CHAPTER XXII. 



Pleasant Return Voyages. Waiting in Florida the Arrival of Summer at 

 the North. Making Apologies to a Tropical Sun. T/ie Steamer City of Aus- 

 tin — Capt. Stevens. A Leaf from the Chapter of the Captain's Nautical 

 Expei'iences. Little Sankey Tra/nsported and Transplanted. Reciprocal 

 Welcomes. 



"Where'er I roam, whatever lands I see, 

 My heart, untraveled, fondly turns to thee." — Goldsmith. 



Having embodied in the preceding chapters all the informa- 

 tion we obtained concerning Nassau and the Bahamas during our 

 visits in 1879 and 1880, which we deemed would be useful or in- 

 teresting to our readers, but little remains to be added before 

 we lay down a pen which we have found it a difficult matter to 

 stop. 



After returning to Jacksonville in April, 1879, we spent sev- 

 eral weeks in Florida enjoying its climate, and waiting for the 

 time to come when summer at the north should be firmly estab- 

 Hshed« We soon learned to love the dreamy lakes and languid 

 rivers; the deep solitude of the pine forests; the wild, weird 

 beauty of the cypress swamps; the gracefulness of the palms and 

 palmettos; the grand old water-oaks and live-oaks, all profusely 

 draped, festooned and decorated, from largest branch to smallest 

 twig, with Spanish moss, so gray and sombre; the stately mag- 

 nolias, royally adorned with dark waxen leaves, and large, white, 

 floral incense cups; the orange orchards, whose leaves, and flowers, 

 and fruit seemed intended to minister to the happinesa rather of 

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