The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-04-19

marsh, Astounding in obnoxious in
sects and plants of a like offensive
nature. but this is not the case. Those
who understand the geological posi-
ton of the state of Florida will know
that it rests on a submerged noun
tain peak, scooped out in many places
into deep indentures varying greatly
in depth and extent These deep i'm
pressions form the beautiful fresh wa
ter lakes that abound all over the
state, in many cases fed by those
mysterious subterranean streams.
The Everglades are situated in one
of these deep irregular indentures,
and by the survey occupies a tract of
about $50 mites long and IS miles
wide. The bed of the lake is covered
with rich soil and forms an i'm
mense aquatic garden, dotted here
and there with beautiful islands,
shimmering lakes, rapidly running
rivulets.
into this wilderness for various scien-
tific purpises, and the adventures en-
countered had a touch of the unique.
Our party of engineers sent to look
for and examine lumber tracts went
into this strange country on a survey
ing tour. We soon found that it was
absolutely necessary to have a guide,
one that We could trust implicitly, as
nothing would be easier than to be-
come lost in the tangled morasses of
this enchanted region, where the
channels of the rivers and canals
twist and turn and double themselves
in labyrinthian perplexity. At times
we followed what seemed to be a
deep stream, only to have it end alb
ruptly against a tiny island. The
which was propelled not by paddle,
but by pole, in the hands of our
guide, who was a Seminole, finely
built, handsome Indian. He stood up
in the boat most of the time so as to
see his way through the immense
tracts of saw grass.
This saw grass is peculiar to the
Everglades. 1t seems to grow from
great depths and in the water is of a
pale green color. When it reaches
the light it seems to change into a
golden green tint, and shoot up not
unlike bamboo. It's edges are hacked
out like a saw and is not a pleasant
companion to jog against. In places,
and especially on the islands, there is
growth of the myrtle, whose ten
drills form an almost impossible bar
rier. The Indians have passages
through it, that they have known for
centuries, but for white men to at
tempt to go through alone would be
suicide.
We found luxuriant growths of oak
and bay decorated with the soft gray
moss of the tropics and interspersed
by wild orange and lemon, and dotted
here and there, among the solid
growth of timber was observed some
rubber trees and few pine.
The animal life of the Everglades,
as yet untouched by civilization, is
peculiar to the semi-tropocal regions.
There are crocodiles in the lakes and
rivers and alligators likewise loll in
the warm waters or sleep upon the
sandy shores of the lakes. Terrapin
and soft shell turtle abound and fur
nish many a toothsome meal. We
found the fishing excellent. The
clear water is fine for all kinds of
| fish. The constantly moving water Of
fers no breeding places for insects,
| so the Everglades are comparatively
| free from them.
The Everglades are the home of
the egret and the ibis, and the plume
hunter hunted them so ruthlessly
| that they are nearly extinct on the
borders of the morasses. But as We
penetrated far into the wilderness we
caught glimpses of the beautiful pink
spoonbills, the gay famingoes, the
curlews and many other rare and
beautiful birds. The egret, too, We
saw in large numbers, and were glad
to know that they had escaped from
paying the penalty of their beauty
| that of decorating some Easter bon
net We found ali abundance of
small game, wild turkey, ducks, snipe
and caught glimpses of deer. bear,
panther and wild cats.
We met several of the S.minole In
dams, who at present innabit this re-
gion They are descendants of two
families or clans of Indians, who for
hundreds of years have inhabited this
strange place. They seem to care