322 SOUTH-WEST FLOEIDA. 



were undertaken with some reluctance, but the return 

 voyage was simply viewed in the light of a pleasure trip, 

 and was found to be most enjoyable. If I undertake 

 another cruise on the coast, it is more than probable that 

 I shall take the outside route, and thereby escape the 

 annoyance of oyster bars and mud flats ; as a matter 

 of course, if the bosom of old mother ocean happen to 

 be lumpy, with an uncomfortable amount of dust flying, 

 I would take the inside route. The entire coast from 

 Cedar Keys to Charlotte Harbor can be safely navigated 

 in a IG-foot Whitehall skiff. As proof that our opinion 

 is not based upon a few miles of sea work or one day s 

 experience outside of the islands, our voyaging at sea 

 amounts to over 175 miles. 



Entering Sarasota Inlet and finding the wind favor 

 able we kept on our course, and reached the neighbor 

 hood of Anna Maria Keys, at the head of Sarasota Bay, 

 at 10 P. M., where we anchored for the night. Starting 

 early next morning, we reached Manatee at 9 A. M. At 

 10 A. M. the steamer Emilie moored to the dock, and 

 the courteous captain (Lefferts) kindly offered to give 

 us a tow to Tampa, forty miles distant, which we accepted 

 with thanks. We reached Tampa early in the afternoon, 

 and received a hearty welcome from many friends. 

 Tampa is situated on the Hillsboro river, where it enters 

 Tampa Bay, and is a pleasant town of about five hun 

 dred inhabitants. Society is excellent, and the inhabi 

 tants kind and hospitable in the extreme. The climate is 

 good, and an invalid who is partial to quietness might 

 spend a winter there very pleasantly. The town con 

 tains several boarding-houses, and from information 

 gleaned from several parties I can recommend the house 

 kept by D. Isaac Craft. I visited the house, and found 



