March 10, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



127 



passed many pleasant horns. Here we received our 

 mail and extra provisions, previously shipped from New 

 York. Then we stood up the river, bound for the great 

 Lake Okeechobee, to investigate the drainage and re- 

 clamation of that paradise to be (as per circular), the 

 greatest sugar plantation of the world. Our first landing- 

 was at Fort Meyer; no fort in sight, no bristling guns; it 

 was safe to land. We found a pleasant little hamlet of 

 about one hundred residents, with nothing visible to live 

 on. Soil poor, land flaf and sandy. Cattle interest en- 

 gages the leading citizens; but such cattle; well, I saw 

 them loading a schooner with them, and if the critters 

 didn't move around to suit, why, they just grabbed them 

 by the tail and fired them around. Pine needles, wire 

 grass and anything generally off of white sand, backed 

 up by drouth in winter, are not conducive to anything 

 more than bones and hide, although the swamp angels 

 that drove them said they were a good lot. They were 

 in transit for Cuba for food. A Western man would 

 smile. 



We left Meyers behind, runniug before a thirty-five- 

 mile breeze, passing several sorry-looking settlements. 

 Atone we purchased some yams, the tops of which had 

 frozen dead on the first day of January. We ran up the 

 river until the overhanging trees and snags prevented 

 further progress. Then jumping in the dinghy, with 

 hammocks and other traps, I rowed up to Fort Thompson. 

 There swinging my hammock in a half -dead five oak, 

 with a mosquito netting to help keep off the multitude, I 

 tried to sleep. Perhaps I did. The next day I rowed up 

 through the great rapids, inquiring of a lame native 

 where the great dredge was working. He pointed eastward 

 through the never ending swamp. I could see the smoke- 

 stack^ and by keeping in the channel dug by the dredge 

 I could reach it. I inquired what his occupation might 

 be. "Oh, he was out of meat and was running down 

 hogs.'' A Florida hog can only be brought to terms by a 

 greyhound, and how this man was proceeding I did not 

 learn. His call on meat must have been very uncertain. 

 He borrowed my tobacco; and I passed up stream. Pol- 

 ing, rowing and overboard pushing through three miles 

 of mush brought me to the broken-down and inactive 

 dredge. It did not look formidable. It was afloat, how- 

 ever. Everything floats up there; in fact the principal 

 occupation of the dredge seemed to be the clearing a 

 swath through the big saw grass. How they could cal- 

 culate on draining such an immense country through a 

 ditch into the already overflowing river, through a per- 

 fectly flat country/ is one of the mysteries of the 

 "scheme"— I won't call it by any plainer name. 

 On my return to the Bessie, drifting and pulling by 

 turns down the sluggish Caloosahatchee, I passed a num- 

 ber of clearings abandoned by nature, the occupants hav- 

 ing been starved out. Occasionally up the numerous 

 branches some distance from the main stream are small 

 suga r plantations, where the cane thrives well on the rich 

 hammocks or dry swamps; but it is as good as death to 

 the occupant, especially if he is from the North. Fever 

 is the great enemy. The river is alive with 'gators, with 

 a few turkeys as well as the usual river shooting, although 

 the occasional 'gator hunter and prospector makes the 

 game shyer than we had previously found it. Using my 

 gun as f passed down the river 1 succeeded in bagging 

 quite an interesting "collection." It became more inter- 

 esting as I neared the sloop, for my larder had rim very 

 low, so low, that I had to do without my dinner. Reach- 

 ing the sloop at sunset, I found a good supper awaiting 

 me. Then I remembered the lame fellow who was out 

 of meat and had borrowed my tobacco; how I pitied him. 

 On sailing down the river we called on Dr. Andre, who 

 had a sugar plantation of three acres on a strip of a little 

 higher land than usual along the river. Not a very ex- 

 tensive outlook for a family. One description serves for 

 them all. 



We took a knockdown from a back flaw off of the pal- 

 mettoes close to the bank, which set everything afloat, 

 including both of our trunks, and we shipped about half- 

 full of water. The cook having our main sheet fold, 

 instead of clearing away and letting run, was looking for 

 a soft spot to land. Although a duck could not beat him 

 swimming, he was badly rattled. He did not hear the 

 last of it for some time, and ever after he kept his weather 

 eye open. We spent the rest of the day in drying clothes. 

 The next day we reached Punta Rassa, and once more we 

 were hospitably entertained by our friends, Mr. and Mrs. 

 Shultz. 



Oar next programme was for a hunt on Pine Island. 

 Passing several small islands with cocoanut trees, show- 

 ing settlers had taken possession, we stopped at Joslyn's 

 Key. Joslyn is the Pirate of Charlotte Harbor, a genu- 

 ne Robinson Crusoe. One peculiarity of this key is a 

 row of four little huts occupied alternately by old Joslyn; 

 as each house becomes infested by fleas he moves into the 

 next. He invited us to dine with him. Hospitality is 

 his great point. The menu consisted of black bread, 

 blacker coffee with long sweetening and baked yams. 

 The water for the coffee was so filled with wigglers that 

 it was a moving mass. We "passed," having dined a 

 short time before. This key has three shell mounds, 30ft. 

 high and 75ft. wide at the base, composed principally of 

 conch and hard clam shells. On the mounds were planted 

 limes, lemons, bananas and vegetables. The decom- 

 posed shells furnish the soil, but, as usual, the drouthy 

 winters cause a stunted growth. The Artist amused him- 

 self by sketching the place, making another of the inter- 

 esting mementoes of South Florida life and scenery. 



Our hunt on Pine Island was not very successful. We 

 saw several deer about the size of sheep a long distance 

 off. Getting down under cover at a water hole I soon 

 killed enough buds that flew in to drink to satisfy our 

 appetites. The surface of Pine Island is flat and poor, 

 and the surrounding water very shoal. Our next run was 

 to Boca Grande Inlet, to Charlotte Harbor, main channel, 

 carrying 16ft. of water in from the Gulf. It is an ex- 

 cellent place to fish. We ran into a little cove on the north- 

 east end of La Co3ta Island, occupied by fishermen, a per- 

 fect harbor for small yachts. The inhabitants are a 

 mixed breed of Spanish and very hospitable. From the 

 number and condition of their large nets and boats I 

 should consider them very successful. They live in the 

 usual palmetto hut. The location is beautifully situated 

 for a winter hotel, breakers roaring on the beach, deep 

 water in the channel, a beautiful little harbor, and good 

 fishing and hunting are around and among the hundreds 

 of islands in the large bay. Some of the islands are high; 

 and after seeing so many swamps and low islands, the 

 high timbered elevations are a decided treat to the eye. 



We left for little Gasparilla Pass, running along inside 

 of Gasparilla Island, passing another fishing station; 

 and from the masthead the breakers could be 

 easily seen over the island, while on our side the 

 water was smooth and the breeze fresh from the 

 southwest. This kept the breakers running high, so that 

 When we reached the little pass we found it closed and 

 we had to return to the Big Gasparilla Pass, across which 

 we found a double row of heavy breakers, into which 

 we came nearly drifting stern first, as the water runs 

 through like a mill race. We had lowered away and 

 dropped anchor, without noticing that the tide was run- 

 ning out and that our anchor was not holding us. Doubt- 

 ful of the holding ground, we made sail again and none 

 too soon. Under the heavy southwest wind we just man- 

 aged to get out of the gut, and right glad were we when, 

 at a safe distance, we again came to anchor. Landing 

 in the dinghy we here, as on several previous'occasiona, 

 fired the dried grass and palmetto, on the windward side 

 of the key, then took positions to watch for game, which 

 generally consisted of snakes, coons, deer, and wildcats. 

 Before the heavy breeze the fire rapidly enveloped the 

 whole surface, driving out one cat, several coons, and a 

 lot of snakes, all of them taking to water and making for 

 the nearest key. The cat, the two coons and a number 

 of snakes we stopped with buckshot. After catching our 

 usual fish supper we gathered shells along the breakers. 

 The shells were thrown up by the heavy sea in wind 

 towb 2ft. deep. We took a number of clams and conchs 

 in the inlet. 



The next morning the wind having hauled to north- 

 east, we took a run over to the mouth of the pass to see 

 the condition of things outside. The breakers still broke 

 across the pass, but in much reduced size from yesterday; 

 and after a lengthy parley we concluded that we would 

 run them. With a good breeze over our starboard quarter 

 wo entered the pass; no backing out now; with the rush 

 of the tide bearing us on and all the wind we could beg 

 to we headed for the breakers. The first one filled our 

 cockpit and put us down by the stern. The next two we 

 climbed and were through all safe. With a piping breeze 

 we kept up along the beach just outside of the breakers 

 bound for Big Sarasota Pass. Near Casey's Key we f ound 

 an English bark head on the beach, lumber laden, Mobile 

 to Liverpool. The crew had deserted her a few hours be- 

 fore, but she was not deserted then; the Crackers swarmed 

 over her fighting for the spoils. They seemed to have 

 "been there" before. Not liking the looks of us, especially 

 when we took a position on the poop and our artist began 

 sketching the busy scene, and a great many of them being 

 known by our cook, they went over the side in a hurry. 

 They took us for Government officers and left most of the 

 spoils behind. We helped ourselves to what we cared for, 

 and tying in a reef kept on along the beach. We might 

 have run into Casey's Pass, but the wind being fair we 

 concluded not to. Reaching Sarasota Pass at 3 P. M. and 

 dropping anchor just inside. We made ready to spend 

 the night right there. There was a heavy sea in the bay 

 to windward. We found an excursion party on the 

 beach, who had come across the bay in the morning 

 from the mainland. They were wind bound, not ventur- 

 ing to return in their small boat. Under promise of a big 

 feast they induced us to take them all on board of the 

 Bessie to sail over to their camp, where we were enter- 

 tained with the best in the house. They were very com- 

 fortably located for the winter in two small houses, under 

 the leadership of W. Barrett and family, of Lincoln, 111. 

 They lacked a good sail boat to make the pleasure of 

 their stay complete. Sarasota Bay and vicinity is very 

 pleasant, but it does not begin to compare with the sur- 

 roundings of Charlotte Harbor for the hunter, fisherman 

 or cruiser. 



Our next run was to Palma Sola, on the southerly side 

 of the entrance to Manatee River. With a good breeze 

 behind us we ran the eighteen miles in three horns, and 

 after dodging' the many bars and shoals, arrived off the 

 well-known Warner wharf. We were very hospitably 

 entertained by Mr. Warner, who is the great mogul of 

 the town, owning and running the large store, post-office, 

 saw-mill, cattle docks, ice house and the . first northern 

 built comfortable house that we have seen on our cruise. 

 He has built since then a comfortable hotel. He also 

 owns a fine steam launch, into which, being short of 

 hands, he enticed us for a run up the Manatee. Your cor- 

 respondent took the wheel under orders from Capt. Warner, 

 who ran the engine; the Artist stationed himself plumb 

 up into her eyes. When the captain and engineer pulled 

 her open and let her go, he gave the common "Steady, 

 there, for Rock} r Bluff !" "Steady it is, but where is the 

 bluff?" "Wliy, you landlubber, right ahead." Well, we 

 made it. It was just two feet high, and again it was 

 steady ahead for Sandy Bluff. We reached it and found 

 it about three feet high above the general level. It was 

 the old story — a hundred dollars worth of air and fifty 

 cents worth of land to the acre. Big in expectations, these 

 people in South Florida. Malaria in the air, white sand 

 for soil and exaggerated ideas complete the list. War- 

 ner's is well located, high and healthy, which means 

 white sandy soil. It is the highest land we have seen, a 

 general elevation of about thirty feet, being along the 

 south bank of the Manatee for only a few miles. 



After cruising up the Manatee, passing several "towns," 

 each a would-be metropolis, we shaped our course for 

 Tampa, distant 40 miles. With a steady and increasing 

 southerly wind we bowled along. With the wind nearly 

 aft we found Tampa Bay quite capable of kicking up a 

 very lively sea, which compelled us to hoist our lowered 

 peak or be pooped by the combers. We made the town 

 at sunset. The tide was low, and as usual with strangers 

 we soon got into disgrace by running on a mud bank. 

 We thought we had sounded over about the whole end of 

 the bay, so at length we gave it up, dropped anchor, and, 

 being ravenous, set to at the mess. We found the chan- 

 nel a very narrow shoal one close to the left bank of the 

 entrance to Hellsboro River, an island lying off across 

 the mouth. Steamers lighten their loads three' miles 

 down the bay. We were awakened in the morning by 

 the reveille from the Government parade grounds and 

 encampment. The orange trees in every yard were in 

 full bloom, and had a little fruit. The place shows some 

 signs of slow growth, with the promise of more from an 

 expected railroad. The streets are wide and the sand 

 deep. After receiving our mail and laying in a fresh 

 supply of necessaries, with a fair wind from the N.E. we 

 made Mullet Key, and anchored under its lee near 

 Egmont Key Light; and visited the light and the adjoin- 

 ing island. From this anchorage to our next, John's 



Pass, we bad a race with a small schooner. Running in- 

 side of Pine Island we came to anchor in the Pass, in 

 company with a smart looking sloop from Cedar Keys, 

 bound to Charlotte Harbor, cruising, with Capt. Bixby 

 and Van Zant. both jolly good fellows. The' Pass has 

 sixteen feet of water in it and a good harbor. We left 

 our new made friends in their handsome sloop going in 

 opposite directions, they south and we north. 



Our next move was for Clear Water Harbor, still keep- 

 ing on the inside of the keys. We very rapidly worked 

 into shallow water, with one man aloft astride of the gaff 

 to look for the narrow channel, it was exciting work, as 

 the wind was fair and blowing a scupper breeze, some 

 channels ending on a shoal, others running together. We 

 made the narrows and ran on a bank at low tide. It was 

 none of your gentle bumps, but a bump that sent the 

 main boom skyward for the top of the mast. In such 

 style we found the bottom, and waited for the tide to rise, 

 passing the time in sticking fish with the grains, and 

 killing whatever came in reach of our shotguns. We 

 were demoralized. A sailor aground is worse than a 

 sailor on horseback. He is an excited and reckless indi- 

 vidual, especially if he has to wait long for the tide. On 

 the incoming tide we ran through the narrows, passing 

 some nice orange groves loaded with fine fruit, the best 

 we had seen, showing evidences of good soil and cultiva- 

 tion, and situated on high bluffs along Clear Water 

 Harbor. We made fast to the long dock and went ashore 

 to visit the village of about a, dozen houses. The principal 

 one is occupied by Captain D wight as a boarding house; 

 this is well located, commanding a fine view of the bay, 

 gulf and outlying islands, making it a very attractive 

 place for the Northern tourist to pass the winter in; they 

 have excellent water, and the best oranges I have eaten 

 in Florida; they have also steamer communication with 

 Cedar Keys. The limestone formation is the southern 

 limit and the beginning of the excellent soil, ranningin a 

 northeasterly direction up through Hernando county, 

 which is one of the best and highest orange belts in the 

 State, extending up through Brooksville anil Lake Charley 

 Apopka. 



With a good sailing breeze from the southeast we ran 

 up for Anclote River, keeping inside of St. Joseph's, Hog, 

 South'and North Anclote keys, finding plenty of narrow, 

 crooked, deep channels. We made the river at noon, and 

 at high water laid a straight course over all the numerous 

 oyster bars and banks, which was fortunate enough for 

 us, for on our return we found them too numerous to 

 count. We dropped anchor at a place called Salt Springs. 

 It was supposed to be bottomless, but we struck mud at 

 20ft. Here we bought some potatoes of a settler. He 

 liked the country, with the exception of too much fever 

 and mosquitoes^— enough to raise almost anybody's ob- 

 jections. We met a land prospector who had just ar- 

 rived. He was one of the most demoralized men I ever 

 saw. He came in on an ox-cart, having paid $5 for a ride 

 of eight miles. The first mile over the palmetto roots 

 was enough; he walked the rest of the way. He wanted 

 to get back to civilization with us aboard the Bessie. I 

 can see him yet as we left him standing on the bank 

 mopping the sweat off of his bald head with a big red 

 bandanna, the picture of despair. We told him we would 

 report him alive on our arrival at Cedar Keys. His 

 dream of affluence had been very rudely dispelled. 



In running out of the river bound north for Pithlochas- 

 cotee River we had no end of trouble in working through 

 the many narrow crooked channels, with a stiff breeze 

 from the north, and when we headed up the coast it re- 

 minded us of ducking weather in the vicinity of New 

 York. It made us hunt up our overcoats for the first 

 time on the cruise. We ran into the river at high flood, 

 grounded on a bank, waited as usual for the tide to float 

 us off, and while so waiting visited a nice little concrete 

 cottage abandoned by the owner. The cook captured a 

 sitting hen; which, by the way, was no evidence of 

 recent vacating, for a Florida hen will sit Avith ail the 

 patience of a native waiting for his first crop of oranges, 

 although I think a genuine native can give a hen odds 

 and beat her. 



Our next inn was for St. Martha's Keys. With the 

 wind blowing a norther and dead ahead, we picked our 

 way up the coast. Channels were numerous, and rocks 

 more so, the coast low and flat, water very shoal. We 

 anchored inside St, Martin's Keys and lay" aground all 

 night.- The weather reminded us' that we were gradually 

 working north. The sailing was not as pleasant as it had 

 been, on account of the dangerous rocks extending at 

 least three miles off shore. At daybreak Captain Locker, 

 of the sloop Wave, ran up on oior weather quarter and 

 challenged us for a race to Cedar Keys, where he was 

 bound. To set up the peak halliards and haul in the 

 dinghy, shoving her up to windward, was only the work 

 of a few moments. An increasing wind and sea caused 

 us to pile all our dunnage and extra weight into the little 

 dinghy to windward; and this did excellent work, for in 

 three 'boms the Wave was under our lee and astern, but 

 not alarmingly so, for it took a full day's hard sailing and 

 straining every nerve from sunrise until sunset to beat 

 her one mile. We anchored in company, surrounded by 

 reefs, fifteen miles southeast of Cedar' Keys, to which 

 place we proceeded in the morning. 



This ended the cruise of the Bessie, whose log showed 

 seven hundred miles sailed, with fair wind nine days out 

 of ten, and only five stormy days in the entire run; ther- 

 mometer only twice below 60\ We hauled the Bessie 

 out, after stripping off her rigging, and covered her over, 

 expecting to return the next season. I left her in charge 

 of a gentleman, however, who sold her, and from whom 

 on my arrival at the North I received a check. V. H. 



Nessmuk's Woodcraft. — The extraordinary popular- 

 ity of Nessmuk's little book must be very gratifying to 

 the author. It is a high compliment to the matter of the 

 book and to the style in which that matter has been put 

 in shape. Of course no one can spend half a century in 

 the woods without accumulating a vast fund of know- 

 ledge, which would be very useful to thoso with less ex- 

 perience, but there are very few who can set forth this 

 knowledge attractively, as has been done in " Woodcraft," 

 for which, at all seasons of the year, there is a steady 

 demand. We predict for the forthcoming poems, which 

 will be issued next week, an almost equal popularity. 

 The subscription orders have already far exceeded what 

 was expected, and by the time the book is put on the 

 market, and has been noticed in the papers, it seems 

 probable that the edition will be quite exhausted. 



