Florida Swamps and Forests 



and braes and definite channels. Their waters 

 in deep places are black as ink, perfectly 

 opaque, and glossy on the surface as if var- 

 nished. It often is difficult to ascertain which 

 way they are flowing or creeping, so slowly 

 and so widely do they circulate through the 

 tree-tangles and swamps of the woods. The 

 flowers here are strangers to me, but not more 

 so than the rivers and lakes. Most streams ap- 

 pear to travel through a country with thoughts 

 and plans for something beyond. But those of 

 Florida are at home, do not appear to be travel- 

 ing at all, and seem to know nothing of the sea. 

 October 77. Found a small, silvery-leafed 

 magnolia, a bush ten feet high. Passed through 

 a good many miles of open level pine barrens, 

 as bounteously lighted as the " openings'' of 

 Wisconsin. The pines are rather small, are 

 planted sparsely and pretty evenly on these 

 sandy flats not long risen from the sea. Scarcely 

 a specimen of any other tree is to be found as- 

 sociated with the pine. But there are some 

 thickets of the little saw palmettos and a mag- 

 [ loi ] 



