212 
FOREST AND STREAM 
April, 1918 
Three unusual photographs of an alligator’s nest. The smaller eggs 
are those of terrapin, whoi sublet from the ’gators 
Mr. King was awakened by 
the sharp report of their 
guns, from somewhere 
along the hammock. The 
boys reappeared with two 
splendid wild turkeys — 
large fellows, with great 
spreading wings and plump 
bodies. For the present, 
at least, food conservation 
was not an issue. All fore¬ 
noon, they assisted Mr. 
King with his diagrams and 
stake-planting. At four, the 
work was finally and satis¬ 
factorily completed, Mr. King’s mission 
was realized. He could make an exhaus¬ 
tive report. 
Several excursions were made into the 
interior. All indications pointed to a dry¬ 
ing condition of the sloughs. There was 
no doubt about it. Common sense indi¬ 
cated a speedy return to be advisable. The 
skiff was emptied, placed upside down on 
the shore, and examined for weaknesses. 
The equipment was gone over, and packed 
by expert hands. 
The last camp was situated on the ex¬ 
treme southwestern corner 
of the second property. 
From this vantage point, 
however, Mr. King deter¬ 
mined to investigate' the 
country lying between Big 
Cypress Trail and the large 
Coastal Hammock, which is 
the dividing line between 
The Everglades and the 
Swamp. It was important 
that he place in his report 
certain geologic data con-) 
cerning this area. The in¬ 
vestigation of the two prop¬ 
erties was over and done. 
with—he needed only a few more pages in 
his diary about the great unknown to the 
east of Big Cypress. What was the con¬ 
dition of the sloughs? Were the pine 
islands productive? Were there signs of 
activity along Charley Willey’s Store Trail? 
Game, too, was of a better quality and 
more of it. 
That three or four day excursion proved 
anything but a picnic. They started out 
in the skiff, following what was known as 
“Hardey’s River Trail.” At no point along 
this trail could they have poled through 
the fringe of islands and 
hammocks, to the eastward. 
There seemed to be more 
water, and clearer water 
westward. They had 
started on Sunday morning 
—the 25th. And at that lo¬ 
cation, they were some mile 
or more from the great 
Coastal Hammock. Mr. 
King, however, had de¬ 
cided to go southward for 
a little way before cutting 
across. 
The country was rocky 
between the Hammock and the property. 
A clearer way might be found. At last 
they poled out from Hardey’s Trail, and 
a truly remarkable area they found. Rocks, 
rocks everywhere. Many of them pro¬ 
jected above the surface of the shallow 
water. Sloughs there were in plenty, 
mushy, muddy ones. More than once 
portage was necessary. The skiff was 
dragged or carried across aggravating in¬ 
terferences. There were imposing reefs of 
solid rock, sometimes as much as a half 
mile apart. Extending for three or four 
hundred yards, they invari¬ 
ably ended in sink holes, 
disappearing entirely. 
But their next camp was 
on the Coastal Hammock, 
with Big Cypress and its 
mysteries to their backs, as 
they stood looking out 
across the rocky way they 
had traversed. On the 26th 
and 27th the party were 
scouting down the Ham¬ 
mock, making notations and 
completing the last of the 
diary. The second day 
(continued on page 251) 
The surveying was accomplished with great difficulty. As the 
sloughs dried up it became almost impossible to pole the boat 
