The sun., 1896-09-13
ON THE SEMINOLES TRAIL.
MI CANOE FHRoU0H THE EYER
0LIDES TO THE MIAMI CAMP.

Throueh- Black Water In y DuEout-
Ons or che Dangers or the Great Swamp
HILIssoRouGH, Fla, Sept. s.-The Seminol,
Indians, who put on gorgeous turbans and deer
skin coats and brave the perils OF civilization tc
cell boadwork and baskets and ALLIGATOR teeth
to the palefacos, arc familiar to all travellers
by boat or train in this remote part OF Flor
ida. All along tho lower part Of Indian
River they are plenty, and every time the
train or boat stops they offer their wares. Gen,
orally they are plump and hearty young fell
lows, who look we'll in their immense turban
OF gay plaids, soft leather coats trimmed with
bangles or carved bones, and tight leather leg
Hings. But these are only show Indians,
made up for the occasion. They are traders
who have learned thst the palefaco demands
an Indian Of - certain romantic kind, and with
good eye to business they.try to supply the
demand. They spend the winter months on
che borders OF civilization, looking for custom
ers, and In summer retire to the seclusion
of tho everglades, where the turbnns and
fancy coats are hung up to walt for the next
seasons campaign.
Tho real Indians of tho back woods. much
less picturesque than tho traders, arc seldom
seen In any of tho towns. except when they
como out, family at time. to make a few
purchases. On such occasions they appear
and disappear so quietly as to give an air Of
nothing mysterious about them. They are al
ways on foot when they reach town, tho
larger children trailing on behind, one two
small ones clinginR to the mothers back. The
head Of tho family makes a straight line for
the nearest place where fire water Is sold, to
quench thirst that he has been nursing for
weeks or months; but his little spree is usu-
ally a very moderate one, and in his two
three hours in town he does not often drink
l. H.
in.Good order. The family disappear shortly
after noon, and settlers who have not become
familiar with their habits but know that
there is no Seminole camp in the neighbor.
hood. wonder whence they came and whittier
they have gone.
The reason of their short stay and early de-
parture Is tho long journey they have before
them. They como from the depths OF the
everglades, and generally make the trip out
ward and back again between midnight and
midnight They might live any OF the un-
occupied part OF the mainland il they chose,
but they prefer TO be by themselves in the
everglades Their dislike OF the whites,
which has been very strong since they were
hunted from swamp to swamp in the Seminole
war Of 1S35-42. never leads them to seek
venge with the rifle or the scalping knife. They
are more sulen than ferocious, and that to-
ward The whites ss q clace rather than toward
individuals. The white man who loses him
self in the everglades is in no danger of
harm from them. but generally reckon
upon their help II he can find them AS rule.
however. they do not care to live too close to
the whito settlements. but make their camps
in the everglades, where they will not he inter-
fered with. Since they have learned to wear
clothes and to live in a somewhat civilized
way, It Is necessary for them to visit the white
towns occasionally tor supplies, and the easi-
eet way for them to do this is to come down
one OF the rivers in a canoe, and travel the re-
naming distance on foot This accounts for
their sudden coming and going in tho towns.
They have come down one Of the rivers in Il
canoe, hidden the canoe in the bushes or left
II In the care OF one of the family. and walked
into town. With their purchases they walk
back to the canoe and paddl home.
The rivers that run out Of the great swamp
to the sea are their natural highways and
reason why remnants Of the SemInoles are found
or never M on the Gulf side The oniy river rum
ming from the everglades TO the Gulf is tho
would be a journey Of at least a hundred miles
to reach the nearest white settlement upon
are many rivers, all Comparatively short: Tho
then nnd sW Ref bs Is hs ada Of
press Creek. Now River. South Fork, Snake
River. Arch Greek: Little River. the Miami,
and a number OF smaller streams. Every
water of the everglades into the Atlantic. ard
every one is more more or less highway for the
second river of that name in the State. and
nst mnst not be , cont3unded with the much larger
northern part Of Indian River;
=, When Seminole Ben. who has q cabin on
River. waves his hand toward the Wafer and
says Of his countrymen that they come down
the IIatches." the, unwrldy name of the
n 6 ~ nla
Hatckeo % Is senr ole fora creek ] or little river,
and Caloosahatcbee is the little river Caloosn.
hlwah, bring hoctochee bring manichee. 70 see
which in plain English means that the red
man comes. brings his woman brings his girls
and young ones, to see the trader and carry
This Seminole Ben, as he is called by the
peculiar Seminole Institutions. He is not
trader. for the situation Is too isolated to hope
the, Indians and the white settlers. selling
nse.hing himself, but taking charge Of 5hs
,or or sent for by the Haudily- clad Indian ped
dlers In winter in civilization We would say
paddle down The river can eat n meal with him
or sleep on tho floor Of his cabin for slight
ways ready TO 90 herself or to sepd one of her
boys to the nearest Town to transact business
,Se pay for uSh service ns 20 tery EG sms
Towns are far apart In this nelghborhood, the
nearest little store to tho northward being at
Zion Post ONCE nine miles away and tho
nearest to the south at Hillsborough Inlet. at
the same distance. Ben and his family also
take charge of the canoes in which HIS friends
come down. the river. and give information in
winter about what peddlers will soon be in
need OF goods. and.the state OF business. Ho
Is not alone in this work. for there is SINH
lar ao-between near the mouth OF every river
running out of the swamp. performing useful
services for the Ssmnoes In exchange for a
few small coins. They arc generally old mon.
with a better knowledge Of the English Ian
Ruage than they are willing 10 admit. Why
they do not set up little stores OF their own
instead OF being merely messengers ana ware.
hOusemen, is ALWAYS Nonderment TO the
few white men who SEQ them. hut tho Semi
mole intellect apparently does not reach the
merchantic point.
What one OF these Go-betweens considers
coming out into civilization most whito men
would think little short OF being buried alive
Seminole ben,s place Is twenty-five miles
north Of Biscayne Pay. Between these places
tho country has not beon settled Mt all u:tl
within two or three years, on account ot the
lack of.transportation. ana Mt hest the country
is only narrow strip of sand from six To eight
miles wide between the sea n I'd tho swamp
nnf pty ~,