Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-07
FLORIDA.
The Recent told Suap-Damagr TO the
fruits Dead f'sh-t >en-'ow-A Band Of
sfniinolts.

stniinoIts.
Correspondence ofthe Richmond Dispatch.
INDIAN RIVER, FLORIDA,
January %, 1886.
| last wrote you from Tltusyille,
point on Indian river one hundred and
twenty miles north of where am now
sojouIning. | then wrote you of the
very extraordinary cold wave-the cold
est since ls35-which has carried so
much destruction on its wings and so
much sorrow to the hearts Of many
Floridians who had invested their al
in the production OF vegetables and
tropical productions. Now it is as clear
and balmy as May, and the "smOke of
the battle" having cleared away some
estimate of the damage may be made
and the line which divides almost
total destruction from partial eX-
istence may be defined with some
degree Of clearncss. From observa-
ton and from hearsay, am induced
to believe that all Of the fruits and
vegetables north Of a line drawn from
Tampa to a point on Indian river about
10 miles north Of this place have been
killed, and in many instances, il not in
all, the orange-trees have been set back
for at least one year. The loss in fruit
is just simply immense, and brings ruin
to many small planters who had staked
their all on their orange crops. On
Indian river, south of the line above in
Dictated. the oranges are but slightly
damaged but the tropical productions
the orange is considered semi-tropical-
are badly scorched, and in some in
stances killed. This immediate section
Is mostly devoted to the culture Of pine
apples and cCcoanuts, both of which
are badly scorched but not killed, and
the planters are hopeful of moderate
crop this year. One Of the remarkable
results of the late cold spell here is its
fatal effect upon the fish. The shores
for hundred miles are white with
dead fish, whilst countless numbers are
floating away from the shore. Every
description Of fish known to these waters
is to be found among them, including
some sharks; but the catfish outnum-
bers all others at least hundred to
ore. The theory is that the unusual
cold put those fish that were in shallow
water in a state of torpor, and in that
condition they were washed ashore,
where they persisted BY the effects Of
the loDg-cOntinuod storm. Efforts are
beirg made in various ways to get rid
of them, put enough yet remain to faint
the atmosphere, and bad results to
health are apprehended. Among the
many curious things that belong to this
part Of Florida is the manitee, or sea-cow.
They feed upon a peculiar species Of
grass that grows on the lower part Of this
sound. and believe they are not found
elsewhere on the coasts of North Anne
RIGA. \ gentleman shot one on the
morning Of my arrival within short
distance Of my house that weighed
l,j00 pounds. 1t was very fat, and its
flesh was as delicate and tender as veal.
The only resemblance to a COW that |
could see was about its nose, which.
with its grinders, was all the cor
could see in its makeup.
On yesterday ! encountered band
of Seminole Indians. the first ! have
ever seen of that tribe. They had a
hunting. camp near Fort Pierce, on the
bank Of the river, where they left their
women and pickaninnies whilst the men
were out hunting. The women were
dressed in calico cut pretty much in
civilian style, but were barefooted
and bareheaded, and each had about
five pounds of coarse beads wound
around her neck. The men wore
on their heads a sort Of turban, made
of fancy-colored cotton, and the bal
ance Of their toilet consisted OF a
hunting-shirt that was made Of some
heavy cotton goods and had belt with
a hunting-knife sticking in it. They
had several dug-out canoes, which were
artistically made and large enough to
carry a small sail in moderate weather.
Some of the men were Of mulatto
color and some as dark as what we
would term a brown-colored negro.
Sad wanderers. relics fbraye Osceola's
band, who look as if they felt their
wrongs. L. NJ. Il.