The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-03-21

may sound odd to most peoples ears
to talk Of rowing from the source of
a river; but Florida rivers are very
different from others. AS rule,
they rise full-fedged from the lime
stone rock--great, boiling, gushing
fountains of transparent water of
such volume that in some cases 1t is
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
its 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 fit 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 1t the river plunged
at once into thick hammock" (hard-
wood forest) and was lost to view.
1t was Hobson's choice, and after
much maneuvering the boat slid down
the steep bank and floated like cork
in 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 off.
There were 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-
peditiop. Twelve miles below Alta
monte Spring another river, the Clay
Springs Run, Joined the Wekiva.
Five miles up the Run was 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 it 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 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 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 II but to cut through the OBJ
stacle. Myers sprang out with an
axe and the chips few in white
shower.
SO did the ants. The half-rotten
wood was the home of hordes of
large red ants, which bit like fiends.
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 were busy pick
ing' ants off 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
twas necessary to life the boat ever
half-submerged trunk. The hanks
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 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 stiff, with
serrated edges which cut abominably
ANONhihb ebhOll VI du ulllbdlOI CdI
penetrate It; It's great height and
thickness make 1t impossible to force
a boat through it. 1t covers hun
dreds of square miles In South Flor
ida, and many a life has been los
in its tangled recesses.
In the saw-grass the river spread
out into maze of shallow channels
and here our troubles began. w,
tried one after another, and over ans
over again grounded or ran into bin,
alleys and were forced to return.
Once we drove the boat har,
aground. The bottom was fair vel
low sand. Myers and Marshall pulle,
of their boots and sprang overboar,
to lift her. Instantly they were boil
up to their knees and sinking last
We In the boat had to pull like grin
death 10 haul them out Of tho patel
OF treacherous quicksand which the
had happened on. Fortunately, b
the use OF our mast We managed I
pole the boat back into water tina
would float It,
The sun was low before the dar'
green heads OF Expresses loome
above the tall vegetation. In an
other ten minutes we had left tn
grass behind US, and with two me
at the oars were pulling down deeI