54 Remarks upon East Florida. 
given the lake, shows that it must be generally so shallow as to 
allow grass to predominate ; rendering it probable, that it has a 
less decided lake character than the lakes above. 
It was until lately taken for granted, that the interior of Flor 
ida was without any eminent parts, but the army movements 
have opened to observation, some sandy ridges or hills of consid- 
erable elevation. ‘These are not far from that central region 
where the waters diverge to different sides of the peninsula. The 
course of the various streams which take their rise ‘within these 
central parts, marks out the character of the slope, running north- 
west, south-west, south-easterly.and northwardly. The Onith- 
lacoochee, Pease Creek, Kissimmer, St. John’s, and the waters 
emptying into the Indian River lagoons, all iSlasteate: this gene 
olfer nti and general inclination towards the coast. 
Qne of the striking features of the coast of Florida, is the la- 
goons, as they are termed, or long and narrow bodies of water; 
separated from the sea by a strip of sand, generally not more than 
-amile or two wide. They are connected with the sea here and 
there by inlets, which are made and kept open by the out-rush- 
ing or in-rushing tides, as they happen to prevail... The outward 
current is that which chiefly prevails, from the most natural causes. ' 
_Accumulations from rains, must give a great preponderance to — 
the inner waters, which, however, may, in the course of a dry 
season, drain out to a level with the outer waters, when the drift 
- of. wstorm-blocks up, at least fora time, the usual passage, andso 
it remains until the balance of force is turned by new rains. 
This alternate operation of counter. causes, -explains the fact 
well known by those who frequent this. coast, that these inlets 
are at one time very accessible, and at othent nearly or quite 
losed up. These lagoons extend from above St. Augustine to, 
Storie: inlet, a stretch of three or more hundred miles, with but 4 
a few miles interruption by land. Their common depth is several - e 
feet, though they all are traversed by shoals or bars, which reduce 
their navigable facility to about three feet. ‘These shoals, how- 
ever, could easily be made passable for uséful purposes. It has - 
proposed to connect the river St. John’s by a canal with the 
Matanzas river, separated by about ten or fifteen miles; the Ma- 
tanzas with the Halifax, twice that distance, perhaps, apart. 
‘aters of which the Musguito inlet is the embouch- 
use, and those of the Indian River, there is only a narrow neck 
