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point ; and also of two observers representing &quot; Old 

 Prob.&quot; North of the telegraph building is a large 

 wooden structure belonging to Captain Henry, and used 

 as a post-office and lodging quarters for the employees of 

 Capt. H., and those engaged in shipping cattle. The 

 palmetto huts belong to a gentleman who has an exten 

 sive fishery at this point. This is the point where cattle 

 are shipped from southern Florida to Key West and 

 Cuba. The operators and observers at this point 

 treated us with great courtesy and attention, and we are 

 prompted to thus publicly express our thanks. 



Finding nothing to interest us at this very uninter 

 esting point, we left, on the morning of the 26th, for the 

 Caloosahatchie river, and found the entrance a difficult 

 piece of navigation. By advice we took the boat channel, 

 and were favored with a head wind and ebb tide ; a nar 

 row, crooked channel, bounded and obstructed by mud 

 flats and coon oyster bars. After one hour s beating we 

 made one thousand feet, and surmounted the difficulties 

 incident to the navigation. We ultimately reached the 

 widest part of the river, and found it to be a grand 

 stream, nearly equalling in size the St. Johns between 

 Jacksonville and Orange Mills. We found the shores 

 high, and clothed with pine timber of fair quality as far 

 up as Fort Myers. At 6.30 we moored to the dock at 

 the last-named place 25 miles distant from Punta Eassa. 

 This was an important military post during the first and 

 second Indian Avars. At the termination of the late 

 unpleasantness some malicious persons destroyed by fire 

 all the buildings but one. At the present time the 

 place contains a population of about 100 persons, nearly 

 all of whom are engaged in cattle raising or herding in 

 south-west Florida. We found the residents courteous 

 and hospitable, and ready to oblige us in any way. 



