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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



hunt for the mouth of the canal to 

 Fort Lauderdale. The channel between 

 Kreamer and Torry islands was too 

 shallow to be navigated and we were 

 forced to run to the westward of both. 

 Even out where formerly there had been 

 deep water we found only enough to 

 float the "Barbee," and all the way to 

 the southern end of the lake we slid 

 slowly along the smooth mud bottom, 

 which was almost as level as a floor. 

 At last a beacon hove in sight and we 

 thought our troubles had come to an 

 end, but as we neared it and turned, 

 into the indicated channel we ran up 

 on a mound of putty-like mud. We 

 decided that it was best for all mem- 

 bers of the party to jump overboard 

 and walk in different directions until 

 some one should step into deep water. 

 Thus, defying alligators and giant cat- 

 fish, not to mention other strange ani- 

 mals that might have been prowling in 

 the dark waters, we walked about that 

 part of the lake until one member of 

 the party reported deep water a quarter 

 of a mile to the northward. We gradu- 

 ally maneuvered the boat into this 

 deeper channel and finally found our 

 way to the head of the canal leading to 

 Fort Lauderdale. 



As we entered the canal, truck grow- 

 ers begged us to carry their vegetables 

 to Fort Lauderdale; but we could not 

 assist them owing to the shallow wa- 

 ter. After we passed through the first 

 lock, in spite of our improvised water 

 ballast, the keel of the "Barbee" repeat- 



edly scratched the tops of submerged 

 rocks. When we were within a few 

 miles of the lower lock, although run- 

 ning at slow speed, the keel struck a 

 rock a glancing blow. This turned the 

 boat toward the side of the canal, where 

 the projoeller hit a rock with force suf- 

 ficient to bend the shaft. The bend 

 was not sharp enough to prevent the 

 shaft from revolving, but each revolu- 

 tion was accompanied by an irritating 

 thud. In this condition we crept along 

 to the lock, where we tied up for the 

 night, and in the morning made Fort 

 Lauderdale by running the engine at 

 the lowest speed possible as well as by 

 taking advantage of the slight current 

 of New Eiver. 



In order to save a day's time for 

 further field work and to care promptly 

 for the specimens we had collected, we 

 telephoned to Buena Yista for an auto- 

 mobile. As soon as it arrived the party 

 divided, and several members with the 

 perishable specimens hurried to Miami, 

 while others spent the day taking the 

 boat down the coastwise canal. 



From the scientific standpoint the 

 cruise was successful beyond anticipa- 

 tion. The vegetation and structure of 

 a part of our country which is nowhere 

 duplicated were studied. Many geologi- 

 cal data were discovered from the de- 

 posits of fossil marine shells, and a 

 series of photographs obtained of scen- 

 ery and of plant associations which in 

 the near future will have ceased to 

 exist. 



