rPREFACE.


whom he made in the course of his travels; and his pe-
rusal of the multifarious inquiries addressed to the State
Bureau of Immigration, at Jacksonville, convinced him
that there is a real demand for an adequate and trust-


worthy descriptive work on Florida.


With


the excep-


tion of a few


brief


pamphlets,


written for the


most


part in the interest of some land scheme or other spec-
ulative enterprise, there appears to be really no publi-


cation


(except


the Bureau


Immigration


pamphlet)


which answers practical


questions


in a


practical


man-


ner;


and even


those books designed


for transient vis-


itors have been rendered wofully inadequate and anti-


quated by the progress that has


been achieved


during


the past few years.
 The present volume is the result of personal obser-


vation and study; and is wri
to do justice to all parts of


tten with a sincere desire
the State, and to describe


accurately and with precision its real resources and ad-


vantages.


It is written for


Florida entire, and not in


the interest of any corporation, speculative scheme, or


special locality.


Having no land to sell, and no personal


interest of any kind


to further, the author


has found


little difficulty in following Othello's injunction,
to extenuate, nor set down aught in malice."


Where so many have aided him


and suggestions,


"naught
 C5


with information


the author feels that it is almost in-


vidious to name only a few; yet he can not forbear thus


explicitly


acknowledging


his obligations to


the Hon.