THE CANADIAN HOK lICUr/rURIST, 



79 



FLORIDA IN \YIXTP:R. 

 (Continued from page 27.) 



In the coiu'se of our ride from Cedar 

 Key to Jacksonville, we noticed that 

 the hoixses which are scattered here and 

 there in these pine barrens are very like 

 the log cabins of our own pioneer 

 settlers. For some reason, satisfactory 

 to the builders no doubt, these log 

 cabins, and indeed all the dwelling 

 houses, are set u]i on posts about three 

 feet above the surface of the ground. 

 It cannot be because of frequent inun- 

 dations, for surely this pm^e sand soil 

 would never hold water. 



The towns along the line of the rail- 

 way have a very neat and atti'active 

 appearance in their white houses, half 

 hid among the evergreen oaks, or em- 

 bowered among orange trees, whose 

 dark green leaves form a rich setting to 

 the golden fruits. Halting at one of 

 these towns we noticed .some men on 

 horseback, but the horses were each at- 

 tached to a cart. This to us is a novel 

 style of i-iding out. The riders wore 

 broad brimmed, slouched hats ; were 

 of a somewhat sun-browned complexion, 

 and suggested by their general apjjear- 

 ance that they might be the descend- 

 ants of some of the old time Spanish 

 settlers, who once held this land. Why 

 they rode on their horses and not in 

 their carts, we leave you to conjectui-e ; 

 evidently it was their way. 



We saw but few living creatures 

 during this day's ride. Even birds 

 wei'e scai'ce. The most noticeable was 

 the V)uzzard, a species of vulture, some- 

 what larger than our hawk. These 

 were lazily wkeeling high up in the air, 

 or perched upon the dry branch of some 

 tall pine. Neither their personal ap- 

 pearance, nor their habits of life make 

 them an object of attraction, and yet 

 they alone of all thfi V)irds are protected 

 by law. 



Jacksonville was reached late in the 

 afternoon. This is the headquarters of 

 Florida visitors ; whether here seeking 

 health or amusement, or to e.scape the 

 cold of our Northern winters. 



It is largely made up of winter hotels 

 and boarding houses, which at this 

 season are full to overflowing with 

 Northern people, giving an air of bustle 

 and stir to the place. The trains come 

 and go well tilled with passengei\s, the 

 steamboat decks and wharves are 

 crowded, and the sidewalks echo with 

 the tramp of many feet. In a few more 

 weeks these visitors, like so many birds 

 of passage, will have flown northward ; 

 and when the season is over, and things 

 settle down to their normal condition 

 the contrast must be very marked. So 

 far as we were able to see, there is little 

 done here in the way of commerce 

 beyond the trade in oranges and com- 

 mercial fertilizers. We saw but few 

 natural products in this vicinity that 

 the country raises in suflicient quantity 

 to export. The hotels depend upon the 

 north for a very great part of their 

 su]iplies ; for their fresh meats even, 

 and vegetables. The bills of fare look 

 very tempting surely, telling you of 

 green peas, string beans, aspai-agus, 

 etc. ; but alas for our expectations, they 

 were grown last summer, perhaps in 

 your own vicinage ; at least your Cana- 

 dian grocer can fui-nish them just as 

 fresh and sweet as those you get in 

 sunny Florida. 



The Sabbath day broke bright and 

 beautiful, and quiet reigned ; contrast- 

 ing pleasantly with the previous Sab- 

 bath in New Orleans. There a very 

 large i)art of the stores were open and 

 driving as vigorous a trade as on any 

 day of the week ; here for the most part 

 they az-e closed. The railway trains 

 and steamboats did not cease to run, but 

 the mass of the people observed the day 

 of rest. As we fell into the current of 



