The air continued sultry, and scarcely enough wind to flutter the leaves on the trees. The eastern coast of the river now opens, and presents to view ample plains, consisting of grassy marshes and green meadows, and affords a prospect almost unlimited, and extremely pleasing. The opposite shore exhibits a sublime contrast; a high bluff bearing magnificent forests of grand magnolia, glorious palms, fruitful Orange groves, Live Oaks, Bays and other trees. This grand elevation continues four or five hundred yards, discribing a gentle curve on the river, ornamented by a sublime grove of Palms, consisting of many hundreds of trees together; they entirely shade the ground under them. Above and below the bluff, the grounds gradually descend to the common level swamps on the river: at the back of this eminence open to view expansive green meadows or savannas, in which are to be seen glittering ponds of water, surrounded at a great distance by high open Pine forests and hommocks, and islets of Oaks and Bays projecting into the savannas. After ranging about these solitary groves and peaceful shades, I re-embarked and continued some miles up the river, between elevated banks of the swamps or low lands, when on the east shore in a capacious cove or winding of the river, were pleasing fields of Pistia, and in the bottom of this cove opened to view a large creek or branch of the river, which I knew to be the entrance to a beautiful lake, on the banks of which was the farm I was going to visit, and which I designed should be the last extent of my voyage up the river.
About noon the weather became extremely sultry, not a breath of wind stirring, hazy or cloudy, with very heavy distant thunder, which was answered by the crocodiles, sure presage of a storm!
Soon after ascending this branch of the river, on the right hand presents itself to view a delightful little bluff, consisting chiefly of shells, and covered with a dark grove of Red Cedar, Zanthoxylon and Myrtle, I could not resist the temptation to stop here, although the tremendous thunder all around the hemisphere alarmed me greatly, having a large lake to cross. From this grove appears to view, an expansive and pleasing prospect. The beauteous long lake in front, about North East from me, its most distant east shores adorned with dark, high forests of stately trees; North and South almost endless green plains and meadows, embellished with islets and projecting promontories of high, dark forests, where the pyramidal Magnolia grandiflora, Palma elata and shady Oak conspicuously tower.
Being heretofore so closely invested, by high forests and deep swamps of the great river, I was prevented from seeing the progress and increase of the approaching tempest, the terrific appearance of which now at once confounded me. How purple and fiery appeared the tumultuous clouds, swiftly ascending or darting from the horizon upwards! they seemed to oppose and dash against each other; the skies appeared streaked with blood or purple flame overhead, the flaming lightning streaming and darting about in every direction around, seemed to fill the world with fire; whilst the heavy thunder kept the earth in a constant tremor. I had yet some hopes of crossing the lake to the plantation in sight. On the opposite shore of the creek before me, and on the cape as we enter the lake, stood a large islet or grove of Oaks and Palms. Here I intended to seek shelter, and abide till the fury of the hurricane was overpast, if I found it too violent to permit me to cross the lake. In consequence of this precipitate determination, I stepped into my boat and pushed off. What a dreadful rushing and roaring there was every where around me! and to my utter confusion and astonishment, I could not find from what particular quarter its strongest current or direction came, whereby I might have a proper chance of taking measures of securing a harbour or running from it. The high forests behind me bent to the blast; and the sturdy limbs of the trees cracked. I had by this time got up a breast of the grove or hommock: the hurricane close by, pursuing me, I found it dangerous and imprudent in the highest degree to put in here, as the groves were already torn up, and the spreading limbs of the ancient Live Oaks were flying over my head, and carried about in the air as leaves and stubble. I ran by and boldly entered the lake (being hurried in by a strong current, which seemed a prodigy, the violent wind driving the stream of the creek back again into the lake), and as soon as possible took shelter under the high reedy bank of the lake, and made fast my bark to the boughs of a low shrubby Hickory, that leaned over the water. Such was the violence of the wind, that it raised the waters on the opposite shores of the lake several feet perpendicular, and there was a rapid flow of water from the creek into it, which was contrary to its natural course. Such floods of rain fell during the space of half or three quarters of an hour, that my boat was filled, and I expected every moment when I should see her sink to the bottom of the lake; and the violence of the wind kept the cable so constantly extended, that it was beyond my ability to get to her. My box, which contained my books of specimens and other collections, was floating about in her; and for a great part of the time the rain came down with such rapidity, and fell in such quantities, that every object was totally obscured, excepting the continual streams or rivers of lightning, pouring from the clouds. All seemed a frightful chaos. When the wind and rain abated, I was overjoyed to see the face of nature again appear.
It took me an hour or more to clear the water out of my bark. I then crossed the lake before a brisk and favourable breeze (it was about a mile over), and landed safely at the plantation.
When I arrived, my friend was affrighted to see me, and immediately enquired of me in what manner I came there; supposing it impossible (until I had showed him my boat) that I could have arrived by water through so tremendous a hurricane.
Indeed I saw plainly that they were greatly terrified, having suffered almost irreparable damages from the violence of the storm. All the buildings on the plantation, except his own dwelling-house, were laid almost flat to the ground, or the logs and roof rent asunder and twisted about; the mansion-house shook and reeled over their heads. He had nearly one hundred acres of the Indigo plant almost ripe for the first cutting, which was nearly ruined; and several acres of very promising Sugar-cane, totally spoiled for the season. The great Live Oaks which had been left standing about the fields, were torn to pieces, their limbs lying scattered over the ground: and one very large one which stood near his house torn down, which could not have been done by the united strength of a thousand men. But what is incredible, in the midst of this devastation and ruin, providentially no lives were lost; although there were about sixty Negro slaves on the plantation, and most of them in their huts when the storm came on, yet they escaped with their lives, though several were badly wounded.
I continued here three days: indeed it took most of the time of my abode with him, to dry my books and specimens of plants. But with attention and care I saved the greatest number of them; though some were naturally so delicate and fragile, that it was impossible to recover them. Here is a vast body of land belonging to this estate; of high ridges fit for the culture of Corn, Indigo, Cotton, Batatas, &c. and of low swamps and marshes, which when properly drained and tilled, would be suitable for Rice. These rich low grounds when drained and ridged, are as productive as the natural high land, and vastly more durable, especially for Sugar-cane, Corn and even Indigo; but this branch of agriculture being more expensive, these rich lands are neglected, and the upland only is under culture. The farm is situated on the east shore of the beautiful Long Lake, which is above two miles long, and near a mile broad. This lake communicates with the St. Juan, by the little river which I ascended, which is about one mile and an half in length, and thirty or forty yards wide. The river, as well as the lake, abounds with fish and wild fowl of various kinds, and incredible numbers, especially during the winter season, when the geese and ducks arrive here from the North.
New Smyrna,[[20]] a pretty thriving town, is a colony of Creeks and Minorquines, established by Mr. Turnbull, on the Mosquito river and very near its mouth; it is about thirty miles over land from this farm.
My friend rode with me, about four miles distance from the house, to show me a vast fountain of warm, or rather hot mineral water, which issued from a high ridge or bank on the river, in a great cove or bay, a few miles above the mouth of the creek which I ascended to the lake; it boils up with great force, forming immediately a vast circular bason, capacious enough for several shallops to ride in, and runs with rapidity into the river three or four hundred yards distance. This creek, which is formed instantly by this admirable fountain, is wide and deep enough for a sloop to sail up into the bason. The water is perfectly diaphanous, and here are continually a prodigious number and variety of fish; they appear as plain as though lying on a table before your eyes, although many feet deep in the water. This tepid water has a most disagreeable taste, brassy and vitriolic, and very offensive to the smell, much like bilge water, or the washings of a gun-barrel, and is smelt at a great distance. A pale bluish or pearl coloured coagulum covers every inanimate substance that lies in the water, as logs, limbs of trees, &c. Alligators and gar were numerous in the bason, even at the apertures where the ebullition emerges through the rocks; as also many other tribes of fish. In the winter season several kinds of fish and aquatic animals migrate to these warm fountains. The forbiding taste and smell of these waters seems to be owing to vitriolic and sulphureous fumes or vapours, and these being condensed, form this coagulum, which represents flakes of pearly clouds in the clear cerulean waters in the bason. A charming Orange grove, with Magnolias, Oaks and Palms, half surrounded this vast fountain. A delightful stream of cool salubrious water issues from the ridge, meandering along, and entering the creek just below the bason. I returned in the evening, and next day sat off again down the river.