THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER. 119

twenty-sIx miles distant), where it opens up the famous
Lake Eustis and Lake Dora region, the equal-even the su-
perior-of any region in Florida for superb scenery, excel-
lent soil, rapid growth, and healthy enterprise.
 From Astor it is three miles up to Bluffton, a common-
place post-office landing; and two miles above is the en-
trance to Lake Dexter, on the east shore, a fine little lake
containing a number of pretty islands, and affording an out-
let for Spring Garden and a good back country. From the
entrance it is twelve miles up to St. Francis, an unattractive
landing on an elevated site, once the location of an old-time
Spanish settlement. Six miles above is Hawkinsville, on
the west shore, a mail-landing with two or three houses on
a level clearing of evidently fertile soil, judging from the
thrifty appearance of the oranges and bananas growing there.
It is remarkable for an extensive quarry or bed of coquina,
or shell-rock, the only formation of the kind in this section
of the State or along the entire river.
 De Land Landing is one mile above, a solitary, neatly
constructed storehouse on the east shore, the port of De
Land village, which lies four and a half miles in the interior.
It is three miles more to Lake Beresford, a pretty sheet of
water lying on and adjoining the river on the east side.
Here the steamer enters and crosses the small lake to Ros-
siter's, and Alexander's, two landings near each other, small
settlements of three or four cheap, rude little buildings,
the ports of the Spring Garden and De Land villages and
an excellent adjacent region of fertile soil and numerous
settlers.
 Again passing up the river, from the entrance of the
lake it is five miles to Blue Springs on the east shore, a
rather interesting landing-place, a wharf, roadway, one resi-
dence on a little hill surrounded by a number of exceedingly
large orange-trees that annually bear a thousand and more
oranges each. The spring, that gives the name, is just
 6