INDIAN RIVER. 105 



of pine barrens, which afford, however, a fine range and 

 pasturage for cattle, and abound in game, such as deer 

 and wild turkey, while in winter the lagoon is alive with 

 wild duck. On the slope of this ridge, toward the lagoon, 

 by digging w r ells of ten or fifteen feet, an abundance of 

 pure, delicious water is developed, being simply the 

 rain-water of the great pools in its rear, filtered through 

 the sand ridge. 



A glance at the map discloses the fact that for more 

 than thirty miles of its upper course, the St. Johns river, 

 flowing northward, is parallel with Indian river lagoon, 

 at an average distance of not more than ten miles. At 

 several points, indeed, the distance is reduced to eight 

 miles, so that a canal of that length, through ground 

 peculiarly favorable for cheap and easy construction, 

 would give water communication by steam with Jack 

 sonville, and in fact with Charleston. At the same time, 

 during the late fall, winter, and early spring tides, the 

 inlet affords passa-ge to steamers drawing from eight to 

 ten feet of water, with a completely sheltered harbor im 

 mediately within the bar. Beside fish to so marvellous 

 a degree in variety, numbers, and excellence for food, 

 Indian river is likewise the resort for turtle. The vege 

 tation and flora, by no means so luxuriant as that of 

 inter-tropical regions, are, however, largely of the same 

 description. The trees are covered with beautiful air- 

 plants, and other parasitic plants, which open a broad 

 field of interesting investigation. The tree yielding gum- 

 caoutchouc by exudation, for example, is there, although 

 not in quantities for commercial purposes, and is an in 

 teresting feature of the landscape from its peculiar growth 

 or habit of climbing and staying itself by the trunk of 

 another tree, which it finally envelops, crushes, and de- 

 5* 



