FISHERIES OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES. 
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V.— FISHERIES OF EASTERN FLORIDA. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST AND RIVERS. 
The coast of eastern Florida, following the general trend, is about 450 miles in 
length, but the numerous rivers, bays, and lagoons give to the State a much more 
extensive shore line. At the extreme northern part of the State the St. Marys Eiver 
forms the boundary between Georgia and Florida, and empties into Cumberland 
Sound. Below this is Nassau Sound, into the head of which the Nassau Eiver flows. 
The next important interruption in the shore line is the St. Johns Eiver, from which 
to the southern extremity of the coast there is an almost continuous line of long, 
narrow lagoons or rivers which communicate with the ocean at irregular intervals ; 
these are the North Eiver, Matanzas Eiver or Lagoon, Halifax Eiver, Mosquito La- 
goon or Hillsboro Eiver, Indian Eiver, Lake Worth, and Biscayne Bay. 
The principal fishing centers are Feruandina, the largest coast town of eastern 
Florida, situated on Amelia Island and separated from the mainland by the river of 
the same name; Mayport, Fulton, New Berlin, Arlington, Jacksonville, and Palatka, 
on the St. John Eiver; Enterprise, Sanford, and Monroe, on Lake Monroe; St. Augus- 
tine, on Matanzas Lagoon; Ormond, Daytona, and New Smyrna, on Mosquito Lagoon 
and Halifax Eiver; and Titusville, on the Indian Eiver. 
The following description has been given of the physical condition and natural 
fishery resources of eastern Florida : 
Tlie eastern portion of the State is a remarkably level section, rising bat a few feet above the sea. 
The land is composed wholly of sand and broken shells, covered here and there by a thin layer of vege- 
table mold. The higher ridges of the region are covered with a scattered growth of pine, while the 
intervening depressions, which are submerged to a depth of from a few inches to several feet, support 
a rank growth of various swamp grasses, or are covered with dense thickets of cypress, palmetto, mag- 
nolia, and ash. Even in the higher pine lands one finds a great number of land-locked ponds and lakes 
varying from a few rods to several miles in extent. Along the ocean shore the current has thrown up 
low sandy bars for nearly the entire length of the State ; and behind these are shallow lagoons or arms 
of the sea, with here and there an opening to the ocean. These lagoons, called by the inhabitants 
rivers, are often broad sheets of salt or brackish water, extending continuously for many miles along 
the coast, and with but few interruptions along the entire eastern shore of the State. They usually 
connect with the ocean by means of shallow inlets separated from each other by a considerable dis- 
tance; and, although very shallow, are often navigable by boats and shoal-draft vessels for their 
entire length. In the still water of these lagoons many of the salt-water species find an agreeable 
change from the rougher water outside, some come in to spawn, while others are led to enter inlets in 
pursuit of food. Dur ing the winter months immense quantities of fish may be found in these places, 
but in summer the water becomes so warm that most of them are driven out into the sea. The saltuess 
of the water varies greatly, being wholly dependent upon the amount of rainfall in the locality. Dur- 
ing seasons of continued drought the lagoons are fed from the ocean, when they become very salt. 
During rainy seasons, however, they are often quite fresh, except at and near the inlets. The fresh- 
ening of the water has a decided influence on its fauna. The oysters of an entire bay are at times 
wholly destroyed, while the fish are driven to the inlets, where the water is always more or less salt. 
An excellent opportunity is thus given for extensive fisheries, as immense quantities of fish can readily 
be taken with suitable apparatus. 
Just beyond these salt or brackish lagoons of the shore, at a distance varying from 10 to 30 miles, 
lies the St. Johns River. It is fed by thousands of square miles of shoal grassy swamps, in which the 
river takes its rise. It is a sluggish stream, extending through nearly three degrees of latitude, and 
by means of its numerous and intricate windings the water is carried about 400 miles before it reaches 
the sea. It is navigable by small inland steamers for fully 350 miles. In its central portion the river 
often expands into small lakes several miles in extent, and as suddenly contracts into a mere creek 
only a few rods wide. In its lower third it is merely a succession of shallow lakes from 2 to 15 miles 
in breadth. It is said that the river has but 4 feet of fall during ics entire course. For this reason 
