532 Letter from Audubon to the Editor. 



mander and gopher {geomtjs bursarius) burrows, offered them- 

 selves to our eyes. Our horses occasionally trod in them, and 

 stumbled at the risk of our necks. We now saw beautiful lakes 

 of the most transparent water, and passed through a series of 

 them on each side of us. As we proceeded, these lakes increased 

 in number and in dimensions. Some of them are several miles 

 in length and breadth, and have from seven to twenty feet in 

 depth of the purest water, and abound with excellent fish. JVo 

 birds about them, at this season at least, their banks being entirely 

 destitute of grasses bearing food. 



Many tortoises were seen basking in the sunshine, all of which 

 plunged into the water at our approach. Not a sign of man did 

 we see during our whole day's journey ; scarcely a bird, and not 

 a quadruped — nay, not even a rat (geomys bursarius). A 

 more destitute and poor country is scarcely to be conceived of, 

 than the section we crossed this day between the Halifax 

 river and the sources of the St. John. The distance about thirty 

 miles, and from Mr. Bulow's about forty. 



We at last perceived the track of living beings, and soon after 

 saw the negro huts of the plantation now owned by Col. Rees. 

 Never did traveller approach Timbuctoo in Africa, with greater 

 satisfaction and more curiosity, than I did the plantation of Col. 

 Rees. Even our Indian horses seemed to have the same feel- 

 ings, for they trotted on towards the principal dwelling with 

 great alacrity. 



We found the Colonel at home, and were kindly received, re- 

 freshments were presented to us, and our horses taken to the 

 stable. The proprietor purchased this estate a few years ago, 

 and is now only beginning to plant sugar cane upon it. The soil 

 is much the same as that on Mr. Bulow's plantation, and is that 

 which substantially constitutes the swamp land in Florida. The 

 plantation is spread on the margin of a lake, now called Rees's 

 Lake; of which I shall speak hereafter, and the whole appears 

 under the best of treatment. 



Dinner over, the Col. took us to the spring, and when I reach- 

 ed it, I was certainly surprised, but I must try to describe it, and 

 to give you my own ideas of the nature of this curious outlet of 

 subterranean waters. 



The spring itself forms a circular cove of about sixty feet in 

 diameter, from the centre of which it throws its water with so 



