FLORIDA FLORIDA BLANCA. 



215 



are light and sandy ; and they are represented as not 

 capable of sustaining a continual succession of ex- 

 liausting crops. Considerable tracts, in different 

 parts, are fertile ; but far the greater part is sterile 

 or unproductive. The lands have been divided into 

 seven varieties : 1. Pine barrens, which constitute a 

 great part of the country. They produce vast quan- 

 tities of yellow and pitch pine ; also shrubs in great 

 variety, and a wiry grass, which yields sustenance to 

 numerous herds of cattle. In wet seasons, orchards 

 of peach and mulberry trees flourish remarkably well 

 on these lands. 2. Hummock land. This variety, 

 which constitutes the main body of good land, is so 

 called because it rises in mounts or small tufts among 

 the pines. Most of the uplands remote from the 

 sea are of this kind, which is adapted to sugar-cane, 

 cotton, indigo, potatoes, and pulse. 3. Prairies. 

 These are of two kinds, one found in the pine bar- 

 rens, being covered with sand, and sterile ; the other 

 on high ground, covered with wild grass. 4. Swamps. 

 These are of two kinds the river and inland 

 swamps ; the latter are the most valuable, producing 

 large crops of rice, and, in some instances, the best 

 cotton, corn, and indigo in the country. 5. Marshes. 

 A part of these are occasionally covered with salt 

 water, and a part with fresh. The fresh water 

 marshes produce an abundance of wild oats. 6. A 

 species of marsh, called galen, consisting of water- 

 courses covered with spongy earth, and trembling 

 like jelly for a considerable distance about the spot 

 impressed. 7. Elevated grounds, covered with large 

 trees of different species. 



Florida abounds in vegetable productions in great 

 variety, of most luxuriant growth. It is remarkable 

 for the majestic appearance of its towering forest 

 trees, and the brilliant colours of its shrubs. The 

 pines, palms, cedars, and chestnuts grow to an ex- 

 traordinary size and height. The laurels, especially 

 the magnolias, are uncommonly striking objects, 

 rising, with erect trunks, to the height of 100 feet, 

 forming towards the head a perfect cone, and having 

 their dark-green foliage silvered over with large 

 milk-white flowers, frequently eight or nine inches 

 in diameter. There are eight different kinds of oak, 

 among which is the live oak, which, after forming a 

 trunk from ten to twenty feet high, and from twelve 

 to eighteen feet in circumference, spreads out its 

 branches, in some instances fifty paces on every side. 

 The cypress, generally growing in watery places, has 

 large roots like buttresses, rising around its lower 

 extremity ; then, rearing a stem of eighty or ninety 

 feet, it throws out a flat, horizontal top, like an 

 umbrella, so that, often growing in forests all of an 

 equal height, they present the appearance of a green 

 canopy supported on columns in the air. Many 

 rich fruits, particularly limes, prunes, peaches, 

 grapes, and figs, grow wild in the forests. St John's 

 river, and some of the lakes, are bordered with 

 orange groves ; and olives are cultivated with suc- 

 cess. Some of the most important productions to 

 which the country is well adapted are sugar, coffee, 

 cotton, rice, indigo, tobacco, vines, olives, oranges, 

 and various other tropical fruits. The waters con- 

 tain various kinds of excellent fish, and they also 

 abound in alligators and other lizards. The thermo- 

 meter in summer usually stands between 84 and 

 88 of Fahrenheit in the shade, and, in July and 

 August, frequently rises to 94. The sun is scorch- 

 ing hot at noon. In winter it very rarely freezes, 

 nor is the cold ever so severe as to injure the China 

 orange. From the end of September to the end of 

 June, " there is not," says Volney, " perhaps, a 

 finer climate in the world." 



The name of Florida, from Pasqua Florida, or 

 Palm Sunday, was given to this region by Juan 



Ponce de Leon, the Spanish discoverer, in 1512. 

 For a long time, the name was general, in Spanish 

 works, for the Atlantic coast of North America. 

 The region now called Carolina was formerly in- 

 cluded under Florida, and received the name Caro- 

 lina from the French, who attempted to colonize it 

 during the religious troubles in the reign of Charles 

 IX. This colony endured incredible hardships, and 

 was extirpated by the Spaniards, who sent out an 

 expedition for this purpose in 1564. With many 

 vicissitudes of fortune, Florida remained in the 

 hands of the Spaniards till 1763, when it was ceded 

 to the British government. In 1781, the Spanish 

 governor of Florida, don Galvez, conquered West 

 Florida ; and, by the treaty of Paris, 1783, the whole 

 of both Floridas was ceded back by Great Britain 

 to Spain. In 1819, negotiations were commenced 

 between the United States and Spain for the cession 

 of Florida to the former, and a treaty to that effect 

 was entered into. This treaty was ratified by Spain, 

 October, 1820; by the United States, February, 

 1821 ; and, in July of the latter year, Florida was 

 finally taken possession of by general Jackson, by 

 order of the government. Present population of 

 Florida, about 35,000. 



FLORIDA BLANCA (FRANCISCO ANTONIO MO- 

 NINO) count of; Spanish minister in the reign of 

 Charles III. ; a man distinguished for his great ser- 

 vices and enterprises in the cause of Spain, but des- 

 tined also to experience a great reverse of fortune. 

 His family name was Monino. He was born in 

 1730, at Murcia, where his father was a notary, 

 studied in the university of Salamanca, and soon 

 rendered himself so conspicuous, that he was in- 

 trusted with the important post of Spanish ambassa- 

 dor at Rome during the pontificate of Clement XIV. 

 In that office, he displayed great ability in several 

 emergencies. He particularly distinguished himself 

 by his activity in the abolition of the order of Jesuits, 

 and in the election of Pius VI. Charles III., finding 

 himself obliged to dismiss Grimaldi, the minister or 

 foreign affairs, desired him to nominate his succes- 

 sor. Grimaldi recommended Monino, who was 

 accordingly created count Florida Blanca, and re- 

 ceived the department of foreign affairs, together 

 with that of justice and acts of grace, and the super- 

 intendence of the posts, highways, and public maga- 

 zines in Spain ; so that his authority was almost 

 unlimited. He introduced postrcoaches, and caused 

 the post-roads to be made practicable ; directed 

 his attention to the most important subjects of gen- 

 eral police, particularly in the capital ; embellished 

 Madrid, and was on every occasion the active friend 

 of the arts and sciences. He endeavoured to con- 

 firm the good understanding which existed between 

 the courts of Spain and Portugal, by a double inter- 

 marriage (1785). His attempt, however, to secure 

 the succession to the throne of Portugal to a Spanish 

 prince, proved abortive. The military enterprises 

 which he projected, the attack upon Algiers (1777), 

 and the siege of Gibraltar (1782), were unsuccess- 

 ful. A short time before the death of king Charles 

 III. (October, 1788), he requested permission to 

 retire, and presented to the king a justification of 

 his ministerial career. The king expressed himself 

 satisfied with the latter, but refused to accept his 

 resignation. After the accession of Charles IV., 

 however, his enemies, among whom was the prince 

 of peace, succeeded in effecting his disgrace (1792). 

 He was imprisoned in the citadel of -Pampelona, but 

 was soon restored to liberty, and banished to his 

 estates. In 1808, he appeared once more upon the 

 political theatre, at the time of convening the cortes 

 but died November 20 of the same year, at the age 

 of nearly eighty years. 



