308 SOUTH-WEST FLORIDA. 



me under tlie sun. I soon ascertained that I was covered 

 with insects. I went for the moss, threw it out of the 

 wagon, and selected the softest board to finish my night s 

 rest. I had on numerous occasions during my wander 

 ings suffered from the effects of seed and ordinary ticks, 

 but here was something exceeding all my past experi 

 ences in bug operations. To sleep was impossible, so I 

 devoted the remainder of the night to scratching. I have 

 read of the patience of historic Job, but I have reason to 

 believe that he never suffered from a visitation of Florida 

 &quot;red bugs.&quot; Upon inquiry, I was informed that my 

 attentive and industrious visitors were called red bugs, 

 and were only to be found on the Spanish moss in the 

 southern portion of the State. Our earnest advice to 

 future wanderers is to give mossy couches a wide berth. 



On our return to the boat we prepared a saturating 

 solution of common salt, and with it sponged several 

 times daily, and at the end of the second day dissolved 

 our connection with Florida red bugs. We are at a loss 

 to determine exactly what effect was produced on the 

 bugs by the salt, but we discovered the fact, that wher 

 ever we had removed the skin by scratching, the effect of 

 the solution was anything but pleasant. 



Starting before old Sol appeared above the eastern 

 horizon, we reached our boats at four o clock in the 

 afternoon. South-west of the lake, nearly to the shore 

 of Charlotte harbor, and from the Caloosahatchie river 

 to Peas creek, a distance of sixty miles, the sportsman 

 will find a beautiful prairie, clothed with luxuriant and 

 nutritious grasses, different from those of the St. Johns 

 and Atlantic sections. This vast expanse of hunting 

 ground is dotted witli &quot; islands,&quot; that is to say, spots 

 clothed with live-oaks and majestic palms. These 



