Okefenokee Swamp

Okefenokee, the great snamp on the southern border of Georgia, extending across into Florida, has for a century been a mystery. It was the great retreat for the Seuiinole Indians. In the center of this immense swamp is an oasis, a bWutiful s[jot midway between Belly's island and the Koddenburg setüement, It was in this spot that Billy Bowlegs, the great Seminóle, took refuge in I806 and successfully (Ulied the attempts of the whites to capture liim. Btrange tales are told in the neighborhood of fugitives finding safety there who subsisted on the abundanoe of fish and game. The story of an autlienticated exploration of this spot is told by Mr. Charles Pendleton, who in company with Ben Varborough, a local scout, and otliers penetrated the thick jungle which leads to it. II is story runs thus: "Cainp Casena," as our party christened it, was a dry knoll covering about an acre in the midst of a marsh extending for miles, apparently north and south, and several miles east and west. It was nearer, as it turned out, to the eastern swampwood than to the western. lts center was perhaps eight feet above the level of the surrounding marsh, and it tapered off to the water 's edge. A dwarfed cypress which capped its summit was immediately surrounded by smaller ones, like courtiers around a prince; and next to these, widening the circle, came the smaller casenas, like those of lesser rank. Then the gallberry and tyty tapered to the earth, forming the outer guard, armed with bamboo and shieldad by creeping vines. The phalanx was so solid, the armament so perfect that no man or beast could penétrate it save by a liidden path which perhaps nature had left for an ingress and egress to the fauna of that región; or, more likely, the more powerful bear had broken through to find a lair. The whole from the topmost cypress bough to the least tyty was draped with gray moss mingling with the nut brown leaves of autumn, the myriads of crimson casena berries and the evergreen tyty - presenting a picturesque cone perhaps nowhere else seen. The marsh surrounding this queer spot varies in water depth from three inches to four feet Underneath the water the mud varies in solubility, some places being extremely soft and dangerous to the pedestrian. But for bonnet roots and the thieker growth of naaiden cañe no man could cross it. The wonder is that anything but a webfoot ever did. Our party did cut their way through tyty, bamboo and what not for three days prior to the morning of entering the marsh, and at flrst it was somewhat of a relief to be able te trudge forward with a long view abead w.thout having to fight and dodge through the entangled mass of undergrowth. The chango brought rested muscles into aetlon, and for a few houre we moved forward with greater rapidity than at any time since entering the swamp. The compass pointed the way, and that brave band of explorers never hesitated when one sank to liis armpits and had to be pulled out by his fellows - the civil engineer's chain often serving for that extra use - nor did they turn back when it became necessary to detour around an occasional alligator hole, distinguished by a pair or more of those huge amphibious creatures circling the dark water with tbeir young. But the strain on the muscles of the lower limbs never relaxed. We could not sit down and rest. About noon the men began to show signs of unusual fatigue. The dark swampwood, such as we had been in for three days, could be seen distinctly anead, but it was quite as far or further than we had tramped that morning, and the outlook was not at all cheering. Some distance short of that now coveted región a gray object loomed up before our visión - right on our line - and we rightly divined that it was a little moss ciad island in the marsh. We must reach it at all hazards before nieht. We halted for lunch - hard teek and bacon - but there was no place, as Btated above, to sit down and rest the weary feet. One poor fellow found a banner root near the surface of the water, which he sat upon to crush it and sink in the mud and water up to his neck. A young man in the party, whose spirits never flagged, no matter how sore his feet were, sang out: "Push along, boys; keep mov ing. Let's eat when we reach yonder island." But Dr. Littlo, the sea geologist, who was with the party, lnsisted Iliat we should stop, if only for a few minute, and eat, for it would give us strength for the aftérnoon's tramp. The wisdom of his suggestion wils at once seen by all, and we ate hurriedly from the scanty store in our packs, continually sliifting the weight from one foot to the other, and as often moving the released foot to prevent ita sinking too deep Into the mui. It was not a feast of the gods. We pressed on with hope and fear. We thought we could reach the little island, as it seemed to us, by nightfall if no lake or impa;layon our route; and who could teil iiat was ahead in that despicable bog? The thought of encountering a deep lake was not at a]] pleasant. day quite gone, nd not a dry tussock within eight or ten liours' tramp 1 No placo to sit or lie, much lesa to sleep, on a chili November niglit. No torch; no lantorn; the compass in our hands would faii from wandeling round and round in ( !■ darkness and gloii!,i and mud as most men do, it is aid, 1 ;lit. If human endurance could stand the strain until them. It is not pleasanf to 1 hink about thepossibU situation afterward. About 3 in the afternoon a few drifting clouds, apparently thrown togellitT just over in front of na by counter cúrrente of air, brought fort li a light shower, and the deelinJng sun at our backs produced a beautiful rainbow which spanned directly aeross our route east ward. It wasan unusual sight for the time of year. AVhen we at last approached within a hundred yards of the little oasis above described, we encountered the everest quagmire we had yet seen. All along we had been measuring the distance traveled with a chain, that instrument being handled by a eoupla of negroes. Ilere there were several applicants anxious to relieve the boys, knowing that it would add to one'l afety to have hold of a cbain with a man at the other end. Dr. Little was the flrst victim. He went down to the armpits and ■truggled desperately to extricate himself, bat a comrado near, who stood upon a firmar foundation, pointed the muzzle of his gun to Mm which he seized and belped himself out. It was decided then the eight in the party thould dispose themselves along the chain, one hand gripped to it, and with a strong negro at eacb end pull to the sbore. Wa were about an hour traveling that one hundred yards. Nnmetimes at many as four of the eight would be stuek at once, and tha other four would have to hold the chain against the weight of thosa itruggling to get out, and of ttiiucs the preasure thus brought ■pon those who stood upon flrmer footing would send them down, who would in turn kare to be hel pad out. When at last wa machad the littla Uand we were utterly overeóme with sxhvistion. There were a few feet of comparative dry grifjnd between the marsh aml the dense growth whieh walled in the island like en OKigi' orange liedje, and notoneof the party 1 it without fallinx prostrate upon the glorious terra firma. For ten unmutes no won'.s were spoken. The men rere too exhausted to talk. The witter at length broke the süence, as the sun bad hid liimself behincl the sivampwood, and the chili night air was gathering over our wet and jirostrate forins. Joe was ealled up and instrueted to enter the island and build a fire with baste.