Crossing another large deep creek of St. Juan’s, the country is a vast level plain, and the soil good for the distance of four or five miles, though light and sandy, producing a forest of stately pines and laurels, with some others; and a vast profusion of herbage, such as Rudbeckia, Helianthus, Silphium, Polymnia, Ruellia, Verbena, Rhexia, Convolvulus, Sophora, Glycine, Vitia, Clitorea, Ipomea, Urtica, Salvia graveolens, Viola, and many more. How cheerful and social is the rural converse of the various tribes of tree frogs, whilst they look to heaven for prolific showers! How harmonious the shrill tuneful songs of the wood thrush, and the soothing love lays of the amorous cuckoo[[31]], seated in the cool leafy branches of the stately Magnolias and shadowy Elms, Maples and Liquidambar, together with gigantic Fagus sylvatica, which shade and perfume these sequestered groves! How unexpected and enchanting the enjoyment, after traversing a burning sandy desert!
Now, again, we behold the open pine forests, and ascend the sandy hills, which continue for some miles, then gently descend again, when a level expansive savanna plain presents itself to view, which, after entering, and proceeding on, becomes wet and covered by a fine short grass, with extensive parterres of the dwarf creeping Palmetto, its stipes sharply toothed or serrated together with clumps of low shrubs, as Kalmia, Andromeda, Annona pygmea, Myrica cerifera, Empetrum, Vaccinium, and others.
We now ascend a little again, and pass through a narrow pine forest; when suddenly opens to view a vastly extensive and sedgy marsh, expanding Southerly like an open fan, seemingly as boundless as the great ocean: our road crossing the head of it, about three hundred yards over; the bottom here, was hard sand, a foot or more under a soft muddy surface. The traders informed me that these vast marshes lay on the borders of a great lake, many miles in length, in magnitude exceeding Lake George, and communicating with St. Juan’s by a river[[32]]; its confluence above the lower store at the Little Lake.
Observed as we passed over the same hills, the dens of the great land tortoise, called gopher: this strange creature remains yet undescribed by historians and travellers. The first signs of this animal’s existence, as we travel Southerly, are immediately after we cross the Savanna River. It is to be seen only on the high dry sand hills. When arrived at its greatest magnitude, the upper shell is near eighteen inches in length, and ten or twelve inches in breadth; the back is very high, and the shell of a very hard bony substance, consisting of many regular compartments, united by sutures, in the manner of the other species of tortoise, and covered with thin horny plates. The nether or belly shell is large, and regularly divided transversely, into five parts: these compartments are not knit together like the sutures of the skull, or the back shell of the tortoise, but adhere, or are connected together by a very ridgy horny cartilage, which serves as hinges for him to shut up his body within his shell at pleasure. The fore part of the belly shell towards its extremity is formed somewhat like a spade, extends forward near three inches, and is about an inch and an half in breadth; its extremity is a little bifid, the posterior division of the belly shell, is likewise protended backwards considerably, and is deeply bifurcated.
The legs and feet are covered with flat horny squamæ; he seems to have no clefts in them or toes, but long flattish nails or talons, somewhat in resemblance to the nails of the human fingers, five on the fore feet; the hind legs or feet appear as if truncated, or as stumps of feet, armed all round with sharp, flattish strong nails, the number undetermined or irregular; the head is of a moderate size; the upper mandible a little hooked, the edges hard and sharp; the eyes are large; the nose picked; the nostrils near together and very minute; the general colour of the animal is a light ash or clay, and at a distance, unless it is in motion, any one would disregard or overlook it as a stone or an old stump. It is astonishing what a weight one of these creatures will bear; it will easily carry any man standing on its back, on level ground. They form great and deep dens in the sand hills, casting out incredible quantities of earth. They are esteemed excellent food. The eggs are larger than a musket ball, perfectly round, and the shell hard.
After crossing over this point or branch of the marshes, we entered a noble forest, the land level, and the soil fertile, being a loose, dark brown, coarse sandy loam, on a clay or marley foundation: the forests were orange groves, overtoped by grand Magnolias, Palms, Live Oaks, Juglans cinerea, Morus rubra, Fagus sylvatica, Tilia and Liquidambar, with various kinds of shrubs and herbaceous plants, particularly Callicarpa, Halesia, Sambucus, Zanthoxylon, Ptelea, Rhamnus frangula, Rudbeckia, Silphium, Polymnia, Indigo fera, Sophora, Salvia graveolens, &c. We were cheerfully received in this hospitable shade, by various tribes of birds; their sprightly songs seemed a prelude to the vicinity of human habitations. This magnificent grove was a wing of the vast forests lying upon the coast of the great and beautiful lake of Cuscowilla, at no great distance from us. Continuing eight or nine miles through this sublime forest, we entered on an open forest of lofty pines and oaks, on gently swelling sand hills, and presently saw the lake, its waters sparkling through the open groves. Near the path was a large artificial mound of earth, on a most charming, high situation, supposed to be the work of the ancient Floridans or Yamasees; with other traces of an Indian town. Here were three or four Indian habitations; the women and children saluted us with cheerfulness and complaisance. After riding near a mile farther, we arrived at Cuscowilla, near the banks: a pretty brook of water ran through the town, and entered the lake just by.
We were welcomed to the town, and conducted by the young men and maidens to the chief’s house, which stood on an eminence, and was distinguished from the rest by its superior magnitude, a large flag being hoisted on a high staff at one corner. We immediately alighted: the chief, who is called the Cowkeeper, attended by several ancient men, came to us, and in a very free and sociable manner, shook our hands, or rather arms, (a form of salutation peculiar to the American Indians) saying at the same time, “You are come.” We followed him to an apartment prepared for the reception of their guests.
The pipe being filled, it is handed around; after which a large bowl, with what they call “thin drink,” is brought in and set down on a small low table. In this bowl is a great wooden ladle; each person takes up in it as much as he pleases, and after drinking until satisfied, returns it again into the bowl, pushing the handle towards the next person in the circle; and so it goes round.
After the usual compliments and enquiries relative to our adventures, &c. the chief trader informed the Cowkeeper, in the presence of his council or attendants, the purport of our business, with which he expressed his satisfaction. He was then informed what the nature of my errand was, and he received me with complaisance, giving me unlimited permission to travel over the country for the purpose of collecting flowers, medicinal plants, &c. saluting me by the name of PUC PUGGY, or the Flower hunter, recommending me to the friendship and protection of his people.
The next day being agreed on to hold a council and transact the business of our embassy, we acquainted the chief with our intention of making our encampment on the borders of the great ALACHUA SAVANNA, and to return at the time appointed to town, to attend the council according to agreement.