BIRD S-EYE GLAXCE AT FLORIDA. 17 



The water which covers so much of Florida is both 

 detrimental and beneficial to the inhabitants. Much 

 arable land is rendered worthless from this cause, but it 

 is by means of the numerous rivers and bayous that the 

 settlers gain ready access to the interior. The St. Johns 

 is the largest river in the State, and forms the principal 

 thoroughfare to the numerous little towns which are 

 situated on its banks. As the region through which 

 this river flows contains as many inhabitants as any 

 other portion of the State, I will endeavor to convey 

 some idea of this section by describing what I have seen 

 while making several trips up this stream. I say up, 

 but as the St. Johns rises nearly two hundred miles 

 south of its outlet, this term will perhaps give an errone 

 ous idea, for this is the only river in the United States 

 that flows directly north, and as the peninsula lies north 

 and south, this stream runs parallel with the coast as far 

 as Jacksonville ; then turning directly east flows into the 

 Atlantic ocean, within twenty-five miles of the northern 

 boundary of the State, thus traversing in its course 

 nearly two-thirds of the entire length of Florida. 



Jacksonville is the largest city in the State, and 

 although of recent growth compared with other towns, 

 contains about 10,000 inhabitants, and is the centre of 

 trade. Several lines of small river steamers form the 

 means of communication with the interior. 



I found myself on one of these little steamers early 

 one December morning, gliding over the sun-lit waters. 

 The river for about a hundred miles is very wide, being 

 a succession of lakes, on which account the Indians 

 named the stream &quot; Welaka,&quot; which in their language 

 signifies the river of lakes. These lakes vary from two 

 to ten miles in width, and as the boat kept in the mid- 



