IN PLOEIDA. 95 



probable that inland communication will have been 

 opened with the Indian River, either by the " Haul- 

 over," which in the year 1882 was only twelve feet 

 wide and one foot and a half deep, or from the St. 

 John's, by the way of Lake Washington; and that 

 there will be finished another canal from Indian 

 Eiver to Lake Worth and Biscayne Bay, making a 

 safe and easy passage round the keys to the Gulf 

 side. This was to have been done when we were 

 there, and if not yet finished, soon will be. 



Then if the sportsman is not yet satiated, or if 

 he is suffering from consumption, and wishes to re- 

 gain his health, he can make the grandest trip in 

 the world, by either sending his yacht to Jackson- 

 ville, or to Cedar Keys, or buying one there, and 

 spending the entire winter in the exploration of the 

 southern part of Florida. As it is, the voyage from 

 the Indian Eiver is not difficult or dangerous. 

 Numerous keys or islands make a shelter from the 

 seas, and once on the Gulf side, the climate, the 

 country, the water, everything is delightful. Storms 

 are rare, the Gulf is generally smooth, harbors are 

 numerous, and the shooting is unsurpassed by any 

 in the world. If the sportsman does not take his 

 own vessel, he can go by railroad directly to Cedar 

 Keys, and thence take what conveyance he prefers 

 farther south. At Cedar Keys small sail boats, 

 suitable to those shallow waters, can be hired, as well 

 as guides, if they are needed. To enjoy a visit to 

 Florida in its full scope and meaning, and to make 

 it an expedition never to be forgotten, make up a 



