10 



THE CAPE SABLE REGION OF FLORIDA 



site Sandy Key the wind shifted to the northwest, how- 

 ever, and once more we found ourselves in very rough 



« 



water. This condition continued until we turned east- 

 ward south of Cape Sable and headed in the direction of 

 the settlement of Flamingo. Situated on the southern 

 shore of the Florida peninsula about eight miles east of 

 the capes. Flamingo is the southernmost settlement on 

 the mainland of the United States. 



Having anchored off the settlement we devoted the late 

 afternoon to collecting in the hammocks and on the prai- 

 ries in the vicinity, and in the evening arranged for the 

 cooperation of an old resident with his small motor 

 boat to help us penetrate into the interior. At daybreak 

 next morning we weighed anchor and proceeded east- 

 ward to the limit of deep water behind Joe Kemp's Key. 

 There we transferred a supply of food and water to our 

 fleet of three small boats, two of them with gasoline en- 

 gines, and started for a place of uncertain geographical 

 position known as Cuthbert Lake. 



After proceeding eastward a short distance the water 

 became very shallow^ and as the tide went out our boats 

 merely slid over soft mud covered with only a few inches 

 of water. Our chartered boat went first. It was an ex- 

 cellent boat to lead and an easy one to follow. Every 

 few seconds the motor would back-fire and discharge the 

 resulting flame and smoke over the side of the boat. 

 Thus, by day, we were led by a pillar of cloud " and 

 by night we could follow " a pillar of fire." 



There we were introduced into a strange world. Not 

 only orchids and bromeliads, but large cactus plants as 

 well, grew everywhere on the trunks of both dead and 



