264 SPRING GARDEN. 



through which we made our way with extreme difficulty. While in the 

 middle of one, my companion told me, that once when in the very spot 

 where we then stood, his horse chanced to place his fore-feet on the back 

 of a large alligator, which, not well pleased at being disturbed in his re- 

 pose, suddenly raised his head, opened his monstrous jaws, and snapped 

 off a part of the lips of his affrighted pony. You may imagine the 

 terror of the poor beast, which, however, after a few plunges, resumed its 

 course, and succeeded in carrying its rider through in safety. As a re- 

 ward for this achievement, it Was ever after honoured with the appella- 

 tion of " Alligator."" 



We had now travelled about twenty miles, and the sun having reached 

 the zenith, we dismounted to partake of some refreshment. From a muddy 

 pool we contrived to obtain enough of tolerably clear water to mix with 

 the contents of a bottle, the like of which I would strongly recommend to 

 every traveller in these swampy regions ; our horses, too, found something 

 to grind among the herbage that surrounded the little pool ; but as little 

 time was to be lost, we quickly remounted, and resumed our disagreeable 

 journey, during which we had at no time proceeded at a rate exceeding 

 two miles and a half in the hour. 



All at once, however, a wonderful change took place : — the country 

 became more elevated and undulating ; the timber was of a different na- 

 ture, and consisted of red and live oaks, magnolias, and several kinds 

 of pine. Thousands of " mole-hills," or the habitations of an animal 

 here called " the salamander," and " goffer''s burrows," presented them- 

 selves to the eye, and greatly annoyed our horses, which every now and 

 then sank to the depth of a foot, and stumbled at the risk of breaking 

 their legs, and what we considered fully as valuable, our necks. We 

 now saw beautiful lakes of the purest Avater, and passed along a green 

 space, having a series of them on each side of us. These sheets of water 

 became larger and more numerous the farther we advanced, some of them 

 extending to a length of several miles, and having a depth of from two to 

 twenty feet of clear water ; but their shores being destitute of vegetation, 

 we observed no birds near them. Many tortoises, however, were seen 

 basking in the sun, and all, as we approached, plunged into the water. 

 Not a trace of man did we observe during our journey, scarcely a bird, 

 and not a single quadruped, not even a rat ; nor can one imagine a poorer 

 and more desolate country than that which lies between the Halifax River, 



