232 THE OKEECIIOBEE EXPEDITION. 



the rocks arc worn into every shape imaginable. A Mr. 

 Hardee lives here, whose grove of three-year-old trees is 

 the finest; I have seen, lie has splendid oranges, from 

 trees only three years from the bud. His crop brought 

 a dollar per hundred more in Savannah than the St. 

 Johns oranges. 



We slept upon the beach that night, beneath a lean- 

 to tent which my friend, who is an old camper-out, had 

 put up between two palmettoes. The cheerful blaze in 

 front made it far preferable to our close quarters aboard 

 the boat. The next afternoon, the wind abating, we set 

 sail, and at night, the wind increasing, made a camp on 

 the shores of Horse creek. This is a high coquina bluff 

 of pine land, a line place for camp or residence. Nearly 

 opposite is the southern end of Mcrritt s Island, whose 

 high, pine-covered shores have been in sight for the last 

 twenty-five miles. Just south of here, three miles, is 

 Elbow creek, which was to be the terminus of a canal to 

 connect Indian river with Lake Washington, on the St. 

 Johns. The scheme is now &quot; busted,&quot; and Indian river 

 will have to seek connection with the outside world else 

 where. At Turkey creek, fifteen miles south, is a fine 

 orange and banana grove, where huge bunches of the 

 latter fruit can be purchased at $1 per hundred. St. 

 Sebastian is twelve miles from Turkey creek. It is a 

 beautiful sheet of water, and the camper-out will find 

 here secure shelter during gales. From Horse creek we 

 were assisted by that veteran guide and boatman, Jim 

 Russell. What Jim don t know about Indian river is not 

 worth knowing. He has spent twenty years here, and 

 can tell to a certainty just where and when the rarest 

 birds are to be found, where to go for deer, bear, or 

 panther. Jirn. then, took us in charge, and kept us 



