FLORIDA TRAVEL. 255 



St. Augustine can be reached from Tocoi by railroad. 

 The road is fourteen miles in length and the charge for 

 passage $2.50. The price may seem exorbitant, but 

 travellers must remember that travel is limited, and that 

 the road must earn sufficient in three months to run it 

 for twelve. Excellent hotel accommodations will be 

 found in St. Augustine, and in addition, the tourist can 

 choose between a number of private boarding houses. 



If any adventurous sporting reader wishes to indulge 

 in an agreeable and romantic trip, we would advise him 

 to obtain a light flat-bottomed boat, eighteen to twenty 

 feet long, five feet beam, with centre-board and sprit sail. 

 Forward it to Jacksonville by sailing vessel or steamer ; 

 from Jacksonville to Mellonville by steamboat. Trans 

 port boat from Mellonville to Lake Hoptaliga by wagon, 

 a distance of about thirty-five miles, at an expense of 

 $25. From the lake descend the Kissimmee river to 

 Lake Okeechobee, a distance of about one hundred and 

 sixty miles. The river is bounded by extensive prairies, 

 and the hunter can indulge in deer shooting to his satis 

 faction. Ducks and gators exist in immense quantities, 

 and bass (trout) fishing will be found to be excellent. 

 Owing to the prevalence of easterly winds, the open 

 nature of the country and the rapid current, Okeechobee 

 can be reached in three days from Hoptaliga. 



From the mouth of the Kissimmee to the mouth of 

 Fish Eating creek is a distance of about thirty miles. 

 But to find the entrance to the latter stream is the rub. 

 Three parties have descended the Kissimmee, and 

 searched for the mouth of the creek, but failed to find 

 it. I propose entering it before next spring, from the 

 lake, and if I succeed, I will erect a pole at its mouth, 

 surmounted with a tin can. The best directions I can 



