_Narrative of_ MR. BARTRAM'S _Journey from Savannah into East
Florida._
Leaving _Savannah_ at the most beautiful season of the year, Mr. Bartram
proceeded, on horseback, to _Sunbury_, a sea-port, about forty miles
distant; and thence to Fort Barrington. Much of the intervening country
was level, and well watered by large streams. The road was straight,
spacious, and in excellent repair. For a considerable distance it was
bordered on each side by groves, of various kinds of trees and shrubs,
entwined with bands and garlands of flowering-plants. Extensive
plantations of rice and corn, now in early verdure, were seen,
decorated, here and there, with groves of floriferous and fragrant trees
and shrubs, through which, at intervals, appeared the neat habitations
of the proprietors.
At Fort Barrington, Mr. Bartram crossed the river Alatamaha, here about
five hundred yards in width. When safely landed on the opposite side, he
mounted his horse, and followed the high road, through an uninhabited
wilderness, to the ferry on _St. Ille_. The sudden transition, from rich
cultivated settlements, to high pine-forests, and dark grassy savannas,
formed, he says, no disagreeable contrast; and the new objects, in the
works of nature, which here excited his attention, soon reconciled him
to the change. In the midst of the woods he observed great numbers of
dens, or caverns, which had been dug in the sand-hills, by the gopher,
or great land tortoise.
The next day's progress, presented scenes nearly similar to these;
though the land was lower, more level and humid, and the produce was
more varied. Mr. Bartram passed some troublesome cane-swamps, in which
he saw several herds of horned-cattle, horses, and deer, and noticed
many interesting plants.
In the evening, he arrived at _St. Ille's_, where he lodged; and, next
morning, having crossed the river in a ferry-boat, he proceeded towards
St. Mary's. The appearance of the country, its soil, and productions,
between these rivers, were nearly similar to those which he had already
passed, except that the savannas were more frequent and extensive.
Mr. Bartram had now passed the utmost frontier of the white settlements,
on that border; and the day was drawing towards a close, when, on a
sudden, an Indian, armed with a rifle, crossed the path, at a
considerable distance before him. This man, turning short round, came up
at full gallop. Though his intentions, at first, seemed hostile, he,
after some hesitation, shook Mr. Bartram by the hand, directed him on
his way, and then proceeded in his former course. Mr. Bartram again set
forward, and, after riding eight or ten miles, arrived at the banks of
_St. Mary's_, opposite to the stores, and got safely over that river,
before dark.
The savannas about St. Mary's displayed a very charming appearance, of
flowers and verdure: their more elevated borders were varied with beds
of violets, lupines, and amaryllis; and with a new and beautiful species
of sensitive plant.
In a subsequent excursion, Mr. Bartram, accompanied by some other
gentlemen, passed the mouth of St. Mary's, and entered the _river St.
Juan_, or _St. John_.
At _Cowford_, a public ferry over this river, and about thirty miles
from its mouth, he procured a neat little sail-boat; and, having stored
it with necessaries for his voyage, he proceeded up the river alone, in
search of new productions of nature; having his chief happiness centered
in tracing and admiring the infinite power, majesty, and perfection of
the great Creator, and in the contemplation that, through divine
permission, he might be instrumental in introducing into his native
country, some productions which might become useful to society. His
little vessel, being furnished with a good sail, and with
fishing-tackle, a swivel gun, powder, and ball, Mr. Bartram found
himself well equipped for his voyage, of about one hundred miles, to the
trading houses of the Indians.
Having proceeded about eight miles above Cowford, to a place where the
river was nearly three miles broad, he was obliged to land, as his boat
had sustained some damage from the wind; and, a thunder-storm coming on,
he resolved to continue on shore till the morning. Observing a large
oak-tree, which had been thrown down by a hurricane, and which offered
him a convenient shelter, as its branches bore up the trunk a sufficient
height from the earth, to admit him either to, sit or to lie down
beneath it, he spread his sail, slanting from the trunk of the tree to
the ground, on the windward side; and, having collected a quantity of
wood sufficient to keep up a fire during the night, he kindled one in
front. He then spread skins on the ground, and upon these he placed a
blanket, one half of which he lay down upon, and the other he turned
over him for a covering.
The wind was furious, and the thunder and lightning were tremendous;
but, happily, not much-rain fell. Next morning, on reconnoitring the
neighbourhood, he was roused by the report of a musket not far off; and,
shortly afterwards, an Indian stepped out of a thicket, having a large
turkey-cock slung across his shoulders. He saw Mr. Bartram, and,
stepping up to him, spoke in English, bidding him good morning. He
stated that he lived at an adjacent plantation, and that he was employed
as a hunter. Mr. Bartram accompanied him to the house of his master,
about half a mile distant, and was there received in the most polite and
friendly manner imaginable. The owner of this plantation invited him to
stay some days, for the purpose of resting and refreshing himself; and
he immediately set his carpenters to work, to repair the damaged vessel.
Mr. Bartram spent one day with this gentleman. The house in which he
resided was on an eminence, about one hundred and fifty yards from the
river. On the right of it was an orangery, consisting of many hundred
trees, natives of the place, and left standing when the ground about it
was cleared. Those trees were large, flourishing, in bloom, and, at the
same time, loaded with ripe golden fruit. On the other side was a
spacious garden, occupying a regular slope of ground, down to the water;
and a pleasant lawn lay between. The owner of this plantation having,
with great liberality, supplied him with an abundance of ammunition and
provision, Mr. Bartram departed on the ensuing morning. He again
embarked on board his little vessel, and had a favourable, steady gale.
The day was extremely pleasant; the shores of the river were level and
shallow; and, in some places, the water was not more than eighteen
inches or two feet in depth. At a little distance it appeared like a
green meadow; having water-grass, and other amphibious vegetables,
growing from its oozy bottom, and floating upon its surface.
Mr. Bartram kept as near the shore as possible; and he was greatly
delighted with the prospect of cultivation, and the increase of human
industry, which were often visible from the water. In pursuing his
voyage, he sometimes slept at plantations that were near the banks of
the river; but sometimes he was obliged to pitch his tent upon the
shore, or to sleep under the protection of his sail. In the latter case
he was, not unfrequently, disturbed at night, by the plunging and
roaring of alligators, and the loud croaking of frogs; and, in the
morning, by the noise of wild turkeys, hundreds of which roosted around
him. During his progress he saw great numbers of alligators, some of
them immensely large. He was successful in collecting seeds, and
specimens of uncommon trees and plants. In some places he was astonished
to see the immense magnitude to which the grape-vines grew. These were
not unfrequently from nine to twelve inches in diameter: they twined
round the trunks of trees, climbed to their very tops, and then spread
along, from tree to tree, almost throughout the forest. The fruit,
however, was small and ill-flavoured.
As Mr. Bartram was coasting along the shore, he suddenly saw before him
an Indian settlement or village. It was in a fine situation, on the
slope of a bank which rose gradually from the water. There were eight or
ten habitations, in a row or street, fronting the water, and about fifty
yards distant from it. Some of the youths of this settlement were naked,
and up to their hips in water, fishing with rods and lines; whilst
others, younger, were diverting themselves in shooting frogs with bows
and arrows. As Mr. Bartram passed, he observed some elderly people
reclining on skins, spread upon the ground, beneath the cool shade of
oaks and palm-trees, that were ranged in front of the houses. These
persons arose, and eyed him as he passed; but, perceiving that he
proceeded without stopping, they resumed their former position.
There was an extensive orange-grove, at the upper end of the village:
the trees were large, and had been carefully pruned; and the ground
beneath them was clean, open, and airy. Around the village were several
acres of cleared land, a considerable portion of which was planted with
maize, batatas, beans, pompions, squashes, melons, and tobacco.
After leaving this village, the river became much contracted, and
continued so till Mr. Bartram reached _Charlotia_ or _Rolle's Town_,
where it was not more than half a mile wide. Here he came to an anchor.
This town was founded by Denis Rolle, Esq. and is situated on a cliff on
the east side of the river.
Having obtained directions for discovering a little remote island, where
the traders and their goods were secreted, he set sail again, and, in
about an hour and a half, arrived at the desired place. At this island
he was received with great politeness; and he was induced to continue
there several months, during which he was treated with the utmost
hospitality, by the agents of one of the British mercantile houses.
The numerous plains and groves in the vicinity of the island, afforded
to Mr. Bartram much gratification in his botanical pursuits; and, at the
termination of his residence here, he set out with a party of traders,
who were about to proceed to the upper parts of the river. The traders,
with their goods in a large boat, went first, and Mr. Bartram, in his
little vessel, followed them. The day was pleasant, and the wind fair
and moderate. In the evening they arrived at _Mount Royal_, a house
belonging to a Mr. Kean. This place was surrounded by magnificent groves
of orange-trees, oaks, palms, and magnolias; and commanded a most
enchanting view of the great Lake George, about two miles distant.
_Lake George_ is a beautiful piece of water, a dilatation of the river
St. John, and about fifteen miles wide. It is ornamented with two or
three fertile islands. Mr. Bartram landed, and passed the night on one
of them; and he found, growing upon it, many curious flowering shrubs, a
new and beautiful species of convolvulus, and some other species of
plants, which he had never before seen.
A favourable gale enabled the voyagers, towards the close of the ensuing
day, to enter the river at the southern extremity of the lake. Here they
found a safe and pleasant harbour, in a most desirable situation.
Opposite to them was a vast cypress swamp, environed by a border of
grassy marshes; and, around the harbour, was a grove of oaks, palm,
magnolia, and orange-trees. The bay was, in some places, almost covered
with the leaves of a beautiful water-lily, the large, sweet-scented
yellow flowers of which grew two or three feet above the surface of the
water. A great number of fine trout were caught, by fishing, with a hook
and line, near the edges of the water-lilies; and many wild turkeys and
deer were seen in the vicinity of this place.
On the ensuing day the party reached a trading-house, called _Spalding's
upper Store_, where Mr. Bartram resided for several weeks. Being
afterwards desirous of continuing his travels and observations higher up
the river, and, having received an invitation to visit a plantation, the
property of an English gentleman, about sixty miles distant, he resolved
to pursue his researches to that place. For several miles the left bank
of the river had numerous islands of rich swamp land. The opposite coast
was a perpendicular cliff ten or twelve feet high: this was crowned by
trees and shrubs, which, in some places, rendered the scenery extremely
beautiful. The straight trunks of the palm-trees were, in many
instances, from sixty to ninety feet high, of a bright ash colour, and
were terminated by plumes of leaves, some of them nearly fifteen feet in
length.
Mr. Bartram landed, for the night, in a little bay, not far from the
entrance to a small lake, another expansion of the river. Near this
place there was much low and swampy land, and the islands in the river
were numerous. The evening was cool and calm, and he went out in his
canoe, to fish for trout. As the evening closed, alligators appeared in
great numbers along the shores and in the river. Mr. Bartram states that
he was witness to a combat between these dreadful animals, which
inspired him with horror, especially as his little harbour was
surrounded by them. In endeavouring to paddle his canoe through a line
of alligators, he was pursued by several large ones; and, before he
could reach the shore, he was assailed on every side. His situation
became extremely precarious. Two very large alligators attacked him
closely, rushing with their heads and part of their bodies above the
water, roaring terribly, and, from their mouths, throwing floods of
water over him. They struck their jaws together so close to his ears as
almost to stun him; and he, every moment, expected to be dragged out of
the boat and devoured by them. He held in his hand a large club, which
he used so efficaciously, as to beat them off: he then hastened towards
the shore, as the only means of preservation left. Here the water was
shallow; and his ferocious opponents, some of which were twelve feet in
length, returned into deeper water. After this, as Mr. Bartram was
stepping out of his canoe, an alligator rushed up to him, near his feet,
and, with its head and shoulders out of the water, lay there for some
time. Mr. Bartram ran for his gun, and, having a heavy charge in it, he
shot the animal in the head and killed him. While Mr. Bartram was
employed in cleansing some fish for his supper, he raised his head, and
beheld, through the clear water, another of these animals of large size,
moving slowly towards him; and he stepped back, at the instant the beast
was preparing to spring upon him. This excessive boldness gave him great
uneasiness, as he feared he should be obliged to keep on watch through
the whole night. He had made the best preparation, in his power, for
passing the night, when he was roused by a tumultuous noise, which
seemed to come from the harbour. On going to the water's edge he beheld
a scene so astonishing, that it was some time before he could credit the
evidence even of his own senses. The river, though of great width,
appeared, from shore to shore, to be almost a solid bank of fish. These
were of various species, and were pushing along the river, towards the
little lake, pursued by alligators in such incredible numbers, and so
close together, that, had the animals been harmless, Mr. Bartram
imagined it might have been possible to have walked across the water
upon their heads. During this extraordinary passage, thousands of fish
were caught and swallowed by them. The horrid noise of their closing
jaws, their plunging amid the broken banks of fish, and rising with
their prey some feet above the water, the floods of water and blood
rushing from their mouths, and the clouds of vapour issuing from their
nostrils, were truly frightful. This scene continued, at intervals,
during the whole night. After it was ended, Mr. Bartram says he found
himself more reconciled to his situation than he had before been; as he
was convinced that the extraordinary assemblage of alligators at this
place had been owing to the annual passage of these shoals of fish; and
that they were so well employed in their own element, that he had little
occasion to fear they would wander from the banks for the purpose of
annoying him.
It being now almost night, he returned to his tent, where he had left
his fish broiling, and his kettle of rice stewing; and having, in his
packages, oil, pepper, and salt, and, in place of vinegar, excellent
oranges hanging in abundance over his head, he sat down and regaled
himself cheerfully. Before he retired to rest, he was suddenly roused by
a noise behind him, towards the land. He sprang up, seized his gun, and,
going cautiously in the direction from which the sound approached, he
beheld two large bears, advancing towards him. He waited till they were
about thirty yards distant, when he snapped his piece at them. It
flashed in the pan, but they both galloped off, and did not return.
After this he passed the night without any other molestation than being
occasionally awaked by the whooping of owls, the screaming of bitterns,
or by wood-rats running among the leaves. When he arose in the morning
there was perfect peace: very few alligators were to be seen, and these
were asleep near the shore. His mind was not, however, free from alarm.
He could not but entertain considerable dread lest, in pursuing his
voyage up the river, he should, every evening, encounter difficulties
similar to those which he had now experienced.
Having loaded his gun and re-embarked, he set sail cautiously along the
shore; and was, not long afterwards, attacked by an alligator, which he
beat off with his club; another passed close by his boat, having a brood
of young ones, a hundred or more in number, following her, in a long
train. On one part of the shore Mr. Bartram beheld a great number of
hillocks, or small pyramids, in shape resembling haycocks, and ranged
like an encampment. They were on a high marsh, fifteen or twenty yards
from the water, and each about four feet in height. He knew them to be
the nests of alligators, and now expected a furious and general attack,
as he saw several large alligators swimming near them. Notwithstanding
this he was determined to land and examine them. Accordingly, he ran his
canoe on shore; and, having ascended a sloping bank or road which led to
the place, he found that most of the nests were deserted, and thick
whitish egg-shells lay broken and scattered upon the ground around them.
These nests were in the form of obtuse cones, and were constructed with
mud, grass, and herbage. In the formation of them, the alligators had
made a kind of floor of these substances, upon the ground; on this they
had deposited a layer of eggs, and upon that a stratum of mortar, seven
or eight inches in thickness, and then another layer of eggs; and, in
this manner, one stratum upon another, nearly to the top. Mr. Bartram
supposes that the eggs are hatched by the heat of the sun; and that the
female alligator carefully watches her own nest of eggs until they are
all hatched. He says it is certain that the young ones are not left to
shift for themselves, for he had frequent opportunities of seeing female
alligators leading about the shores their offspring, as a hen does her
chickens.
After having gratified his curiosity, he continued his voyage up the
river. In his progress he observed several small floating islands. The
swamps on the banks of the river were, in general, three or four feet
above the level of the water; and the timber upon them was large, but
thinly scattered. The black mould of these swamps was covered with a
succulent and tender kind of grass, which, when chewed, was sweet and
agreeable to the taste, somewhat like young sugar-canes. Alligators were
still numerous. Exposed, during the day, to the rays of a vertical sun,
Mr. Bartram experienced great inconvenience in rowing his canoe against
the stream; and, at night, he was annoyed by the stings of musquitoes,
and he was obliged to be constantly on guard against the attacks of
alligators. In one instance an alligator, of immense size, came up to
his tent, and approached within six feet of him, when he was awakened by
the screaming owl. Starting up, he seized his musket, which, during the
night, he always kept under his head; and the animal, alarmed by the
noise, rushed again into the water.
In many places the banks of the river were ornamented with hanging
garlands of various climbing vegetables, both shrubs and plants. One of
these had white flowers, each as big as a small funnel, the tube five or
six inches in length, and not thicker than a tobacco-pipe. It was
curious to observe the wild squash, (a species of cucurbita,) which grew
upon the lofty limbs of the trees: its yellow fruit, somewhat of the
size and shape of a large orange, pendant over the water. In some parts
there were steep cliffs on each side of the river. During the middle of
the day the weather was so intensely hot, that Mr. Bartram was obliged
to seek for shelter under the shade of the trees which grew upon the
banks.
He passed another lake, the eastern shores of which were adorned with
dark, high forests: on the north and south were apparently endless
plains and meadows, embellished with islets and promontories covered
with trees. Whilst he was navigating this lake, he was exposed to the
most tremendous storm of thunder and lightning that he had ever
witnessed. The lofty forests bent beneath the fury of the blast, and the
sturdy limbs of the trees cracked under the weight of the wind. Groves
were torn up; and the spreading branches of the trees were rent asunder,
and, like leaves or stubble, were whirled aloft in the air. After a
while the wind and rain abated. Mr. Bartram then crossed the lake, about
a mile in length, and arrived in safety at a plantation near its
southern extremity. Here he found that nearly all the buildings had been
overturned by the hurricane; and that a hundred acres of indigo plants,
almost ripe for cutting, and several acres of sugar-canes, had been
ruined.
About four miles beyond this plantation, Mr. Bartram was shown a vast
fountain of hot mineral water, which issued from a ridge or bank of the
river, in a great cove or bay. The water, though hot and of a
disagreeable brassy and vitriolic taste, and very offensive to the
smell, was perfectly transparent, and exhibited to view a prodigious
number of fish, and alligators, which were lying about the bottom.
Mr. Bartram now returned, in his canoe, to the station called the _Upper
Store_. Thence, in company with five persons who had been commissioned
to make some commercial arrangements with the Indians, he set out for an
Indian town called _Cuscowilla_. For four or five miles they travelled
westward, over a level plain, which, before and on each side of them,
appeared like a green meadow, thinly planted with low and spreading
pine-trees. The whole surface seemed clad with grass, herbage, and low
shrubs, and with many kinds of plants, which were rare and highly
interesting. Here also many species of birds were seen, the plumage of
some of which was extremely beautiful. Snakes, lizards, and insects were
also very abundant. Beyond this plain was a hill, ornamented with a
great variety of herbaceous plants and grasses, and with a magnificent
grove of pines. After the pine-groves were passed, the travellers
entered a district called the _Sand-hills_.
They encamped, for the first night, at the _Half-way Pond_. This is a
lake, about three miles in circumference, which extends, through an
apparently spacious meadow, and beneath a chain of elevated sand-hills.
It is inhabited by numerous kinds of fish, by alligators, and by a kind
of turtles with soft shells. The latter are so large as to weigh from
twenty to thirty, and even forty pounds each. They are extremely fat and
delicious; but, if eaten to excess, are unwholesome. Numerous herds of
deer, and extensive flocks of turkeys, frequent the vicinity of this
place.
From Half-way Pond the travellers proceeded, still westward, through the
high forests of Cuscowilla. The country, for five or six miles,
presented nearly the same scenery as before. After this the sand-ridges
became higher, and their bases proportionally more extensive. The
savannahs and ponds were larger; the summits of the ridges more
gravelly; and here and there rocks, formed of a sort of concrete of sand
and shells, were seen above the sand and gravel.
Having passed an extensive and fruitful orange-grove, through a
pine-forest, and crossed two or three streams that were tributary to the
river St. John, the travellers at length came within sight of the great
and beautiful _Lake of Cuscowilla_. Their course now lay through a
magnificent forest, about nine miles in extent, and consisting of
orange-groves, overtopped by grand magnolias, palm-trees, oaks, beech,
and other trees. This forest bounded one edge of the lake; and, beyond
it, lay the town of _Cuscowilla_, the place of their destination. This
place is situated on the banks of a brook, which, at a little distance,
falls into the lake.
They were welcomed to the town, and conducted, by a party of young men
and maidens, to the house of the chief. This stood on an eminence, and
was distinguished from the other dwellings by its superior magnitude,
and by having a flag hoisted, on a high staff, at one corner. The chief,
attended by several old men, came to them, and shook them by their
hands, or rather their arms, (a form of salutation peculiar to the
American Indians,) saying at the same time, "You are come." They
followed him into an apartment prepared for their reception.
The following customs are practised towards their guests, by the Indians
in this part of America. The pipe being filled, it is handed round to
each. After this a large bowl, containing what is called "thin drink,"
is brought, and is set down on a low table. In the bowl is a great
wooden ladle: each person takes up in the ladle as much of the liquor as
he pleases; and, after drinking until he is satisfied, he returns it
into the bowl, pushing the handle towards the next person in the circle;
and so it goes round.
On the present occasion, after the usual compliments had passed, the
principal trader informed the Indian chief, in the presence of his
council or attendants, respecting the purport of their business; and
with this the chief expressed his satisfaction. When the latter was
informed concerning the object of Mr. Bartram's journey, he received him
with complaisance; giving him unlimited permission to travel over his
country, for the purpose of collecting plants, and saluting him by the
name of _Pug Puggy_, or "Flower-hunter."
This chief was a tall, well-formed man, very affable and cheerful, about
sixty years of age. His eyes were lively and full of lustre, his
countenance was manly and placid, yet ferocious; his nose aquiline, and
his dress extremely simple; but his head was ornamented in the manner of
the Creek Indians. He had been a great warrior, and had now, attending
him as slaves, many captives, which had been taken by himself when
young. They were dressed better than he, and served and waited upon him
with signs of the most abject humility. The manners and customs of these
Indians, who are called _Alachuas_, and of most of the lower _Creeks_ or
_Siminoles_, appear evidently tinctured with Spanish civilization. There
are several Christians among them, many of whom wear little silver
crucifixes, affixed to a collar round their necks, or suspended by a
small chain upon their breasts.
Mr. Bartram and his party had not long been here, before the repast was
brought in. This consisted of venison stewed in bear's oil, of fresh
corn-cakes, milk, and a dish called homony; and the drink was honey and
water, very cool and agreeable.
A few days after this some negotiations took place between the traders
and the Indians, in the public square or council-house. These having
terminated to the satisfaction of both parties, a banquet succeeded; the
ribs and choicest fat pieces of bullocks, well barbecued, were brought
into an apartment of the square: bowls and kettles of stewed flesh and
broth constituted the next course; and with these was brought in a dish,
made of the belly or paunch of an ox, not over-cleansed of its contents,
cut and minced tolerably fine, and then made into a thin kind of soup,
and seasoned with salt and aromatic herbs; but the seasoning was not
quite strong enough to overpower the original taste and smell. This is a
favourite dish with the Indians.
Cuscowilla is the capital of the Alachua Indians; and it, at this time,
contained about thirty habitations, each of which consisted of two
houses, nearly of the same size, about thirty feet in length, twelve
feet wide, and twelve high. Of these, one is divided into two
apartments; the cook-room, or common hall, and the lodging-room. The
other house is nearly of the same dimensions, and stands about twenty
yards from the dwelling-house. This building is two stories high, and is
constructed in a different manner from the former. Like that, it is
divided across; but the end next the dwelling-house is open on three
sides, and is supported by posts or columns. It has an open loft or
platform, the ascent to which is by a portable stair or ladder: this is
pleasant, cool, and airy; and here the master or chief of the family
retires to repose, in the hot seasons, and receives his guests or
visitors. The other half of this building is closed on all sides: the
lowest or ground part is a potatoe-house; and the upper story a granary,
for corn and other provisions.
The town of Cuscowilla stands in an extremely pleasant situation, upon a
high, swelling ridge of sand-hills, within three or four hundred yards
of a large and beautiful lake, which continually washes a sandy beach,
under a moderately high, sloping bank; terminated on one side by
extensive forests of orange-groves, and overtopped with magnolias,
palms, poplars, limes, live oaks, and other trees. The ground, between
the town and the lake, is adorned by an open grove of tall pine-trees,
which, standing at a considerable distance from each other, admit a
delightful prospect of the sparkling waters. The lake abounds with
various kinds of excellent fish and wild fowl.
The inhabitants of Cuscowilla have each a small garden attached to their
dwellings, for the purpose of producing corn, beans, tobacco, and other
useful articles; but the plantation which supplies them with their chief
vegetable provisions, is near the great Alachua savannah, and about two
miles distant. This plantation has one common enclosure, and is worked
and tended by the whole community: yet every family has its particular
part, marked off when planted; and this portion receives the common
labour and assistance, until the corn, or other articles cultivated upon
it, are ripe. Each family then gathers and deposits in its store-house
its own proper share, setting apart a small gift or contribution for a
public granary, which stands near the centre of the plantation.
Mr. Bartram made several excursions to places in the vicinity of
Cuscowilla and the Alachua Swamp. In one of these, he came to a little
clump of shrubs, where he observed several large snakes, entwined
together. They were each about four feet in length, and as thick as a
man's wrist. Mr. Bartram approached, and endeavoured to irritate them,
but they appeared perfectly harmless. Numerous herds of cattle and deer,
and many troops of horses were seen peacefully browsing on the grass of
the savannah, or strolling through the groves on the surrounding
heights. Large flocks of wild turkeys were also observed in the woods.
At some distance from Cuscowilla, is an Indian town called
_Talahasochte_, which Mr. Bartram some time afterwards visited. It is
delightfully situated on the elevated east bank of a river called
_Little St. John's_. The habitations were, at this time, about thirty in
number, and constructed like those of Cuscowilla; but the council-house
was neater and more spacious.
The Indians of this town have large and handsome canoes, which they form
out of the trunks of cypress-trees: some of them are sufficiently
commodious to accommodate twenty or thirty persons. In these canoes they
descend the river, on trading and hunting excursions, as far as the
sea-coast, to the neighbouring islands and shores; and they sometimes
even cross the Gulf of Florida to the West India Islands.
In this neighbourhood are seen many singular and unaccountable cavities.
These are funnel-shaped; and some of them are from twenty to forty yards
across at the rim. Their perpendicular depth is, in many instances,
upwards of twenty feet.
At this time, nearly the whole of East Florida, and a great portion of
West Florida, were in the possession of Indians; and these chiefly a
tribe called _Siminoles_, an apparently contented and happy race of
people, who enjoyed, in superabundance, the necessaries and the
conveniences of life. With the skins of deer, bears, tigers, and wolves,
together with honey, wax, and other productions of their country, this
people purchased, from Europeans, clothing, equipage, and domestic
utensils. They seemed to be free from want or desires: they had no enemy
to dread; and, apparently, nothing to occasion disquietude, except the
gradual encroachments of the white people.
Mr. Bartram returned to the trading-store, on the bank of the river St.
John; and, about the end of September, he reached the place from which
he had commenced his voyage.
* * * * *
We must now proceed, across the southern states, to the mouth of the
Mississippi, for the purpose of tracing the course of that astonishing
river, and describing the most important places in its vicinity.
Fourteen Day's Instruction.