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As for autumn and harvest-time, the crops are being continually gathered in. So since the year came in I have seen various plants and shrubs in bloom that ought to open with spring. Up the Ocklawaha in January I saw the blackberry or dewberry in blossom; and ever since, along the St. John's in that month and February, on the banks of the St.
Here we embarked on a comfortable steamer, and sailed nearly twenty-four hours down the incomparable Ocklawaha River, through scenes that are indescribably picturesque; under arches of gigantic trees covered with sombrely beautiful Spanish mosses and trumpet creeper vines, where all day long are heard the ecstatic songs of mockingbirds, and where flutter the plumages of all the colors of the rainbow.
But the fishing-rivers are not the most curious, nor the most instructive as to diversity of climate, soil, and that sort of thing physical geography, the teacher calls it. For instance, if you want to get a good idea of what tropical heat and moisture will do for a country, slip your canoe from a Florida steamer into the Ocklawaha River.
He looked the paper over, but he and Mr. Tiffany were almost as much perplexed over it as Owen had been. "We must go up the St. Johns to Enterprise, at least, and up the Ocklawaha to Lake Griffin," said the Colonel. "But the Sylvania draws too much water to go far beyond Pilatka. After we get the anthracite coal out of the bunkers we shall carry up eight feet," I replied. "Carry up eight feet!
I have no time to fool with you. I shall engage a pilot to-night for the up-river trip, if you cannot go with me," I added, indignantly. "I think I can go with you; in other words, I will go with you. It is not possible to go up the Ocklawaha in this steamer," said Cornwood, suddenly changing front, somewhat to my regret.
"O, yes; steamers run in the night up the Ocklawaha," replied Cornwood. "But they can see nothing, even in a moonlight night, under the trees that shade the stream in so many places," added the English gentleman. "On the forward part of the boat they have fires of light wood, which illuminate their course for some distance ahead.
So the Ocklawaha River and a score of its kind roam through the woods, or maybe it is the woods that roam through them, and the moss sways from the live-oaks, and the cypress trees stick their knees up through the water in the oddest way imaginable. In Florida one may have another odd experience: a river ride in an ox-cart.
The beautiful Silver Spring, near the head of the Ocklawaha, with its sandy bottom plainly visible at the depth of eighty feet, was thought to be the source of the life-giving waters, but, though Ponce de Leon heard of this, he never succeeded in fighting his way to it through the jungle.
"The masts and yards would be carried away by the trees that overhang the stream, and she draws too much water for the Ocklawaha or the upper St. Johns." "That matter is settled, then, and I will report to Colonel Shepard. Will you explain to me where we can go in this steamer."
It was with no small relief, therefore, that we saw the two men approaching the fort early on the third day. They brought the satisfactory intelligence that the Government had sent a steam-vessel up the river to the mouth of the Ocklawaha, above which she could not proceed, but that a smaller craft had been despatched up the stream to Silver Spring with stores for the garrison.
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