6io THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



the Macon Telegraph, expressed the opinion tliat it had come out from 

 Okefinokee by way of the swamps of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee 

 rivers. At the time of our visit to the swamp our guide showed us on 

 Bugaboo Island a fresh scar on a pine tree about five feet from the 

 ground, where it had been gnawed or scratched by one of these animals. 

 Other mammals reported from the swamp by the Constitution Expedi- 

 tion and Capt. Jackson, besides those already mentioned, are otters, 

 'coons, panthers and squirrels. In the line of birds we noticed especi- 

 ally a number of egrets ( ? ) , a water-turkey, and the nest of an eagle. 

 Owls, ducks and geese were reported by the Constitution Expedition, 

 white and blue herons and curlews were mentioned by Capt. Jackson, 

 and Gannet Lake and Buzzard Lake, in the southern part of the swamp, 

 probably indicate the occurrence of birds similarly named. The com- 

 monest reptiles are alligators, which sometimes attain a length of 

 twelve feet, according to several authorities, but they are now much 

 scarcer than formerly, owing to the depredations of hunters who seek 

 their hides, and we saw only one live one. Snakes are not very numer- 

 ous, and only one of them (a water-moccasin) was encountered in the 

 two days we were in the swamp. " Yellow-belly terrapins " are also 

 found there, it is said, and are sought after to some extent for their 

 flesh. Eishes mentioned by Capt. Jackson are large-mouth black bass 

 or " trout," weighing six to twelve pounds, and jackfish, up to ten 

 pounds. A small specimen of the latter jumped into our boat one after- 

 noon, and formed part of our next meal. The only insects which gave 

 us any trouble were mosquitoes, and those only at night. 



Inhabitants 



The greater part of the Okefinokee is of course unsuitable for human 

 habitation, but the islands are known to have supported a small if not 

 permanent population. Bartram's fanciful account of the inhabitants 

 must have had some foundation in fact, for it is pretty well established 

 that Indians have lived in the swamp. Billy's Island takes its name 

 from Billy Bowlegs, a Seminole chief, who lived on it early in the 

 nineteenth century, and there made his last stand against the wliites 

 under Gen. Floyd. On several of the islands are found low hillocks of 

 sand, which are believed to be Indian mounds, but have apparently 

 never been opened. The occupation of parts of the swamp by de- 

 serters during the war has already been mentioned. At the present 

 time a large family of white people is said to be living on one of the 

 islands near the head of the Suwannee Eiver. 



The country around the Okefinokee is rather sparsely settled. The 

 four counties in which the swamp lies, Charlton, Pierce, Ware and 

 Clinch, averaged in 1900 10.2 inhabitants to the square mile, 66 per 

 cent, of whom were white. The population increased 36 per cent, be- 

 tween 1890 and 1900. Deducting the city of Waycross, which contains 



