HUNTING GROUNDS OF FLORIDA. 



93 



the Hillsboro River, at a place opposite the government life-saving 

 station. There is an old pump in the road at this place, and Robert 

 Osceola used to camp there a few days every spring v^^hile deer 

 hunting. Leaving the road and riding southwest some five miles, 

 one passes between the upper and lower chain of lakes, and this 

 crossing is the only one suitable for wagons for a distance of thirty 

 miles. The swampy lakes are connected by a little creek called 

 Little Fish Crossing. From this point it is less than a mile to 

 the old government trail which runs north, crossing Jupiter Creek 



(Loxahatchee), and 

 south until it joins 

 the county road, 

 about two miles 

 north of Cypress 

 Creek. Old marks 

 of the ax " blazes " 

 may still be seen on 

 the trees, and occa- 

 sionally a wagon 

 track where some 

 hunter or cattle- 

 driver has followed 

 the old trail. Sand- 

 hill Cranes, turkeys, 

 and quail are abun- 

 dant throughout this country ; but bears are rare and panthers 

 keep themselves to the edge of the Everglades in the heavy 

 timber. Parties desiring to hunt this country would do well to have 

 their wagons meet them on the old government trail west of Lake 

 Worth. They could then hunt the country south, coming out on 

 the county road near Cypress Creek. There is only one bad 

 crossing, and that is at the head of the south fork of the Hillsboro 

 River. The country to the west of the old trail is "flat woods " and 

 hummocks, interspersed with cypress ponds, which become more 

 plentiful as we near the Everglades. Manv of these ponds are not 



;reat day 



