TOUR


OF THE STATE.


a daughter of about sixteen, from Ohio; and a lady resid-
ing in Jacksonville, with three small children and a nurse.
The latter was on an excursion-trip, up and return; and
those three children, that is to say, the two eldest boys,
kept the entire party in an uneasy fidget for fear that they
would or wouldn't get drowned.


 The morning of the third
and from this point the trip
ing.* The St. John's above
below Lake Jessup) is little
crooked creek. Passing out
entered this narrow stream,


day found
was novel
Lake Mo
more than
of Lake J
and found


us in Lake Jessup,
as well as interest-
nroe (twelve miles
a narrow and very
ressup, we at once
ourselves in a re-


gion differing wholly from any other portion of the St.
John's country. It is a flat, level region of savannas, much
resembling the vast prairies of Illinois. In all directions
the eye ranges to the horizon, with nothing to break the
monotony. But though monotonous, it is not uninterest-
ing. These savannas, or prairies, are everywhere densely
covered with luxuriant growths of marshy grasses and


maiden-cane (the latter a tall,
the sugar-cane species, in ap]
fields of wheat, ten to fifteen
clumps of timber, consisting
four trees, and sometimes be
The trees are nearly or quite


slender, waving
pearance closely
Feet high), with
sometimes of bu
ing several acres
all of palmetto, a


growth of
resembling
occasional
t three or
in extent.
nd lend a


distinctively tropical appearance to the scenery. They
much resemble small islands dotted over the surface of a
great lake.
 Throughout that entire region were to be seen hun-
dreds of cattle grazing on the rich vegetation, which is
said to be greatly liked by tlem, and very fattening. One
herd alone, owned by J. M. Lanier, numbers over twenty
thousand head, and there are several other herds fully

 The lower St. John's is fully described in another chapter.