since become Mr. Perpall's, one of the most respectable inhabitants of St. Augustine.

The river, from Mount Oswald, runs in a direct line south to the Pelican Islands, is from one to two miles wide, and navigable for small craft, having from four to five feet water; and from these islands to Mosquito bar along the Halifax, for six miles, it has from eight to ten feet water, the bar having seven feet at low water, and the tide flowing about six feet.

Hillsborough River, flowing from the south, and Halifax river from the north, meet, and are both discharged into the sea. It is navigable for ten miles south, and presents at Smyrna a commodious and safe harbour, and is easy of access; the bar has eight feet at low water.

About Musquito Inlet, the country is low, and chiefly salt marsh; the highlands are covered with the cabbage and papau trees, and various tropical plants. Three miles distant from this is the Old Settlement by Dr. Turnbull, who, in 1763, brought out from the Mediterranean 1,500 Minorcans, and with much trouble and expense began to cultivate the cane and the indigo plant; some dissatisfaction prevailed, and these people retired to St. Augustine, where, from habits of industry, they improved the lands near the town, and became easy in their circumstances, and many of them happy and wealthy.

At New Smyrna, already mentioned, the remains of the settlement are evident by the stacks of chimneys, some boilers and other traces of the sugar works, and some wells of most excellent water. The old town was most eligibly situated on a high

shelly bluff, having three solid stone wharves, which a little repair would render of immediate service. There appears near this old settlement, a conflux of three rivers: on the north, Halifax; on the south, Hillsborough; and in the centre, running nearly west, Spruce Creek. The land in this quarter has always had the character of being rich, and adapted to the most advantageous culture. It is now owned, as has been stated, by Judge Hull. Messrs. Perpall, M'Hardy, Bethune, Stubbs and others, have plantations contiguous. There is in the rear of the town an extremely valuable hammock of level land, extending itself north and south about six miles in length, and about one half that in width, having an excellent assortment of timber. This part of East Florida will, in all probability, attract the southern planters, whose experiments in cotton have met with such unexampled success in the neighbouring states; and whose resources will enable them to extend their agricultural pursuits to the more fertile tracts which will be found, for the purpose of raising sugar, improving the vine, and of attempting the cultivation of tea, coffee, and cocoa. If these latter can be produced in the North American Continent successfully, how happy must every American feel, in contemplating the advantages of so important a link in the chain of independence, as those luxurious products must afford; and that, in any state of political commotion, they may be derived from their own soil. What is to prevent this, under our liberal and enlightened government, devoted to the happiness of its citizens of every class, without distinction? To the industrious poorer classes, ease and competence can no where be

more readily obtained. Corn, potatoes, and conti, (or arrowroot,) are easily raised; and as to oysters and fish, they are so abundant that, as some writers have termed the Banks of Newfoundland the kingdom of the latter, this may be considered the republic of both. Fish, says Romans, may be taken with pointed sticks in the lagoon of Aise, or Indian River. This river has nothing very remarkable; the tide falls a foot and a half at the bar. It runs parallel with St. Lucia, (and in some parts, within two miles of it,) to latitude 27 20, where there is a mouth, or outlet into the ocean. This mouth can seldom be entered by any vessel that draws above six feet water. Before it, in the sea, are two bars: the inner one has about ten feet water in summer time, the outer one seventeen. The latter is about four miles from land.

The sand before this entrance, Romans says, is a fine white quicksand, of a peculiar nature. He states that he anchored several times within three or four leagues of this mouth, and not above once or twice without having his cable eaten through in the ring of the anchor; sometimes he has preserv ed the anchor by a single strand only. He had, at various times, lost six or seven anchors, and some large grapples, at this place; yet there is no where any foul ground, or, in other words, rocky bottom, in the vicinity. He supposes that this fine quicksand, having sharp angles, by continual motion, chafes and frets the cable through, which is generally done in less than twenty-four hours. I have been informed, by more recent accounts, that the bar at this entrance has six feet water in winter, and ten feet in summer.

The lands in this quarter have been held in high estimation for cotton, bearing hammock and live oak; particularly by the surveyors and officers under the British and Spanish governments, who took up considerable quantities.

The period of rendering these lands productive will shortly arrive, when the policy of European governments can no longer prohibit the cultivation of the plants just referred to, on account of its interfering with their parent or insular possessions-when the vine and the olive will also thrive. Hammock lands, of vast extent, and great fertility, are met with from Indian River to the Cape; particularly about Fresh River; and there is a tract of it thirty miles long on the banks of the Indian River.

From this mouth of the lagoon an island stretches to about the latitude 26 55, where there is another mouth, or inlet, called Hobé, by the Spaniards; and by the English, Jupiter, or Grenville. This island is thirty-nine statute miles long. Twenty-four miles from its north end, are several high cliffs, formed of blue stone; these are the first rocks that lie high out of the water along the American beach. They are placed at about high water mark; and a small ridge, or reef, runs off, sloping from the northernmost one. About nine miles further, towards Hobé, and also at its entrance, there are a number of other ridges, of very solid, hard rock; all of which, particularly those most to the north, are excellent land-marks for seamen going south. On the beach are always to be found a great number of pieces of Spanish cedar, originally cut for the use of his Catholic Majesty's ship-yards on the windward rivers of Cuba, but are driven, by land floods, into the Baha

ma channel and Gulf Stream, whence the frequent east winds force them upon soundings, and so on this beach. Very few pieces are found either north or south of this. The island is indented on the west side, almost regularly, into points and bays. Fresh water may be obtained by digging in almost any part of the beach. A few spots of hammock, or upland, are found on this island. During the season, the loggerhead turtles land here in vast multitudes, to lay their eggs; which the bears, led by instinct, or otherwise, dig up. They are so expert at digging, that they sometimes make wells for their supply of water. They sometimes fell the wild pine, which, from its structure, generally contains a considerable quantity of rain water, preserved in a fresh sweet state. So vigilant are the bears, that the turtle seldom leaves her nest above a quarter of an hour before the eggs are eaten. If a traveller chooses any of this provision, he is obliged to watch the coming of the turtles. At times, when we had some of these eggs, I have seen the bears approach to within five or six yards of our camp ; but this stretch of boldness generally cost them their lives.

About six miles from the mouth of Hobé on the edge of the sound, in a direction N. N. w. is a hill, called the Bleach Yard, from its appearing like white spots. This is a remarkable landmark, and the first of any note on the coast from the hills of Neversink.

From the mouth of the river south, the sound is cut into three branches, by means of two peninsulas of mangroves, divided by their lagoons, from the main island. The branch, which disembogues itself at Hobé, is shallow, and full of oys