THE OKEECHOBEE EXPEDITION. 245 



Judge Parker, a resident on the Kissimmee, near Fort 

 Bassenger, and any party desiring to make the trip 

 could not do better than secure control of the stanch 

 Forest and Stream, as she is a boat well suited to 

 the work. 



I left St. Lucie, Indian river, the 14th of February. 

 As before stated, it was my intention to have my boat 

 transported to the Kissimmee river, and sail down that 

 river into and around Lake Okeechobee. 



This plan has been adhered to, and has resulted in 

 a complete success. Of all the parties started for Lake 

 Okeechobee this winter and there seem to have been 

 many ours is the only one that has penetrated the 

 Everglades and explored the lake. It is, in fact, the 

 only party that has sailed completely around the lake, 

 and brought from thence authentic information regard 

 ing its topography and natural productions. The lake 

 is the largest in the South. Probably less has been 

 known of this lake than of any body of water of like 

 size in the Union, owing to the impassability of the 

 country about it, and the alleged hostility of the Indians 

 upon its borders. During the Indian war of 1835- 43, 

 boats crossed up it on two occasions, ascending and de 

 scending the Kissimmee river, and scouring the cypress 

 swamps in search of Indians. In the war of 56- 58, 

 forts, or military stations, were located as near the lake 

 as the character of the land would permit, and it was 

 frequently crossed, and, no doubt, pretty thoroughly 

 explored. But the soldiers of the last Indian war were 

 principally militia, natives of the country, and but little 

 knowledge of the lake was disseminated through them. 

 Since that time Okeechobee has remained veiled in 

 obscurity. No one but the Seminoles knew the charac- 



