210 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



of him. The wind was ahead and light, and from where 

 we had anchored the channel first runs easterly over a 

 a mile, then makes a sharp elbow to the south, until the 

 main channel coming down between Depot Key and Way 

 Key towards Sea Horse Key is reached. A number of 

 grassy Keys, called on the charts Middle Keys, will be 

 left on the right. There are a few settlers oh North Key, 

 but Way Key and Depot Key contain most of the inhabi- 

 tants. As we came up the channel the New Orleans 

 steamer was also coming up. I went on shore first to re- 

 connoiter. I found my way to a hotel, with a table being 

 poorly provided for persons who required a liberal allow- 

 ance of substantials. We found the regulation hominy, 

 some tolerable "square-toed" biscuits, and some ham and 

 eggs. Not a vegetable of any kind, and not enough ham 

 to have answered the demands of either of us. The eggs 

 came on as though they were being cooked one at a time. 

 Cedar Keys, which is crowded all winter with northern 

 visitors, is a far better place for a sportsman to make his 

 headquarters than Jacksonville, which supports several 

 first-class hotels. It should have far better accommoda- 

 tions. Just back from Cedar Keys is a tract 01 country 

 known as the " Gulf Hammock," in which there is excel- 

 lent deer and turkey hunting. The waters around the Keys 

 abound with fish, as well as the finest of oysters, while I 

 have never yet seen a nice oyster on the Atlantic coast of 

 the State. Those at Fernandina, mouth of the St. Johns, 

 or St. Augustine, certainly cannot compare with those on 

 the Gulf coast; and if there is any good hunting or fishing 

 within twenty-five miles of Jacksonville, I have never been 

 able to find it, although I have spent over a year there and 

 in the vicinity. 



The wind held in the eastward all day, which was so 

 nearly ahead, that we decided to take a rest and stop on 

 shore. After writing a few letters and getting a fresh 

 supply of water and provisions on board, there was noth- 

 ing to be done. I found very good water at a drove well, 

 around the point, in a cove on the west side of the harbor. 

 It is a few hundred yards north of the old cedar mill, and 

 quite near the beach. The cottage of the woman who 

 owned the well was completely covered with flowering 

 vines. After supper, Mrs. " X " decided that she preferred 

 sleeping on board" to passing the night among the doubtful 

 comforts of the hotel (?), and as that agreed with my no- 

 tions we went on board. 



May lQth.— About three o'clock I took an observation, 

 and finding the wind well to the northward, got underway, 

 going out on the east side of Depot Key. The channel 

 runs up pretty well towards Dog Island, and then turns 

 sharp to the south, leaving the end of Cardigan's Reef on 

 the port hand. This reet mtkes well out towards the 

 mouth of Waccasassa Bay, and has numerous openings, 

 which form handy harbors in case of a blow, and It is upon 

 this reef that some of the finest oysters are found. In 

 leaving Cedar Keys, bound to the southward, there is a 

 cb-uice of courses to steer. If one is going through to 

 Clearwattt n^bor, or beyond, not caring to stop on the 

 way, I advise leaving Cod-, r Keys in the evening. If the 

 wind is fair steer to S. by E," ami if your boat, is fast 

 enough you will find Anclote Keys a little off the starboard 

 bow, or just ahead at daybreak. These Keys lie about six 

 miles out from the mainland, and are properly the be- 

 ginning of Clearwater Harbor. It is called eighty miles 

 from Cedar Keys to Anclote, and the course I have given 

 will take one well outside of all the rocks and nigger heads, 

 which are found for some ten miles along the coast off 

 Bayport. This section is known amongst the coasters and 

 spongers as the " Devil's Ten Acres," but why they cut it 

 down from miles to acres, is more than I ean tell. There 

 is seldom more than three fathoms of water throughout the 

 whole distance, and should we find less than two and a 

 half, it is well to consider that a current is setting in to the 

 land, and so stand out to sea a little until deeper water is 

 found. If one desires to see all of the country he can, and 

 time is no object, it is possible to coast along inside of reefs 

 and islands for more than half the way, but the water is 

 so badly cut up with oyster bars and blind channels, that 

 the navigation is quite difficult for an expert, and I do not 

 recommend it, and never adopt it except for some special 

 reason. To take this water, however, on getting well out 

 from Depot Key, steer E. S. E., and after running some 

 sixteen miles you will be off the mouth of the Withla- 

 coochu river. The channel is well staked out, and just 

 inside the water reef on the .port side, in three feet of 

 water, are plenty of fine oysters to be had for the takiog. 

 If you intend taking the inside route, follow the channel 

 stakes nearly up to the mill, at the mouth of the river, and 

 then bear to the southward as best you can. Make up your 

 mind to hang up on oyster bars every half hour, or of tener, 

 and to have any number of narrow escapes. Unless one 

 wishes to land at the Withlacoochee or Crystal rivers, I 

 recommend that they keep along a few hundred yards out- 

 side the outer reefs, until St. Martin's Keys and Reef are 

 leached off the mouth of the Homosassa river. The navi- 

 gation to this point is perfectly plain and smooth, free 

 from rocks, and in about two fathoms of water. The 

 straight course from Cedar Keys to St. Martin's Reef is 

 g. E., and the distance about thirty miles. The character 

 of the bottom suddenly changes here from a soft sand, 

 covered with turtle grass, to a hard rock covered with an 

 inch or two of sand. The Keys themselves are simply low 

 islets, a wash at high tide, with a dense growth of man- 

 grove upon them. Some of them are resorted to by birds 

 in large numbers, as a roost and breeding station. 



As u Al Fresco" has described the attractions to be met 

 with in the rivers along here, I will devote my time to 

 the outside work, simply saying, that he doesn't overstate 

 these various and never failing charms, not the least of 

 which is Jones' on the Homosassa, for if anyone can 

 make a traveler feel at home it is Mrs. Jones. 1 regret that 

 the wind was so fair that we couldn't stop either way, but 

 shall be passing that way again some day. 



After getting well clear of the extensive sand flats, which 

 He to the eastward of Depot Key, I laid our course S. E. 

 by E. i E., intending to strike the reef off the mouth of 

 Crystal river, but the tide was setting up into Waccasassa 

 bay so strong, that at daylight the saw mill at the mouth 

 of the Withlacoochee was off our port. bow. 1 could make 

 out many residences along the coast which had been put 

 up since I last passed by here, and the country all along 

 here is reported to be filling up rapidly. I kept away a 

 little, so as to keep along parallel with reefs, the course 

 being about south. The wind held in the N. E. until we 

 passed the mouth of Crystal river, when it came off calm. 

 These calms happen every day during pleasant weather, 

 when the land breeze dies away, and last from half to 

 three-quarters of an hour, until the sea breeze sets in. 



Although these calms usually fall about nine o'clock in 

 the forenoon, they are the hottest part of the day, and it 

 is only during this' short time, that even in midsummer, one 

 is ever uncomfortable on the water from the heat. The 

 sea breeze always comes within a point or two of S. W., 

 and often later in the day works around to the westward, 

 and frequently as far as the N. W. The change from sea 

 breeze to land breeze usually takes place just after dark, 

 and it is not usual to have a calm at that time, the wind 

 suddenly shifting to within a point or two of N. E. These 

 land and sea breezes are an important item to be taken 

 into consideration in cruising along this coast. 1 find that 

 late in the winter they cannot be depended upon with 

 quite so much certainty as at other seasons, but when 

 "Northers "or other preceeding southerly blows do not 

 prevail, they are to be expected. I also find that west of 

 St. Mark's they are not as certain as to the southward of 

 that place, probably owing to the direction of the coast 

 line being different. The best thing about them is, that 

 when they are blowing, one can usually lay a straight 

 course in either direction along the coast. When the sea 

 breeze began with us— on the 16th — we slipped along 

 through the water at a firm rate. The shoal water extends 

 out so far, that even with a stiff breeze there is but little 

 sea. 



At the north end of St. Martin's Keys, about a mile and 

 a half or two miles out, there are two reefs which are bare 

 at low water, and are perhaps a mile apart. After passing 

 them, I have never noticed rocks which come above water 

 until nearly off the southerly end of St. Martin's Keys. 

 From there until well past Bayfort, keep a sharp look out 

 for them. The south end of these Keys is about six miles 

 from the main land, and the space between is well filled up 

 with sharp jagged rocks and reefs. The water is often 

 muddy, and consequently the navigation is dangerous. 

 If yon wish to keep within sight of the shore after leaving 

 St. Martin's Keys steer S. E., until Bayport is sighted, 

 then steer south again. When Bayport comes in view, we 

 will make out three, or perhaps four large white buildings. 

 If you wish to land there, do not steer directly for them, 

 as the water straight ahead is full of bad rocks and reefs, 

 but keep parallel with the mainland until you come to the 

 channel stakes, then turn in. These stakes, I think, must 

 extend nearly ten miles out to sea. I have never been able 

 to discover any regular system by which to distinguish 

 those which are upon the right of the channel from those 

 which are upon the left, or from those which are mid- 

 channel. Some have a palmetto leaf tied on, and some do 

 not. Very many are on rocks or reefs, just to one side of 

 the channel, but the safe way as I have found it is not to 

 run nearer than fifty feet, and keep a good lookout. 

 Strictly speaking, there is no real channel until close up to 

 the land. 



We held our course on by Bayport until dark, and find- 

 ing that I had not passed all the rocks, came to anchor 

 behind a bunch of them. Just before dark, I noticed a 

 little schooner very close in shore, probably bound for Bay- 

 port. All through the day we had been meeting other 

 small craft, or passing them as they were lying at anchor. 

 These latter were probably spongers or turtlers, as the 

 favorite eruisine; gmimd for both, especially the former, is 

 on St. Martin's Reef. 



May- Ylth. — Got under way as usual at daybreak. Wind 

 fair from N. E., and made good time until off the mouth 

 of the Pithtacoota river. It is usually called the Coota 

 for short. Here I decided to run in and spend the day. 

 Some eight years ago, I was caught off here in a " Norther " 

 in Deeember, and ran into the mouth of the river for 

 a harbor. Was bound for Cedar Keys. Was held here for 

 three days, until the " Norther " broke, and during that 

 time I wandered into the country a good deal. About two 

 miles back from the beach or mouth of the river, there 

 begins a rolling country, clear of saw palmetto and other 

 under brush, and timbered with splendid pines, with an 

 occasional knoll covered with black jack. At that time 

 the country was just alive with game, deer and turkies. 

 One could stop on one of those knolls and overlook the 

 country closely for at least a mile in any direction, and 

 I never yet stopped for a survey of that kind, that there 

 wasn't something in sight worth going for. For mid-day 

 hunting, this section beats anything I had ever seen. For 

 a location for a settlement or camp, there was one point in 

 particular that I took away in my minds eye, and have 

 carried with me ever since. It was upon a black jack 

 knoll, upon the side of a pretty round lake of crystal 

 water of some five acres in extent. There was no visible 

 outlet or inlet, yet the water was so clear and transparent 

 that bottom could be seen anywhere, although nearly fifteen 

 feet deep. A few water lillies (think of it in December) at 

 one end, and four or five ducks, as it happened, near the 

 center, only added to its charms. During my subsequent 

 residence north, I often thought that if 1 could only have 

 two or three months entirely to my own disposal, I knew 

 of no other place where I would rather pitch my tent than 

 on the margin of this little gem of a lake. For early 

 morning or evening hunting, near the coast wao the place. 

 Here was a succession of dry sand flats, bordered by thick 

 hammocks of rush patches, and here deer could always be 

 found. Bear sign w T as also very plenty, but I never had 

 the luck to meet one. Just in the edge of the hammocks 

 was a series of brackish water ponds, which at that season 

 were perfectly alive with ducks of all kinds. About half 

 a mile south of the mouth of the river, I found a bayou 

 where there were splendid oysters. Indeed, it was as near 

 a hunter's paradise as 1 could ever hope to see. At that 

 time it was five miles from the mouth of the river to the 

 first settlement. A good trail led to it from the river, as 

 during the mullet season parties came from back in the 

 country to the river for the purpose of fishing. 



Of course I had a great desire to revisit this place again. 

 It was very near high water, yet I did not have many 

 inches to spare in taking two and a half feet into the 

 mouth. An extensive white sand flat extends well out 

 from the mouth of the river, and the ends of some of the 

 shoals have been staked by fishermen. Just inside the 

 mouth, oyster bars and reefs of sharp jagged rocks begin, 

 and to avoid getting mixed up among them, I camp to 

 anchor close in on the first landing, which is on the north 

 bank. I first took a walk to the duck ponds, hoping that 

 a few stragglers might be left, or perhaps some summer 

 ducks. I saw none, but there were plenty of beach birds, 

 and a shot from each barrel at a passing flock brought 

 down as many as I wanted. After stowing my double 

 barrel and bird basket in a safe corner beside the Wood, we 

 all started on the trail back into the interior, taking my 

 rifle along in case deer were as plenty as in the old times. 

 , Instead of being five miles to the first house, judge of my 



surorise at finding one only about three-fourths of a mile 

 back, before we were well through the scrub region, and 

 when we arrived at this one, two others were in sight 

 ahead. This made a rather poor prospect for deer shoot- 

 ing, and after we had all had our fill of whortleberries 

 with which the bushes besides the trail were heavily laden' 

 we went up to one of the houses to claim their hospitality 

 and make a few inquiries about the country. I was influ- 

 enced in making a selection of the house at which to call 

 by seeing a number of turkey buzzards perched upon the 

 trees and fence posts near by. This may seem a strange 

 thing to the uninitiated, but to my mind it meant that 

 there was fresh meat of some kind in the proprietor's 

 larder. Either he had been fortunate enough to kill a bear 

 or deer, or else being down on his luck, had given game 

 dinners up as being too high-toned just then, and had satis- 

 fied his longings for a "fresh mess v by killing a beef. 

 This 'latter case proved to be the fact, and the surplus 

 meat having been hung out on grape-vine lines to cure in 

 the sun, was what had attracted the buzzards. It may be 

 news to winter visitors of Florida, that this is the usual 

 way in which beef is cured during the summer. The 

 meat is cut from the bone in thick slices, oroftenerchuDks 

 salted slightly for an hour or so, but not enough to have it 

 strike through, and then hung up on lines, or placed on a 

 scaffold where the sun's rays are most direct. The action 

 of the sun seems to almost scorch over the outside of the 

 pieces, excluding the air completely from the interior 

 which is thus kept fresh and sweet for several weeks. The 

 whole operation takes but two or three days if the weather 

 is clear, but in case it conies up cloudy a " smoke " is 

 started imderneath it; but I think this is intended quite as 

 much to keep tha fiies away, as to resist the curing process. 

 We found the women folks of the establishment all 

 absent on a fishing frolic, with a party of neighbors to a 

 large fresh water lake, some six or seven miles to the east 

 ward, but our welcome was none the less cordial from the 

 two young men left in charge. They were all new settlers 

 here^ and things were of course quite primitive, as it takes 

 years and years often to get together all the little conveni- 

 ences of a farmer's life, when one starts in upon a wild 

 woods place with no other capital except a stout heart 

 and a pair of sinewy arms. The dining-room was simply 

 a brush and board srheller from the sun, put upon four 

 posts, and the kitchen was a cob-house pile of small logs, 

 a little over two feet high, iilied up level with earth, upon 

 which the fire was built. This was large enough to ac- 

 commodate the few pots and kettle.?, and was protected from 

 the weather in a similar -manner to the dining-room. As 

 we sat in the grateful shade by the table, it did not seem 

 to embarrass our ' 4 men cooks " in the least, for they 

 soon split open some of the beef I have described, ana 

 promptly had it broiling before us. The dinner was helped 

 out with a huge pitcher of real cream, and some Florida 

 syrup of their own making. This latter was extra nice, 

 and was the first of the genuine article we had seen since 

 our return to Florida. I have never been able to procure 

 the real thing in the northern market, and I feel sure that 

 such of my readers as have found it in their winter visits 

 to this Sta'ie, will bear me out in saying it is far ahead of 

 any other " long sweetening," and has only to be introduced 

 atlhe north to create as active a demand as fcr the Florida 

 orange. There were many small hammocks in this 

 vicinity, well suited for its culture, and many were still 

 open to entry, and situated so that the owner could live 

 quite near by upon pine lands. 



After a little rest had settled our hearty dinner, I pro- 

 posed to Mrs. " X " that we take a waik out to my liitle 

 lake, of which sne had heard so many times, f had 

 made cautious inquiries of our hosts as to its situation, and 

 learning that they knew the precise location, I put the all 

 important query, "Has any one settled on Ore black- 

 jack ridge alongside of it?" "Yes, a man settled there 

 about two years ago"— (my heart sank, for I still had de- 

 signs upon it) — " but his wife died about six months after, 

 and then his house caught, fire; that finished him, and 

 he left these parts; reckon he was just kinder discouraged." 

 The coast was clear certainly, ana we started to decide if 

 our future home was to be on the banks of the Coota. I 

 was surprised at the change which had taken place. 

 When here before, although there was no vicible outlet, 

 the water, like that of many other lakes in Florida, was 

 deep and remarkably transparent. Now, to my surprise, 

 it appeared quite shallow, and. was covered all over with a 

 dense growtn of raw grass. I would not have known the 

 place, had it not been for the black grass ridge, and the 

 charred logs of the settlers house. 1 could only account for 

 the change, upon the theory that the soil washing lrom the 

 surrounding Litis and ridges, had filled it up very much, 

 and perhaps the want of rain for many weeks, might have 

 assisted in making the water shallow. At all events, my 

 enthusiasm for a home at this particular point, was rather 

 cooled. 1 admit J. am fond of water (for navigation or 

 ornamentation), and such a bijou of a lake as this was, in 

 one's front-door yard, would certainly give an extra fine 

 opportunity for cdx-ct. There are plenty of just such little 

 lakes scattered through the State, and I know that some 

 of them don't fill up or run dry on small provocation. 



After resting a bit upon a log, and talking over the 

 vantage of the ground, 1 decided that I didn't care to carry 

 my rifle any farther on such a hot day, and we started back 

 to our late nosts. They declined any remuneration, but as 

 they had some fine water melons in the corn field, I gave 

 them a good price for the largest to make things square in 

 my own mind. But I wished that melon had been a 

 whortleberry, long before I had lugged it back to the boat. 

 Did you ever carry a thirty-pound water melon a mile, with- 

 out any aid to your bauds? If not, try it some warm day, 

 and unless there is some strong reason for holding out, that 

 melon will slip through your hands somehow— accidentally, 

 of course — and falling upon the ground will burst, and 

 have to be eaten right then and there. Another remark- 

 able phase to this accident is, that it is sure to happen 

 near a shady place, if there is one on the road. 



We reached the boat at last, however, without accident 

 to that precious melon, and after a bird supper, which used 

 up the tim? until dark, went on board and attempted to 

 put out. The tide had fallen too much, however, tor 

 although we got outside the mouth of the river, we huDg 

 up on one of the sand flats just outside, hard and fast, it 

 was impossible to find the channel in the darkness, even 

 if there was one, which is doubtful, and being pretty well 

 fatigued with the day's exertions, we turned in for tne 

 night, I quietly assuring Mrs. "X" that there was no 

 cause for her dreams to be troubled through; nervousness 



and 



tins nignt, ior there would be no motion to tne watei, »»~ 

 we were so hard and fast on the bottom, that she BUg ni 



