THE EXCURSION TO FORT GEORGE ISLAND.
Fort George Island is certainly a beautiful place for a summer or a
winter residence, or for both. It is three and a half miles long, not
including the sand-bar at the end, and a mile wide. On one side is the
ocean, and on the other the Sisters' Channel, one of the inside
passages by which steamers reach Savannah and Fernandina.
Owen told me the party would sail for Jacksonville at four o'clock, and
dine as soon as the steamer was under way. All the excursionists
landed, and leaving Washburn in charge, I went with them. Cornwood
began to discharge his duties as guide as soon as we were on shore; but
a considerable portion of the party were familiar with the island, and
he did not have a large audience.
"This shell road," said he, as we left the wharf, "is the beginning of
Edgewood Avenue, which is two miles and a half long. At the farther end
of it is the hotel."
He continued his explanations to those who desired to hear them during
the entire walk. I shall not repeat them. I found that he could give
the name of every tree, plant, and flower we saw on the way. He had a
name for every bird, bug, and worm; and I am ready to acknowledge that
the extent, variety, and minuteness of his knowledge astonished me,
partly because my prejudice led me to expect nothing of him. That those
who brag most know least, did not appear to prove true in his case; for
he did not have to "give it up" on any question asked him by the
tourists of our party. He related the history of the island, and there
was not a single particular concerning it on which he was not fully
informed.
After crossing the beach on the shell road, we came to the forest of
live-oaks, magnolias, palmettos, bay-trees, and others that one never
sees in Maine or Michigan. I walked with Mr. Tiffany, and we agreed
that this was one of the most delightful places we had visited. Pretty
soon we were joined by Miss Margie and Miss Edith, who had become
inseparable friends and companions. I learned that the Tiffanys had
already accepted the invitation of Owen and Colonel Shepard to join the
party for the up-river trip.
"Are there no snakes on this island, Captain Garningham?" asked Miss
Margie, soon after we entered the wood.
"I dare say there are; but I don't know anything about it," I replied.
"Undoubtedly there are snakes on the island," interposed Mr. Cornwood;
and I saw that he glanced at me, with a smile, as if in allusion to my
experience on the evening before.
"I am very much afraid of snakes," said Miss Margie, looking timidly
about her.
"But the snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them, Miss
Tiffany," replied Cornwood. "Even the rattlesnake will keep out of your
way, if he can."
"And I should surely keep out of his way. Are there rattlesnakes on
this island?" asked the timid English maiden.
"I am sorry to say there are; but you might live on the island ten
years and never see one. When you walk, you will naturally keep in the
paths cut through the woods. Rattlesnakes will not visit these
localities. But the rattlesnake is a very gentlemanly fellow; and if by
any chance one should stray into a path, he would give you abundant
warning before he did you any harm."
"I don't wish to see one," replied Miss Margie, with a shudder.
"You may be sure you will not meet any in the paths we take to-day,"
added the guide in a comforting tone. "But I would rather meet a dozen
of them than step upon a copperhead or a water-moccasin. These will run
away when they see you, if they can. The water-moccasin will not
trouble you if you let him alone. The only danger from any Florida
snake is in coming upon him when you don't see him."
"That is just what I am afraid of," said Miss Margie.
"This island has been settled so long that there can be but few snakes
of the harmful kind left on it; for whites and blacks always kill them
at sight."
After a very pleasant walk we reached the hotel, where a lunch was
ready for us. To me the principal feature of this lunch was the broiled
shad, the fish just taken from the water. It was the freshest and best
I had ever eaten. The oysters in the chowder were small, but had been
taken from the water that morning.
After the lunch the excursionists broke up into little parties, and
each went where they were best pleased to go. I felt rather inclined to
go where Miss Margie went, for I had found she was as agreeable as she
was pretty. Owen and the Shepards went to the Palmetto Avenue, which
leads to an ancient homestead, affording a fair specimen of the
planter's home in days gone by. Mr. Tiffany and his daughter wished to
ascend Mount Cornelia, to which there was a carriage-road all the way
from the hotel to the summit. This hill has an elevation of ninety-five
feet, the highest point on the coast from Navesink and Cuba. Mr.
Cornwood accompanied us, for, in spite of the warning Mr. Tiffany had
given me, he was the guide's most attentive listener.
On the summit of the hill we found an observatory, which we occupied
for a full hour. It commanded a fine view of the ocean, the inland
channels, and the country beyond them. Before we left, Owen and the
Shepards joined us.
"Have you seen any snakes, Margie?" asked Edith, when they were seated
at the top of the observatory.
"I have not seen one; indeed, I have not thought of the snakes since
Mr. Cornwood assured me we should see none," replied Miss Margie.
"I rather like snakes, and I hoped I should see some," added Miss
Edith, very bravely.
"I think I could find some for you, Miss Edith," interposed Cornwood.
"No, I thank you. I don't care to go snaking. When I see one I wish to
have it without any effort on my part," replied the beautiful girl.
"That is a nice way to get out of it," added Miss Margie. "I believe I
should faint away if I came upon one, without any effort on my part."
"You will be likely to see some on your trip up the river, if you go on
shore. The largest moccasin I ever saw I killed within the limits of
the city of Jacksonville. It was on the way to Moncrief's Spring. Are
you fond of alligators?" asked Mr. Cornwood, who also seemed to regard
the English girl with much favor.
"I never saw one in my life," answered Miss Margie. "We don't have any
such creatures in England. But I have seen pictures of the crocodile,
which I dare say is the same thing."
"They are certainly the same sort of reptile, though a crocodile is not
an alligator any more than an alligator is a crocodile. They differ in
the shape of the head; the lower canine teeth of the crocodile fit into
notches between the teeth of the upper jaw, while the alligator's lower
teeth fit into cavities in the upper jaw. The alligator has a broader
and shorter head than the crocodile. The cayman, found in the East
Indies and in tropical South America, is different in some respects
from either. But we have both crocodiles and alligators in the more
southern of the United States."
"I am sure I don't care whether they are crocodiles or alligators; they
are ugly-looking beasts, and I don't want to see any of them," replied
Miss Margie.
Mr. Cornwood had evidently "studied up" on alligators; and I was quite
interested in his comparison of the different reptiles, for I had
supposed they were all alike.
"You can't very well help seeing them when you go up the river, for
some of the streams we shall doubtless explore are full of them," added
the Floridian.
"Are you not afraid of them?"
"I don't think I ever saw anybody who was afraid of an alligator; they
are too common here to alarm any person. But I am surprised that you
did not see any alligators in Jacksonville, for thousands of little
ones are kept for sale at the curiosity stores, and larger ones are
kept for exhibition."
"I didn't happen to see any of them. Are they not dangerous?"
"We do not consider them so. In the earlier days of the State, when
alligators eighteen feet in length were occasionally found, they may
have attacked men when they caught them in the water. On land they are
rather sluggish; but they are right smart in the water. The largest
ones we are likely to see will not be over twelve feet long; and you
will find ten little ones to one of this size. None of them will meddle
even with a child; though if you should lie on the edge of a boat, with
a hand or foot in the water, and went to sleep, they might snap at it."
"Ugh!" gasped the pretty maiden, with a shudder.
"You will be so much accustomed to them in a week after we start up the
river, that you will not mind them more than you do the flies, and not
half so much as you do the mosquitoes," added Mr. Cornwood.
"Are there many mosquitoes where we are going, Mr. Cornwood?" asked Mr.
Tiffany.
"Not many at this season of the year, though we may fall into
localities where they are very plenty. I shall take the liberty to
suggest to Captain Garningham to have a quantity of mosquito netting on
board, to provide against these pests," replied the Floridian, glancing
from the Englishman to me.
"I will tell the steward to see that the beds and berths are properly
protected," I added, glad to have the suggestion in season to save the
passengers from annoyance.
Owen and Miss Edith had not paid any attention to Mr. Cornwood's
lessons in natural history. Both of them had evidently voted the
Floridian a bore. My cousin thought it was time to return to the hotel,
where the band was playing for the benefit of the people.
All the party had collected there, and we soon started for the steamer.
The band went ahead and played a march, and we kept step to the music.
I found that Mr. Cornwood had again attached himself to Miss Margie, to
the plain annoyance of that lady's father. I called him away, and
dropping to the rear of the procession, I questioned him in regard to
the trip up the river. He clearly understood my object in asking these
questions at this time, and his answers were crusty, and his manner
sulky. I persisted in torturing him till we reached the steamer, though
I sacrificed my own pleasure in doing it for Miss Margie's benefit.
It was just four by the clock in the pilot-house when the Sylvania
sailed on her return. The dinner was served in the cabin, and Gopher
had done his best, as usual. At six Cornwood made a very good landing
at the Market Wharf, and our guests departed immediately. I had to
thank Washburn for doing one-half of the hand-shaking when they stepped
ashore. Cornwood thought he would remain in the city, but I told him I
wanted him on board. The mate did not go to the anchorage in the
steamer, but stayed ashore.