340 



BOTANICAL BUKVBY OF DISMAL SWAMP KKGION. 



exceeded L 2 meters (about G foci) in any portion originally, has been 

 increased by the digging of canals and other artificial causes until the 

 normal greatest depth is about, 44 meters (15 feet). In November, 

 JSilS, however, the depth was considerably less than l* meters ((5 feet) 

 in almost every part of the lake, much of the water having been 

 recently drained off through the feeder of the Dismal Swamp Canal. 

 The water was then lower than it had ever before been known 

 to be. 



The water of Lake Drummond, like that of the wooded swamps of the 

 Coastal Plain generally, is of a deep brown line and is rather turbid. 

 When taken up in small quantity the color is much like that of sherry. 

 This brown color is doubtless due to the great amount of finely divided 



Cypress stumps on the margin of Lake Drummuiid. 



vegetable matter with which it is impregnated. The people of the 

 countryside ascribe to the swamp water tonic properties, which they 

 believe to be derived from the bark and wood of the "juniper," or 

 white cedar. Despite (his large percentage of organic matter held 

 suspended in its water, the floor of the lake is in large part covered 

 with a fine white sand. 



The peculiarity of the aspect of Lake Drummond is enhanced by the 

 mull it udr of gray old cypress stumps, worn by weal her and water into 

 a thousand fantastic shapes, that encircle the basin, standing in the 

 shallow water near the shore (fig. 5(3). During very high water many 

 of these st limps are completely submerged. A few small 1 rees are si ill 

 alive, relics of what must once have been a noble forest of cypress. 



