Terms, Five Dollarg a Year. { 

 Ten Cents a Copy. f 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1876. 



j Volume 5, Number 24. 



1 17 Chatham St. (CityHallSqr.) 



Fan' Forest and Stream. 



K 



)v*rlm\& to l§omoHnnm. 



IN a former communication I referred to the overland 

 route from Silver Spring to Homosassa. Becoming 

 tired of the monotony of city life, I resolved upon person- 

 ally testing the matter, and shall briefly refer to it for the 

 benefit of intending tourists. 



In company with six gentlemen I left Jacksonville on 

 Monday, Dec. 20th, on the steamer Gen. Sedgwick, a 

 staunch, fast, and comfortable craft, well known to every 

 New Yorker. We arrived at Palatka at 2 P. M. , inter- 

 viewed Alligator Pratt, examined Moragne's huge citron, 

 and inspected the curiosity shop. At 11 P. M. we took 

 possession of our berths on the steamer Tuscawilla for Sil- 

 ver Spring. The T. is a new boat, built expressly to navi- 

 gate the Ochlawaha River, and 1 can unhesitatingly rec- 

 ommend her to tourists. For speed, she is not equalled 

 by any boat on the route, is well officered, and more than 



neatly fitted up; and last, though not least, her table can- 

 not be excelled by any boat navigating the rivers of Flor- 

 ida. I shall not dilate on the wild, wierd, and interesting 

 features of the Othlawaha, or the unequalled attractions of 

 its tributary spring, but earnestly recommend every visitor 

 to the State to ascend this tortuous and remarkable stream, 

 and, as & finale, indulge in an examination of that great nat- 

 ural curiosity, Silver Spring. We arrived at the Spring at 

 2 A. M. on Wednesday. Dr. DeM and the two W.'s, of 

 New York, resolved upon remaining on the boat and ex- 

 amining the Spring by daylight. Four of the party deter- 

 mined to push through, so we entered a hack in waiting, 

 and arrived at Oeala at 4 A. M. Upon arrival we uncere- 

 moniously roused Harris, of the Ocala House, from his 

 feathery couch, and ordered breakfast. 7 A. M. found us 

 en route for Homosassa. We crossed the Wisluacoochie 

 and left the last house in the rear at 2 P. M., and at 1 A. 

 M. , on Thursday, reached the old negro quarters at Homo- 

 sassa. Routing some Fifteenth Amendments, I soon had 



my companions enjoying the blaze of a light wood fire. 

 In company with "Uncle Henry," an interesting and oblig- 

 ing representative of the colored persuasion, I started in 

 a boat for the residence of Mr. Jones, distant three miles. 

 The dogs announced my approach, and on reaehing the 

 landing I was received (as are all) with a true and hearty 

 welcome. In a few minutes Jones and Frank manned the 

 yawl, and with long and steady strokes were on the way 

 for the remainder of the party. 4 A. M. found the hun- 

 gry quartette discussing the merits of Java coffee, sheeps- 

 head, venison steak, and home-made bread and butter, as 

 only wanderers can do after an eighteen hours' ride through 

 the balmy and invigorating atmosphere of Florida. The 

 cost of trip was as follows : Jacksonville to Silver Spring, 

 $8; Silver Spring to Ocala, $1; breakfast and lunch at 

 Ocala, 75 cents; fare from Ocala to Homosassa, $5— a to- 

 tal of $14.75. But we will stop and tender advice: If 

 persons attempt this route, I would advise them to provide 

 a full lunch basket, including ground coffee and condensed 



-^Mrafai%i 



RED IRISH SETTER DICK-THE PROPERTY OF Wm. JARVIS, Esq. 



tojlk, at Oeala, and to stop oyernight at a plantation two 

 toiles south of Wishtacoochie River, reaching Jones' at 

 about 2 P. Mi of the second day. This was the course 

 adopted hy Dr. DeM and the two W.s. 



The country between Ocala and a point within a few miles 

 °f Homosassa is elevated, undulating, and interesting. Many 

 of the hills attain an altitude of nearly four hundred feet 

 above the Gulf, and the ever-varying and park-like scenery 

 Will wen repay the tourist. We may remark that the 

 horses and vehicles were good for Florida, and supplied 

 Q y Mr. Davis, an obliging and enterprising colored man of 

 Ocala. As usual, we found the sporting attractions all the 

 gunnist or piscator could ask. In addition to my previous 

 remarks regarding this point, I may add that, if the fisher- 

 man is disposed to do battle with his rod and reel, let him 

 use a White Hall spinner No. 01, instead of a fly. By troll- 

 ln g with twenty yards of line astern lie will soon be re- 

 garded with a strike from a cavalli weighing from five to 

 af teen pounds, and> from experience, I can unhesitatingly 



assert that the piscator's art will be tested by these fighting 

 and gamy fish. I captured eight with a hand-line, and 

 was forced to abandon the sport; for with fair play the 

 hooks of a ^Buell's No. 01 spinner were straightened and 

 useless. Mr. E., of New York, whom I found at Homo- 

 sassa, had indulged in trolling, and between the capture 

 of channel bass and cavalli, his spinners were useless. To 

 any one who proposes engaging in cavalli fishing, I will 

 say, visit a tinkers, and have him file off the hooks belong- 

 ing to spinners where the bend unites with shank, and have 

 firmly soldered to the shanks three of Job Johnson's Vir- 

 ginia, or three Chestertown hooks, for these alone are fit 

 to withstand the rushes and tugs of cavalli. Some of my 

 readers will say that I do not treat my hooks fairly; but to 

 such I will simply say, change your hooks, and use better 

 ones than those usually attached to spinners and spoons. 

 We can but remark that the sheepshead fishing was simply 

 superb. 

 To any one contemplating a yisit to Homosassa, we 



would suggest the propriety of providing a stout ten-foot 

 bass rod, with a stout and strong reel capable of holding 

 from 500 to 600 feet of line, not forgetting a gaff hook. 

 Provide a bottle of water, lunch basket with crab or mul- 

 let bait, the latter preferred. Take advantage of the ebb 

 tide rowing to the mouth of the river, distant from the 

 house four or five miles; the monotony of rowing is re- 

 lieved by towing a spinner astern and occasionally landing 

 a cavalli or channel bass. Southwest from the mouth of 

 the river, one mile, will be noticed "Ship rock." When 

 the young flood makes, large red-fish, or channel bass, 

 ranging from two to four feet in length feed around the 

 rock, and lively times may be expected. We would advise 

 the fisherman to pound up some mullet and throw it over- 

 board, as this baiting process will cause the fish to keep a 

 weather eye open. By resorting to a large bait, using a 

 float, casting some distance from the rock, and allowing 

 the bait to drift away with the tide, the angler will soon 

 be rewarded with a "bite as is a bite." When tired of 



