821 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
Fiver, at 2 o'clock. Mr. Jenkins lias charge of this station, 
which is on a strip of bench separating New River from the 
sea. The river lauding is but a lew hundred yards back 
of the Station, and is eight miles from the inlet or mouth 
of the river. Two miles below is the site of old Fort 
Lauderdale,{where there is a flourishing grove of cocoa 
palms. New River is a fine stream, which divides into 
several branches opposite to the station; at its mouth 
crevalJe arejtaken with grains to the weight of forty 
or fifty pounds each, which are smoked anil dried, aud 
are superior in flavor to smoked halibut. We foundarr In¬ 
dian at the landing, on Ids way up stream in his canoe 
after plumes of egrets, pink curlews, etc. Frank seemed 
much interested in him. and examined his rifle, powder- 
horn, and knife very minutely, and tried to trade him 
out of his buckskin moccasins and loggias. 
Mr. Jenkins sailed us in his canoe a few miles up the 
main branch of the river, to the crossing of the old mili¬ 
tary trad from Fort Capron to Fort Dallas On Biscayne 
Bay, where we landed and walked a few miles to some 
fine hammocks between New River and Snake Creek, 
where he endeavored to induce Walter to locate. On our 
return I shot a number of ducks with Jenkins’ gun, and 
had a shot at a bear on shore, but he got away, 
Next morning Mr, Jenkins sailed us down to the 
month of the Tivhr and put us ashore south of the inlet to 
continue our tramp ; Frank offering to bet that he could 
walk a thousand yards in a thousand seconds, with no 
takers. At G o’clock in the afternoon we reached Station 
No. 5, twenty-two miles from Mr, Jenkins', This Station 
is in charge of Mr. Barnolt, and is on a tongue of laud 
separating Biscayne Bay from the ocean. Ten miles bo- 
low is the light-house on Cape Florida, at the entrance 
to the bay. On the following morning we proceeded to 
the landing, a quarter of a mile from the station, and 
Mr, Barnott sailed us eight miles across the bay to Fort 
Dallas at the month of Miami River. 
Bisayne Bay is a most beautiful sheet rtf water some 
thirty miles in length, and from three to ten miles wide ; 
it is continuous with Card's Sound aud Barnes' Sound on 
tlie south-west, and like them is inclosed by the chain of 
Keys running from Cape Florida to Key West. The bay 
is entered through channels running between the Keys, 
the principal cues being Bear Cut and Narrows Cut, op¬ 
posite Miami, through which vessels drawing not to ex¬ 
ceed ten feet can enter. There is a route inside the Keys 
to Key West, the distance being a hundred and fifty 
miles, and the smallest boats can make the sail in safety. 
Biscayue Bay abounds in fish of many varieties, includ¬ 
ing the barracuda {Sphyrcena ) and the* taipum, the latter 
often weighing two or three hvmdred pounds. There are 
oysters of excellent flavor and the green turtle is at heme 
in these waters. The rocks along the Key's are covered 
with sponges, which are gathered at certain seasons and 
form quite an important article of commerce. A num¬ 
ber of streams empty into the bay, the largest being 
Miami River ; at the north end are Arch and Snake 
Creeks, and in the lower portion arc nail's and Snapper 
Creeks. 
The Southern portion of Florida, unlike all other pen¬ 
insulas, has no central elevation or back-bone sloping to 
the edges; but on the contrary, the elevations are on the 
borders or shore boundaries, while the interior is a vast, 
shallow basin containing Lake Okechobee and the Ever¬ 
glades ; the formation being somewhat similar to certain 
coral islands, though the dip or angle of the rocks along 
the shore strip indicates an uplift or upheaval, probably 
the result of volcanic action. Along Biscayme Bay the 
elevated strip of land between the bay' and the Everglades 
is from two to twelve miles in width, and consists of very' 
rocky pine land with occasional hammocks of the usual 
varieties of timber, inchicling magnolia, gum-limbo, iron- 
wood, mastic, etc. The rock is a toft coralline limestone 
which can be sawn into blocks for building purposes, and 
which rapidly hardens upon exposure to the atmosphere. 
While the soil is too rocky to admit of general cultivation, 
certain tropical products seem to thrive wonderfully well, 
especially pine-apples, limes, and cocoanuts. It seems to 
be the natural home of the lime, forthero are some wild 
groves that are exceedingly productive ; while the pine¬ 
apple, being somewhat of an air-plant in its nature, will 
grow vigorously when planted in a hole in the rock ; in¬ 
deed, on Key Largo, which is in a manner all rock, a Mr. 
Baker has some twenty acres in pine-apples which yield 
him a laTge income yearly. This soft rock is rather an 
advantage than otherwise, for U3 it becomes disintegrated 
and pulverized it mixes with the sand aud vegetable 
matter, forming a soil peculiarly adapted to the growth 
of semi-tropical plants. On the pinq land is an under¬ 
growth of sago palm or Indian arro w-root called, ‘ ’coontie” 
and “komptie," from which, by a very simple process, 
is manufacted a commercial starch or farina, which re¬ 
sembles very closely that of the Bermuda arrow-root. 
Sisal hemp also grows abundantly, while the castor oil 
plant here becomes perrenial. In the hammocks, oranges, 
emons, dates, guavas, plantains, bananas, sapadilias, 
matinee and sugar apples, etc., are cultivated with 
SUCCGBS. 
But the most desirable feature of Biscayne Bay is Its 
wonderfully equable and pleasant climate. Ilssituation, 
between the Unbuild 2(1 th degs. of latitude, about the same 
as Nassau, N. P.; its close proximity to the Gulf Stream ; 
its insular character; the constant influence of the trade 
winds ; the absence of malaria — render it the most genial 
and delightful climate for invalids in America, ana per¬ 
haps in the world. The thermometer throughout the 
year shows an average temperature of 75 deg., with a 
inimimum of 51 deg., and a maximum of 92 deg. It is 
cooler in summer than any oilier portion of Florida, and 
in fact the thermometer does not range so high as inNew 
York City. It is peculiarly adapted’for, and at no dis¬ 
tant day will become a popular health resort or sanitar¬ 
ium for those alllicted with bronchial or -pulmonary af¬ 
fections, rheumatism, neuralgia, dyspepsia, nervous ex¬ 
haustion, etc, The best route, especially for invalids, 
is by steamer via Key West. 
But it is not for the invalid alouo that this region has 
attractions and advantages, but for the tourist, the sports¬ 
man, the love of adventure, aud the settler as well. The 
country from Miami to Cape Hable is known as the Indi¬ 
an Hunting Grounds, and abounds in game of all kinds 
common to the Climate, and where it roams almost un¬ 
disturbed. The Everglades will always retain its present 
state of wildness, and thus furnish a safe retreat for game 
animals, where they will multiply and increase in spite 
of the advance of civilization. 
The singular and wonderful region known as the Evei- 
glades is not, as is popularly supposed, an impenetrable 
swamp eslialing an atmosphere of poisonous gases and 
deadly miasm, but a charming, shallow lake of great ex¬ 
tent, with pure and limpid waters from a few inches to 
several feet in depth, in which grow curious water-grasses 
and beautiful aquatic plants ; while thousands of small 
islands, from a. few rods to a hundred acres in extent, rise 
from the clear waters, clothed with never-ending verdure 
and flowers ; while cypress and crab-wood, sweet-bay and 
palmetto, cocoa-plum, aud cocoa-palm, water and live 
oaks grow in tropical profusion and rear aloft their eme¬ 
rald banners, from which depend garlands and festoons 
of innumerable vines and air-plants, gorgeous with bloom 
of every hue, and exhaling the sweetest fragrance. Be¬ 
tween the Everglades and the elevated shore ridge, is a 
strip of very rich prairie or savannah, averaging a half 
mile in width, but which is dry during a portion of the 
year only, when it affords good pasturage for cattle. 
There are some twenty-five residences scattered along 
Biscayne Bay, within a distance of twenty-five miles. 
Old Fort Dallas, at the mouth Of Miami River, is now 
called Miami, where there is a store aud a post-office kept 
by J, AV, Ewan and Chas. Peacock ; they occupy the of¬ 
ficers quarters, and offices of the old garrison, which are 
yet in good condition, being built of stone. There are 
some fine groves of cocoanuts, oranges, lemons, limes, 
andgnavas. On the opposite or south’bank of the river 
are the store and residence of AY. B. Brickell, and the 
winter home of Mrs. Gilbert. Eight miles up the bay is 
the post-office called Biscayne, tlie residence of AV. H. 
Hunt, Superintendent Of the life-savingstation. Between 
the two places named are the homes of Dr. Potter, Judge 
Falkner, Messrs. Clark, Sturdevant, and others, while 
below the river are the settlement's of Messrs. Rhodes. 
Jenkins, Jack Peacock, Pentz, Hubell, Seibald, and many 
others, and twenty miles below, on the Perrine Grant, in 
the Hunting Grounds, is the well cultivated hammock of 
Mr. Addison. The settlers follow the various employ¬ 
ments, at times, of planting, hunting, fishing, starch-mak¬ 
ing, tiirtliug, sponging, and wrecking. 
The Indians, a remnant of the once powerful Semin- 
oles, are few in number amt are very peaceable, seldom 
coming into the settlements. Those that we saw were 
splendid specimens of the race; tall, symmetrical, and 
very straight, with clean, sinewy limbs, and good fea¬ 
tures. They shave their heads as high as the tops of the 
ears, and braid the top lock into a long plait which they 
coil aroimd the crown. Tlie head-dress is composed of a 
number of bright colored shawls wound around the head 
in the manner of a. turban, looking for all the world like 
a gaily painted cheese with a hole in the centre to fit the 
head, Old Tiger Tail is said to be stiff living in their vil¬ 
lage in the Cypress Swamp near the Everglades. 
As these papers have already outgrown the limits orig¬ 
inally intended, I must rapidly and abruptly draw them 
to a close, though feeling that the half has hot been told. 
AVe spent our time very agreeably on Biscayne Bay and 
in the vicinity, hunting, fishing, exploring, and sailing 
among the Keys. AVe returned to Lake AVorth, embarked 
on the Blue Wing, and sailed back to Titusville, camping 
by the way, which place we reached on April 37th, just 
four months after our departure from that post. I sold 
tlie Blue Wing for the same price T had paid for her, and 
we took passage on the steamer Volusia, at Lake Harney 
for Jacksonville, where we arrived on the first of May, 
on the third of May we arrived in “ Old Kaintuek.” 
The boys recovered their health completely, and up to 
this time have retained the twenty or thirty pounds avoir¬ 
dupois which they each gained in Florida.' They are all 
more than satisfied with their trip and experience, and 
some of them probably return to that sunny land for a 
permanent home. Ben brought home quite a varied col¬ 
ection of walking canes, of which he is quite proud. 
Frank, who took a grea t fancy to sailing, will never be 
satisfied away from salt water; he was my “main¬ 
stay aboard the Blue Wing, and I cam say of him, as 
was said of Prince Hal, he is "a Corinthian, a lad of met¬ 
tle, a good boy,” J. A. Henshall. 
TROUTING IN THE BLUE RIDGE. 
^ BEC'ONt) RARER. 
I N a former paper in these columns I mentioned an in¬ 
tention 1 then hail of testing the capabilities of some 
rivers whose names had long been to me familiar sounds, 
hut on whose waters I had never given myself the oppor¬ 
tunity of casting an eye, much less a line. After a long 
and weary watching for the continuously gathering rain 
clouds to burst, I gave the weather up in despair, and 
found myself one mo rning late in May, in company with 
0-, riding northwards in a languid and depressed man¬ 
ner, rather with a view of satisfying the sporting depart¬ 
ment of my conscience than with any hopes of suc¬ 
cess, or much anticipation of pleasure. * 
Our horses’ heads pointed northward, and the Blue 
Ridge towered upon our left. Fifty mites of road lay 
before us, as we jogged along, with bulging, flapping 
saddle-bags, amid clouds of dust. And the mountain 
streams, that in happier times splashed over our hoots 
at the village fords, now trickled feebly scarce over our 
horses’ hoofs. 
But why dwell on the particulars of such a tedious 
day ? Despondency reigned throughout the angling, as 
well as the agricultural world. The army of devotees 
that every stream-washed A'irginia village pours forth 
were there in rows upon the banks—a melancholy band 
—unambitious individuals—black and white—anglers em¬ 
phatically of the plebeian stamp—who know not the 
joys of the dancing fly- or the gleam of the rising trout. 
Here is a rude pier thrown out into the stream for the 
special use of the store-keeper—the aristocrat of the 
little collection of tumble-down shanties that old people 
sdy was a village before the Revolutionary AYar. Here, 
with one eye upon his store door and the'other upon his 
float, his commercial highness savings his legs through¬ 
out the spring and summer days, and chews and rumi¬ 
nates in silence upon the glorious days of yore. There, 
too, are the ’oi polloi seated upon hollow stumps or 
squatting on the rocks. The same answer is returned by 
one and all, a brief, sad negative, that tells of blighted 
hopes, of '• horny heads” that refuse to he ca joled, of 
silver chub that are evidently of an opinion that a hook 
half the size of p.n anchor, fastened to a bean pole by a rope, 
though too thick in one sense of the word, is very much 
too thin in tlie other. 
The remark rises to one’s lips as the shanties and the 
sportsmen are left behind in the dusty distance, that if 
such assiduous attention is paid to the finny race during 
the present conditions of water and weather, what a 
lively time the horny heads and the chub must have in 
da mper seasons. 
It were rain to relate the'eruel fabrications as to mile¬ 
age of which we were the victims, and as I look calmly 
back with the eye of experience 1 can even forgive the 
astounding statements with which the bucolic mind 
there, as in all old time countries, loves to torture the in¬ 
quiring stranger, 
1 am an old hand at road travelling, and am usually not 
at all surprised when an excellent blacksmith of other¬ 
wise irreproachable character tells me my destination is 
live miles off, and I find it fifteen. I have long since 
ceased to exhibit astonishment on hearing the existence 
of a considerable village denied almost within sound of 
its church bells, if it had any ; and I believe I can now 
ride calmly along, and patiently watch, so to speak, the 
wished-for haven 'vanishing further and further away at 
the mouths of my roadside informants, like phantom is¬ 
lands in a tropic sea. I am ready for all emergencies, 
even when a very high-toned store-keeper counts out the 
miles to me upon lus fingers, amid tlie silent plaudits of 
Ids customers, with an exactitude that would be decept¬ 
ive and highly dangerous to greener hands. But—while 
granting that all goodwill was intended—the dwellersb.y 
this Virginia highway cast into the shade any former ex¬ 
periences that have fallen to my lot. And while fancy had 
allowed us to picture ourselves ridingin with the last rays 
of day to a comfortable supper, a stern reality 
had long rung the chimes of midnight. Even our jour¬ 
ney hid fair to come to an end. The lights had long 
since vanished from farm house and cabin windows. The 
blackest of night had for hours thrown an uncertainty 
and miserable doubt over the rugged mountain paths 
over which our tired steeds floundered, and the tardy 
moonrose just iu time to throw her lightupon the broad 
roofs and the rustling shade trees that marked the eud 
of our troubles. The mocking bird poured forth its 
song from neighbouring groves. Poplars and willows 
in the valley whitened beneath the moonbeam’s light, the 
fragrant scent of clover fieldsfiUed tlie air, and the sound 
of a distant stream with its accompanying nhorus of frogs 
and whippoorwills rose and felt upon the soft night 
wind. 
To say that the “sleep of the just” was ours, is per¬ 
haps needless, and when we threw back the shutters 
of our window in the morning the sun had risen over a 
landscape that for freshness and quiet beauty could 
not easily he surpassed. Immediately below us the dew- 
drops stiff glittened on a large and well kept lawn sur¬ 
rounded by trimmed hedges of osage oranges. 
The morning breezes rustled among the leaves of ac- 
cacias and mimosas, and hummingbirds danced through 
the sunlight from tree to tree. Beyond stretched a level 
and fertile valley, green with wide fields of wheat and 
clover, down the centre of which rows of willows and 
alders marked the winding course of a stream. Behind 
all and some miles away, yet seeming to tower imme¬ 
diately above us, the main chain of the Blue Ridge threw 
its clear cut summits into the sky. Each rook and crag 
glinted in the morning light;; the stunted and wind-swept 
trees wlucii bristled on their great razor edges, three 
thousand feet above us, could he singly marked as if 
close at hand, and the ear could almost fancy tlie plash 
of the many streamlets leaping down those fairy glens 
on which the black s liadows of early inorningwere still 
resting. 
Such an aspect of the elements, from an angler’s point 
of view, was not conducive towards infusing energy into 
our movements, and it was some time after breakfast be¬ 
fore we started, in company with our host, and laden with 
the good things of this life, for our fishing grounds. 
After a ride of seven miles up the course of the little river 
before alluded to, in whose shallows we could see innumer¬ 
able chub basking, we arrived at the foot of the moun¬ 
tains proper. 
Here, at that line of demarcation which exists in all 
Virginia streams, where the original forests and cultivated 
land meet—where the domain of chub and other coarse 
fish ceases, and the reign of the trout begins, our river 
divided into two forks, both much about the samo size, 
and equally good in their treating capacities. 
In the angle formed by them a neat log house con¬ 
fronted us, of a decidedly pretentious stamp, and sur¬ 
rounded by evidences of "taste time are rare in such lati¬ 
tudes. Here dwelt, fished, and hunted Zachariah Fitz¬ 
gerald, whom, it is scarcely necessary to add, was known 
as “ Old Zacli,” and who combined the rare qualifications 
uncommon in his bind, of being a thorough sportsman 
without a touch of the pot-hunter about him. He had 
once been the great trout slayer of these mountains, but 
since the rise of fly fishing in his neighborhood had,at the 
sacrifice of his reputation, discarded the wriggling worm 
and manfully taken, despite rough tackle and other obsta¬ 
cles, to the use of the fly alone, and no one is now more 
contemptuous than that rough and worthy being, of that 
method of angling by which his reputation was made. 
It is the only instance among that class of men that I 
ever saw, mid deserves infinite credit, more especially as 
poor Zack’s proceedings are not infrequently made the 
subject of jest among Hie better-armed sportsmen from 
a distance that make Ids house their headquarters. Flo 
takes it, however, in excellent part, and flogs and 
thrashes away at his favorite pool at the Forks every even¬ 
ing, seldom returning without a three-quarter pounder 
and a broken cast, on which usually hangs a tremendous 
yarn of a " whaler” who had got the better of him. 
Zack as a rule prefers solitude onhis fishing expeditions 
nowadays, but those favored ones who have seen him 
with his hickory sapling and short line fast in a fish, say 
it is a great sight, and that his treatment of his strug¬ 
gling victim is of anything hut a yielding nature. 
It would be as well, while we unsaddle our horses aud 
rig up our tackle, to say a few words on what I called just. 
now the rise of fly-fishing on this river, as it is by far the 
best fronting Btream, to my knowledge on the Eastern 
side of the range, and probably affords a parallel to the 
history of many others, I refrain from entering into geo¬ 
graphical situations, as no stranger contemplating a hsh 
ing trip to tlie old Dominion would be so foolish as to 
