Next a council and treaty was held. They requested to have a trading house again established in the town, assuring us that every possible means should constantly be pursued to prevent any disturbance in future on their part; they informed us that the murderers of M’Gee[[38]] and his associates were to be put to death; that two of them were already shot, and they were in pursuit of the other.
Our chief trader in answer, informed them that the re-establishment of friendship and trade was the chief object of his visit, and that he was happy to find his old friends of Talahasochte in the same good disposition, as they ever were towards him and the white people; that it was his with to trade with them, and that he was now come to collect his pack-horses to bring them goods. The king and the chiefs having been already acquainted with my business and pursuits amongst them, received me very kindly; the king in particular complimented me, saying that I was as one of his own children or people, and should be protected accordingly, while I remained with them; adding, “Our whole country is before you, where you may range about at pleasure, gather physic plants and flowers, and every other production:” thus the treaty terminated friendly and peaceably.
Next day early in the morning we left the town and the river, in order to fix our encampment in the forests about twelve miles from the river; our companions with the pack-horses went ahead to the place of rendezvous, and our chief conducted me another way to show me a very curious place, called the Alligator-Hole, which was lately formed by an extraordinary eruption or jet of water. It is one of those vast circular sinks which we beheld almost every where about us as we traversed these forests, after we left the Alachua savanna. This remarkable one is on the verge of a spacious meadow, the surface of the ground round about uneven by means of gentle rising knolls: some detached groups of rocks and large spreading Live-Oaks shade it on every side: it is about sixty yards over, and the surface of the water six or seven feet below the rim of the funnel or bason: the water is transparent, cool, and pleasant to drink, and well stored with fish; a very large alligator at present is lord or chief; many have been killed here, but the throne is never long vacant, the vast neighbouring ponds so abound with them.
The account that this gentleman, who was an eye-witness of the last eruption, gave me of its first appearance; being very wonderful, I proceed to relate what he told me whilst we were in town, which was confirmed by the Indians, and one or more of our companions, who also saw its progress, as well as my own observations after I came to the ground.
This trader being near the place (before it had any visible existence in its present appearance), about three years ago, as he was looking for some horses which he expected to find in these parts, on a sudden, he was astonished by an inexpressible rushing noise, like a mighty hurricane or thunder storm; and looking round, he saw the earth overflowed by torrents of water, which came, wave after wave, rushing down a vale or plain very near him, which it filled with water, and soon began to overwhelm the higher grounds, attended with a terrific noise and tremor of the earth. Recovering from his first surprise, he immediately resolved to proceed for the place from whence the noise seemed to come; and soon came in sight of the incomparable fountain, and saw, with amazement, the floods rushing upwards many feet high, and the expanding waters, which prevailed every way, spreading themselves far and near. He at length concluded (he said) that the fountains of the deep were again broken up, and that an universal deluge had commenced; and instantly turned about and fled to alarm the town, about nine miles distance: but before he could reach it, he met several of the inhabitants, who, already alarmed by the unusual noise, were hurrying on towards the place; upon which he returned with the Indians, taking their stand on an eminence to watch its progress and the event. It continued to jet and flow in this manner for several days, forming a large, rapid creek or river, descending and following the various courses and windings of the valley, for the distance of seven or eight miles, emptying itself into a vast savanna, where was a lake and sink which received and gave vent to its waters.
The fountain, however, gradually ceased to overflow, and finally withdrew itself beneath the common surface of the earth, leaving this capacious bason of waters, which, though continually near full, hath never since overflowed. There yet remains, and will, I suppose, remain for ages, the dry bed of the river or canal, generally four, five, and six feet below the natural surface of the land; the perpendicular, ragged banks of which, on each side, show the different strata of the earth, and at places, where ridges or a swelling bank crossed and opposed its course and fury, are vast heaps of fragments of rocks, white chalk, stones, and pebbles, which were collected and thrown into the lateral vallies, until the main stream prevailed over and forced them aside, overflowing the levels and meadows, for some miles distance from the principal stream, on either side. We continued down the great vale, along its banks, quite to the savanna and lake where it vented itself, while its ancient subterranean channel was gradually opening, which, I imagine, from some hidden event or cause had been choaked up, and which, we may suppose, was the immediate cause of the eruption.
In the evening having gained our encampment, on a grassy knoll or eminence, under the cover of spreading oaks, just by the grotto or sink of the lake, which lay as a sparkling gem on the flowery bosom of the ample savanna; our roving associates soon came in from ranging the forests. We continued our encampment at this place for several days, ranging around the delightful country to a great distance, every day’s excursion presenting new scenes of wonder and delight.
Early in the morning our chief invited me with him on a visit to the town, to take a final leave of the White King. We were graciously received, and treated with the utmost civility and hospitality: there was a noble entertainment and repast provided against our arrival, consisting of bears ribs, venison, varieties of fish, roasted turkeys (which they call the white man’s dish), hot corn cakes, and a very agreeable cooling sort of jelly, which they call conte: this is prepared from the root of the China brier (Smilax pseudo-China; Smilax aspera, fructu nigro, radice nodosa, magna, lævi, farinacea. Sloan, tom I. p. 31. t. 143. f. I. habit. Jamaica, Virginia, Carolina, and Florida): they chop the roots in pieces, which are afterwards well pounded in a wooden mortar, then being mixed with clean water, in a tray or trough, they strain it through baskets, the sediment, which settles to the bottom of the second vessel, is afterwards dried in the open air, and is then a very fine reddish flour or meal: a small quantity of this mixed with warm water and sweetened with honey, when cool, becomes a beautiful, delicious jelly, very nourishing and wholesome. They also mix it with fine corn flour, which being fried in fresh bear’s oil makes very good hot cakes or fritters.
On our taking leave of the king and head men, they entreated our chief to represent to the white people, their unfeigned desire to bury in oblivion the late breach of amity and intermission of commerce, which they trusted would never be reflected on the people of Talahasochte; and, lastly, that we would speedily return with merchandize as heretofore; all which was cheerfully consented to, assuring them their wishes and sentiments fully coincided with ours.
The chief trader, intending to show me some remarkable barren plains, on our return to our encampment, about noon we sat off: when we came within sight of them, I was struck with astonishment at their dreary appearance; the view Southerly seemed endless wastes, presenting rocky, gravelly and sandy barren plains, producing scarcely any vegetable substances, except a few shrubby, crooked Pine trees, growing out of heaps of white rocks, which represented ruins of villages, planted over the plains; with clumps of mean shrubs, which served only to perpetuate the persecuting power and rage of fire, and to testify the aridity of the soil. The shrubs I observed were chiefly the following, Myrica cerifera, two or three varieties, one of which is very dwarfish, the leaves small, yet toothed or sinuated, of a yellowish green colour, owing to a farinaceous pubesence or vesicula which covers their surfaces; Prinos, varieties, Andromeda ferruginea, Andr. nitida, varieties, Rhamnus frangula, Sideroxylon fericium, Ilex aquifolium, Ilex myrtifolium, Empetrum, Kalmia ciliata, Cassine, and a great variety of shrub Oaks, evergreen and deciduous, some of them singularly beautiful; Corypha repens, with a great variety of herbage, particularly Cacalia, Prenanthus, Chrysocoma, Helianthus, Silphium, Lobelia, Globularia, Helenium, Polygala, varieties, Clinopodium, Cactus, various species, Euphorbia, various species, Asclepias carnosa, very beautiful and singular, Sophora, Dianthus, Cisus, Sisymbrium, Pedicularis, Gerardia, Lechea, Gnaphalium, Smilax sarsaparilla, Smilax pumila, Solidago, Aster, Lupinus filifolius, Galega, Hedysarum, &c. with various species of grasses. But there appeared vast spaces of gravel and plains of flat rocks, just even with the surface of the earth, which seemed entirely destitute of any vegetation, unless we may except some different kinds of mosses of the crustaceous sorts, as lichen, alga, &c. and coralloides. After passing several miles on the borders of these deserts, frequently alighting on them for observation and making collections, they at length gradually united or joined with infinite savannas and ponds stretching beyond the sight Southerly, parallel with the rocky barrens, being separated only by a narrow, low, rocky ridge of open groves, consisting of low, spreading Live Oaks, Zanthoxylon, Ilex, Sideroxylon, &c.; and here and there, standing either in groups or alone, the pompous Palm tree, gloriously erect or gracefully bowing towards the earth; exhibiting a most pleasing contrast and wild Indian scene of primitive unmodified nature, ample and magnificent. We at length came abreast of the expansive, glittering lake, which divided the ample meadows, one end of which stretching towards a verdant eminence, formed a little bay, which was partly encircled by groups of white chalky rocks, shaded with Live Oaks, Bays, Zanthoxylon and Palm trees. We turned our horses to graze in the green lawns, whilst we traversed the groves and meadows. Here the palmated Convolvulus trailed over the rocks, with the Hedera carnosa (fol. quinatis inciso-serratis, perennentibus), and the fantastic Clitoria, decorating the shrubs with garlands (Clit. caule volubili fol. ternatis pennetisque, flor. majore cæruleo, vexillo rotundiore, siliquis longissimis compressis.)