AMONG THE KEYS. 277 



point. In the centre of this island will be found several 

 large shell mounds, the largest about sixty feet high. 

 The southern extremity of the island is covered with 

 live-oak and mangrove trees. From the mounds to the 

 northern end, the island is clothed with a luxuriant 

 growth of live-oak and palms, and is the highest land to 

 be found on any of the coast islands south of Cedar Keys. 

 In front of the mounds deep water will be found within 

 a few yards of the shore. This island has been the home 

 of a couple for several years, but as the female part of 

 the population deemed it proper to elope with a fisher 

 man, the masculine portion became guilty of arson, and 

 retired from the beautiful island of TJseppa, leaving 

 behind him some bricks, charcoal, and the remains of a 

 cooking-stove. 



This island is distant two miles from the Gulf, from 

 which it is separated and protected by Lacosta Island ; 

 distance to the main land, fifteen miles. Owing to its 

 climatic advantages, elevation of the land, and protected 

 situation, it is the most eligible site for a sanitarium in 

 the South. Frost is unknown, and before the chilly 

 north-west wind can reach the island, it becomes tem 

 perate by crossing the warm waters of the harbor for a 

 distance of twenty miles. In this section the much-to- 

 be-dreaded north-easters of the coast do not bring rain, 

 and have none of that searching, chilly nature that 

 characterizes them on the Atlantic side. Useppa is 

 truly the winter home for the invalid suffering from 

 pulmonary disease excelling in climatic advantages Ber 

 muda, Nice, or Madeira. We predict that the day is not 

 far distant when a large hotel will grace the shell mound 

 on this island, and invalids in hundreds will inhale a 

 -ife-restoring atmosphere unequalled by that of any part 



