Florida Swamps and Forests 
and braes and definite channels. Their waters 
in deep places are black as ink, perfectly 
opaque, and glossy on the surface as if var- 
nished. It often is difficult to ascertain which 
way they are flowing or creeping, so slowly 
and so widely do they circulate through the 
tree-tangles and swamps of the woods. The 
flowers here are strangers to me, but not more 
so than the rivers and lakes. Most streams ap- 
pear to travel through a country with thoughts 
and plans for something beyond. But those of 
Florida are at home, do not appear to be travel- 
ing at all, and seem to know nothing of the sea. 
October //. Found a small, silvery-leafed 
magnolia, a bush ten feet high. Passed through 
a good many miles of open level pine barrens, 
as bounteously lighted as the “ openings ” of 
Wisconsin. The pines are rather small, are 
planted sparsely and pretty evenly on these 
sandy flats not long risen from the sea. Scarcely 
a specimen of any other tree is to be found as- 
sociated with the pine. But there are some 
thickets of the little saw palmettos and a mag- 
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