course the river flows through banks of
| some three to ten feet elevation, the Yer-
tical faces Of which are literally charged
| with organic remains, presenting one
of the most remarkable fossihierous
exposures TO be found .On the con-
! tinent. The large size and beautiful
state of preservation of the fossils
no less than their diversity of forms,
alike arrest attention. but the chief in
terest attaching to their occurrence is the
light they throw upon the formation OF
the Florida peninsula. Far from indi.
eating, as has very generally been sup
| posed and as was first maintained by
the late Louis Agassiz), }, that this portion
of the State was of recent coral forma-
tion-a modern reef-they point indis-
putably to a structure analogous to that
OF the greater portion Of the Atlantic
| borders of the United States, and to a
| period of formation much more ancient
than is represented in our reefs. The
greatest depth sounded in The river was
50 feet, for considerable part Of which
the banks descend at very steep angle.
The vegetation in this section OF the
State is of a distinctly tropical character,
the tangled masses in some places being
so dense as to completely shut off access.
The tropical jungle of the mld-stream,
whose wonderful luXuriance is cOnstitu-
ted by most Heterogeneous assemblage
of vegetable forms, is succeeded in the
upper part of the stream by, heavy
growth of palmetto, which extends un-
broken for length of nearly fifteen miles
along the river.
THE EVERGLADES AND "sAw-GRAss
SEA"
Beyond Fort Thompson, the limit Of
tide backwater, the character of the cOun-
try suddenly changes; the virgin forests
have almost entirely disappeared, and we
enter upon the region Of sO-called swamp
and saw-grass-the verglades-which
extends uninterruptedly TO Lake Okeech-
| obee, and spreading eastward and south
ward, covers nearly the remainder OF the
southern extremity of the state. Prior
to the operations of the Florida Land and
Improvement Company this tract was
practically fmpenetrable, the CalOosa-
hatchie losing itself in the
Saw-grass sea, a few miles west of
Lake Hikpochee a shallow body of
water some six or seven miles in length.
and of nearly equal width, with which iJ
is now connected by canal. Innumer-
/ able water and wading fowl make their
home in this inhospi'able region, en-
| hveniDg by their vast iiOcks the mOnOtOny
and dreariness of the endless sOlitudes.
| The white heron, egret ald white ibis,
especially abundant, departing from aud
arriving at their herOnries in assOcia-
| tions Of several hundred individuals In
much rarer association with these bird
is the strikingly beautiful "pink curlew.v
or roseate spOOn-bill. AllIgators find
here a veritable paradise, basking or
'snesting" in vast numbers under cover
| of the impenetrable growth Of saw-grass,
or lazlly swimming on the surface Of the
| placid waters.
LAKE oKEECHOBEE-swAMP AND FOR
EST.
The exploration of Okeechobee was con-
| fined mainly 10 the western and northern
| parts OF the lake, but its general features
were obtained for the greater Part OF its
| extent. This vast BODY OF water, whose
surface is elevated emily y feet above the
/ sea- covers an area Oi some forty miles In
! length and thirty miles IN breadth, and
| lies in "A region OF saW-grass. the borders
Of the everglades. The northern extrem-
ity supports a narrow belt OF hard wood
palmetto, maple Oak-which almost
Immediately passes OIL into dense
cypress thicket or swamp, the trees
| In which rise 10 nearly uniform
| height OF 12j-lJO feet. No words can ad-
! equately depict the magnihcence OF this
draped primeval forest. which rises mai
esticaliy from beneath the limpid waters,
and whose under growth Is constituted by
the masses Of floating vegetation packed
between the tree trunks. The deep re-
cesses harbor game Of various kinds such
as the panther, or Florida lion, the lynx
and one or more forms OF tiger cat, while
the tree.tOps afford shelter 10 n multitude
| al hfrda tho fbta hlua aud Whtfa harm