Florida. 330 



was your long and most delightful letter, written 

 with your left hand. It repaid me for my night's 

 ride ; it relieved my mind of anxiety and enabled 

 me to sleep like a top. Thank God for all his 

 goodness ! 



I preached to-day, (Sunday), and baptized Bach- 

 man Hazel las — a boy of twelve, with a skin as black 

 as Corvus-Americanus. Now I think that it will be 

 no sin, and no playing the April fool, if I write you 

 a letter. 



M}' health has improved greatly, my disease was 

 checked and nature worked the further cure. 



We have venison every day, and enioy the finest 

 fish that ever floated in a transparent lake. I par- 

 take of food moderately, and, at night, take a cup of 

 tea, but eat no supper. * * * * * 



The Geological structure of this country is most in- 

 teresting, but very simple — it is almost a uniform 

 level. The land, like the bed on which Charleston 

 stands, lias been formed from the ocean. There 

 have been upheavals throughout the whole State — 

 these have produced fissures in the lime-stone rocks 

 beneath, the waters percolating through the .sand, 

 are purified and become like crystal. These are 

 discharged into innumerable lakes — Griffin, Orange, 

 Ware, with smaller lakes, every eight or ten miles, 

 abounding in the finest fresh-water fish in the world. 



There are scarcely any rivers in Florida; even 

 the St. John's River is but a succession of lakes; 

 the streams, such as they are. run from South to 

 North. It is a singular country- Suddenly — in a 

 single night, half an acre of ground, it is said, settles 

 down, perhaps twenty feet, and is found full of 

 crystal water, large fish, and now and then an Alli- 

 gator — all carried through some underground rail- 

 road. 



One thing has struck me every day ; for twenty 



