29G SOUTH-WEST FLORIDA. 



come in the wilderness, and annoying to refuse hos 

 pitality when kindly and courteously tendered. 



During the course of the forenoon we sighted a 

 &quot; gator &quot; about seven feet long, reclining on a grassy bank 

 enjoying the sunshine. I handed Harry my Winchester, 

 and requested him to shoot. He did so, and the gator 

 quivered and dropped his head. Harry expressed satis 

 faction at the result of his maiden shot, and wondered 

 what effect had been produced by the ball. I suggested 

 that we should land and examine the critter. We did 

 so, and Harry seized the brute by the tail and attempted 

 to turn him over. Like a flash the dead gator doubled on 

 himself, and endeavored to seize him by the hand. As a 

 result, the pair stepped into the river, and the celerity 

 with which Harry scrambled up the bank will never be 

 forgotten by those who witnessed it. Before the ugly 

 customer could get away, I gave him a pill in his brain, 

 and he turned his paws heavenward. Thus ended the 

 only gator scrape worthy of record. 



As we proceeded, the river gradually narrowed, and 

 above the former site of Fort Donaud the overhanging 

 live-oaks gave us some trouble. Still farther up the river, 

 we met with shallows and annoying sand-bars and drift 

 logs. Having rowed all day, we found ourselves tired at 

 five P. M., and came to an anchor. 



6. UP THE CALOOSAHATCHIE. 



TJTE annual rain-fall of South-west Florida is about 

 sixty-five inches, but during the year 1874 the amount 

 was but a fraction over thirty-one inches. In conse- 



