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FLORIDA. 



FLORIDA. 



1012 



of about 1,500,000 dollars/ In this key are salt-ponda which yield 

 annually upwards of 30,000 bushels of salt. The Tortugas received 

 their name from the immense number of turtles which frequent them, 

 as well as the neighbouring keys and mainland, in order to deposit 

 their eggs. These turtles form a considerable article of traffic. 



The western coast of the peninsula is also flat, and as well as that 

 of Florida, west of the peninsula, is like the part already noticed 

 encompassed by elongated narrow sandy islands, though they do not 

 form such a continuous barrier as along the eastern coast, some parts 

 being quite free from them. But this coast also has shoals stretching 

 off from it, and affords few harbours. Carlos Bay, or Charlotte 

 Harbour (between 26 and 27 N. lat.) has no great depth of water. 

 Tampa Bay is spacious, and admits vessels of considerable burden. 

 Appalachee, or Appalachicola Bay is a much more important one, 

 affording anchorage for large vessels, though its mouth has only three 

 feet of water at low tide. West of Appalachee Bay the coast is 

 bolder than elsewhere in this state, and there are two or three 

 harbours, but only one is of much importance, Pensacola, which 

 has 21 feet water on the bar, and from 23 to 36 feet in the interior, 

 which is spacious and convenient. It admits vessels drawing 20 

 feet, and is the deepest port on the northern coast of the Gulf of 

 Mexico. 



On the eastern coast there are lighthouses on Amelia Island at the 

 entrance to St. Mary's River ; at the mouth of St. John's River ; on 

 the bland at the entrance to St. Augustine ; and on Cape Canaveral ; 

 on Cape Florida ; off the southern end of the peninsula, on Key West, 

 on Sandy Key, and on the Bush Islands, the westernmost islands of the 

 Florida Reef; on the coast of West Florida, on Cape St. George, and 

 Cape Blag at the entrance to Appalachee Bay ; on Dog Island and 

 Egmont Key at the entrance to Tampa Bay; at the entrance to 

 St. Mark's Harbour in Appalachee Bay ; and at the entrance to 

 Pensacola Bay. There are also floating lights off Key West, and 

 Carysfoot Reef. 



The southern districts of the peninsula nearly as far north as 

 29 N. lat., are low and flat, being mostly covered with swamps 

 called everglades, and containing only moderate tracts of dry land 

 intermixed with the marshy ground. During the rainy months, 

 from June to October, it is impossible to make a land journey 

 across this part of the peninsula. The river swamps, or those formed 

 by the overflow of the rivers, are generally covered with a heavy 

 growth of timber of various kinds ; the pine-barren swamps, or those 

 resulting from the drainage of the surrounding country, are over- 

 grown with pine and cypress. The country north of 29 N. lat. has 

 a more uneven surface, but the higher grounds in the interior rarely 

 rise to the elevation of hills. This division contains better water, 

 and is better drained ; the swamps are not numerous, and are only of 

 moderate extent. It is besides better wooded : this part of the 

 peninsula, consisting chiefly of pine forests, interspersed with savannahs, 

 marshes, and low sandy hillocks, or as they are called here as well as 

 in Georgia, hammocks, or hummocks. The savannahs afford good 

 natural pastures ; the hummocks when cleared of the wood, which 

 generally covers them in their natural state, yield excellent arable 

 land, and the barrens are mostly overgrown with pine forests. The 

 goil in this northern part of the peninsula, though generally sandy, 

 in more fertile than in the southern part. West of the peninsula 

 is the most uneven part of the state, but it contains no elevations of 

 any consequence. In the northern part limestone is the prevailing 

 rock, and some of the rivers run in different places for some distance 

 under ground. 



hydrography and Communication*. The peninsula is drained by 

 the St. John's and by several smaller rivers. The main branch of the 

 St. John's River, the Ocklawaha, rises nearly midway between both 

 geas, and runs north for about 80 miles, whence it turns east, and 

 joins the other branch, or proper St. John. Both rivers in their upper 

 course form several shallow lakes, and after their union, the channel 

 of the river is more like an inlet of the sea than that of a river, 

 being very wide and nearly without current for the remainder of its 

 course, which exceeds 80 miles, and is directed to the north. It is 

 navigable for vessels drawing 8 feet of water to Lake George, 20 miles 

 above the place where both branches unite. Indian River, which falls 

 into the Atlantic about 27" 30' N. lat., forms for a considerable 

 distance a lagune, divided from the sea by a narrow sandbank. The 

 other rivers which belong to the eastern side of the peninsula are all 

 small, except the St. Mary's River, which, for the greater part of its 

 course, forms the boundary-line between Florida and Georgia. It 

 rises in the latter state near 31 N. lat., and flowing first southward 

 about 40 miles, then turns with a bold sweep northward, in which 

 direction it continues about 30 miles. The remainder of its course 

 lies to the east : where it falls into the Atlantic it forms St. Mary's 

 Harbour, the deepest port in the United States south of the Chesa- 

 peake Bay, on the Atlantic coast. The whole course of this river is 

 about 110 miles; and it is for a considerable distance a fine navi- 

 gable gtream. The rivers belonging to the western side of the 

 peninsula are more numerous than those belonging to the eastern 

 ide. They are however all small ; the principal are the Amaxura, 

 the Hillsborough, the Asternal, and the Charlotte. 



The rivers which fall into the Gulf of Mexico, west of the 

 peninsula, rise either in Georgia or in Alabama, The most eastern is 



OEOO. wv. VOL. II. 



the Suwanee River, which rises in Georgia with two branches, the 

 Alapaha and Suwauee, which unite in Florida and fall into the Gulf 

 of Mexico at the northern extremity of the peninsula of Florida 

 after a course of upwards of 200 miles. The bar at the mouth of the 

 Suwanee has only 6 feet of water at high tide. Farther west is the 

 Ocklockonn.ee, which also rises in Georgia : it falls iuto Ocklockonnee 

 Bay at the head of Appalachee Bay after a course of about 125 miles. 

 Farther west is the Appalachicola, the largest river of Florida. Its 

 principal branch, the Chatahoochee, rises near 35 N. lat., on the 

 southern declivity of the high table-land of the Appalachian system, 

 and runs first south-west and then south, in which direction it enters 

 Florida, receiving on its boundary the Flint River, which rises 

 between 33 and 34 N. lat., and flows 210 miles before it joins the 

 Chatahoochee. The united river is called Appalaehicola, which flows 

 nearly due south about 75 miles, and is navigable for vessels of 

 considerable burden in all its extent. The basin drained by the 

 Appalachicola and its tributaries is estimated at nearly 20,000 square 

 miles. West of the Appalachicola are the Choctawhatchee, the 

 Escambia, and several smaller streams, all of which have their source 

 in Alabama, and flow in a generally southern course through Florida 

 to their outlet in Choctawhatchee, and Pensacola bays. The Perdido is 

 a small river, and only remarkable as the western boundary between 

 Florida and Alabama. 



Florida has a considerable number of lakes, the largest of which 

 are in the swampy districts of the peninsula. Some of these lakes 

 are of great depth, and appear to receive perennial supplies from 

 subterranean springs. The Lake of Macaco (between 26 and 27 

 N. lat.) is the most southern, and also the most extensive; in the dry 

 season it is 25 miles long and 18 miles wide, but after the rains have 

 set in, it is greatly increased in size. The Eustace and Simmons lakes 

 are also in the southern part of the peninsula. Lake George, which 

 is an expansion of the St. John's River, is 18 miles long and 12 miles 

 wide ; the depth of its water is on an average 12 feet. In the west 

 are the Mickasuckee, which is 12 miles long, the Wakulla, the 

 Jackson, and the Iinonia. In the districts where the limestone 

 formation prevails there are also numerous lakes; but they are 

 generally of small extent. 



Florida is not well provided with roads. In the south the military 

 roads are almost the only means of land communication. In the 

 north several good coach roads have been constructed. The only 

 railways yet completed are the St. Joseph's, 28 miles, and the St.Mark's 

 and Tallahassee, 26 miles long. Several others of greater magnitude 

 have however been projected, as well as a ship canal, or, according to 

 another plan, a railway across the neck of the peninsula ; and there 

 is little doubt but some of these projects will be earned into 

 execution. 



Climate, Soil, and Productiom. The climate of Florida is very 

 mild, and in the southern districts hot. The average mean tempe- 

 rature of the state is about 73 and the difference between the 

 summer and winter is said nowhere to exceed 25. South of 28 

 N. lat. snow is unknown, and frost, though occasional, is rare. The 

 temperature of this tract approaches that of the West Indies. In 

 summer the thermometer generally rises to between 84 and 88, and 

 in July and August even to 94 Fahr. The east side of the peninsula 

 is warmer than the west, which is probably to be attributed to the 

 high temperature of the Gulf Stream. At the equinoxes, especially 

 in autumn, rain falls abundantly every day from 11 to 4 o'clock 

 for several weeks. At this period strong gales are frequent. The 

 climate of Key West and some of the other large keys is said to be 

 as equable as that of Cuba, and equally grateful to the invalid : the 

 difference of the mean temperature of summer and winter is 

 only 11 degrees. 



The entire peninsula is of alluvial formation. The whole of the 

 southern and eastern part is of sand and clay resting on calcareous 

 rocks, which crop out in the north and west, mostly in the shape of a 

 crumbling limestone. This limestone is in many places cut through 

 by springs and subterranean streams, which form cavities from a few 

 yards to several acres in extent, locally designated 'sinks.' The 

 soil over by far the larger part of the state is naturally indifferent, 

 or poor and stubborn. The most fertile portions are in the central 

 districts by the banks of the lakes and ponds, and along the water- 

 courses. Westward it becomes poorer ; but the strip of land along 

 ;he northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico is more productive. Yet, 

 though so much of the soil is thus naturally indifferent, the warmth 

 and humidity in a great measure compensate, and the labours of the 

 agriculturist are rewarded by rich and varied crops. 



The vegetation, both natural and cultivated, is chiefly, though not 

 exclusively, that of a tropical climate. Over the northern part of the 

 peninsula extend vast forests of pine with little underwood ; the 

 nummocks are covered with red, live, and water oaks, mahogany, 

 palmetto, dogwood, magnolia, &c. ; and in many parts the swamps 

 ind barrens abound with majestic cedars, chestnuts, and cypresses. 

 The exportation of timber is one of the chief sources of the wealth of 

 Florida. 



Among the cultivated plants, increasing importance is being attached 

 ;o the growth of cotton, the Sea-Island or long-staple cotton being, it 

 s said, now produced in Florida equal to that of South Carolina. 

 The sugar-cane succeeds well in all the maritime parts : the quantity 



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