96 li^ FLORIDA. 



pleasant party, hire a sailing vessel, and her master 

 as pilot, and coast along from Cedar Keys in water 

 mostly not more than two feet deep, between forests 

 of primeval wildness, in company with countless 

 water-fowl and over unnumbered fish, taking toll 

 from turkey, bear, and alligator, as you go. Sail 

 around the Gulf shore and Cape Sable, and finally 

 up the eastern shore of Florida, into the Indian 

 Eiver. Remain there till your heart is glutted with 

 sport, and your palate with fruit, and thence return 

 to the North by rail or boat. Such a trip makes a 

 date of delight in one's life. 



On the Gulf side the most interesting spots are the 

 rivers which flow into the sea, the Caloosahatchee, 

 Crystal and Hamosassa, all of them full of fish and 

 game. Alligators, the sport of killing which is in- 

 deed more to be honored in the breach than in the 

 observance, are so abundant as to be almost trouble- 

 some. The only difficulty with Florida is that the 

 sport is excessive, and that any one except sporting 

 gourmands will get tired of it. Even Mr. Green, who, 

 as I have said, is almost insatiable, became surfeited, 

 the Doctor and myself being long before content. 

 The voyager, whether by sea or land, must bring cer- 

 tain books with him, such as Avill not so much help 

 him pass tlie time, as assist him in his researches. He 

 will find a thousand things to amuse and occupy his 

 hours, but will need information which he can not 

 obtain on the ground. The vast and quaint variety 

 of shells which he will pick up, the new and curious 

 birds and fish he will kill, but above all, the strange 



