86 SUPPLEMENTARY IIIXTS 



larger places ; but you have only to go into the country 

 to find abundance of deer and turkey. 



When I commenced, I intended from my experience 

 to tell of a more pleasant way to spend winters in 

 Florida than Mr. Beverly s (provided you have money 

 enough), and without costing near as much as to live at 

 the hotels, have a better table, and lots of fine sport, 

 and withal the most comfortable and pleasant way a 

 company of gentlemen can spend winters in Florida. 

 Let a half dozen good fellows get up a light-draft stera- 

 wlieel steamer, to draw about twenty inches of water 

 just such a boat as the little Clifton, so well known on 

 the St. Johns river for several years. The writer was on 

 board of her for two winters. She cost about $4,000, 

 built and fitted up at Philadelphia, was used four or five 

 winters as a pleasure-boat, and then sold for a ferry-boat 

 without much loss. Three men made up the crew. 

 The whole expense was about $15 each day, which, 

 divided among six, was not high for such fishing and 

 hunting as we used to get ; and such bird suppers as 

 Keuben could get up I never expect to see again. This 

 boat was built by a party of gentlemen from Clifton 

 Springs, New York, and run down from Philadelphia. 

 One could be got up much cheaper now, in Jacksonville. 

 Such a boat can go to the upper waters of the St. Johns, 

 above where hunters go, and where game is plenty. 

 The St. Johns is a wonderful river, and one of great 

 magnitude, and it has always been a wonder to me where 

 so much fresh water conies from. It runs from south 

 to north, is over 300 miles long, and in many places is 

 very near the coast. It appears more like a beautiful 

 chain of lakes, for more than a hundred miles from 

 its mou tli, and will average nearly two miles Avide, 



