YACHTING ON THE ST. JOHNS. 167 



interesting questions of unity or diversity of races ; and 

 it is not unlikely that secrets are hidden in the shell 

 mounds of Florida that may, when discovered and inter 

 preted in the broad light of future knowledge, tell many 

 a curious tale of wandering tribes and far-fetched arts 

 and customs. 



Half lost in vain theories and surmises, aroused by 

 these peculiar remains, gun and rod were not unfre- 

 quently laid aside, and our minds given up to the ro 

 mantic associations of the first voyagers who here sought 

 the fountain of youth, carrying so much of woe and 

 cruelty with them that it is fortunate for the present 

 that they did not find any elixir of the kind ; and to the 

 more vague but pleasant fancies of the race that still 

 earlier possessed this alluring land, and roamed freely, 

 with no more idea of a coming and overcoming race than 

 occurs to us now in our period of supremacy. 



But this is drifting, and we would not be left with 

 out anchorage in the realms of speculation. We really 

 went rapidly against the stream, and after a long day of 

 full enjoyment tied our craft to a bank, and in our 

 small but snug cabin made pleasant plans for the 

 morrow. 



Our third day on the little steamer found us among 

 the prairies that lie on either side of the river, below 

 Lake Monroe. They were low plains, with groups of 

 trees like islands, and long rows of stately palmettoes de 

 fining the curves and retracings of the idle river, remind 

 ing us of the pictures of Eastern scenes of desert and 

 palms. Herds of half- wild cattle were seen upon them, 

 and sometimes a wild turkey would seek cover, not by 

 flight, but by running like the wind. A little back from 

 the river, on wet places out of rifle-range, were groups 



