THE OKEECIIOBEE EXPEDITION. 239 



good a place for deer as any on the river. As I was 

 sailing through them one moonlight night, I was 

 awakened by my boatman, and looking up, discovered a 

 deer swimming across close to the boat. Eevolver, rifle, 

 everything had been packed away, and we lost him. 

 Right here in the Narrows, one of my acquaintances dis 

 covered a bear swimming, and undertook his capture. 

 As he had nothing but a hatchet, and a heavy breeze 

 was blowing, he was forced to relinquish the bear after 

 laying its head open, and Bruin had nearly upset the 

 boat by getting his paws on the rail. 



At Elbow creek, and across the river on the eastern 

 shore, is the finest picturesque portion of the river. The 

 little bay, formed as the creek reaches Indian river, is 

 almost shut in by high coquina rocks. The shores are 

 sandy, with high bluffs behind them. The water-worn 

 coquina rock here is the most attractive on the river. 

 It was here that the famous canal, to connect the St. 

 Johns with Indian river, was to terminate. It was to be 

 about seven miles in length. A company was formed, a 

 dredge-boat set to work at Lake Washington, lands pur 

 chased, a town laid out on paper, a*nd now the machin 

 ery of the boat is being transported to Sand Point for 

 use in a saw-mill, and &quot;Eau Gallie &quot; has just as many 

 inhabitants as it had before the bubble was blown. No 

 doubt can exist as to the suitability of the locality for a 

 town, could one be started ; for the high pine land 

 slopes gradually to the river, the climate is delightful, 

 and annoying insects comparatively few. 



Mr. Houston, the resident at Elbow creek, is an old 

 Indian fighter, having served through the seven years of 

 the first war. His reminiscences were interesting, espe 

 cially to me, as he had fought Indians I had met at the 



