"what shall I EAT?" 187 



of the country? Rather was there only a vast ''howling 

 wilderness," with all the discomforts of a newly settled 

 region ; and, in addition, dangers from Indians, from wild 

 beasts, and for more than half the year from cold and 

 wind and storms also. 



Ah ! truly, the Northern and Western pioneers of civil- 

 ization had a harder time by far than the Florida settlers 

 of the present day ! Deprivations there are, but no actual 

 hardships, and not even severe deprivations. There are 

 no Indians to fear ; very few if any wild beasts, especially 

 in those sections of the State now so rapidly filling up 

 with emigrants ; no terrible, freezing winters, with which 

 a battle for life must be fought ; no soil shut out from cul- 

 tivation for five months of the year by snow, ice, and 

 mud ; no frightful storms, such as sweep the Avestern prai- 

 ries and Texas plain's, no terrible floods, destroying life 

 and property in wholesale measure. 



Taking all things into consideration, we can scarcely 

 conceive of any settler, who is possessed of common sense 

 (a most uncommon commodity, by the way) sufiacient 

 not to expect to see "figs grow on thistles and grapes on 

 thorns," who yet will grumble at the few discomforts that 

 may meet him in his new Florida home in the way of 

 table-supplies. We use the masculine pronouns advisedly, 

 because all the complaints on this score that we have ever 

 read came from that lower half of humanity of whom it 

 is said, "He carries his conscience on his palate, and his 

 heart in his stomach ;" an old Spanish proverb, and a very 

 true one too. 



But we do not mean to insinuate that " good things" for 

 the table are not to be procured in Florida ; no one need 

 lack for plenty, if only he has energy, perseverance, and 

 patience, a gun, a fish-hook, and a noose. We will explain 

 the latter assertion presently, only premising that said 



