stopped the want f water, For i8 miles the canoes had
 to be dragged througl#flud an saw grass, '
 "The Indian guide who accompanied Capt. Dawson
 stated that the country was greatly changed since he had
 crossed it 16 years before, and that the keys were larger and
 more numerous. Settlerswho have resided upon the Miami
 river for ro or 12 years assert that the gradual filling up of
 the Everglades has been very perceptible. It would be reas-
 onable to infer from the nature of the country that this must -
 have been the case. 5e ate examinations wou
 seem to establish the fact thatat present, during tedry sea- p4 4
 sons, theEverglades are impassable. Only duL Ighe high AC 7A
 sta es of 'ter would it be possible to cross.' i L
 ou bess a s en to a large iV-.- 'i -
 extent filled up by the enormous vegetable growth, the drain- _.-
 f ^ age by the various streams, whose heads or rapids are gradu-
 ally working farther into the body of the glades, has had
1/.3 much to do with this apparent filling up. The evidence is
1 .2 that the drainage has had more effect on the apparent altitude
A, A.of the surface than has the filling up.
;F 0 Large areas covering many square miles which but a few
 years ago were marshes covered with saw grass and rushes,
 are now open meadows, dry at all seasons, excepting the
 rainy months, affording pasture for many thousand heads of
 cattle. The falls or rapids at the heads of all streams running
 from the glades have evidently receded towards the center
 of the glades and Lake Okeechobee several miles since the
 report above quoted was made.
 7- The islands in many cases have joined, field notes, made .
 S by early surveyors showing open glades of saw grass and
 j} rushes, where now are found tropical jungles of custard
 apple, cocoa plum and similar timber. The removal of the
 water from the wonderfully fertile soil is at once followed
 S I by an enormous growth of all kinds of tropical and semi-
 Ltropical vegetation.
 Excepting a few reports by surveyors and explorers little
 new information as to the Everglades was procured until
 z881, when the State of Florida contracted with the late




i t, .. ; .