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 17. 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- 
[ ror ] 
