Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18
Conquest Of Okefenokee, Kingdom of
Trembling Earth, as National Game and
Fish Prcserve to Dipel Age-OM Legends
and Bring toLightEary Seminole Secrets.

trees. and for this reason is being considered
by the National Forest Commission as forest
reserve.
The great swamp stretches across three coun-
ties In Southeastern Georgia and over the line
into Florida Altogether, ii covers an expanse
OF approximately 700 square miles-Inore than
nall the entire State Of Rhode Is1and-and
includes within its boundaries % large islands
and thousands of small ones
In its depths two rivers rise one the Suwanee
OF sentimental fame and the other the beautiful
81. Marys. In the old days sailing vessels
would voyage half way round the globe to fill
Their casks with water from the St. Ifarys, be-
cause old mariners believed this water never
grew foul. One of these rivers flows north
into the Atlantic Ocean and the other south
into the Gulf OF Mexico, circumstance which
suggests that the OkefenCkee is not really a
swamp at all, but rather a watershed 80 to l25
feet above sea level Never has malarial
mosquito been found within the Okenfenokee.
where even flies are scarce, and the water of
this prlmeval stretch of wilderness is pure and
pleasant to drink.
The name "Okefenokee" means trembling
earth and was chosen by the Seminole Indians
because Of the curious structure of some of the
islands which causes the earth to tremble be-
meath the lighteSt tread and the trees to bow
as though in stately greeting Native Georgians
who live on the fringe Of the swamp have fol-
lowed the example Of the Indians by develop
ing odd and interesting words to describe the
characteristics of the Okefenokee. They speak
OF Its pralries" houses and BAYS; tell of
its batteries" and runs and refer TO the
queer "blowing-up" process by which the
houses are formed
WALTER c. HILL of Atlanta took occasion
while on q recent expedition into the
swamp to study its formation and to learn
the significance OF the quaint vocabulary used
In describing it. The Okefenokee impressed
MIN, hrst OF all as an enormous lake contain
ing hundreds OF square miles and dotted by a
few large islands and thousands of small ones
Surrounding the islands is shallow water thick
with vegetation. He found that in the Okefe-
mckee prairie" Is a stretch of open water in
stead OF the fiat land to which the name is APP
piled in the West. This water is from a foot
to four feet deep and the prairies are miles in
extent. Bays" are great tracts of cypress tim
Der growing out Of the water, and houses" are
smaller clusters of cypress. The latter would
be islands except for the fact that they are not
on dry land at all but in shallow water or a
soft formation Of decayed vegetation
Natures process of building houses and ex-
tending the area Of bays is odd and interest,"
ing" says MIR. Hill. "A mass Of decayed vege-
tation several feet in thickness will rise from
the bottom. Sometimes it is as large as a
room; again 1t covers the area of a lO-room
house. This is a blow-up.' The surface will
rise or inches above the water and has
the appearance of mud. In time this will be-
come grass-grown. Later briars, small bushes
and water-weeds will cover the surface. In