THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES PETALS PLUCKED PROM CLIMES, BY SILVIA SUNSHINE. llustrations. NASHVILLE, TENN.: SOUTHEKN METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE. PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. 880. I'.::/: Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by THE AUTHOR, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ^_/^yw\ mTEODTJCTOKY NOTE. THIS book contains a brief account of the early settle- ment of Florida, and some of its Indian conflicts, together with many amusing incidents connected with its present history; also a new illustration, prepared expressly for this work the whole being a collection of travels, and what is to be seen in various portions of Florida, Key West, and Cuba; with a Gazetteer and Florida Guide-book attached, designed for the use of tourists and settlers. PREFACE. \ \ J KITING, like other employments, furnishes a reward * ' to those \vho are fond of it elevates the mind to a higher and happier state of enjoyment than merely grasp- ff ing for earthly treasure, a desire to discover something beau- v> tiful in our surroundings, a nobility of character in mankind, ^ a grandeur in all God's works. Q= Mv travels, both in Florida and Cuba, when not suffer- 00 3 ing from sickness, were an uninterrupted source of pleas- ure and entertainment, made thus by the smiles of friend- 5? ship, intercourse among kind-hearted people, combined with J5 the luscious fruits and delightful scenery by which I was al- o most constantly surrounded. In arranging the historical portion of this work, I have endeavored to sift conflicting events, at all times retaining g those which were the most tangible, and rejecting many i< which have been received by superficial observers as con- O sistent truths. *3 uj I shall feel amply rewarded if any sad, sensitive heart, r ; wounded in life's struggles, is cheered even 'for awhile in < perusing these pages, or the consumptive invalid entertained with a pleasanter potion than his cod-liver and gloomy fore- bodings of future ill. CONTENTS. CHAPTER 1 17 Adieu to Atlanta and arrival in Macon Early settlement of Savan- nah by General Oglethorpe Met by the Yamacraw Indians with pres- ents Death of Count Pulaski Bouaventure Cemetery The inland route to Florida Pass St. Simon's Island Wesley visits Frederiea to establish his faith Cumberland Island, the home of Nathanael Greene Olives The scuppernong vine Dungenness, the burial- place of Light- Horse Harry Lee General Robert E. Lee visits the grave of his father Amelia Island Taken by filibusters Their surrender Fine beach and light-house The turtle Sea-shells God's treasures A resting-place for the weary. CHAPTER II 28 Fate of the Spanish galleons St. John's Bar and River General re- marks on Florida Lumber-mills Jacksonville Grumblers The in- valid Churches Dr. Stowe preaches in the Methodist church Mrs. Harriet Stowe goes to sleep Sermon by a colored brudder Journal- ism Moncrief Springs The invincibility of boarding-housekeepers The cemetery Too much delay with invalids before coming to Florida. CHAPTER III 46 Jacksonville Agricultural Association, and its advantages Exhibits of wine, perfume, and fruits Industries ot the ladies Yachts Gen- eral Spinner Steamer Dictator Nimbus on the river Mandarin Employment of its inhabitants Murder of Mr. Hartley by Indians Weariness of war by the settlers Fanciful names given to towns Hibernia and Magnolia Green Cove Springs Fortat Picolata Pilat- ka Putnam House The Herald, edited by Alligator Pratt Colonel Hfirte's orange-grove The Catholic Bishop as sexton Ocklawaha River. CHAPTER IV 55 No fossilized Spaniards on the Ocklawaha Scenery on its banks Thick growth of timber Passengers amuse themselves killing alliga- tors Climbing asters Air-plants Water-lily An affectionate 7iieet- ing at Orange Springs The deaf lady Pleasure-riding in a cracker- cart Northern and Southern crackers March of improvement Make fast! Wooding up Passengers take a walk Night on the water Surrounded by thickets Our flame-lit craft moves on with its pillar of fire Who! Plutonic regions Pyrotechnic displays. CHAPTER V , 09 Incident PS we enter Silver Springs A gentleman loses his grinders The Mirror of Diana Sunset A beautiful legend of the Princess 10 Contents. Weenonah A scientific description by Prof. J. Le Conte Vicinity of the springs Improvements Description of Ocala Impressions of DeSoto Public Square Contented, hospitable people Marion county the back-bone of the State Malt. Driggers and his neighbors go on a mastodon hunt Lakes and long prairie-grass above Silver Springs The man who wanted a sheriff to marry him Leesburg and its im- provements A dredging-boat mistaken lor a eook-stove Indian trails Historic relics Lake Dunham Okahumkee The Ocklawaha his- toric ground. CHAPTER VI 90 Florida during the Indian war Cumbersome movements of the troops Cause of the war Treaty of Payne's Landing Birthplace of Osee- ola Lives with his mother in Okefinokee Swamp Afterward in tbe Big Swamp Osceola expresses opposition to the " treaty " Jumper unwilling to go West Charlie Emaltha Plea for remaining Indian poetry Appearance of Osceola Hostility toward the survey force Does not favor immigrating Decision of Micanopy Osceola in irons at Fort King Sullen, then penitent First hostile demonstration from the Indians Murder of Private Dalton Killing of Charlie Emaltha Osceola seeks revenge in the assassination of General Thompson Dade Massacre Micanopy fires the first gun More than one hundred whites killed Depredations of daily occurrence Battle of Withlacoochee Captain Ellis, of Gainesville Capture of Osceola bv General Jessup Imprisoned first in Fort Marion, afterward sent to Fort Moultrie His death Chechotar, his wife Poetry by a friend Sisters of Osce_ola now living in the West. CHAPTER VII 1 05 Shores of the upper St. John's, where various kinds of timber grow, and bony stock range Mounds and their contents Their obscure origin The chasm not yet bridged Belief in the immortality of the sou! The mounds a shrine Conduct of the Spanish invaders An- cestral veneration Articles for use deposited with the bodv Unan- swered questions History of mound-building in its infancy Found in Europe Uses of mounds Monumental mounds The mystery shrouding their structure Intrusive burial The growth on Florida mounds, and the distinguishable feature of mound-builders -Mound near New Smyrna Mounds in South Florida The large one at Cedar Keys Mounds for sacrifice Description of a victim Pyramid of Cholula Mexican teocalli Pyramids for kings Mounts of ordi- nance Sacred fires Indians worshiped " high places" The temple at Espiritu Santo Residence of King Philip Lake Jessup mound Copper weapons Indians worship the sun and moon Burial urns Pearls a heavenly product The Indian empress a prisoner Manu- facture of beads from conch-shells Pearls of no value found on the coast of Florida Who were these architects? A veil obscures our vision in trying to discover the engineers of these mounds The key never found Tumuli, mounds, and plateaus, all objects of interest. CHAPTER VIII 121 A description of the animals and birds seen on the St. John's a cent- ury since Lovely landscape The happy family Lake George En- terprise Mellonville Sulphur Springs Lake Harney and Salt Lake Contents. 11 Indian River Settlers discouraged on account of the Indians An order for blood-hounds Battle of Caloosahatchee Famished soldiers, and fidelity of the dog Big Cypress Swamp Locality of the chiefs "What the Indians cultivate Their babies never cry The Prophet, nnd his influence as a medicine man Wild Cat in command of Fort Mellon Speech of Sam Jones Hanging of Chekika Major Belknap takes his command into the Big Cypress- Country developed by war Indian River after the war the sportsman's heaven Game, ovsters, nnd fish Scientific theory on the formation of coquina Fine products of the Indian River country A resort for consumptives Camp-cook- ing Soothing influences from the surroundings Coming down the St. John's The sick man Stewardess and " "gaitors" Curious people with curious things The chameleon The fawn The crane The bug-hunter and his treasures The many old people iu Florida The sportsman. CHAPTER IX 139 Stop at Tocoi for St. Augustine Scenery along the route Stage-con- tractor's notice Murder of Dr. Weedman Cloth houses Two mail- carriers murdered The blood-hounds Mr. Francis Medicis and four others shot Remarks by a resident on witnessing the scene Wild Cat the leader of this atrocity The theatricals fill their engagement Coacoochee admires himself in the glass, also one of General Her- nandez's beautiful daughters His capture and escape His twin sister and her pearls Returns, dressed in theatricals, for a parley with the whites Starts West, and dies on the way. CHAPTER X 154 St. Augustine described in rhyme The old Spaniards A place for stimulus of thought Treachery of legends Early settlers lured by tales of wealth Historical antiquity Astonished Seloes Capture by Sir Francis Drake St. Augustine, 1764 French privateers Rory Mclntosh the Don Quixote of the times American flag raised in 1821 Freedom to worship God St. Augustine archives Dr. McWhir the founder of Presbyterianism in Florida Appearance in 18IJ4 The frost Every thing shrouded in a kind of tradition Fromajardis, or Garden Feast Matanzas River Xuns Escribanio, or St. Mary's Convent The ancient city sleeps all summer The dear old folks from their Northern homes, and the young ones too Curiosities Crafts of all kinds Gayety of the winter Remarkable memory of the natives Peaceful days Xo welcome for adventurers St. Augus- tine supposed to have been the residence of the Peri Expressing an unfavorable opinion about Florida not popular here. CHAPTER XI 173 The cathedral Regular attendance of its worshipers Harsh tones of the church chime Early mass Cathedral finished in 1793 Mate- rial employed Moorish belfry Irreverent visitors Religion of the natives a part of their existence The bishop regarded as a vicegerent Mistaken conclusions of outsiders Peculiar frescoes representing death Christmas Eve Ceremonial conducted by Bishop Verot Ad- ministration of the sacrament Tolemato Cemetery Its custodian Murder of Father Corpa by the Indians Chapel dedicated to Father Varela Tablet-inscriptions erased by time A medallion supposed to have been worn by Father Corpa, which was brought from Rome. 12 Contents. CHAPTER XII 183 Castle San Marco Indestructibility of the material employed Com- menced in 1565 Completed by Montiano, 1756, with the aid of Mex- ican convicts Attacked by Oglethorpe Appearance in 1740 Im- proper change of names Description of Fort Marion Its resemblance to Scott's Garde Douloreuse The chapel and its holy mysteries Iron cages Caving in of the bastion Xo cages sent to the Smithsonian Institute The wooden machine The old sergeant Human bones not unusual in other ruins Spaniards branded with the cruelties of the Inquisition True version of the iron cages from Sefior B. Oliveros Xo nation exempt from cruelties during some period of their history The Western Indians retained as hostages in the fort. CHAPTER XIII 198 The sea-wall when commenced Material employed Boulevard of the city City gates and vandal visitors Tapoquoi village Murder of Father Eodriguez La Sylphide rose Fine pulpit talent Sabbath in January The Presbyterian Church Flowers from the gardens of Messrs. Alexander and Atwood Gushing young men Dr. Daniel F. March and his words of comfort A description of the Episcopal church A curious question about disputed grounds Dr. Root, the clergyman A peculiar man and his dog, that walked into the church from habit St. Augustine a restorer to both health and reason Pub- lic reading-room Circulating library What shall we eat? Ships constantly coining in with supplies Fresh vegetables Oranges Hotels and fine boarding-houses Growlers Gratuitous hospitality now obsolete The most eligible houses Summer resort Pleasant people found by the sea. CHAPTER XIV 214 How they spend their time in the ancient city A slight departure into history Different kinds of visitors Grand' opening of the Lunch- basket on the North Beach Music and moonlight on the water The Indian buffalo-hunt near the old fort Dancing inside by the Indian prisoners Preparation for a gala day, March, 1877 Post-band Yacht-race A jockey-race The hurdle A foot-race by the Indians Wheelbarrow contest Victor and greenbacks Ham and money The cat a musical animal St. Augustine Hotel, where music is made from their sinews. CHAPTER XV 224 Longevity in St. Augustine Manufacture of orange marmalade and wine "El Pavo Real" Genovar Jk Brother, wine-makers Visit- ors leaving A page from unwritten history Tolling the bells for the pope Grand illumination by the Yacht Club The ignes-fatui boats String-band and dancing Capricious weather a comfort to growlers A change to balmy air and waving palms The Indians leave They have no use for Government clothes on the plains Mrs. Black Horse and Mochi dressed in hats and plumes The Indians leave their Moody t t Sankey song-books A picturewritten letter from the squaw of Minimic These Indians differ from novel-writer characters The strain of civilization during their stay being too great they mutiny, headed by White Horse A squad of soldiers from the barracks search Contents. 13 and iron four of them Fort closed to visitors They pine for home, the aristocracy of their nature scorning restraint Money made by polishing sea-beans, etc. Description of St. Anastasia Island Ponies feeding on marsh-grass Attack of General Oglethorpc in 1740 The old light-house built by the Spanish, and used as a fortress Fresh water in mid-ocean caused from lime-sinks Treaty of Fort Moultrie Origin of the Seminoles. CHAPTER XVI 235 Burning of the Spanish Governor's son by the Indians over a century since The Great Spirit as arbiter Fort Matanzas Its age, use, pres- ent appearance Entered by an escalade Xew Smyrna settled by Dr. Turnbull with his Greek colony They at first engage in the culture of indigo, which soon fails Great dissatisfaction among the colonists, who are finally released, and retire to St. Augustine The Douglass Dummit Plantation Indian Key Massacre, August 15, 1840 Murmur- ings of the citizens. CHAPTER XVII 245 The Everglades Expedition, under Colonel Harney, 1841 Prepara- tions Spanish Indians Leave Fort Dallas, arriving at Chitto's Island The bird flown Sam Jones's Island, containing villages and pleas- ure-grounds The soldiers greatly annoyed by roaches and tnuaquitoea Prophet's Island Discovery by Indians Sergeant Searles mortally wounded Arrival at New River Fort Dallas General appearance and extent of the Everglades Manilla hemp and the cotton-plant indigenous Eeturn of Colonel Harney Grand ovation in St. Augus- tine Sorrowful reflection on the situation Present inhabitants of the Everglades Old Tiger Tail Intrenches himself in Mexico as brigand, afterward makes his way to Florida, and becomes chief of the Seminoles Father Dufau goes to the Everglades as a missionary " Two squaws no good " Dress of the Indians Everglade alligators and moccasins no respecters of persons Primeval condition of the country, with its trees, birds, and native growth. CHAPTER XVIII 260 From Jacksonville to Cedar Keys The Florida Central Baldwin Alligators and moccasins West India Transfer Railroad Piney Woods Trail Ridge Lawtey Starke Turpentine distillery Serenades Waldo Alachua county Hummock-lands and phosphates The in- dignant Boston lady Alachua settled in 1750 by an Indian named Secoffe Juggs or sinks Approach to Gainesville This town named for General E. P. Games Accommodations for visitors Tillandsia and its uses Orange Lake the natural home of the orange Budded trees Eucalyptus-tree for malarial districts Information on the sub- ject of lands Orange City, Arredondo, Albion, and other prospective cities Bronson Its good settlers Otter Creek " Great Gulf Hum- mock " Its tropical growth. CHAPTER XIX 270 Cedar Keys, the terminus of the West India Transit Railway Extor- tion Dr. Mcllvaine's Hotel Fourth of July toasts, 1843 Steamers from Cedar Keys to Manatee Early settlement of Clear Water Har- bor The unfortunate Xarvaez Inaccessibility of South Florida 1 4 Contents. Manatee Its dwellings embowered among orange- trees Tenacity of contesting Indians Their independence subdued by association The cactus pear eaten by Indians Present population Church privileges for worship Schools Good physicians Sowing before reaping Boarding-houses kept as sanitariums Pantry supplies Fine fish An Elysium for rheumatics Xo starving The grape-culture suggested Also wine-making A variety of crops Sugar-cane ratooning for six years Old-fashioned bees in gums This locality a fine resort for those who wish to avoid cold The sunny-side of nature turned out in February Oleander and orange-buds bursting their pink and white petals The banana Spring flowers, etc. Zephyr breezes The rose "A child of summer" Historic records- lion. Judah P. Ben- jamin Remains of the mastodon and megatherium. CHAPTER XX 285 Tampa Undisturbed slumbers First settlement by Narvaez Poor Juan Ortiz ! Ilis vigils among the dead Espiritu Santo Bay De Soto and his festive soldiers Billy Bowlegs Cedar and pine lumber-mills in Tampa A school and its teacher Old Tampa Uses of the cabbage palm Fort Brooke Appeal of General Worth to the vanity of Coa- eooohee, which finally results in his band being sent West An invo- cation to the Great Spirit during a storm. CHAPTER XXI 296 Marooning from Tampa to Key West Drum-fish Loons Acrobat fleas Roaches Bilge-water The Methodist preacher and his chil- dren Sailor's fare Landing lady-passengers Terrasilla Island and its products Madam Joe The romantic young couple Sarasota Bay Stock-raising Health Mangrove thickets Perpetual verdure Palmetto houses Striking for nsh Varied amusements for visitors Hunting deer Bugs and butterflies Egmont Key Rare shells and a rarer Spiritualist, with his toothless wife Professor Agassiz Bucca- neers Jean Lafitte Sunset at sea Isles of the sea Boca Grande Felippe the Spaniard, and his Indian concubines Polly goes West for money Punta Rassa, the terminus of the International Telegraph. CHAPTER XXII 318 Alone with God and Ihe stars Phosphorescent waves Reefs and coral formation Key West Cocoa-trees Chief of the Everglades Dwell- ings Inhabitants Early settlers Conchs Their origin and occupa- tion Court of Admiralty Wrecking The International Telegraph Survey Public schools The sisters Cigar-makers Reading while working Monkey -jugs and their use Cochineal Sponge and spong- ersFort Taylor and other fortifications Curiosity - shop Captain Dixon its Greek keeper. CHAPTER XXIII 327 Middle Florida and South Georgia Jealousy between Middle and East Florida Good landed titles in Middle Florida Disappointment the result of overestimation Xo spot with every thing desirable Dis- eased people tinctured with a sullen melancholy Lake Citv Deriva- tion of the name The citizens Style of architecture adapted to the climate Products Atmosphere for asthmatics Monticello Its peo- Contents. 15 pie Former wealth evidenced by the numerous freed men Good hotel here The festive frogs: great variety, some with loud-sounding voices The " pretty frog" that went to England The singing-wasp -Tal- lahassee, where De Soto spends his first winter, 1539 The Spanish soldiers and their armor Town incorporated, 1825 Corner-stone of the capitol laid, 1826 Situation of Tallahassee Governor Reed's mes- sage, 1840 Blood-hounds and leash-men from Cuba Two Indians caught by them Bounties on heads Indian scare Only a goat In- dians attack wagons, relieving negroes of their clothing Former wealth and culture in Tallahassee Colonel Murat and his mother come to America Visit the Catholic Bishop, but not in regal style The neighbors are disappointed in a king's son Birthplace, home, and early associations ot the gifted authoress, Mrs. Mary E. Bryan "Wakulla Spring, with a beautiful description by Bartram Chattahoo- chee State penitentiary Montgomery and Eufaula route to Florida Town of Quincy Mountain-streams with a musical cadence Cuban tobacco and scuppernong grapes grown here Stage communication between Quincy and Bainbridge Cherokee rose-hedges Bainbridge Its decline on account of railway communication Thomasville Mitchell House Gulf House Embowered dwellings Brisk trade Newspapers Female college Churches Former wealth of Thomas county Colored politicians prefer speaking by proxy Xo water com- munication from Thomasville "Wire-grass country Quitman Home- like hotels Cotton factory Valdosta Pine-trees Plenty to eat Valdosta editor Crowds on public days Trip on the Gulf road The light-wood fires an epitome of the Arabian Nights' Entertainment. CHAPTER XXIV 355 Pensacola musings Its early settlement and capacious harbor Origin of the name The soil contains clay for brick and pottery Casa Blanca The city conquered by the Spaniards Causes for its not competing with other Gulf cities Description of Fort Barrancas It is supposed to contain a dungeon Fort Pickens Fort St. Michael and Fort St. Bernard Ten dollars offered for the scalps of colonists General move- ments of General Andrew Jackson Governor Callavea in the cala- boose Description of the old plaza Present appearance of Pensacola It contains 110 fabled fountains A plank walk on which sailors reel like drunken elephants Prosperity of the place dependent on the demand for lumber Commotion on the arrival of a ship Eesin- ous wood and its light accompaniments The Indians hated to leave it Ferdinand Park and its rural scenery The market-house The singing fishermen The proud fishermen with their big fish An ox- horn announces the sales Fresh-water wells Drawers of water lose their vocation Porpoises Tropical fruit-culture not very successful here The washing bayou and its water-nymphs Florida hunters The fleet-footed fawn a past record The yellow-fever visitor Pcrdi- do, or Lost Bay Escambia Bay The alligator: her nest, and her young Churches Free schools Catholic schools Episcopal school, and its founder, Mrs. Dr. Scott. CHAPTER XXV., 378 Leaving Pensacola Contentment in our moving habitation A calm Physalia utriculus A genuine nor'-wester and its accompaniments A moment of terror Morning at last Isle of Pines and its products 16 Contents. Pirates Water-spouts Early history of Cuba The Spaniards burn an Indian Cienfuegos The fort on the bay Cuban houses Clothing of (he children Cruelty to northern seamen Mother Carey and her unlucky chickens The fate of the insurgents, and their numerical strength " La Purisima Conception " Neglect of ceremonial duties The church inside Its lady-attendants furnish their seats The slave receives a gentle admonition The largest plaza on the island The beautiful sefioritas and the band-music. CHAPTER XXVI 399 Distances from Cienfuegos to Havana Eailroads Three classes of passenger-cars Smoking Rain-drops Harvest LoJ the poor ox Goads Suga-r-cane in bloom. Cattle-herders The war Arabian stock of horses Devastations by the insurgents Vegetation and va- riety Depots and drinking Flowers Fences from vegetation Royal palm and its uses Slaves gathering palm-fruit Great variety o* growth Cactus family Sugar and sugar-makers Negro slaves and coolies Their miserable quarters Chicken-fighting Inhuman treat- ment of the poor fowls Matanzas A Pentecostal illustration "En- glish and French spoken" Dinner and its condiments Matanzas Bay at night The tough old tars Their families on shore The phos- phorescent lights on the water The plaza and hotel Our French valet de chambre Siesta My cafe El voiante Up the mountain-side El Cueva de Sellamar, being a remarkable subterranean temple Stalactites and stalagmites Names given to the different formations inside the cave Return to Matanzas. CHAPTER XXVII 424 From Matanzas to Havana Buzzards Description of El Moro Castle, A.D. 1519 Captured, 1619, by Sir George Pocock El Moro like the Venetian "Bridge of Sighs" Havana a century since Its harbor and fleet of ships Architecture of the houses Narrow streets A view from El San Carlos Hotel Beautiful moonlight on the bay El Paseo French coaches Residence of the Captain-general Ladies shopping in volantes Market-house Mules, panniers, etc. Work- ing-class receive an early supply of grace No Sabbath here "Lot- tera" Beggars Description of the cathedral Bishop Acolytes Organ Tomb of Columbus Santo Christobal His life and mission as Christ-bearer Cemetario de Espeda Its walls, vaults, tablets, in- scriptions Three bodies for sepulture The poor without coffins The Protestant dead not admitted in Catholic grounds Fragility of promises in Cuba. A Ramble into the Early History of Florida 439 Florida Gazetteer, etc , 481 JJetals fptucncd from jjfonnjj Climes. CHAPTER I. TRIP to Florida during the winter season is now the popular move for everybody, whether invalid or not, which those living in so close proximity as Atlanta find diffi- cult to resist. Atlanta is a delightful summer resort, situated a thousand feet above sea-level, visited by healthful mountain breezes in summer, besides being blessed with the purest of freestone and chalybeate water in the world. The night passenger train leaves at 10 P.M. for Macon, one hundred and five miles distant. We arrive in Macon about 7 A.M., where, after being fortified with a good breakfast at the Brown House, the train departs for Savannah Macon be- ing the commencement of the mountain-slope which continues to the sea-shore. Many pleasant little towns are passed through on the route, most of which have never recovered from the devastating effects of the war. Savannah is at last reached, one hundred and ninety-two miles from Macon. To say that Savan- 2 (17) 18 Petals Plucked from Sanny Climes. 11 ah is a pleasant place conveys an indefinite idea of its attractiveness. Many persons stop to remain only a night, but are so much pleased they tarry a month before proceeding farther South. The present site of Savannah is where General Oglethorpe was met, in 1733, by the Yamacraw Indians, who, after he had landed, presented him with a buffalo -skin, on the inside of which Avas painted the plumage of an eagle, accompanied with the following address: "The feathers of the eagle," said the chief, "are soft, and signify love; the buf- falo-skin is warm, the emblem of protection; there- fore love and protect onr families." Oglethorpe, in coming to America, was stimulated with the desire of finding a home for the oppressed Protestants and bankrupt gentlemen of England. Upon the adjust- ment of terms with the Indians he proceeded to lay out the city of Savannah with the greatest regular- ity. It then contained ten public squares of two acres each, in which were trees, walks, and a pump. The number of squares has now been increased to twenty-four the walks all being paved with granite, and swept daily. Forsyth Park is on a more ex- tended plan than these small squares, containing a large fountain, fine flowers, magnolia grandiflora trees, a small zoological collection all objects of interest, displaying the taste and refinement of a well-cultured people. Pulaski Square is named for Count Pulaski, who was mortally wounded during the American Revolution while in an engagement O O on the ground where the Central Depot now stands. He died on board the brig Wasp as she was leaving A SCENE IN FORSYTE PARK, SAVANNAH. Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. 19 Tybee for Charleston, when his body was consigned to the sea. The citizens of Georgia, through their munificent bequests, have erected in Monterey Square a monument to Count Pulaski, the corner- stone of which was laid when General La Fayette visited America for the last time. Savannah has made another tine exhibit of her discriminating powers in selecting a retired and lovely spot, made sacred to them by depositing all that remains of the loved ones who have crossed the river a little before. They have christened it Bonaventure, derived from the Spanish, signifying, Coming good. Here rest, in the unyielding embrace of death, those whose warfare in life has ended, where the huge live-oaks, with overlapping limbs, entwine with their companions, forming natural tri- umphal archways, while the somber-hanging gray moss clings lovingly to its outstretched arms, waving in the winds like some weird fancy that lingers only on the brink of uncertainty. These beautiful grounds were once the home of the Tatnall family, but have now been purchased and devoted to the dwelling of the dead, whither the living can come and contemplate the change which awaits them all. Travelers, in leaving Savannah for Florida, can go outside by sea, or the inland route, many prefer- ring the latter on account of avoiding sea-sickness, the passage being made between sounds, inlets, and islands, before Fernandina is reached. The inland steamers are first-class in every respect, and the long marsh-grass contains many of those colossal lizards called alligators. They crawl about fear- 20 Petals Plucked from Sunnu Climes. lessly in their hiding-places, while the swamp black- bird whistles very sweetly for us as we pass along so quietly most of the time that we are not exactly certain of any movement, but ten miles an hour is the pro rata of speed. "We are now close to St. Simon's Island, where General Oglethorpe commenced another settlement in 1736, called Frederica. On this equable -tem- pered island they laid out a town, built a fort with four bastions to protect their palmetto cabins, which, as the historian describes them, appeared like a camp with bowers, " being covered with leaves of a pleasing color.'" Natural paths and arbors were found here by the English, as if formed by the hand of art, with the ripe grapes hanging in festoons of a royal purple hue. The settlements made by Ogle- thorpe in this portion of the country were the first formed in the true spirit of improvement and colo- nization. With him came the great founder of Methodism in America, Wesley, who planted his standard on this island, and mentions their object in the follow- ing manner: "It is not to gain riches and honor, but to live wholly to the glory of God, as we have come in the serene hour of peace, when the floods of controversy have subsided, to sow the gospel seeds." John Bartram. visited St. Simon's Island in 1744, and makes the following record of his repast with a friend: "Our rural table was spread under the shadow of oaks, palms, and sweet-bays, fanned by the lively, salubrious breezes, wafted from the spicy groves. Our music was the responsive love-lays of Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. 21 the painted nonpareil and the alert, gay mocking- bird, while the brilliant humming -bird darted through the flowery groves, suspended in air, drink- ing nectar from the blooms of the yellow jasmine, lonicera, andromeda, and azalea." As we approach Fernandina we are nearing his- toric ground Dungenness, once a most charming and attractive place, located near the southern ex- tremity of Cumberland Island, the former home of Nathanael Greene, of revolutionary fame, where his last days were spent peacefully, of which pleasant period he thus speaks: "The mocking-birds that sing around me morning and evening, the mild and balmy atmosphere, with the exercise which I find in my garden culture." This locality seemed to have constituted a happy close to his eventful career. The English planted an olive-grove on this island that succeeded well, as though the trees were indite- * o c? nous. They used the fruit in making pickles, which were considered very fine. Is it not the olive-tree which the Christian should love and venerate, even to the "hoary dimness of its delicate foliage, sub- dued and faint of hue, as though the ashes of the Gethsernane agony had been cast upon it forever?" It was at the foot of the Mount of Olives, beneath the shadow of the trees from which it derives its name, that was selected for the most mournful of scenes " The Saviour's Passion." The good and the wild olive-tree will flourish in this climate. It was these trees which furnished the Apostle Paul with one of his most powerful allegories. The wild olive blooms in March, producing a profusion of pink -tinted, 22 Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. white, star-shaped flowers, while its polished, ever- green verdure, remains all the year, affording a com- pact and beautiful shade. On this island, before the late war, was seen a scuppernong grape-vine, nearly three hundred years old, supposed to have been planted by the Spanish missionaries. It was then pronounced a prolific bearer, producing two thousand pounds of fruit per annum, and covering nearly three acres of ground. Here rests all that remains of Light-Horse Harry Lee, the gifted and honored dead. " Here his lamp of life flickered before being extinguished." He died March 25, 1818. The decaying marks of time, and the more ruthless destruction of war, have fear- fully invaded and devastated this once revered retreat. "Silent though it be, there are memories lingering still vocal amid the mutations of fortune and the desolations of war memories which carry the heart back to happy days and peculiar excellences which come not again." When General R. E. Lee last visited Savannah the burial-place of his illustrious parent was not for- gotten. It was the only tribute of respect which his great feeling heart could bestow, the last mission of love he was able to perform. Did he think before spring should return again, decked in her gay robes, flinging ten thousand odors upon its balmy breath, that his grave would then be visited by weeping friends, and that loving hands should twine fresh flowers for his remains? How sleep the brave who sink to rest, By all their country's honors blest! Pdals Plucked from Sunny Climes. 23 We next pass the mouth of St. Mary's River, the source of which is a vast lake, where dwelt the far- famed beautiful women, or Daughters of the Sun. These were the last of the Yemassee tribe, who had intrenched themselves here for protection, all efforts to pursue them being like the enchanted lands, which receded as they were approached. Fernandina is situated on Amelia Island, which is eighteen miles in length and two in width. Ves- sels can approach the harbor any time without fear from shoals, as the water on the bar will always fur- nish an average of nineteen feet. Its first settlers, as of many other places in Florida, were Spaniards, a few of whom are remaining. During the move- ments of the Embargo War, together with the pri- vateers and slavers, three hundred square-rigged vessels have been seen in this harbor at one time. Another settler mentions the mounds when the country was first explored by the Spaniards. General Oglethorpe, like other explorers in Amer- ica, was impressed with the coast of Florida, and thus speaks of Amelia Island : " The sea-shore, cov- ered with myrtle and peach-trees, orange-trees and vines in the wild \voods, where echoed the sound of melody from the turtle-doves, nonpareils, red-birds, and mocking-birds." Different nationalities looked upon Amelia Island with longing eyes for many years, coveting it for their possession. In 1817, Gregor McGregor, a Scottish baronet an enthusiast on the subject of contest came, with only fifty followers, making proclamations and issu- ing edicts, of more magnitude than plans for their 24 Petals Plucked from Sunny dimes. execution, but soou retired to the quieter quarters of his Highland home. Afterward came Commodore Aury, with one hun- dred and fifty men, on a filibustering expedition, and overpowered the Spanish troops. At this time it would have been a difficult task to find a more mot- ley, medley crowd of residents in any country than upon Amelia Island, composed of English advent- urers, Irish and French refugees, Scotch, Mexicans, Spaniards, privateers, natives, and negroes. Fac- tions of such varied dispositions and inclinations were not designed to promote harmony in any com- munity; consequently, riots and disturbances were of frequent occurrence. Previous to this movement by Aury, negotiations had been pending between the United States and the Spanish Government for Florida; consequently, President Monroe and his Cabinet looked upon the disputed property, in a manner, as their own posses- sions. These Spaniards, being unable to expel the privateering adventurers, President Monroe sent United States troops, which took possession of Fer- nandina without resistance, in the name of His Catholic Majesty of Spain. This event happened in the spring of 1818. On Amelia Island is situated a light-house, which exhibits a flash-light, one hundred feet above the level of the sea, visible sixteen miles. The tower is built upon a promontory which overlooks the sur- rounding country and the Atlantic as far as the eye can extend. At Fernandinathe Atlantic Gulf and West India Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. 25 Transit Railroad commences, where the gentleman- ly officers connected with and in charge of the road reside. The obliging superintendent is always in readiness here to give information upon the peculiar facilities resulting from living on this route, as a health -location, besides being so closely connected by steam-ships with all parts of the world. It now contains a population of about three thousand in- habitants, and, on account of the fine sea air, lias been a resort for manv years during the summer */ \J O season by persons from the interior of the State. The misfortunes of our late war fell heavily on Fernandina, crippling its energies and crushing its present prospects for a time. The real estate of its residents was contiscated and sold for taxes. Some of it has been redeemed, and the remainder is pass- ing through a series of lengthy litigations, which, when settled, are designed to decide the validity ot tax-sales generally throughout the entire State. The present condition of affairs places the inhabitants in rather a Micawber-like condition, waiting for some- thing to turn up in the future. As a resort far away from the busy, bustling cares of life, this place seems peculiarly fine. The island being entirely surrounded by salt-water, a delightful breeze visits the inhabitants at all seasons of the year in summer, zephyry as the vale of Cashmere, or the soft winds which bore the silver-oared barge of Cleopatra through the Cydnus. The most at- tractive feature of all in this locality is the beautiful beach, connected with the town by a good shell-road two miles in length, bordering the island for twenty- 2* 26 Petals Plucked from Sunny Clinics. one miles, and over two hundred yards in width. It is this unsurpassed drive about which the inhabit- ants love to entertain you at all times, until you can see it in your dreams. A good livery-stable is kept here, well filled with tine, fast horses, trained to trot, or wade in the surf, allowing visitors to admire the wonderful vastness of the most beautiful expanse of waters which wash the Atlantic shores. At ebb-tide the imagination cannot conceive of a finer place, the beach being so firm that a pair of horses and car- riage scarcely make an indentation on the surface in passing over it. The pavement is God's own work- manship, being composed of white sand, occasionally interspersed with shells, many of them the tiniest in existence. Here the happy sea-birds ride on the sil- very foam, or flit across the breezy water; the sea- gulls and pelicans luxuriate and flap their wings in peaceful quietude, while the sand -crab takes his walks, standing upright like a pigmy of the human species, presenting arms in a soldier- like manner, and never turning his back, however hotly pursued. These are in reality very curious little creatures, re- minding us of the Lilliputians in Gulliver's Travels. Here the turtle conies to deposit her eggs beyond high-water mark, and when they are hatched re- turns to escort a family of one hundred and fifty babies to her home in the sea. Here the bright moonbeams dance upon the surface of the water, in silence and solitude, until it resembles the surface of a silver mirror. Many pretty shells are found on this beach, of various sizes and designs, with occa- sionally desirable cabinet specimens, which are Petals Plucked from Saniuj Climes. 27 thrown out when the waters become much agitated. Tliis is the spot for the jilted lover to forget his idol, and the disconsolate lady her imaginary devotee; for those fretted by the rough edges of corroding care to retire and find a respite^om their struggles; the bankrupt who has been conquered in the bat- tles of brokerage, to visit and be reminded God has .given us more treasures to delight us than the dross which passes from our grasp like a shadow, but which all are struggling and striving to win; the store -house of the fathomless deep, where w r e can contemplate that great image of eternity, "the in- visible, boundless, endless, and sublime." 28 Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. CHAPTER II. leaving Fernandina we come out Amelia River, which is formed by tlie tide-Avater from the Atlantic. We pass Old Town, one mile from Fernandina, which has a ]ook-ont for pilots who take vessels across the bar, besides a few houses, the residence of Span- iards. Fort Clinch is the last noticeable point be- fore we reach the St. John's River bar. It is the month of January a bland breeze greets us, when our thoughts revert to the early settle- ment of this country, when the Spanish galleons a strange- looking craft navigated these waters; also ponderous old ships, with sailing figures of vari- ous devices carved on their prows, and high-peaked sterns, the timber used being mahogany and cedar, many of which were driven to pieces in a most mer- ciless manner among the breakers, thus scattering o o their treasures of silver and gold on the strand, to tempt and satisfy the cupidity of those who found them. Vessels dread this bar, as those drawing only six feet of water are oftentimes detained when going and returning with their cargoes of lumber. The white caps wave their snowy plumes, as a warning, when the wind blows, which sends terror to the hearts of the timid, but the more daring exclaim, It looks o-rand ! Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. 29 As we cross the bar we are in sight of two resorts Mayport and Fort George Island both places ar- ranged for the accommodation of summer and win- ter visitors. Fishermen also live in these diminutive towns, and are engaged, like the apostles when their Saviour called them, in mending their nets. Shad- iishing is very profitable here during the season. Shad abounds in this river, and being a delicious fish, it is much sought after. The various descriptions published from the pens of those who visit Florida now are read by persons looking to this locality as a winter-resort, or in search of new homes and health, as items of unsurpassed interest. For this reason writers should be reliable in their statements. In many tourists the emotional current is created so fur from the surface that it is a difficult matter for them to be impressed with exter- nal objects. For this cause we meet with a multi- tude of fault-finders. Settlers living in remote localities from the St. John's River complain because visitors resort there in preference to all other parts of the State. If the facilities and inducements were the same elsewhere, the desire to go would be equal; but it requires the fortitude of a Livingstone to commence a trip into many of the most attractive parts of Florida, with the indistinct prospect how the} 7 are to get away when inclined to make a change. The Americans are a restless, roving people, fond of varied scenery, and when confined where they cannot get away, man- ifest very much the disposition of caged captives. Laudonniere thus speaks of the St. John's River: 80 Petals Plucked from San.ni/ Climes. "The place is so pleasant that those who are mel- ancholy would be forced to change their humor." This stream, with its tributaries, is the great artery of the State, where the savage roamed at will for nearly three hundred years after its settlement by the Spaniards, who came in search of hidden treas- ures, its former history being a page in the past. Here this river glides before us, with its dark, cof- fee-colored waters, and no perceptible current ex- cept where the tide comes in, it being a remarkable stream, unlike any other in North America. The coloring matter it contains is not precipitated by- standing, and for this reason is attributed to a col- ored earth through which it passes from the upper lakes, together with the different kinds of vco;eta- ' O O tion that environ it. It varies in width from one to three miles, and is thought by manv to be an estu- ._'/ V ary. From the mouth of the St. John's to Pilatka there are numerous bluffs, some of them ten or twelve feet in height, with an under- stratum of shells, on which elevations the pine-tree flourishes. The cypress, ash, and cabbage-palmetto grow on the banks above Pilatka. The weeping cypress, witli its leafless, conical excrescences, called knees, and dropsical feet, loves to be alone. It gives a friendly greeting to the grav moss, which lives and swings o o o / O from its tallest limbs to the lowest twigs, furnishing a complete mantle of grace to the naked-appearing trees. This moss has no affinity for the pine or palm, which thrives in close proximity, colonizing and fraternizing in groups, oftentimes solitary, sigh- ing or rustling 1 as the sea-breeze comes to meet and Petals Flacked from Sunny Climes. 31 kiss its feathery crowns and perennial foliage. A few of the trees are deciduous, as the swamp-oak, ash, and poplar: most of the others are persistent, the change of foliage occurring so quietly it is scarcely observed. The mistletoe, with its green, tufted foliage, fastens on the oak, and is a regular parasite a thief for it deprives the tree of vitality. The mistletoe seeds are used as an article of food by the birds, and, being thus transported to the forest- trees, adhere by means of a gluten until germination commences. The change of flags in 1821 produced a change with many of the citizens, when much local infor- mation connected with the history of Florida was lost. This province, when ceded to the United States, was divided in two parts, called East and West Florida. Petitions were then frequently for- warded to Washington, with a request to have it remain divided, as it was inconveniently large. During the war which soon followed, many new ex- plorations were made in the hidden hummocks and intricate recesses of the State, The drinking -w r ater used in Florida does not come from mountain-streams or arctic regions, but in summer, mixed with sugar and lemon-juice, or sour orange, forms a most palatable and healthful mixture. Land-snakes are not plentiful, as many have sup- posed, there being very few but water-snakes, which can be easily accounted for, as the intense heat from the tires which sweep through the long grass every year destroy them ; then there are no rocks for their 32 Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. hiding-places, where they could rear] patriarchal families. Musquitoes abound in some places on the coast, and to the dwellers in tents the impression has, no doubt, been received that the air was made of these insects. There is a due proportion of fleas in por- tions of Florida, but not more than in the sandy soil of other countries. The climate is constantly tempered by the Gulf Stream, that conducts away the tropical heat, re- turning in a submarine current, the cooler waters from the North thus producing an atmosphere of salubrious influences and life-renewing properties. No month is without its fresh products and fruits, while every warm day the mocking-bird sings above our heads on some airy perch. Many theories have been advanced in regard to the formation of terra Jinna on our continent, the one most generally received being that it was all once submerged under water as a proof of which shells and other marine fossils have been found in elevated positions, which only could have been placed there by the sea overflowing the land, and afterward receding. When this conclusion is at- tained, Florida cannot be included, as every year the land augments from the combined efforts of the coral insect, limulus, and barnacles, together with the debris which is deposited upon them afterward. If the disturbing influences along the shores were less, the increase of land would be much greater, as winds and waves are as destructive to the prosperity of these subterranean architects as tornadoes and Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. 33 cyclones to the growth of fine forest-trees. The coral insect is constantly working in his briny bed, making masonry which resists the action of the ele- ment in which it is placed, thus laying the founda- tion for islands and continents. It is the work of these madrepores and polyps that form reefs which wreck so many vessels on its coast, thus making fortunes for those who follow salvage entirely for a support. The fact of Florida as a health -resort has long been established, the proof being furnished by the length of time consumptives who come for the pur- pose of lingering a little longer than they otherwise could North, and living in the enjoyment of suffi- ciently good health to pursue any lucrative vocation their tastes may decide, is sufficient evidence of the efficacy of the climate for pulmonic complaints. Ex- posure in Florida, as in other places, has its.pjenal- ties affixed. ISTear bodies of water a chilliness per- vades the air as soon as the sun sets, which is plainly perceptible to all delicate persons. No barometer was ever more sensitive to atmospheric variations than the feelings of a sick person; no magnet was ever attracted to steel more suddenly than their nervous sensibilities to an agreeable or disagreeable O O object. This prescribing invariable rules for every disease is all a humbug; the patient is usually the best judge. The resort for invalids, when the dew and shades of nis;ht are falling on the face of nature, O O is before a pleasant light-wood tire, surrounded by cheerful companions- remembering that an inter- view of the internal emotions frequently for the sick 84 Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes. is not beneficial. Try and keep from thinking Low badly oft' you really are, as much as practicable. Many have lived for years with only one lung. All sudden changes from heat to cold should be avoided : when you are cold, get warm as soon as possible, and when you are tired, stop your life depends upon it. All invalids should select a locality which best suits their malady; then settle down, with the determination to extract all the sweets of content- ment in store for them which the world contains, keeping their bodies comfortable in every respect, their minds free from all exciting or unpleasant thoughts, their hearts purified while living, and, if death comes, prepared to meet their Maker. About ten miles from the mouth of the St. John's Laudonniere established his Huguenot colony, build- ing his fortification on a hill of "mean height," naming it Caroline, from their sovereign, Charles IX., of France, now known as St. John's Bluft'. The former site of Fort Caroline can be traced with some degree of accuracy, from the fact of this being the first point on the river above its mouth where its banks are approached by the stream, besides being the only elevated spot where a fort could be built between the St. John's Bluff' and the mouth of the river. As Fort Caroline was constructed more than three hundred years a