178 
FLORIDA state; geological SURVEY. 
and from Miami to Knights Key. At the mouth of the Miami River, 
where were but a few houses at the time of Griswold’s visit, there is 
now a city of over 5,000 inhabitants, from which radiate miles of ex¬ 
cellent macadam roads. Where was then a barren wilderness are now 
thousands of acres of truck farms and orange and grape fruit planta¬ 
tions. The result to the geologist from this transformation is a great 
increase in the easily obtainable rock evidence. Wells, quarries for 
road metal and railroad borrow pits make the compiling of geologic 
data along the east coast vastly more easy than it was fifteen years ago. 
Even on the west coast from Cape Sable north, there are more settle¬ 
ments today than there were then and with the coming of the motor 
boat, the exploration of the shallow and tortuous passages character¬ 
izing that coast has been much facilitated. 
The larger portion of the interior is included in the great saw-grass 
swamp of the Everglades. Though well known to many white men 
living on its borders, hunters of alligators and plume-birds, this vast 
expanse of water and sedge-covered muck has been visited by few 
geologists and traversed by none. Griswold’s account of what he saw 
in the southern ’Glades remains the best description of the more note¬ 
worthy features of the topography and geology of that region as yet 
written. Pending the completion of a comprehensive survey for the 
control of drainage and reclamation projects our knowledge of the 
geology of the Everglades is not likely to be greatly increased, since 
the individual explorer, owing to the physical difficulties cannot accom¬ 
plish much. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 
The writer takes this opportunity to thank various gentlemen who 
have given him data or useful suggestions. In particular he expresses 
his gratitude to Dr. J. N. MacGonigle, of the Florida East Coast water 
companies, J. E. Ingraham, of the Florida East Coast Railway, and 
J. C. Meredith, constructing engineer, and W. R. Krome, principal 
assistant engineer, of the Key West Extension. He is indebted to 
T. Wayland Vaughan, supervising geologist, U. S. Geological Survey, 
for data used in the preparation of this report and has frequently con¬ 
sulted George C. Matson, assistant geologist, while compiling data. 
OBJECT OF REPORT. 
The following brief account of the more important features of the 
topography and geology of southern Florida is based chiefly on data 
accumulated while in the employ of the Key West Extension of the 
Florida East Coast Railway, supplemented by hasty trips along the 
West Coast and the East Coast. Being based on a mass of informa- 
