in the Peninsula of Florida. 131 



the river I see flocks of Scaups, which they here call RofF Ducks. 

 Anhingas are always sitting on posts or branches of trees which 

 overhang the water. 



On the 24th of March I go to Pilatka to be in time for the 

 steamer for Enterprise, which leaves early the next morning. 

 Pilatka is a small village of wooden houses, on a sandy savannah, 

 frequented in winter by invalids from the Northern States, and, 

 as I am informed by the initiated, abounding with fleas at all 

 seasons. Pilatka is the "ultima Thule" of steamboats from 

 Savannah and Charleston. The only steamer which goes higher 

 up the St. John's River is the ' Darlington,' a high-pressure 

 boat, which draws some four or five feet of water. The St. 

 John's is fully a mile wide at Pilatka. I shall now continue my 

 notes in the form of a journal. 



March 25. — We leave Pilatka at daybreak. The river be- 

 comes much more narrow, but opens out again into Lake George. 

 Thus far I see but few birds. There is a bar at the debouchure of 

 the river into Lake Geoi-ge, with only just water enough for the 

 steamer. South of Lake George, the river, until it leaves Lake 

 Monroe, is very shallow, narrow, and winding. In places it 

 is hardly wider than the steamer, and the curves are very sharp. 

 The banks are covered with forest, in which the palmetto is very 

 conspicuous, and, with the hanging moss, gives a tropical appear- 

 ance to the scenery. Here and there the river opens out into 

 lagoons covered with water-plants. Two of these lagoons are 

 of some size. They are called Spring- Garden and Beresford 

 Lakes, and as we pass through them the plants grow so thick 

 that the water is hardly visible. I observe White-headed Eagles, 

 numerous Ospreys, a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites, Coots, Galli- 

 nules, Cormorants, and Anhingas innumerable. Many of the 

 latter are young birds, hardly old enough to fly. 



Kingfishers are abundant ; Great Crow-Blackbirds, here called 

 Jackdaws, and Red-shouldered Blackbirds are flying here and 

 there, and settling on the floating leaves. There are White 

 Herons and White Egrets, the latter with yellow legs, I see 

 no Ducks, and only a single flock of Parroquets, which fly scream- 

 ing over our heads, and settle in a grove of pine-trees. 



Tortoises are common, generally sitting on the bank or on 



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