Year: 1871

mountains


This lake rivals the famous valley OF


Sinbad the sailor 1t is thought to aver


age two thousand feet down to the water
all round. The walls may be reported as
entirely perpendicular, running down into
the water and leaving no beach. The
depth of the water is unknown, and its
surface is smooth and unruffled, as it lies
so far under the mountain that the air-cur-
rents do not affect it. It's length is esti-
mated at twelve miles and its breadth ten.
There is a beautiful island in its centre,
with luxuriant trees upon it. No living
man has ever yet reached the waters edge,
and it is not probable that any ever will.
1t lies silent, still and mysterious in the
bosom of the everlasting hills like a
huge well scooped out by the giant genii
of the mountains in the unknown ages of
long ago, sand all around it great primeval
forests an eternal watch and ward are
keeping.


Remarkable as this body Of water may
seem, it is by no means the most remarka-
BE one on our continent. I write this in
Central Florida where | have Just exam
ined body Of water which certainly ex-
GELS the great sunken lake of the Cascades
in very many particulars. As nothing has
yet been published concerning it, L have
concluded to give your readers of the
american Journal of Microscopy a brief
account of what saw, believing that it
will not prove wholly uninteresting, even
TO them.


In company with an experienced guide
reached the lake in question at about the
hour of ten in the morning. How large it
was | could not tell, but Judge it must be
of considerable size, from the fact that |
could not see across it, although enjoying
a kind of birds eye view from location
some distance above the level of the
water.


Seeing nothing unusual about the place,
l was on the point of expressing my dis
appointment to the guide, when he, hav
ing read my thoughts, cut all short by ask
ing that | make a careful survey of the
water, remarking, at the same time, that
while there was really nothing extraordin-
airy about the lake itself, it was strangely
and wonderfully inhabited.


l turned my attention to the water, and
was soon convinced that had, undoubtedly,
met with phenomenon, for it was so clear,
20 very transparent. that | could see
through it in every direction with as much
apparent ease as if it had been the atmos-
phere itself Presently, l saw one of the
inhabitants hinted at, little creature of a
light brown color, looking as it glided here
and there, through the pure element, not
unlike common chimney swallow. Then
another came, and another, until all the
waters of the lake seemed to be thickly
swarming with them.


They were very busy and very swift in
their motions, darting, whirling and ang-
ling with the greatest ease, and the most
charming grace. The guide said like birds
OF the air they were IN quest of their
prey, feeding upon animals too small
TO be seen by US from our standpoint


Suddenly, while l was gazing in wonder
upon these strange creatures, q new actor
appeared in the person of larger animal,
about the size, shape and color of huge
muskmelon. He was quite transparent,
so much so that [ could see through and
through him as plainly as if he had been a
glass Jar and as he moved lelsurely about,
[ noticed that he was catching and devour-
inI the little '.swallows without mercy.
His interior, which seemed to be a huge
cavity-nothIng mOre-was literally filled
with them, some still alive and swimming
about in their strange prison. The entire
mass held within his gigantic stomach kept
up a rapid whirling round and round in
one direction, from which inferred he had
no digestive organs, but simply wore out
his food that is, reduced it by friction to
a proper condition for his sustenance.


Scarcely had l got fairly interested in
this extraordinary animal, when along
came something which looked, with its
small, arching neck, very much like a
swan. Its course was so directed that ere
long it was brought in contact with the


muskmelon,' and a fight was the conse-
quence. 1t was short fight, however,
for neither of the parties seemed to relish
the business, so they separated and struck
of in the opposite direction. A little dis
tance, and the swan met another of his
own kind, and they commenced billing and
cooling like two mated doves but their
pleasures were destined to be of short dur
alton, for Just at that instant large and
hideous looking creature, with great horns
and glaring eyes, pOunced upon them from
a covert hard by, seizing them both. A
terrible struggle ensued, in the course of
which one OF the swans made its escape,
but the monster gripped the other fercely
by its slender neck until it ceased to strug
gle, after which he settled down with it to
the bottom of the lake, and very quietly
converted it into meal.


About this time | noticed a second mon
ster, equally as frightful in appearance as
the one Just referred to, though evidently
of a different species. He was moving
along on the bottom Of the lake, and unless
his course was changed would pass very
near the other. The first monsters treat
ment of the swan had made me his en-
emy, so | was well pleased with the turn
which affairs showed prospect of taking
i desired that his banqueting should be
disturbed. And it was. The new conner
found him, and went in for a share of the
prey A battle, the most frightful that L
ever before witnessed between two living
creatures, Immediately commenced. They
seized each other and rolled over and over
in real death struggle, for several min
utes, in the course of which they actually
tore each other limb from limb. Finally,
one of them yielded up and died, after
which the other, with but two legs left out
of six, dragged himself slowly away. And
another installment Cf animals, some like
gigantic leeches, and others like Oriental
turbans, and >all effecting locomotion by
stretching and pulling themselves into
every conceivable shape, settled down and
fell to regaling them: elves upon the car
casses. They were doubtless the vul-
lures Of this remarkable body OF water.


Half day or more was spent by me in
watchinr the inhabitants of this Florida