THE


G ULF-COAST


AND


KEY WEST.


station and crossing is distant fifte
to within a short distance of the
river are low, and in many places
tion the banks are high and the so
tor pointed out a lemon-tree near
old, that had produced about one
of them were hanging on the tree,
skinned and very juicy. We are
not far distant when the lemons
drive the diminutive, and, to a
lemons of the Mediterranean from
 "From the tele-
graph station to
Fort Donand, dis-
tant twenty miles
in a direct line, but
more than twice as
many by the course


of the
stream
varying
hundred
to four
feet in


river, the
is narrow,
from one
and fifty
hundred
width, but


en miles.


From the fort


station the banks of the
swampy. Near the sta-
il excellent. The opera-
the house, not five years
thousand lemons. A few
and I found them thin-
satisfied that the time is
of Southern Florida will
certain extent, juiceless
the American markets.


-4

 A


very aeep. Be-
tween these points
the banks of the riv-
er are high, and, in
some places, almost
perpendicular. In 2
many of the reach- TH CABBAGE-PALM.
es, to make a land-
ing without a ladder would be a troublesome undertaking.
Along the river rich hammocks exist, clothed-with a growth
of small live-oaks and cabbage-palms; back of this a belt
of pine-timber, and then the open prairie, covered with
luxuriant and nutritive grass. From our own observations,
and information obtained, the belt of timber on the line of
the river is narrow in its whole course. The prairie on
each side of the stream is very extensive, and dotted with
what is known as 'islands'-patches of live-oak and palm,
and belts of pine of limited extent. These oases of foliage