The Port Gibson reveille., 1907-04-11

20 talk of rowing from the source OF
q river; but Florida rivers are very
different from others. AS a rule,
they rise full-hedged from the lime
stone rock-great, boiling. gushing
fountains of transparent water OF
such volume that in some cases 1t Ia
actually possible to run a stern-wheel
steamboat to the very pool in which
they appear.
The Wekiva River rises in this
way, but Altamonte Spring. which is
is source. is a comparatively small
one, and when we lifted our eighteen
foot cat-boat from the wagon we had
serious doubts as to whether she
would At into the little pool at all.
But there was no choosing our
launching spot The spring was the
only place where we could reach the
water, for beyond It the river plunged
at once into thick hammock" (hard-
wood forest) and was lost to view.
It was Hobson's choice, and after
much maneuvering the boat slid down
the steep bank and fioated like a cork
Ia the centre OF the bubbling pool.
We piled our goods aboard and
jumped after them. A shouted good
bye to our negro teamster and we
were of.
There we're four of US who started
on that lovely March morning. Three
Franks. Myers, and Marshall
were Americans; the fourth, your
humble servant. an English orange
grower. Our idea was to make a
very pleasant little picnic of the ex-
pedition. Twelve miles below Alta
monte Spring another river, the Clay
Springs Run, Joined the Wekiva.
Five miles up the Run was a settle
ment where we had friends. We
meant to make this place the first
night, sleep there, and start refreshed
next morning for the mouth Of the
Wekiva, where 1t joins the St. Johns.
The latter part of the journey we
reckoned -We-could do In two days.
making three In all. How sadly mis-
taken we were in our calculations
we were to discover to our cost.
The first part Of our journey was
distinctly exciting. The stream, far
too narrow for rowing, ran deep and
swift in a series of the very sharpest
curves-so sharp that, in spite Of the
best efforts of the man In the bow,
the boat constantly charged the high
bank In a bull-headed fashion. which
half filled her with loan and leaves
and made her occupants sit down
with emphatic bumps and still more
emphatic language.
Suddenly there loomed up a dead
trunk, lying right across the river
from bank to bank. There was moth
ing for It but to cut through the OBJ
stacle. Myers sprang out with an
axe, and the chips few in a white
shower.
So did the ants. The half-rotten
wood was the home Of hordes of
large red ants, which bit like iends.
Before the boat could be pulled clear
she was swarming with the fierce
little warriors, and long after the
trunk had parted and the boat had
passed on its way we we're busy pick
ing ants on ourselves and sweeping
them overheard.
For some hours this sort of thing
went on. the river gradually growing
in size, but still too narrow and
crooked for rowing. Sometimes a
log had to be cut through; sometimes
it was necessary. to life the boat over
a half-submerged trunk. The banks
were high and heavily wooded and
the sunlight glittered down through
tracery of delicate foliage. The
trees were all hardwood-live oak,
water oak, bastard oak, bay, red gum,
and magnolia, the latter forest giants
sixty feet high and filling the air
with scent from white blooms the size
OF dinner-plates.
Soon after luncheon-a scratch re-
past of biscuits, cheese and peach
cider-the boat suddenly left the
hammock and glided into the mazes
of a great saW-grass swamp.
Saw-grass is a purely Floridan
product. Ten to twelve feet from
root to summit, its blades are grey
green In color, wide and stin, with
serrated edges which cut abominably.
Nothing short of an alligator can
penetrate IL; It's great height and
thickness make 1t impossible to force
a boat through 1t. It covers hum
dreds OF square miles in South Flor
ida, and many a life has been lost
in its tangled recesses.
In the saW-grass the river spread
out into a maze of shallow channels.
and here our troubles began. We
tried one after another. and over and
over again grounded or ran into blind
alleys and we're forced to return.
Once we drove the boat hard
aground. The bottom was fair yell
low sand Myers and Marshall pulled
on their boots and sprang overheard
to lift her. Instantly they were both
up to their knees and sinking fast.
We in the boat had to pull like grim
death to haul them out Of the patch
of treacherous quicksand which they
had happened on. Fortunately, by
the use OF our mast we managed to
pole the boat back into water that
would float 1t.
The sun was low before the dark
green heads of expresses loomed
above the tall vegetation. In an
other ten minutes we had left the
I.