XI. 



FLORIDA, THE PROMISED LAND. 



A FEW months since, we resolved to leave our 

 native State, and settle on the banks of Indian 

 river. Our chosen route led us overland, and journeying 

 along in primitive style, we enjoyed rare opportunities 

 of seeing Florida in many of her different phases. 

 Her scenery is of an exceedingly variegated character ; in 

 some places picturesque, even grand ; in others, dull and 

 dreary beyond description. Those who paint Florida 

 wholly in radiant hues and flowery terms of praise, 

 doubtless remember only some beauteous scenes which 

 fill the memories with such fair pictures that other im 

 pressions are overshadowed and forgotten. One can 

 scarcely fancy a more lonely, deserted-looking region 

 than that we often traversed, our road sometimes wind 

 ing many miles through a barren pine section, offering 

 nothing new to our curious eyes except some hundreds 

 of salamander beds, whitening the woods as far as we 

 could see. Except at long intervals, no signs of other 

 life, animal or human, enlivened the dull monotony of 

 such scenes. But sometimes we came unexpectedly 

 upon something attractive. After journeying many miles 

 through what seemed to us an endless stretch of narrow, 

 sandy road, winding through a limitless extent of pine 

 woods, we were prepared, by force of contrast, to enjoy 



