82 HUNTING AND FISHING IN FLORIDA. 



Dogs are absolutely essential to successful quail hunting. Of 

 course, while driving through the woods, if a flock is " flushed " a 

 few may be killed by kicking about in the bushes where they are 

 seen to alight, but I personally am not partial to this method of 

 quail hunting, as I am always afraid that I might kick a rattlesnake 

 instead of a quail. It is well to take a good dog with you from the 

 North, as well-trained dogs are very scarce in Florida. A fast dog 

 that ranges well is the kind most adapted to quail hunting in Florida, 

 which is usually done from wagons or on horseback. When a 

 wagon is used it is driven slowly through the " flat woods " until 



the dogs, who cover the ground 

 well and " range wide," as it is 

 called, find a covey of birds. 

 Then the hunter leaves the 

 wagon, shoots what he can out 

 of that covey, and drives on to 

 seek for another. 



In the old days Sanford was 

 not in existence, and a little town 

 called Mellonville ( located a 

 short distance south of the pres- 

 ent site of Sanford) was the only town on the west side of the lake. 

 A line of steamers was then running from Enterprise up the St. John's 

 River, passing through Lake Jessop and Lake Harney to Salt Lake 

 and part of the time beyond that as far as Lake Poinset, but the line 

 was discontinued years ago. 



Quail and snipe are still abundant along the shores of the upper 

 St. John's in favorable localities, and in past years alligators were 

 numerous, but these last have nearly all been killed off. Of course 

 a few are left, but they are very shy, and a large one is of rare occur- 

 rence. 



Deep Creek, which was at one time a famous turkey country, joins 

 the St. John's River near where it enters Lake Harney, directly 

 opposite what is known as Cook's Ferry. 



The bass fishing near Lake Harney and on Lake Jessop has 



