BIRD S-EYE GLANCE AT FLORIDA. 



IT is a singular fact that for a part of the year at least 

 three-fourths of Florida is under water. After such 

 an introduction my readers will perhaps think that I 

 have chosen a very unattractive subject, for they can 

 scarcely see what there is that can possibly be interesting 

 in S2vamps, even though they are vast, and teeming witli 

 an exuberant growth of vegetation, or in sluggish rivers, 

 if they do abound in all classes of animal life. Had I 

 nothing to write about, however, excepting the sub 

 merged sections, I trust I could find something even 

 there which would interest and perhaps instruct my 

 readers. But it must be remembered that the State of 

 which I am speaking contains nearly as much land as is 

 occupied by Xew England, and that notwithstanding 

 three-fourths of it is under water, the number of square 

 miles which are never flooded considerably exceed the 

 area of Massachusetts. This country has also considera 

 ble value, and the United States was aware of this fact, 

 for in 1819 $15,000,000 were paid to Spain for relin 

 quishing her claims. Although the Government has 

 doubtless committed many errors, this purchase cannot 

 be considered as one of them. For, aside from the 

 question of the protection afforded to our southern bor 

 ders, this peninsula is certainly a desirable acquisition 

 to the Union. 



