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have fallen into and across them. A journey along one of these 

 ditches, through the heart of the swamp, is an interesting and fas- 

 cinating experience, as it affords opportunity to observe the w^ild 

 life, both animal and vegetable, at close range. 



In recent years, however, the construction of the Dismal 

 Swamp Canal has provided a permanent, broad channel which is 

 destined to be made a part of the great interior water-way that 

 is to extend from New Jersey to Florida. This canal is navigable 

 by steamboats of small size. It is connected with Lake Drum- 

 mond by means of a " feeder " — a wide cut channel navigable by 

 row boats, motor boats, etc. There are two locks between tide 

 water and the lake — the lower or saltwater one at Deep Creek, 

 and the upper or fresh water one about three-fourths of a mile 

 from the lake. 



The water of the lake is yellowish-brown in color, but clear, 

 having very much the appearance of strong tea, and is said to 

 possess wonderful antiseptic properties, due to the humic and 

 other organic acids in solution. It is perfectly palatable and 

 wholesome and almost odorless. It was formerly much used on 

 ship-board, especially when long voyages were in prospect, as it 

 had the reputation of never becoming foul. 



Along and adjacent to the banks of the waterways are many 

 dense thickets of cane-brake. The forest trees, that form the 

 mass of the vegetation, consist largely of red maple, sour gum, 

 persimmon, willow oak, ash, magnolia, white cedar, and bald 

 cypress. The last constitutes the most conspicuous and striking 

 arborescent feature of the swamp, which seldom fails to excite 

 the wonder and admiration of every observer, especially when 

 seen for the first time. It is one of the most remarkable of all 

 our eastern forest trees. The massive buttressed base ; the pecu- 

 liar excrescences known as " knees," that arise from the roots ; 

 the tall, straight trunks, and the delicate feathery foliage, mark 

 these trees as unique, in their way, as are the Sequoias and Red- 

 woods of California. 



At night a weird phenomenon is represented by the luminescent 

 glow of " fox fire " on the stumps and decaying debris of the 

 forest floor. It is not uncommon in other localities, but appears 

 to be unusually abundant and brilliant there. It is commonly 

 called " phosphorescence," but this term is a misnomer, as the 



