THE OCKLA WAHA RIVER.


with dense, dark foliage decorated with great fringes of
moss. These covered passages are solemn and impressive
at any time; but in the night, when lighted up by the
blaze of the brilliant bonfire burning on the roof of the
wheel-house, then the scene is quite indescribable. The
inky water, the lights and shadows of the foliage, the dis-
turbed birds ap they wheel gracefully out of sight, all leave
an impression never to be forgotten.
 SEarly the next morning, Silver Spring was reached, and
after an excellent breakfast all went ashore. There is noth-
ing especially interesting about the locality except the
spring. Boats were in readiness, and all enjoyed a row
over its translucent surface, and wondered at its marvelous
clearness-so clear are the waters, that small pebbles lying
on the bottom, sixty-five feet below, can easily be distin-


guished. We dropped in several small pieces
the size of a silver dime, and could plainly
the bottom; and a tenpenny nail, dropped in
watched as it descended, could be distinctly
resting-place far below.


of tin about
see them at
and closely
traced to its


The spring ha


s a surface area of about three ac:


the very commonplace, flat, circular shore is mostly
with a growth of heavy pine and thickets of und4
The sides beneath the surface of the water are nea
tical; in fact, the spring is very like a great pun
sunk in the earth. The water boils up from invisible
in the bottom, so evenly and quietly, that not a m
observable on the surface, and so copiously that a d
navigable river about one hundred feet wide is fo
the start, and in seven miles reaches a junction v
Ocklawaha.
 After a thorough inspection of this wonder of
we rode over to Qcala, six miles distant, arriving
season to enjoy a dinner at the comfortable, old-fa
tavern. The drive from the spring wa3 mostly


res, and
covered
erbrush.
rly ver-
ch-bowl
sources
Lotion is
eep and
rmed at
ith the


nature,
there in
Lshioned
through