842 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Wot. Ji, 1889* 



A WINTER IN FLORIDA. 



IConcluded from Page, 322.') 



LEAVING St. Lucie, we proceeded through the sound 

 down to the charming Lome and hotel of Capt. Rich- 

 ards, whose attract fcve buildings, high on the bank, and 

 extensive pineapple and hanana plantation comprise 

 what is known as Eden. Here we found a pleasant com- 

 pany and a delightful resting place. The Captain is a 

 fino conversationalist and a person of large experience, 

 and very entertaining. His table was supplied with all 

 that a connoisseur could wish, including his renowned 

 specialty, turtle soup of rare excellence. The steamers 

 stop here, and the view obtained on this elevated plateau 

 between the waters of the sound and those of the fresh 

 water of St. Lucie River, is quite attractive, while a 

 ramble through the acres of pineapple plants, banana 

 fields and orange groves amply repays. The sportsman 

 or tourist who takes a run through " these waters should 

 make it a part of his programme to stop over for greater 

 or less time with mine host Richards at the Garden of 

 Eden. 



Our next halt was at the domain of "Portuguese Joe," a 

 queer and eccentric character who holds possession of a 

 rich tract on Hutchinson's Island, a few miles south of 

 Eden but on the opposite side of the Sound. Here we 

 found quite a number of bearing cocoanut trees, besides 

 various tropical plants, etc. , that we had not previously met 

 with. Having a word of recommendation from Captain 

 Richards— whom Joe almost worships— we were soon in- 

 gratiated into his confidence, and having smoked the 

 pipe (or rather cigar) of peace with us, he entertained us 

 as best he could, producing for that purpose a few bottles 

 of rare old wine, some that had been buried by him after 

 saving it from the wreck of a vessel which had pounded 

 to pieces on the near beach; and after partaking with us 

 he insisted upon adding some to our stores. His volu- 

 bility, inbrokenEnglish, was something wonderful. Hav- 

 ing learned that our naturalist was a doctor of medicine, 

 he could not refrain from expressing his belief, ''Doctors 

 no good, doctors d— fool humbug," giving at great length 

 his many reasons, much to the embarrassment of our 

 M.D. but affording fun for the Commodore, Captain and 

 myself. In this vicinity we also met the brothers Gard- 

 ner, who have started a fine plantation, and who ren- 

 dered us some service. 



Our next adventure was an exploration of the St. 

 Lucie River, whose fresh waters find head in the Halpa- 

 tiokee swamp westward from Ft. Pierce, just below St. 

 Lucie, and eventually form a sluggish river of considera- 

 ble breadth and depth as it nears a point westward from 

 Eden, and thence some twenty miles to its outlet. At the 

 junction of this river with the St. Lucie Sound Cor rather 

 the Jupiter River, as the arm is called from this point to 

 Jupiter Inlet) is quite high bluff land, remarkable in con- 

 trast with the general flatness of the country, and over- 

 looking the island to the sea. This is one of the most 

 desirable of all the unoccupied localities that we saw, for 

 a sightly hotel where sightseers would obtain a view 

 afforded' by no other hotel site on the east coast, and 

 would attract winter tourists by its sightliness. As we 

 steamed up the St. Lucie an occasional shot was had at 

 ducks and alligators. Night overtook us as we approached 

 the more narrow portion of the river, and we camped on 

 board the launch. The mosquitoes came out in full force 

 and greatly vexed the Doctor and Commodore, but the 

 Captain and Scribe, having in a moment of prudent fore- 

 thought provided themselves with patent head nets, were 

 not molested; and would have obtained a good night's 

 rest had it not been for the desperate efforts to destroy, 

 and desperate expressions used to intimidate, that the 

 Doctor and Commodore tried upon their foes. Water 

 moccasins could be seen swimming about the saw grass 

 near which we were anchored, and the bellowing of alli- 

 gators afforded diversity to the evening's entertainment. 



On the advent of morning, breakfast was taken while 

 steam was being raised; and at an early hour we pushed 

 our way up the stream, and until the banks would 

 scarcely permit a passage through wonderfully fine foli- 

 age and hanging moss effects. In some localities the live 

 oaks were thickly covered with specimens of the beauti- 

 ful air plant, many in bloom, and giving them a beautiful 

 appearance. Our naturalist shot a number of handsome 

 birds, which he skinned and preserved for mounting. 

 We saw a number of the Seminole Indians poling their 

 dugout canoes loaded with small deer, for which they 

 sought a market at Ft. Pierce and St. Lucie. They 

 handled their long, narrow, burned-out losrs with much 

 dexterity. The Scribe remarked that more respect to the 

 center of gravity was essential thereto than requisite in 

 the famous Adirondack boats, in which both guide and 

 sportsman virtually have to part their hair in the middle. 



Having ascended as far as was deemed prudent — unless 

 running very slowly to prevent snagging — we found a 

 place convenient for turning about and steamed back 

 until we reached the junction of the Halpatiokee River, 

 up which we took a short run and then returned to near 

 its mouth, and stopped at a plantation that presented an 

 inviting appearance. Here we found two brothers- 

 names not recalled — graduates from Oberlin, O., keeping 

 bachelor's hall, and surrounded with evidences of taste 

 and culture. The Forest and Stream, Century. Har- 

 per's Magazine and Scientific American were periodicals 

 regularly received by them. In addition to growing 

 oranges, pineapples and bananas, one of them was an 

 expert builder of sailboats, and had orders enough to 

 occupy all leisure time. We were most cordially received 

 and Bhared their generous hospitality, and enjoyed to the 

 fullest extent our sojourn with these worthy gentlemen. 

 While in these waters we caught a few of the bream and 

 other f resh-water fish, but they were not as palatable as 

 those taken from the salt water. 



We then pursued our way back to and down the Jupi- 

 ter, the scenery improving as we drew near to the inlet. 

 At Jupiter Inlet we found a few houses, principally that 

 of the keeper of the lighthouse. The only hotel accom- 

 modations were such as could be obtained on an old boat 

 anchored at a favorable spot, and kept as a hotel by the 

 owner of the stage route, extending through the canal 

 from this place to Lake Worth. "While the staterooms 

 were rather small and close (for we had to hide from the 

 mosquitoes), the berths were comfortable, and the table 

 well supplied with substantial and well cooked food. 

 After visiting the Lighthouse, from which a fine view was 



afforded, we prepared for a day's fishing about the inlet, 

 and were rewarded with a fine catch of channel bass, 

 bluefish and caval'i, the largest of the cavalb turning the 

 scales at 20lbs. We here met the genial Dr. Ken worthy, 

 of Jacksonville, the "Al Fresco" of the Forest and 

 Stream, whose facile pen has contributed much to the 

 enjoyment of the hosts of readers. He had just returned 

 from a hurried trio to Lake Worth, but could not with- 

 stand the temptation and opportunity of casting a line 

 and picking up a string of fish to be cooked in camp style, 

 on the way back in his sailboat, with the accommodating 

 Captain Richards at the helm. 



The next day was spent in an exploration of the navi- 

 gable portions of North Creek and the Lagoohoochee 

 River (the latter, a fresh-water stream, incorrectly noted 

 on most maps as the Jupiter River). Afterward we had 

 a grand fishing and hunting expedition up North Creek 

 to a point where we could look over into the noted Lake 

 Worth. The waters of this creek are deep and navigable 

 for a long distance, and with but little dredging at some 

 of the bars, and a short canal cut through but little over 

 a quarter of a mile into Lake Worth, would make a com- 

 plete inside channel route from Lake Worth to Tomoka, 

 on the Halifax above Daytona. We understood that a 

 company had this project in contemplation, intending, 

 also, to place a line of li°ht draft steamers on this route. 

 If carried out they will reap a reward. At the southern 

 terminus of our trip up North Creek, we were due east 

 twenty-five miles from the southern extremity of that 

 great inland lake Okeechobee. 



It was our intent to take the outside run and visit the 

 enterprising settlement and well known winter resort on 

 Lake Worth, but the roughness of the sea as well as the 

 limited time of the Doctor, conspired to prevent. We 

 then headed our craft for the return trip. At a convenient 

 bay we anchored and crossed tbe narrow Jupiter Island, 

 rambled for hours along the seashore and gathered shells 

 in abundance to enrich our cabinets. We again stopped 

 at Portuguese Joe's, and stopped over night with Captain 

 Richards at Eden. The next day we reached St. Lucie 

 and indulged in some piscatorial sport, as well as securing 

 some fine specimens of the white and brown pelicans for 

 our naturalist. The succeeding evening found us at 

 Sebastian. The next morning the Doctor, with fowling 

 piece in hand, wandered back westwardly toward the 

 "big swamp," and ere his return secured some fine birds 

 for his collection. 



Leaving Sebastian we proceeded toward Melbourne, and 

 at high twelve the Captain found a fine oyster bar, and 

 doffing his nether garments and pulling off those above, 

 soon gathered a fine lot of the juicy bivalves, and we then 

 ran as near as possible to an inviting beach. For a few 

 moments it seemed that it would be necessary to wade in 

 order to get to shore, but the Captain discovered a punt 

 half full of water, and having emptied it pushed it out 

 to where our launch was anchored, and having loaded in 

 passengers and provisions drew them ashore in canal boat 

 style. He felt, or looked somewhat embarrassed, when, 

 as he was gathering wood in his undress uniform, he was 

 suddenly surprised by a female coming down the beach, 

 and beat a hasty retreat into the palmetto brush until she 

 had xiassed. When our oysters were duly roasted and the 

 other edibles laid out, we had a dinner fit for the gods 

 and relished it to the utmost. The Doctor, intent upon 

 adding to his collection, started out on a hunt, and ere 

 his return a sudden storm rapidly approached. By the 

 time that we reached our vessel the wind was blowing 

 hard and the waves rolling considerably. The fires were 

 relighted and we were impatiently waiting for the requi- 

 site steam, when the Scribe made* the appalling discovery 

 that his wood case containing his favorite 7oz. and lOoz. 

 split-bamboo rods had, by the motion of the vessel, been 

 thrown from the top of the canvas deck covering into the 

 briny deep at some time previous, unknown to the depo- 

 nent. One was a $25 rod of his own investment, and the 

 other a gift from a little coterie of angling friends and 

 highly prized. The lamentations of Job were nought in 

 comparison. All hands were called to the rescue,and every 

 foot of visible water was eagerly searched to discover the 

 "whither are we drifting" rods. As the waves were rolling- 

 quartering toward the shore,the Captain suggested that the 

 beach one-half a mile above would be the most likely spot, 

 and volunteered to take i he punt and go on a searching ex- 

 pedition. The Scribe offered quite a bonus should he suc- 

 ceed in finding "that which was lost."" Away went the 

 Captain, but ere going 40 rods his punt filled and sank 

 under him, and he was obliged to wade and swim altern- 

 ately until reaching a sand bar, he descried the rod case 

 and securing it held it aloft in triumph, and motioned us 

 to come on with the launch. It was easy enough to 

 motion, but not so easy to pole that craft without the as- 

 sistance of the wheel, with the waves and wind quarter- 

 ing against it. We, however, "worked our passage," 

 and after a time the Captain was taken on board, and 

 having dressed himself, set about getting up steam in 

 good earnest: and we were soon out in the deeper water 

 and making fair progress, when a tornado broke over and 

 nearly capsized u<, and blew out our fires; and we were 

 drifting before the wind, kept somewhat in position by 

 rudder and the dexterous use of our poles, while the 

 Captain in vain tried to relight the lamps, as the force of 

 the wind put out matches before fairly ignited , and those 

 that were unused were by this time "too wet to burn, as 

 the rain poured down in torrents. Here was a state of 

 things ! We had just determined to run ashore and beach 

 our vessel, and take our chances on her being pounded to 

 pieces, wen we discovered the regular steamer coming 

 en route for Melbourne. We signalled; the pilot ran close 

 to U3, and our Captain threw the painter, which was 

 caught and made fast, and we arranged for towage to 

 Melbourne, where we shortly arrived safe and sound but 

 decidedly wet. 



We remained over night and then ran up to Rockbridge, 

 where we dismissed our genial Captain, the party decid- 

 ing to remain at this point for a few days to witnesss the 

 annual Indian River sail regatta, which was quite an in- 

 teresting event and drew crowds from up and down the 

 ooast for fully one hundred miles each way. The honors 

 were won by boats from the Halifax River. After the 

 regatta the Scribe bade farewell to his companions the 

 Doctor and the Commodore, and took passage on the 

 steamer Clara— a Halifax River boat, bearing a broom 

 triumphantly at the top of her flagstaff— up through the 

 Indian and Hillsborough waters to his old stamping 

 ground at Ponce Park on the Halifax. After indulging 

 in a few day's sport in this vicinity, he proceeded to 

 Daytona, Palatka, St. Augustine and Jacksonville, de- 



parting thence toward the middle of May for his northern 

 home, well pleased with his experience of a winter along 

 the east coast of Florida. E. S. W, 



RUNNING THE BRULE.-I1. 



IN the Forest aot> Stream of July 19, 1888, was pub- 

 lished an account of the running of the Brule from 

 its source near St. Croix Lake, in the State of Wisconsin, 

 to the North Pacific bridge; this is what is now generally 

 known as the Upper Brule to distinguish it 1'rom the 

 Lower, or that part between the bridge and Lake Supe- 

 rior. 



The writer promised himself at that time, that this trip 

 should be continued at some convenient future day, and 

 also, that the lovers of forest and stream should have tbe 

 benefit of his experience. As the first part of this 

 promise has been redeemed, he hastens to place the other 

 at the disposal of the editor, thinking there may be some 

 who remember the experiences of last year on the Upper 

 Brule kindly enough to wish to share them on the Lower 

 Brule also. 



In one respect the trips of last summer and this were 

 similar, in the length of river traversed. In either case 

 I should say about 50 or 60 miles, with this difference, 

 however, that while the Upper Brule is only about one- 

 fourth rapids, the Lower Brule is at least three- fourths, 

 and is in this respect much more savage, in fact, in 

 several cases the rapids partake of the nature of fails a 

 dozen feet or so in height, which even the most impru- 

 dent would hesitate to jump 



The Brule — Bois Brule (Burnt Wood) River is hi-tori- 

 cally, at least, almost as old as Lake Superior itself. 

 Captain John Du Luth found it the most convenient route 

 by which to reach the Mississippi from Fond-du lac, via 

 lake and river St. Croix, about 200 years ago. since which 

 time it has been ascended and descended to and from 

 Lake Superior numberless times, more, however, for busi- 

 ness than for pleasure. 



In our time, I think it was in 1844, our W. W. Spalding 

 took a stock of goods from somewhere in the Mississippi 

 Valley into Lake Superior, up the St. Croix, and down 

 this river, and thereby greatly astonished some Indians 

 and coureurs de bois who had declared the route imprac- 

 ticable. 



Our party was made up of six persons in three boats, 

 flat-bottomed skiffs made for the purpose: of these Cap- 

 tain Patterson and the writer were the only ones that 

 had any experience to speak of in rapids running, hence 

 the party was divided up in such a way as to make the 

 most of what little we had. Captain Patterson took 

 charge of a young Washington patent attorney in his 

 boat which was to go first, generally speaking, a couple 

 of grain merchants with lots of "sand" paired off in No. 

 2, while I was to bring up the rear with the Artist. At 

 any rate, this was the order in which we left the Northern 

 Pacific bridge, on as fine a July morning as any one could 

 well wish. 



On the first ten miles of river, or from the bridge to 

 what is known as the dam, there is comparatively slack 

 water, that is, there is a very lively current most of the 

 way, but there are no rapids to speak of, hence we anti- 

 cipated no difficulty on this part of the route. Had T, for 

 my part, anticipated more, I should probably have fared 

 better. As it was, we looked more for fish than for dan- 

 ger of any kind, for here is where some large trout might 



Iiossibly be encountered, so we proceeded to slide down 

 eisurely, tying up to brush or snag whenever appearances 

 looked likely. For some reason, however, best known to 

 the trout themselves, we were not very successful, a few 

 fish only returning our salutations, and no important 

 strikes were telephoned. So we gradually quickened our 

 motions, letting the fish go by, and — the fir3t thing I 

 knew I was in the water up to my wai«.t. It happened 

 just as suddenly as it has been Av itten, and I could 

 hardly account for it until I was there. It was, however, 

 easily accounted for; our carelessness and not our want 

 of experience was the cause, for the boat was allowed to 

 swing with the current under a snag, and the stern in 

 which I sat went too far under, and — there you are; only 

 one of two things to do, upset the boat or go in yourself. 

 That I did the latter was not the result of forethought 

 but of necessity. I was there before I knew it, and the 

 only thing that can be said in my favor to compensate in 

 any way for my quick bungling in f ulling in is that I did 

 not use up much more time in getting out again. 



Now, if the reader will pardon me for a digression, I 

 wish to enlarge a little upon a philosophical train of re- 

 flection that involuntarily passed through my "thinking 

 apparatus" as I became again finally seated in the stern 

 of the boat and felt the coolsome water running in rivu- 

 lets down into my boots. "This is good," said I — in- 

 wardly of course— "I have been the first of the party to 

 take a bath: now if any dependence is to be placed on 

 human analogy, I shall probably not be the last." Old 

 soldiers will tell you that bullets never strike the same 

 spot twice; that one who is hit in the early part of the 

 action is subject to congratulation, as this mark of dis- 

 tinction placed upon him by Providence is supposed to 

 make him bulletproof du ing the re^-t of the day. A 

 piudent-minded man-of-war's man once, during a naval 

 engagement, proceeded to put this theory to actual proof 

 by sticking his head into a hole just made in the ship's 

 side by a cannon ball. Now, lie evidently thought that 

 the same spot would not be struck twice, just as I thought 

 that an upset or a "plump in" would not happen twice to 

 one party on the same trip, and I am afraid it would be 

 hard to make the reader understand the actual amount 

 of soothing consolation there was in this thouaht; for, as 

 before mentioned, there was at least forty-five miles of 

 rapids below us, and some of them were very bad. 

 Somewhere below, in one of the many bewildering laby- 

 rinths of eddies, whirlpools and boulders, Captain Mc- 

 Dougall himself, the very patron saint of this stream, had 

 once with his party come to grief and lost a lot of valu- 

 able duffle, among the rest an 8-gauge duck cannon of 

 special English manufacture, belonging to a certain Lord 

 Petre, one of the party. How oould we, then, all of us 

 inexperienced as we were, expect to escape the inevitable; 

 but, thank my lucky stars, I was bit early in action; for 

 me there was now no greater grief in store than to be 

 compelled to see some of my companions performing 

 some sudden and unexpected evolution in this line; and 

 while there was something sad in contemplating such 

 contingencies, there was something soothing neverthe- 

 less in the fact that I would probably— While thus 

 thinking, a peculiar set of circumstances again shaped 



