THE TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS 61 



but little harm. But few dead or fallen trees are 

 ever seen, though in westerly storms the sea must 

 assault them with terrific fury. This lofty, sullen 

 forest, opposing in gloomy grandeur the open ocean 

 and ever defying its force, is one of the most awe- 

 inspiring sights in Florida. 



North of this forest wall is a deep bay or in- 

 dentation of the shore nearly three miles across 

 and extending about two miles inland; there begin 

 the numerous islands of the Shark River Archi- 

 pelago, really a part of the Ten Thousand 

 Islands. It, too, is a maze of islands, channels, 

 lagoons, mud flats, and low, wet prairies and 

 forests, the latter of mangrove and other littoral 

 vegetation. The water varies from salt to brack- 

 ish, though in places it is actually fresh, the salin- 

 ity depending on the season and rains. A vast 

 amount of Everglades drainage passes through 

 the Shark River Archipelago. This island laby- 

 rinth extends to the east and southeast for twenty 

 miles, even penetrating the region back of the 

 slightly elevated prairie east of Cape Sable. In 

 fact it nearly reaches the south coast, where it is 

 generally known as White Water Bay. There 

 are several open bodies of water within this area 



