»l'l Mtj|i>fiHffB,.ijrW;rW^t»» ^//AFPLETONS 1)AN ID-BOOK ^ $ u « \ &lA -H .-*;y r- MORTON, BLISS & CO., Broad and Wall Streets, -New YorTc, Receive money, and issue, free of commission, CIRCULAR NOTES FOR TRAVELERS, Which are paid by their Correspondents IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD, FREE OP COMMISSION. CIRCULAR LETTERS OF CREDIT, For Travelers, ISSUED UPON THE USUAL TERMS. Also, COMMKRCIAL CREDITS, Available in all parts of the World. TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFERS OF MONEY MADE TO ALL PARTS OF EUROPE, HAVANA, AND SAN FRANCISCO. NEGOTIATE FIRST-CLASS RAILWAY, CITY, AND STATE LOANS; AND DRAW EXCHANGE ON Morton, Rose & Co., London; Hottinguer & Co., Paris; Hope & Co., Amsterdam. "X-3E3E3S XX^STQ-IEXA XX O "X" E XL, (=5 -a!w PiWOhO <» GO ME-" OLD POINT COMFOET, "WA.., •-33 GO en O oen EX)tn aim unving, specially attractive, bend for circular, describing hygienic advantaqes terms etc ' fei = — ' ' ' H. PH- ^COLUMBUS -ft- fi. ~ HARRISBUHff ^rarK^sDurg y A >•- / /£ ?Port^ulh , V^V ) . WA-S,HIN° Map of Principal Routes of Travel, north of Washington, from Boston west to Omaha. ' By turning to the description of any route in the text, and then looking on the map for the principal stations mentioned there, it will be easy to trace out any given line of travel. Map of Principal Koutes of Travel, south of Washington. HINTS TO TRAVELERS. Railway-fakes, hotel-charges, etc., are, in most instances, given in the hody of the Hand-Booe, but a word or two may prove useful at the outset. The cost of traveling by rail in America is from two to three cents per mile, in the Middle and Eastern States ; it is somewhat higher South and West. Children under twelve years of age are generally charged half-price; those under five are passed free. Sleeping-coaches are run on all through-trains; from $2 to $3 per day (of 24 hours), in addition to the regular fare, is usually charged for them. The average speed on express trains is 30 miles an hour. Travel on steamboats is somewhat less expensive and less expeditious than by rail. The charge at first-class hotels throughout the United States is from $4 to $4.50 a day, though good accommodations may be had at houses of the second class ($2.50 to $3.50 a day). A reduction is usually made on board by the week. The cost of meals while traveling may be estimated at from $2 to $3 per day. The best hotels in the various cities are designated in their proper places in the hody of the Hand book ; they are named in what the editor believes to be the order of their merit. Travelers from abroad will understand that the present currency in the United States, with the exception of California, consists of U. S. Treasury notes (called " greenbacks ") and National Bank bills. All prices are understood to be in this paper, which is now at a discount for gold of from 5 to 10 per cent. In Califor nia, gold and silver only are used. In Canada the currency is coin, or notes of the local banks, which are at par. It is the custom in America to deliver baggage to a person known as the bag gage-master, who will give in return a " check " for every piece, on presentation of which the baggage is delivered. Baggage may he checked over long routes in this way, and the traveler, no matter how many times he changes cars or vehicles, has no concern about it. The companies are responsible if the baggage should be injured or lost, the check being evidence of delivery into their hands. The traveler should first procure his ticket at the ticket-office, and then, proceeding to the baggage-car, or proper station of the baggage-master, have his trunks checked. Arriving at his destination, the check may be handed to the hotel-porter, always in waiting, who will procure the various articles and have them sent to the hotel. It is not necessary to fee porters and waiters in the United States, as it is in Europe, but the practice has some slight and irregular observance. The traveler is free to do as he pleases in the matter. In all large cities there are omnibuses at the station on the arrival of every train, which connect directly with the principal hotels. A small charge is made for this conveyance. As regards outfit, it is important for the traveler that he should be dressed with sufficient warmth. Our American climate is very changeable, and the traveler had better suffer at noonday from too much clothing than expose himself at night, in storms, or to sudden changes of temperature, with too little. One should wear woolen underclothing, both summer and winter, and always have a shawl or extra wrapper of some kind at hand. %* In addition to the Hand-Book of Winter Besoets, the traveler will need a copy of Appletons' Railway Guide, published semi-monthly, with time-tables cor rected to date ; price, twenty-five cents. HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. How to reach from the North. — From New York, Boston, Phila delphia, or Baltimore, Florida may be reached either by land or sea, and the traveler has a great variety of routes to choose from. We shall give first the ocean- routes, and then a number of all- rail routes, including in the latter all the routes for which through- tickets are sold by the Pennsyl vania R. R. Co. Jacksonville is assumed as the stopping-point of all the routes, because it is a kind of centre from which the prin cipal points in Florida are most easily accessible. The rates of fare given are from New York: from Philadelphia the price is less, and from Baltimore $4 less. Longitude West from Greenwich STEAMSHIP P.OTJTES. 1. From New York to Charleston via steamers leaving Pier 29 North River every Wednesday and Saturday at 3 p. m. Time, about 3 days; fare (cabin), $20. 2 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. These steamers make direct connection at Charleston with the steamers Dictator and City Point, which run to Jacksonville via Savannah. Passengers who prefer it can go from Charleston to Savannah by rail, and from Savannah to Jacksonville by rail or by steamer (inside route). 2. New York to Savannah via steamers: Murray Line, sailing from Pier 16 East River every Thursday at 3 p. m. ; Empire Line, sailing from Pier 43 North River every Tuesday and Saturday at 3 p. m. Time, about 3 days; fare (cabin), $20. From Savannah to Jacksonville via " outside line " of steamers (Wednesday and Sunday at noon), or via "inside line'' (Wednesday at 8 a. m.). 3. A favorite route from New York is via the Old Dominion Line of steamships, leaving Pier 37 North River every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, at 3 p. m., to Norfolk, and thence by rail to Charleston or Savannah. 4. New York to Fernandina via steamers leaving Pier 3 North River every Thursday at 3 p. m. From Fernandina to Jacksonville by rail or steamer, 5. Philadelphia to Savannah via steamers leaving Pier 22 every Saturday at noon. Time, about 60 hours; fare (cabin), $20. From Savannah to Jacksonville as in Route 2. ALL-KAIL KOUTES. 1. New York, Baltimore, West Point, Richmond. Greensboro', Charlotte, Augusta, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.05. 2. New York, Baltimore, West Point, Richmond, Greensboro', Charlotte, Augusta, Yemassee, Savaunah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.05. 3. New York, Baltimore, West Point, Richmond, Petersburg, Weldbn, Raleigh, Charlotte, Augusta, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $38.05. 4. New York, Baltimore, West Point, Richmond, Petersburg, Weldon, Wil mington, Columbia, Augusta, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.05. 5. New York, Baltimore, West Point, Richmond, Petersburg, Weldon, Wilming ton, Florence, Charleston, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.05. 6. New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Weldon, Wilmington, Columbia, Augusta, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 7. New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Weldon, Wifnington, Florence, Charleston, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 8. New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Weldon, Raleigh, Charlotte, Augusta, Macon, Jesnp, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $38.75. 9. New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Weldon, Wilmington, Columbia, Augusta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Laks City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 10. New York, Baltimore, Norfolk. Weldon, Wilmington, Columbia, Augusta, Yemassee, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 11. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Petersburg, Wei Ion, Wil mington, Columbia, Augusta, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville Fare, $36.75. 12. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Petersburg, Weldon Wil mington, Florence, Charleston, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville Fare, $36.75. 13. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Petersburg, Weldon Wil mington, Columbia, Augusta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville Fare, $36.75. 14. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Greensboro'. Charlotte Augusta, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 15. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Greensboro', Charlotte Augusta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75 16. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond. Petersbura, Weldon. Raieio-h Charlotte, Augusta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville Fare' $38.75. ' FLORIDA. 3 17. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Greensboro', Charlotte, Au gusta, Yemassee, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 18. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Petersburg, Weldon, Wil mington, Columbia, Augusta, Yemassee, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jack sonville. Fare, $36.75. 19. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Greensboro', Charlotte, Colum bia, Charleston, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 20. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Greensboro', Charlotte, At lanta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 21. New York, Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Greensboro', Charlotte, Augusta, Yemassee, Savannah, ' Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 22. New YTork, Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Greensboro', Charlotte, Au gusta, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 23. New York, Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Greensboro', Charlotte, Au gusta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 24. New York, Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Greensboro', Charlotte, Co lumbia, Charleston, Savannah, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 25. New York, Washington, Lynchburg, Bristol, Dalton, Atlanta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jackson\ille. Fare, $36.75. 26. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Greensboro', Charlotte, At lanta, Macon, Brunswick, Fernandina, Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 27. New York, Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Greensboro', Charlotte, At lanta, Macon, Brunswick, Fernandina, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 28. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Petersburg, Weldon, Wil mington, Columbia, Augusta, Macon, Brunswick, Fernandina, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 29. New York, Washington, Quantico, Richmond, Greensboro', Charlotte, Au gusta, Macon, Brunswick, Fernandina, and Jacksonville. Fare, $36.75. 30. New York, Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Greensboro', Charlotte, At lanta, Macon, Jesup, Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville. Fare. $80.75. General Description. — Florida is the southernmost State of the Union, and is situ ated between lat. 24° 30' and 31° N., and Ion. 80° and 87° 45' W. inclusive of islands, it consists of a long, narrow strip of territory, extending in the form of a peninsula south from Georgia and Alabama, through five degrees of latitude, and containing 59,268 square miles. Its entire area eastward lies upon the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico washes almost the whole of the western side. The coast line is of much greater extent than that of any other State, having a length of 472 miles on the Atlantic, and 674 miles on the Gulf; lut this immense stretch of sea-front is almost inaccessible on account of shallow soundings, and has few good harbors. South from the mainland a chain of small, rocky islands, called " Keys," extends southwest, ending in a cluster of rocks and sand-banks called the Tortugas. South of the bank upon which these keys arise, and separated from them by a navigable channel, is a long, narrow coral-reef, known as the Florida reef, which here constitutes the left bank of the Gulf Stream. The most important of the keys is Key West. The surface of Florida is for the most part level, yet undulat ing, being nowhere more than 250 or 300 feet above the sea. The southern part of the peninsula is mostly an extensive swamp or marsh called the Everglades, which, during the rainy season between June and October, is impassable. North of this tract to Georgia the surface is generally a dead level, but in some parts it is un dulating and occasionally hilly. West of the neck of the peninsula ihe ground is more uneven and rugged, though the elevations are still slight and of very limited extent. The lands are almost sui generis, very curiously distributed, and may be designated as high hammock, low hammock, swamp, savannas, and the different qualities of pine-land. High hammock is usually timbered with live and other oaks, with magnolia, laurel, etc., and is considered the best description of land for general purposes. Low hammock, timbered with live and water oak, is subject to overflows, 4 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. but when drained is preferred for sugar. Savannas, on the margins of streams and in detached bodies, are usually very rich and alluvious, yielding abundantly in dry sea sons, but needing, at other times, ditching and diking. Marsh savannas, on the bor ders of tide-streams, are very valuable, when reclaimed, for rice or sugar-cane. The lake called the Everglades is filled with islands covered with a dense jungle of vines and evergreens, pines, and palmettos. It lies south of Okechobee, and is 160 Light-house on Florida miles long and 60 broad Its depth varies from one to six feet. A rank tall grass springs from the vegetable deposits at the bottom, and, rising above the surface of the water gives the lake the deceitful air of a beautiful verdant lawn. Throughout the State the warmth and humidity of the climate compensate in a great measure for the inferior character of the soil, and give it a vegetation of great variety and luxuriance. The productions are chiefly those which require a tropical sun: cotton, coffee, cocoa, sugar-cane, tobacco, rice, indigo, etc. Oranges, lemons, limes, pine apples, bananas, olives, and grapes, flourish luxuriantly; and garden vegetables are produced in the greatest abundance. The driest seasons are relieved by heavy dews, and the sun that would bake the earth in other parts and wither vegetation is so tempered by the prevailing moisture as to cover the surface with perennial verdure. The rivers of Florida are numerous, and mgny of them afford excellent facilities for internal navigation. The most important are the St. John's, Indian River, Car- loosahatchee and Withlacoochee, the Suwanee, the Appalachicola, and the St. Mary's. A multitude of lakes dot the surface of the country, some of which are navigable for large steamers. Lake Okechobee, north of the Everglades, is about 40 miles long and 30 wide. Many of these waters are extremely picturesque in their unique FLORIDA. 5 beauty of wild and rank tropical vegetation ; presenting everywhere to the eye of the stranger very novel attractions, in the profusion and variety of the trees and shrubs and vines which line all their shores and bayous. The Climate. — The climate of Florida is one of the finest in the world : though ten degrees nearer the equator than Southern Italy, the temperature is no warmer, and the air far more equable and dry. The reason for this has never been clearly established; but it is well known that, while the Gulf Stream carries off immense quantities of the surplus heat of the region, branches of the returning arctic current also lave its shores and assist in maintaining the surprising equilibrium of its tem perature. Be the cause what it may, however, there can be no doubt of the fact, which has been established by a long series of the most careful observations. The following meteorological summary, from observations made at Jacksonville (lat. 30° 15'), is reported by the chief signaLofficer of the United States : Mean Barometer. Mean Theimometer, Total Rainfall, Inches. Prevailing Wind. 1871.. 1872. October November December January February March April May June July August September Annual mean 30.13130.091SO. 226 30.174 S9.993 80.10230.11330.08930.07230.089 30.06330.065 73.5 65.455.4 52.753.959.173.578.381.ll83.4 81.477.7 2.653.442.707.322.39 1.25 6.97 2.926.41 10.65 30.101 69.i 53.95 Northeast. Northeast. Northwest. Northwest. Southwest.Northeast. Northeast. Southwest.Southwest. Southeast. NovtheaBt.Northeast.Northeast. In the south the temperature scarcely changes the year round, and summer is only distinguished by the copiousness of its showers. The average mean temperature of the State is 73°" F., and the difference between summer and winter does not gener ally exceed 20°, while at Key West it is not more than 11°. The thermometer seldom rises above 90° in summer, and rarely falls below 30° in winter ; on the average the winters are thirty or forty degrees warmer than in New York, while the summer months of the latter are ten or fifteen degrees hotter than in Florida. Frost is unknown in Southern Florida, and is comparatively light even in the northern part of the State. It occurs most frequently between November and March, being most frequent in December and January, and rarely showing itself in October and April as far north as Jacksonville. As a general thing no frost occurs throughout the year below lat. 28° N. Summer being the rainy season in Florida, the winters are usually clear and dry. By observations taken for a period of twenty-two years at Jacksonville it was found that January averaged 20 clear days; February, 19; March, 20; April, 25; May, 22 ; June, 17; July, 18; August, 19; Sep tember, 17; October, 19; November, 20, and December, 20. It must not be inferred, moreover, that rain fell on all the days which could not be registered as clear; it may be said in general terms that from October to May there are not more than four or five rainy days in a month. In addition to the mildness of the climate, it is believed that the immense pine-forests which cover a large part of the State contribute greatly to its healthfulness. The delicious terehinthine odors exhaled by these forests not only purify the atmosphere, but impart to it a hea-ing, soothing, and peculiarly inyigorating quality. Hcalthfnlness, etc. — Owing to the evenness and salubrity of its climate, as above indicated, Florida has long been a popular resort for invalids, and especially those afflicted with pulmonary complaints. Of the total deaths from all causes in Florida in 1870, as reported by the Federal census, only 131 were from consumption. There were 17.3 deaths from other causes to one from consumption. The advantages of the /climate in this respect are further shown by a comparison of the statistics relat ing to consumption as reported by the census of 1870, from which it appears that 6 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the ratio of deaths from consumption to those from all causes was less in Florida than in any other State except Nevada ; and this advantage becomes still greater when it is considered that, Florida being a popular resort for consumptives, a large proportion of those who die there from that cause came with the disease from other States. Including only the resident population the deaths from consumption in Florida average 1 in 1,457, while in Massachusetts the average is as high as 1 in 254. " The mortality among visitors suffering from consumption is not very large," says Dr. Howe, in his " Winter Homes for Invalids," " but would be still less if physi cians, with little knowledge and less conscience, would abstain from sending their patients there in the last stages of the disease, when every earthly hope of their recovery had gone. Many unfortunates are sent every year to Florida with life ebbing out rapidly, and by men who cannot possibly have an intelligent hope of their recovery. Needing nothing but the soothing attentions of the home circle, of sympathizing friends to comfort them as they pass down the dark valley, they are torn away, sent on a wearisome journey to a strange land, among strangers to die. This course is so cruel and absurd that it would almost seem needless to reiterate the advice previously given, that only those in the incipient stages of con sumption should venture from a good home for the uncertainties of recovery in a distant country." A common impression about Florida is that, while its climate is beneficial to consumptives, it is peculiarly productive of malarial diseases, and that the mortality from these diseases is excessive. How utterly mistaken this impression is is shown by the following extract from a report of U. S. Surgeon-General Lawson : " The statistics in this Bureau demonstrate the fact that the diseases which result from malaria are of a much milder type in the peninsula of Florida than in any other State in the Union. ... In the Middle Division of the United States the proportion is one death to thirty-six cases of remittent fever ; in the Northern Division, one to fifty-two ; in the Southern Division, one to fifty-four ; in Texas, one to seventy- eight ; in California, one to one hundred and twenty-two ; in New Mexico, one to one hundred and forty-eight ; while in Florida it is but one to two hundred ani eighty-sewn." It may be added that malarial fevers are rarely originated except in the " hammocks," where the clayey soil holds the water, and the drainage is con sequently imperfect ; and the breezes sweeping across the peninsula dissipate and dilute all malarious exhalations. Jacksonville. Hjw to reach. — Jacksonville is reached from the North by any of the routes given at the commencement of this chapter. It is at the terminus of the Jackson ville, Pensacola & Mobile R. R., which, connecting at Live Oak with the Atlantic & Gulf R. R., forms an all-rail line between Jacksonville and Savannah, over which through-trains run twice a day in winter. Branches of this road also connect Jacksonville with Tallahassee and Monticello. At Baldwin (20 miles from Jackson ville) the J., P. & M. R. R. is crossed by the railroad which connects Fernandina on the Atlantic with Cedar Keys on the Gulf coast. A tri-weekly line of steamers (the " outside line ") plies between Jacksonville and Charleston, and another (the " inside line ") between Jacksonwille and Savannah. Daily lines of steamers run up the St. John's River to Enterprise (205 miles), and small steamboats run from Jack sonville up the Ocklawaha via Pilatka. The St. John's Railway, connecting at Tocoi with the river-steamboats, puts Jacksonville in easy communication with St. Augustine. Hotels and Boirding-Hoiises. — The principal hotels are the St. James ($4 a day) • the Windsor ($4 a day); the Carleton ($4, new and elegant); the Grand National '• the Waverley ($3), and the Monerief ($2.50). There are said to be upward of a hundred boarding-houses, at which the prices range from $10 to $20 per week. Among the best of these are those kept by the Misses Mattair, Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Ochas, and Messrs. Keen, Stickney, and Robinson. Good furnished rooms, including lights, fuel, and attendance, may be had in private houses for from $4 to $0 per week, and board without rooms is $11 per week at the hotels and ST. AUGUSTINE. 7 less at the hoarding-houses. Unfurnished cottages can be hired for from $20 to $30 per month. Jacksonville, the largest city in Florida, is situated on the right bank of the St. John's river, about 25 miles from its mouth. It was named after General Andrew Jackson, was laid out as a town in 1822, had a population of 1,045 in 1850, and of 6,912 in 1870. In 1875 its resident population was about 14,000, which is largely increased during the winter by transient visitors. The city is regularly laid out, with streets crossing eacli other at right angles and shaded with trees. The prin cipal thoroughfare is Bay Street, and on this are situated the leading hotels and stores. On the northwest side of the city is a picturesque bluff, covered with fine residences, and commanding a beautiful view of the river. There are several sub urban villages (East Jacksonville, Oakland, Wyoming, Brooklyn, River Side, La- Villa, South Shore, and Alexandria), which are connected with the city by ferry. Besides several good schools, Jacksonville contains Catholic, Episcopal, Presby terian, Methodist, and Baptist churches; a circulating library and a free reading- room; half a dozen newspapers; banks, public halls, and telegraphic connections with all parts of the United States. The commerce of the city is extensive, the chief business being the cutting and shipment of lumber. There are several large saw mills, and the shipments amount to about 50,000,000 feet annually ; cotton, sugar, fruit, fish, and early vegetables, are also shipped to Northern and foreign ports. Jacksonville is much resorted to by invalids on account of its mild and salubrious climate, the details concerning which are given on a preceding page under " Cli mate." Many prefer remaining here to going farther into the interior, on account of the superior accommodations which it offers and its social advantages. Among the amusements are excursions on the river and drives on the excellent shell-roads which lead out of the city. A favorite drive is to Moncriefs Spring (4 milts), a mineral spring whose waters are said to cure malarial diseases. There are bath houses here, a restaurant, a bowling-alley, a dancing-pavilion, and a race-course. St. Augustine. How to reach. — St. Augustine is reached from Jacksonville by daily steamer to Tocoi on the St. John's River (57 miles), and thence by railway (15 miles ; fare, $2.50). The steamboat journey is over one of the most attractive reaches of the river (see " Along the St. John's "), and from the cars the traveler has an excellent chance to see a veritable Florida back-country. For the most part the route crosses barren pine-flats ; there is not a house to be seen, nor a sign of life save when the roll of the wheels startles an alligator that has been slumbering on the track. The entrance to the city is exceedingly picturesque, and should be noted by the traveler. Hotels and Boardin»-Himses.— The principal hotels are the St. Augustine, fronting on the Plaza and Charlotte St. ($4 a day) ; ' the Florida, corner St. George and Treasury Sts. ($4 a day) ; the Magnolia, St George St. near the Plaza ($4 a day) ; the Marion, Charlotte St. north of the Plaza ($3 a day) ; and the Oriental, Char lotte St., near the Plaza ($3 a day). There are also numerous boarding-houses at which board and rooms may be had for from $10 to $15 a week ; among them may he mentioned those of Mrs. M. L. Abbott, Miss Julia Stinson, Mrs. J. V. Hernandez, Mrs. Couper Gibbs, Mrs. Patterson, and Mrs. Papy. Location, Climate, and History. — St. Augustine is situated on the Atlantic coast of Florida, about 40 miles south of the mouth of the St. John's River, and 33 southeast of Jacksonville. It occupies a narrow peninsula formed by the Matanzas River on the east, and the St. Sebastian on the south and west, the site being a flat, sandy level, encompassed for miles around by a tangled undergrowth of low palmettos and bushes of various descriptions. Directly in front lies Anastasia Island, forming a natural breakwater and almost entirely cutting off the sea-view. On the north end of the island is a lighthouse with a revolving light, situated in lat. 29° 53' N., and Ion. 81° 16' W. The climate of St. Augustine is singularly equable both winter and summer, the mean annual temperature being 70°. The mean temperature for winter is 58.08° ; 8 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. for spring, 68.54°; for summer, 80.27°; and for autumn, 71.73°. Frosts seldom occur even in mid-winter, and the sea-breezes temper the heats of summer so that they are quite endurable. Many consumptives frequent St. Augustine, and with marked benefit; but the air is regarded as rather " strong " for those who have passed the earlier stages of the disease, and no one should remain there in January and February who cannot stand an occasional cold northeaster. Asthma is also thought to be relieved by residence at St. Augustine, and the place is exceptionally free from malarial diseases. St. Augustine is the oldest European settlement in the United States, and its history carries us back almost to the middle ages. It was founded by the Spaniards in 1565, more than half a century before the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, and was from the start a place of note, and the scene of interesting historical events. Its founder, Don Pedro Menendez, was one of the most eminent men of Spain, and a famous commander during the reign of Philip II., by whom he was sent to Florida at the head of an expedition comprising 34 vessels and 2,600 persons, to colonize the country and suppress a Huguenot settlement made in 1564 near the mouth of the St. John's. He landed at St. Augustine on August 28, 1565, established his colony, and then marched to exterminate the Huguenots, which he effected with great vigor and cruelty, putting to death all his prisoners, " not because they are Frenchmen, but because they are heretics and enemies of God." Two years later, this massacre was avenged by a French adventurer, Dominique de Gourgues, who, with a small force of volunteers, attacked and captured the Spanish forts on the St. John's, and hanged his prisoners, "not because they are Spaniards, but because they are traitors, robbers, and murderers." De Gourgues, however, made no attempt to retain his conquest, but, after his deed of retribution was accomplished, sailed back to France. Menendez was absent in Spain during this attack by De Gourgues, and did not return until the affair was over. He continued for some years longer to rule the colony, but finally returned to Spain, where his reputation for ability was so high that he was made captain-general of the navy, soon after which he died, at the age of fifty- five. His career in Florida, thougli stained with cruelty, was distinguished for energy and perseverance, and to him, undoubtedly, is due the credit of establishing the first permanent settlement in the United States. In 1586 Sir Francis Drake, the famous English filibuster, returning from an expedition against the Spanish West Indies, appeared off St. Augustine, and so ter rified the Spaniards that they abandoned the fort and the town to him without any attempt at resistance, and fled to the shelter of the forts on the St. John's. Drake took possession, and pillaged and burned the town, carrying away considerable booty. The principal public buildings of the place at that time were a court-house, a church, and a monastery. After the departure of Drake, the Spaniards returned and re built the town, which, however, grew so slowly that in 1647 there were within its walls only 300 families, or 1,500 inhabitants, including 50 monks of the order of St. Francis. In 1665 a party of English buccaneers, commanded by Captain John Davis, made a descent upon St. Augustine with seven small vessels, and pillaged the town. The garrison, though consisting of 200 men, do not appear to have resisted the attack, which, it is probable, was made from the south by boats. In 1702, Spain and England being at war, an expedition against St. Augustine was organized in South Carolina, by Governor Moore, of that colony. It consisted of 600 whites, and as many Indian allies, and its plan of operations comprised a march by land of one portion of the force, and an attack by sea of the other. The land force was commanded by Colonel Daniel, the naval force by Governor Moore himself The forces under Colonel Daniel reached St. Augustine before the naval part of the ex pedition appeared, and easily captured the town; the governor, Don Joseph Cuniga and the inhabitants, taking refuge in the castle, which was well supplied with pro visions, and contained a considerable garrison. Governor Moore, with the fleet soon after arrived, and invested the fortifications, but, not having siege-guns of sufficient calibre, could make no impression on the walls of the fort. Colonel Daniel was sent to Jamaica to procure heavier guns. While he was absent, two Spanish vessels appeared off the harbor. Governor Moore, fearing that he was about to be attacked ST. AUGUSTINE. 9 by a superior force and his retreat cut off, hastily raised the siege, destroying such of his munitions as he could not remove, and barbarously burning the town. He retreated by land, abandoning his vessels for fear of the Spanish squadron. Shortly afterward, Coloniel Daniel returned from Jamaica with mortars and heavy guns, but found Moore gone, and was himself nearly captured. The expedition returned to Carolina in disgrace, but without the loss of a man. It cost the colony of South Carolina £6,000, and led to the issue of the first paper-money ever circulated in America. In 1727 Colonel Palmer, an energetic officer, made a raid into Florida with about 300 Carolina militia, and carried destruction by fire and sword to the very gates of St. Augustine, which, however, he dared not attack, though he sacked a Yemassee village about a mile north of the city. In 1740, war again existing be tween Spain and England, an expedition against St. Augustine was organized by the famous General Oglethorpe, then Governor of Georgia. He obtained assistance from South Carolina, and from England a naval force of six ships. About the 1st of June his forces reached St. Augustine, which was defended by a not very numerous gar rison commanded by Don Manuel de Monteano, the Governor of Florida, a man of energy and resolution. After a siege of five or six weeks, carried on chiefly by bombardment from Anastasia Island, Oglethorpe became satisfied that he could not take the place, especially as his fleet had withdrawn in apprehension of bad weather, and he accordingly embarked his troops and sailed away on July 9th. Two years later, the Spanish Governor of Florida, the energetic Monteano, having received re- enforcements from Cuba, sailed from St. Augustine with 36 vessels and 3,000 men to attack the English settlements in Georgia. He met with some success at first, but was finally baffled, partly by the force and partly by the finesse of Oglethorpe, and returned to Florida. In the following year (1743) Oglethorpe made a raid into the Spanish dominions to the gates of St. Augustine, advancing with such celerity and secrecy that the Indians attached to his force captured and scalped forty of the Spanish troops under the very walls of Fort St. Marks, the chief defense of the city. The British kept possession of Florida about 20 years, and then, iD 1783, receded it to Spain in exchange for the Bahama Islands. St. Augustine, at that time, con tained 3,000 inhabitants. In 1819 it was transferred to the United States. During the civil war it changed masters three times. The resident population at the present time is about 2,200; but this is increased by from 7,000 to 10,000 visitors during the winter, and St. Augustine is then one of the gayest places in the South. Streets, Drives, etc. — "The aspect of St. Augustine," says Mrs. Beecher Stowe, "is quaint and strange, in harmony with its romantic history. It has no pretensions to architectural richness or beauty ; and yet it is impressive from its unlikeness to any thing else in America. It is as if some little, old, dead-alive Spanish town, with its fort and gateway and Moorish bell-towers, had broken loose, floated over here, and got stranded on a sand-bank. Here you see the shovel-hats and black gowns of priests ; the convent with gliding figures of nuns ; and in the narrow, crooked streets meet dark-browed people, with great Spanish eyes and coal-black hair. The current of life here has the indolent, dreamy stillness that characterizes life in Old Spain. In Spain, when you ask a man to do anything, instead of answering as we do, 'In a minute,' the invariable reply is, 'In an hour;' and the growth and prog ress of St. Augustine have been according. There it stands, alone, isolated, con nected by no good roads or navigation, with the husy, living world." There are four principal streets which extend nearly the whole leDgth of the city — Tolomato, St. George (the Fifth Avenue of the place), Charlotte, and Bay. The latter commands a fine view of the harbor, Anastasia Island, and the ocean. All the streets are ex tremely narrow, the thoroughfares being only 12 or 15 feet wide, while the cross- streets are narrower still. An advantage of these narrow streets in this warm cli mate is that they give shade, and increase the draught of air through them as through a flue. The principal streets were formerly paved with shell-concrete, portions of which are still to be seen above the shifting sand ; and this flooring was so carefully swept that the dark-eyed maidens of Old Castile, who then led society here, could pass and repass without soiling their satin slippers. No rumbling wheels were per mitted to crush the firm road-bed, or to whirl the dust into the airy verandas. All 2 10 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the old Spanish residences are built of coquina-stone, which is first stuccoed and then whitewashed. Many of them have hanging balconies along their second stories, which in the narrow streets seem almost to touch, and from which their respective A Street iu St. Augustine. occupants can chat confidentially and even shake hands. It must not be supposed, however, that St. Augustine is built wholly of coquina and in the Spanish style ; there are many fine residences there in the American style, and in a few years St. Augustine will rival Newport in the number of its villas. A profusion of oranges, lemons, bananas, figs, date-palms, and all manner of tropical flowers and shrubs, ST. AUGUSTINE. 11 ornament their grounds. A charming drive is out St. George Street, through the City Gate to the beach of the San Sebastian. Places of Resort. — The most interesting feature of the town is the old Fort of San Marco (now Fort Marion), which is built of coquina, a unique conglomerate of fine shells and sand found in large quantities on Anastasia Island, at the entrance of the harbor, and quarried with great ease, though it becomes hard by exposure to the air. It is quarried in large blocks, and forms a wall well calculated to resist cannon-shot, because it does not splinter when struck. The fort stands on the sea-front at the northeast end of the town. It was a hundred years in building, and was completed in 1756, as is attested by the following inscription, which may still be seen over the gateway, together with the arms of Spain, handsomely carved in stone : "Don Fer nando being King of Spain, and the Field-Marshal Don Alonzo Fernando Herida being governor and captain-general of this place, St. Augustine of Florida and its provinces, this fort was finished in the year 1756. The works were directed by the Captain-Engineer Don Pedro de Brazos y Gareny." While owned by the British, this was said to be the prettiest fort in the king's dominions. Its castellated battle ments ; its formidable bas tions, with their frowning guns ; its lofty and impos ing sally-port, surrounded by the royal Spanish arms ; its portcullis, moat, and drawbridge ; its circular and ornate sentry-boxes at each principal parapet- angle ; its commanding lookout tower ; and its stained and moss-grown massive walls — impress the external observer as a relic of the distant past; while a ramble through its heavy casemates — its crumbling Romish chapel, with elaborate portico and inner altar and holy- water niches ; its dark passages, gloomy vaults, and more recently - discovered dun geons — bring you to ready credence of its many tra ditions of inquisitorial tor tures ; of decaying skele tons, found in the latest- opened chambers, chained to the rusty ring-bolts, and of alleged subterra nean passages to the neigh boring convent. Next to the fort the great attraction is the Sca-Wall, which, begin ning at the water-battery of the fort, extends southward for nearly a mile, protecting the entire ocean-front of the city. It is built of coquina, with a granite coping Augustine Cathedral. 12 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. four feet wide, and furnishes a delightful promenade of a moonlight evening. In full view of this is the old lighthouse on Anastasia Island, built more than a cen tury ago, and a new one surmounted with a revolving lantern. Near the south end of the wall are the United States Barracks, which are among the finest and most complete in the country. The building was formerly a Franciscan monastery, but has undergone extensive modifications and repairs. The old Spanish wall, which extended across the peninsula from shore to shore and protected the city on the north, has crumbled down or been removed, but fhe City Gate, which originally formed a part of it, still stands at the head of St. George street. It is a pictu resque and imposing structure, with its ornamented lofty towers and loop-holes and sentry-boxes in a fair state of preservation. In the centre of the town is the Plaza de la Constitution, a fine public square, surrounded by a fence and furnished with seats which are seldom unoccupied during the winter season. Nearly in the centre of the square stands a monument, about 20 feet high, erected in 1812 in commem oration of the Span ish Liberal Consti tution. Fronting on the Plaza are several imposing buildings, the most striking of which is the old Cath olic Cathedral, erected in 1793 at a cost of $17,000. Its quaint Moorish belfry, with four bells set in sep arate niches, togeth er with the clock, form a perfect cross. One of the bells bears the date of 1682. A neat Episcopal church also fronts on the Plaza, and there are Methodist, Baptist, and Presby terian churches in the city. The old Convent of St. Mary's is an inter esting building, lo cated on St. George Street, just west of the Cathedral. In its rear is a more mod ern structure desig nated as the Bishop's Palace. The new Convent of the Sis ters of St. Joseph is a tasteful coquina building on St. George Street, south of the Plaza; the old convent of this sisterhood is on Charlotte Street, north of the Barracks. The nuns are mainly occupied in teaching young girls, but they also manufacture lace of a very fine quality, The Convent-Gate. FERNANDINA AND CEDAR KEYS. 1;] and excellent palmetto hats. After the Cathedral, the most imposing edifice on the Plaza is the Governor's Palace, formerly the residence of the Spanish Governors, but now used as Post-Office, City Clerk's Office, and Public Library. It is situated at the corner of St. George and King Streets. An older house than this, formerly oc cupied by the Attorney-General, was pulled down a few years ago. Its ruins are still a curiosity, and are called (though incorrectly) the Governor's house. The old Hu guenot Bnrying-Gronnd, on King Street near the City Gate, is a spot of much interest ; and so is the Military Bitrying-Ground (just south of the Barracks), where rest the remains of those who fell near here during the prolonged Seminole War. Under three pyramids of coquina, stuccoed and whitened, are the ashes of Major Dade and 117 men of his command, who were massacred by Oceola and his band. The Sol diers' Monument, erected in 1871, in honor of the Confederate dead, is located on St. George Street, just south of Bridge Street. On St. George Street, near the City Gate, is a famous Rose-tree of many years' growth ; the trunk is as large as a man's arm, and the tree bears from 500 to 1,000 roses in a season. Although the severe frost of 1835 killed all the trees and nearly put a stop to the culture of the orange in this part of Florida, there are many fine orange-groves in the environs of St. Augustine, and visits to them are among the unfailing delights of visitors. The harbor affords excellent opportunities for boating, and numerous points of interest attract excursion-parties. Among tlie most popular of these are those to the North Bench, one of the finest on the coast, affording an admirable view of the ocean ; to the South Beach ; to the sand-hills, where General Oglethorpe planted his guns and laid siege to Fort Marion ; to Fish's Island ; and to the light houses and coquina- quarries on Anastasia Island. A pleasant trip is to Matanzas, where are the ruins of a fortress more ancient than any structure in the city itself; and Matanzas Inlet affords excellent camping-places for hunting and fishing parties. About 2£ miles off Matanzas an immense Sulphur Spring boils up out of the ocean where the water is 132 feet deep, and is well worth a visit. Salt-water bathing may be practised at St. Augustine in suitable bathing-houses, but the sharks render open sea-bathing dangerous. Fernandina and Cedar Keys. Fernandina is an interesting old seaport town, situated on the west shore of Amelia Island, at the mouth of Amelia River, 50 miles north of Jacksonville. It is reached by rail from Jacksonville ; by steamer, direct from New York (see page 2) ; and by both lines of steamers from Charleston and Savannah. Fernandina was founded by the Spaniards in 1632, and at the present time has a population of about 3,000, which is largely increased during the winter season. Its harbor is the finest on the coast south of Chesapeake Bay, being landlocked and of such capacity that, during the War of 1812, when the town was Spanish and neutral, more than 300 square-rigged vessels rode at anchor in it at one time. Vessels drawing 19 or 20 feet of water can cross the bar at high tide, and the largest ships can unload at the wharves. It has an important trade in lumber; possesses a large cotton-ginning establishment and a manufactory of cotton-seed oil; and it is in the neighborhood of numerous sugar, cotton, and orange plantations. The climate of Fernandina is very similar to that of St. Augustine ; mild and equable in winter, and in summer tempered by the cool sea-breezes. It is entirely free from malaria, and is altogether one of the healthiest places in Florida, though like St. Augustine, and for the same reasons, its air is considered too strong for consumptives in advanced stages of the disease. The town, which is the seat of the Episcopal bishopric of Florida, con tains seven churches, a flourishing young ladies' seminary, under the charge of the bishop, and a weekly newspaper. Fernandina possesses other attractions for visit ors besides its delightful climate. There is, for instance, a fine shell-road, 2 miles long, leading to the ocean-beach, which affords a remarkably hard and level drive of nearly 20 miles. A favorite excursion is to Dungeness, the home of the Revolu tionary hero, General Nathaniel Greene. This estate, of about 10,000 acres of choice land, was the gift of the people of Georgia to the general, in recognition of his services as commander of the Southern provincial army. The grounds are beauti- 14 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. fully laid out, and are embellished with flower-gardens, and handsome groves and avenues of olive-trees, and live-oaks draped with long festoons of the graceful Spanish moss. On the beach, about half a mile from the Dungeness mansion, is the grave of another Revolutionary hero, General Henry Lee, marked by a headstone erected by his son, General Robert E. Lee. The hotels at Fernandina are the Mansion House ($3.50 a day), the Riddell House ($2.50 a day), and the Noneood House ($2 a day). Board may be had in private families at from $10 to $15 a week. Beginning at Fernandina, the Florida (or Atlantic, Gulf & West India Transit) Railway extends directly across the State to Cedar Keys, on the Gulf coast (154 miles) passing through some of the most picturesque scenery in Florida. There are a number of small stations on the line, but the first town of any importance is Baldwin (Baldwin House and Florida House, $4 a day), at the crossing of the Jack sonville, Pensacola & Mobile R. R. Baldwin is 47 miles from Fernandina, 20 from Jacksonville, and 107 from Cedar Keys ; and the telegraph-line to Cuba branches off here. The next noteworthy town is Waldo (84 miles from Fernandina), at the junction of the railroad constructing to Tampa Bay. The climate here is dry and the air balsamic, and the region is regarded as particularly favorable to invalids suffering from lung-diseases. There is no hotel in the village, but board may be had in private families for from $15 to $25 a month. The woods in the vicinity of the village abound in deer, ducks, quail, etc. ; and about 2 miles distant is Santa Fe Lake, which is 9 miles long and 4 wide, and affords good facilities for boating and fishing. The streams in the neighborhood are filled with trout and perch. The Santa Fe River disappears underground a few miles from Waldo, and after running underground for two miles rises and continues to its discharge into the Suwanee River. Gainesville (96 miles) is the principal town on the line of the road. It has 1,500 inhabitants, 4 churches, 3 hotels (Oak Hall, Exchange Hotel, and Beville House : terms $2 to $3 a day, $25 to $30 a month), and 2 newspapers. Owing to its favorable situation in the centre of the peninsula and in the midst of the pine- forests, which clothe this portion of Florida, Gainesville is much frequented by consumptives and other invalids. The surrounding scenery is very beautiful, and the vicinity abounds in natural curiosities, which may be visited on horseback, or by vehicles obtained at the livery-stables in town. The woods are alive with game; and oranges, lemons, limes, grapes, and peaches, grow in abundance. The Alachua Sink teems with fish of various kinds, and with alligators. A tri weekly mail-line, carrying passengers, runs between Gainesville and Tampa on the Gulf of Mexico. Cedar Keys (Gulf House and Exchange Hotel, $3 a day), the Gulf terminus of the railway, is a village of about 500 inhabitants, pleasantly situ ated on a large bay, which affords excellent facilities for bathing, boating, and fish ing. The chief commerce of the place is in cedar and pine wood, turtles, fish, and sponges, the sponging-grounds being about 60 miles distant. The climate of Cedar Keys is blander than that of Jacksonville, and is beneficial to rheumatism as well as consumption ; but there are as yet no adequate or proper accommodations for inva lids. Only those who can " rough it " should go there, but sportsmen will find unlimited occupation for both rod and gun. Eighteen miles west of Cedar Keys, the Suwanee River, navigable to Ellaville, enters the Gulf ; and the Withla- eoochee River, 18 miles sonth. The steamers of the New Orleans, Florida & Havana Steamship Co. leave every Saturday morning for Havana, New Orleans, and Kev West. Along the St. John's River. The St. John's River has its sources in a vast elevated savanna midway down the peninsula, flows almost directly north for 300 miles to Jacksonville, and then turning eastward empties into the Atlantic. Its whole course, which lies through an extremely level region, is about 400 miles, and throughout the last 150 miles it is little more than a succession of lakes, expanding in width from 1-J mile to 6 miles and having at no point a width of less than £ mile. It is said that, with its naviga ble branches, the St. John's affords 1,000 miles of water transportation, and it is ALONG THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER. 15 credited with carrying a larger volume of water than the Rio Grande. Its banks are lined with a luxuriant tropical vegetation, handsome shade-trees and orange- groves, and here and there are picturesque villages. " The banks are low and flat," says Edward King, "but bordered with a wealth of exquisite foliage to be seen no where else upon this continent. One passes for hundreds of miles through a grand forest of cypresses robed in moss and mistletoe ; of palms towering gracefully far above the surrounding trees, of palmettos, whose rich trunks gleam in the sun ; of swamp, white and black ash, of magnolia, of water-oak, of poplar and of plane- trees ; and, where the hammocks rise a few feet above the water-level, the sweet bay, the olive, the cotton-tree, the juniper, the red cedar, the sweet-gum, the live- oak, shoot up their splendid stems ; while among the shrubbery and inferior growths Mouth of the St. John's. one may note the azalea, the sumach, the sensitive-plant, the agave, the poppy, the mallow, and the nettle. The vines run not in these thickets, but over them. The fox-grape clambers along the branches, and the woodbine and bignonia escalade the haughtiest forest-monarchs. When the steamer nears the shore, one can see far through the tangled thickets the gleaming water, out of which rise thousands of ' cypress-knees,' looking exactly like so many champagne-bottles set into the current to cool. The heron and the crane saucily watch the shadow which the approach ing boat throws near their retreat. The wary monster-turtle gazes for an instant, with his black head cocked knowingly on one side, then disappears with a gentle slide and a splash. An alligator grins familiarly as a dozen revolvers are pointed at him over the boat's side, suddenly ' winks with his tail,' and vanishes ! as the bul let meant for his tough hide skims harmlessly over the ripples left above him. . . . For its whole length of 400 miles, the river affords glimpses of perfect beauty. One ceases to regret hills and mountains, and can hardly imagine ever having thought them necessary, so much do these visions surpass them. It is not grandeur which one finds on the banks of the great stream, it is Nature run riot. The very irregu larity is delightful, the decay is charming, the solitude is picturesque." The steamers plying between Charleston and Savannah and Jacksonville continue up the St. John's as far as Pilatka, but it is usual to begin the up-river tour at Jack sonville. The regular mail-steamers (Brock's) leave Jacksonville daily, except Sun day, at 9 a. m. for Pilatka and Enterprise, stopping at Tocoi. Fare to Tocoi, $1.00 ; to Pilatka, $2.00. Meals, $1.00 extra. To Enterprise, including meals and stateroom, $9.00. Pilatka to Enterprise, including meals and stateroom, $6.00. Time from Jacksonville to Enterprise, 36 hours. The steamer Hampton also leaves Jackson ville daily at 9 a. m. for Pilatka and intermediate landings, connecting at Tocoi with train for St. Augustine, and at Pilatka for steamers to Enterprise and up the Ockla- waha River. The following list of localities on the St. John's may prove useful to the tourist. The distances are from Jacksonville : 16 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. Miles. Riverside 3 Black Point 10 Mulberry Grove 11 Mandarin 15 Fruit Cove 18 Hibernia 22 Remington Park 25 Magnolia 28 Green Cove Springs 31 Hogarth's Landing 36 Picolata ^5 Tocoi 52 Federal Point 60 Orange Mills 64 Dancy's Wharf 65 Whiteetone 66 Russell's Landing 69 Pilatka " 75 Rawlestown 77 San Mateo 80 Buffalo Bluff 88 Ocklawaha River 100 Wclaka 100 Beecher 101 Orange Point. V. 103 Mount Royal 109 Fort Gates 110 Georgetown 117 Lake View 132 Volusia 137 Orange Bluff 140 Hawkinsville 160 Cabbage Bluff 162 Lake Beresfbrd 165 Blue Spring 172 Emanuel 184 Shell Bank 193 Saudford 199 Mellonville 200 Enterprise 205 Cook's Ferry and King Philip's Town... 224 Lake Harney 225 Sallie's Camp 229 Salt Lake 270 The first landing after leaving Jacksonville is Mulberry Grove, a beautiful grove on the west bank, highly attractive to excursionists. Four miles above, on the east bank, is Mandarin, one of the oldest settlements on the St. John's. It is a vil lage of about 250 inhabitants, and is the winter home of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose cottage is situated near the river, a few rods to the left of the shore-end of the pier. She owns about 40 acres of land, three or four of which are planted with orange-trees. Boarding by T. R. Webb; terms, $2 a day, $12 a week. Seven miles above Mandarin, on an island near the opposite bank, is Hibernia (22 miles from Jacksonville). This is a popular resort for invalids, and Mrs. Fleming keeps a large and excellent boarding-house (terms, $3 a day, $15 a week). Magnolia (28 miles) is situated on the west bank, and is considered one of the most desirable re sorts in Florida for consumptives. It has a sandy soil, covered with beautiful groves of pine and orange trees, and there are no dangerous hammock -lands near by. The Magnolia Hotel ($4 a day) is one of the best on the river, and has several cottages at tached. In the vicinity is Magnolia Point, one of the highest points of land extend ing into the river between Jacksonville and Pilatka. A little to the north of the point Black Creek, a navigable stream, up which small steamers make weekly trips as far as Middleburg, empties into the St. John's. The banks swarm with alligators, which are apt to he mistaken at times for logs which are floated down this stream in large quantities to market. Three miles above Magnolia are the Green Cove Springs, one of the most frequented resorts on the river. The place takes its name from a sulphur-spring, situated about a hundred yards from the landing amid a grove of great water-oaks, covered with hanging festoons of gray moss and mistle toe. The spring discharges about 3,000 gallons a minute and fills a pool some 30 feet in diameter with greenish-hued crystal clear water. The water has a tempera ture of 70° Fahr. ; contains sulphates of magnesia and lime, chlorides of sodium and iron, and sulphuretted hydrogen ; is used both for bathing and drinking ; and is considered beneficial for rheumatism, gouty affections, and Bright's disease of the kidneys. Attached to the springs are comfortable bathing-rooms, and close by are two hotels (the Clarendon and the Union ; terms, $4 a day). There are also good private boarding-houses. Hogarth's Landing (36 miles from Jacksonville) is a wood- station on the east bank, containing a post-office, but otherwise unimportant. About ten miles above, on the same side, is Picolata, the site of an old Spanish settlement, of which no traces now remain. Two hundred years ago it was the main depot for the supply of the Spanish plantations of the up-country, and it then contained a splendid church and several religious houses of their order built by the Franciscan monks. On the opposite side of the river are the ruins of a great earthwork fort of the time of the Spanish occupation. There is no hotel at Picolata, but board may be obtained in private houses. Tocoi (52 miles) is of some importance as the point where connection is made with the St. John's Railroad to St. Augustine, 15 miles distant. (See "St. Augustine.") Passing Federal Point, a wood-station (60 miles) ALONG THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER. 17 Orange Mills (64 miles), and Dancy's Wharf (65 miles)— the two latter noted for their fine orange-groves— we reach Pilatka (or Palatka), the largest town on the river after leaving Jacksonville. It has a population of about 1,500, and is admirably lo- Green Cove Springs. cated on high ground on the west hank of the river, where the surface-land is for the most part sandy. The wonderful blandness of its climate renders Pilatka pe culiarly favorable to consumptives, and it offers advantages in the way of churches, schools, postal and telegraphic facilities, etc., not possessed by many of the interior resorts. It has four good hotels, the Putnam. House ($4 a day), the Larkin House ($4 a day, new), the St. John's Hotel ($3.50 a day), and the Pilatka House ($3 a day) ; and there are several private boarding-houses where board may be had at from $10 to $15 a week. Pilatka is steamboat headquarters for the Upper St. John's and its tributaries; and the steamers en route for Enterprise lie here overnight to discharge 18 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. and receive freight, affording passengers an opportunity to spend a few hours ashore. Steamers run from Pilatka to Dunn's Lake, and also up the Ocklawaha River to Silver Spring, Ocala, and the head of navigation. (See " Up the Ocklawaha.") Above Pilatka the vegetation becomes more characteristically tropical, and the river narrows down to a moderate-sized stream, widening out at last only to be merged in grand Lake George, Dexter's Lake, and Lake Monroe, at Enterprise. The steamers make the run from Pilatka to Enterprise in about 12 hours. Five miles above Pilatka, on the opposite bank, is San Mateo, a pleasant hamlet situated on a high ridge overlooking the river. The Riversdale House ($3 a day) is a com fortable hotel, and there are other places in the town where accommodations may be had. Welaka (25 miles above Pilatka), above the entrance to Dunn's Lake, and op posite the mouth of the Ocklawaha River, is the site of what was originally an Indian village, and afterward a flourishing Spanish settlement. On the Ocklawaha is the famous Silver Spring, the largest and most beautiful of the springs of Florida, navi gable by steamers of several tons' burden. This spring is said to be the '' fountain of youth " of which Ponce de Leon dreamed, and for which he vainly searched. The clearness of its waters is wonderful ; they seem more transparent than air. " You see on the bottom, 80 feet below, the shadow of your boat, and the exact form of the smallest pebble ; the prismatic colors of the rainbow are beautifully reflected ; and you can see the fissures in the rocky bottom through which the water pours upward like an inverted cataract." Just above Welaka the river widens into Little Lake George, 4 miles wide and 7 miles long, and then into Lake George, 12 miles wide and 18 miles long. This is one of the most beautiful sheets of water in the world, being considered by many tourists equal in attractions to its namesake in the State of New York. Among the many lovely islands which dot its surface is one called Drayton. It is 1,700 acres in extent, and contains one of the largest orange-groves on the river. -Ill along the lake the eye is delighted and the ear charmed by the brilliant plumage and sweet song of the southern birds. One finds here the heron, the crane, the white curlew, the pelican, the loon, and the paro quet ; and there are many varieties of fish. Volusia (5 miles above Lake George, 137 from Jacksonville) is a wood-station, with a settlement of considerable size back from the river. An ancient Spanish town used to stand here, this formerly being the principal point on the line of travel between St. Augustine and the Mosquito Inlet country. A fort was erected here during the Seminole War, and from this fort General Eustis, in command of the left wing of the army, set out to cross the coun try to the Withlacoochee to join General Scott. After a fruitless campaign of three months, the latter and his army crossed the river here on their way to St. Augus tine. Orange Grove and Hawkinsville are simply wood-landings, but 35 miles above Volusia is Blue Spring, one of the largest mineral springs in the State. It is several hundred yards from the St. John's, but the stream flowing from the spring is large enough at its confluence with the river for the steamers to float in it. One can look over the side of the steamer into the crystal-clear water below, and observe every movement of the families of the finny tribe as they flit about in the stream. Pur suing its voyage to the south, and passing several unimportant landings, the steamer speedily enters Lake Monroe, a sheet of water 12 miles long by 5 miles wide, teem ing with fish and wild-fowl. On the south side of the lake is Mellonrille, formerly the site of Fort Mellon, erected during the Indian wars, and now an attractive resort for invalids and sportsmen, and a centre of extensive orange-plantations. There are three hotels— the Mellonville Hotel ($3 a day), the Orange Hotel ($3 a day), and the Mellonville House ($2 a day) — and board may be had in private fami lies. About a mile west of Mellonville is Sanford, a new resort, whose excellent hotel (the " Sanford House") is attracting many visitors; and in the vicinity are Eureka, Eauclair, Wekiva, Lake Jennie, Lake Maitland, Lake Conway, Fort Reid, and other settlements, at most of which good boarding-houses or hotels may be found. On the opposite side of the lake from Mellonville is Enterprise, the head of regular steamboat navigation, and one of the most popular resorts in Southern Florida for invalids, especially for those suffering from rheumatism. The climate is rather warmer than that of Jacksonville and Magnolia, but it is said to have UP THE OCKLAWAHA. jo, special invigorating qualities which speedily convert invalids into successful fisher men and hunters. The Brock House ($3 a day) is famous among travelers, and good board may be had in private houses for from $10 to $15 a week. Near the Brock House is the Green Spring, a sulphur-spring, with water of a pale-green hue but quite transparent. It is nearly 80 feet in diameter, and about 100 feet deep. Although Enterprise is the terminus of regular navigation on the St. John's, there is for the sportsman still another hundred miles of narrow river, deep lagoons gloomy bayous, and wild, untrodden land, where all sorts of game, such as bears^ wild-turkeys, deer, and ducks are plentiful, while the waters teem with innumerable varieties of fish. Small steamers run during the winter through Lake Harnev to Salt Lake, the nearest point to the Indian River from the St. John's ; and a small steamboat makes frequent excursions to Lake Harney and Lake Jessup, for the benefit of those who wish to try their hand at the exciting sport of alligator-shoot ing, or of those who wish simply to enjoy the charming scenery. The trip to Lake Harney and hack is made in one day. Lake Jessup is near Lake Harney : it is 17 miles long and 5 miles wide, but is so shallow that it cannot be entered by a boat drawing more than three feet of water. The St. John's rises in the elevated savanna before mentioned, fully 120 miles south of Enterprise, hut tourists seldom ascend farther than Lake Harney. About 20 miles southeast of Enterprise is the ancient town of New Smyrna, located on Mosquito River, south of the inlet of the same name near the coast. New Smyrna was settled in 1767 by Dr. Turnbull and his colony of 1,500 Minorcans, and was named by his wife, who was a native of Smyrna. The colonists cultivated indigo with much success, but, not being dealt with according to contract, they abandoned the settlement in 1776, and established themselves in and near St. Augustine, where their descendants now reside. A large canal, draining the Turnbull Swamp into the Hillsboro' River, at New Smyrna, is the only permanent monument the founder of this colony has left to posterity. The region around New Smyrna is prolific in many varieties of game, and is much resorted to by sportsmen, who find satisfactory accommodations at the Ocean House ($3 a day, $14 a week). Up the Ocklawaha. The Ocklawaha empties into the St. John's about 25 miles south of Pilatka, op posite the small town of W'elaka (see p. 18), after flowing for nearly 300 miles through Putnam and Marion Counties. The channel possesses no hanks, being sim ply a navigable passage through a succession of small lakes and cypress-swamps; but small steamers ascend it for a distance of nearly 200 miles. An excursion up the Ocklawaha to Silver Spring (140 miles) is perhaps the most unique experience of the tourist in Florida; and, the better to show what attractions it offers, we shall (in lieu of a mere itinerary) reproduce a graphic description of such a trip from the pages of "Picturesque America." The regular line of steamers (Hart's) leaves Pilatka daily at 10 a.m., for Silver Spring. Boats also leave Jacksonville for Silver Spring every Thursday at 9 a. m. The trip which we shall now describe began at Pilatka en a certain sunny day of winter, and was made in the Flying Swan, a craft which, from its simplicity of construction and rude machinery, might have been the first model constructed by Fulton, when he was putting into practical shape the use of steam in propelling boats. Its general outline was that of an ill-shaped omnibus, with the propelling- wheel let into its rear, and, on further examination, we found the smoke-pipe, the engine, pilot-house, and all other of the usual gear of steamers, were housed, for the purpose of protecting them from being torn away by the overhanging limbs or protruding stumps everywhere to be met with in the narrow and difficult naviga tion of the swamps. A sail of 25 miles along the St. John's brought us, a little be fore sunrise, to the mouth of the Ocklawaha, looking scarcely wide enough to admit a skiff, much less a steamboat. As daylight increased, we found that we were passing through a dense cypress-swamp, and that the channel had no banks, but was merely indicated by "blazed" marks on the trunks of the towering trees. There was plenty of water, however, to float our craft, but it was a queer kind of 20 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. navigation, for the hull of the steamer went bumping against one cypress-butt, then another, suggesting to the tyro in this kind of aquatic adventure that possibly he might be wrecked, and subjected, even if he escaped a watery grave, to a miserable death through the agency of mosquitoes, buzzards, and huge alligators. As we wound along through the dense vegetation, a picture of novel interest presented itself at every turn. We came occasionally to a spot a little elevated above the dead-water level, covered with a rank growth of lofty palmettos, which shoot up tall and slender, bearing aloft innumerable parasites, and often surprising the eye with patches, half a mile in length, of the convolvulus, in a solid mass of beautiful blossoms. Another sharp turn, and the wreck of an old dead cypress is discovered, its huge limbs covered with innumerable turkey-buzzards, which are waiting patiently for the decomposition of an alligator that some successful sportsman has shot, and left for the prey of these useful but disgust ing birds. The sun shine sparkles in the spray which our awkward yet effi cient craft drives from its prow, and then we enter what s.-ems to be a cav ern where the sun never penetrates. The tree-tops inter lace, and the tangled vines and innumer able parasites have made an impenetra ble mass overhead. The swamps along the Ockla waha are as rich in birds as in vege tation. A detailed list of the varieties to be seen in a sin gle day would fill a page. One of the most striking is the water -turkey, or snake-bird, which is everywhere to be met with, sitting upon some project ing limb overlook ing the water, the body as carefully as possible concealed from view, and its head and long neck projecting out and moving constantly like a black snake in search of its prey. Your curiosity is excited; von would ex amine the creature more critically, and you fire at what seems a sho'rt point-blank shot. The bird falls, apparently helpless, into the water ; you row rapidly to secure your prize, when, a hundred yards ahead, you suddenly see the snaky head of the "darter" just protruding above the surface of the water. In an in stant its lungs are filled with air, and, disappearing again, it reaches a place of safety. Another conspicuous bird is the large white crane. It is a very effective UP THE OCKLAWAHA. 21 object in the deep shadows of the cypress, as it stalks about, eying with fantastic look the finny tribes it hunts for prey. Especially is it of service in destroying the young of the innumerable water-snakes which everywhere abound. With commend able taste it seems to pay especial attention to the disgusting, slimy, juvenile moc casins, which love to sun themselves on the harsh dried leaves of the stunted palmet to. But to the stranger the most prominent living objects in these out-of-the-way places are the alligators, whose paradise is in the swamps of Florida. It is a comi cal and provoking sight to see these creatures, when indisposed to get out of the way, turn up their piggish eyes in speculative mood at the sudden irruption of a rifle-ball against their mailed sides, but all the while seemingly unconscious that any harm against their persons was intended. Like Achilles, however, they have a vul nerable spot, which is just in front of the point where the huge head works upon the spinal column. There is of necessity at this place a joint in the armor, and an ex perienced hunter seldom lets one of the reptiles escape. Our little craft bumps along from oue cypress-stump to another and fetches up against a " cypress-knee," as it is termed — sharp-pointed lances which grow up from the roots of the trees, seemingly to protect the trunks from too much outside concus sion ; glancing off, it runs into a roosting-place of innumerable cranes, or scatters the wild-ducks and huge snakes over the surface of the water. A clear patch of the sky is seen, and the bright light of a summer evening is tossing the feathery crowns of the old cypress-tree into a nimbus of glory, while innumerable paroquets, alarmed at our intrusion, scream out their fierce indignation, and then, flying away, flash upon our admiring eyes their green and golden plumage. It now begins to grow dark in earnest, and we become curious to know how our pilot will manage to navigate this mysterious channel in what is literally Egyptian darkness. While thus speculating, there flashes across the landscape a bright, clear light. From the most intense black ness we have a fierce, lurid glare, presenting the most extravagantly picturesque groups of overhanging palmettos, draped with parasites and vines of all descrip tions. No imagination can conceive the grotesque and weird forms which constant ly force themselves on your notice as the light partially illuminates the limbs of wrecked or half-de stroyed trees, which, covered with moss or wrapped in de cayed vegetation as a winding-sheet, seem huge unburied mon sters, which, though dead, still thro* about their arms in agony, and gaze through unmeaning eyes upon the intru sions of living men. Another run of half a mile brings us into the cypress again, the firelight giving new ideas of the pict uresque. The tall shafts, more than ever shrouded in the hanging moss, looked as if they had been draped in sad ha biliments, while the wind sighed through the limbs ; and, when the sonorous sounds of the alligators were heard, groaning and complaining, the sad, dismal picture of desolation was The Lookout. 22 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. complete. So absorbing were these wonderful effects of a brilliant light upon the vegetable productions of these Florida swamps, that we had forgotten to look for the cause of the artificial glare, but, when we did, we found that a faithful negro had suspended from cranes two iron cages, one on each side of the boat, into which he constantly piled unctuous pine-knots that blazed and crackled and turned what would otherwise have been unmeaning darkness into the most novel and ex citing views of Nature that ever met our experienced eyes. One of our strangest experiences in these mysterious regions was forced upon us one morning when, thrusting our head through the hole that gave air to our sleep ing-shelf, we saw a sight which caused us to rub our eyes and gather up our senses in order to be certain that we were awake. The steamer lay in a basin, possibly a quarter of a mile in diameter, entirely surrounded by gigantic forest-trees which repeated themselves with the most minute fidelity in the perfectly translucent water. For 60 feet downward we could look, and at this great depth see duplicated the scene of the upper world, the clearness of the water assisting rather than interfering with the vision. The bottom of this basin was silver sand, studded with eccentric for mations of lime-crystals of a pale-emerald tint. This we soon learned was the won derful Silver Spring, of which we had heard so much, which every moment throws out thousands of gallons of water without making a bubble on the surface. The Silver Spring. transparency of the water was marvelous. A little pearly-white shell, dropped from our hand, worked its zigzag way downward, deepening in its descent from a pale green to a rich emerald, until, finding the bottom, it seemed a gem destined forever to glisten in its silver setting. Procuring a " dug-out," we proceeded to inform ourselves of the mysteries of the spot. Noticing the faintest possible move- INDIAN RIVER. 23 ment on the surface of the basin at a certain point, we concluded that it must be over the place where the great body of the water entered the spring. So, paddling to the spot we dropped a stone, wrapped in apiece of white paper, into the water at the place where the movement was visible. The stone went down for some 25 feet until it reached a slight projection of limestone-rock, when it was suddenly, as if but a feather in weight, forced upward in a curving line some 15 feet, showing the tremendous power of the water that rushes out from the rock. The most novel and startling feature was when our craft came from the shade into the sunshine, for then it seemed as if we were, by some miraculous power, suspended 70 feet or more in the mid-air, while down on the sanded bottom was a sharp, clear silhouette of man, boat, and paddle. A deep river 100 feet wide is created by the water of this spring, which in the course of 7 miles forms a junction with the Ocklawaha. Silver Spring was once considered the head of navigation in this direction, but small semi-weekly steamers now run far beyond it on the Ocklawaha, through lakes Griffin, Eustis, Harris, and Dora, to Okahumkee, a little settlement in the wilderness where sportsmen delight to spend much of their time while in the peninsula. In the vicinity of Lake Harris frost is seldom known ; and sugar-cane matures so as to tassel, which the early frost never permits it to do in Louisiana and Texas. Indian River. Indian River is a long lagoon or arm of the sea, beginning near the lower end of Mosquito Inlet (with which it is connected by a short caDal), and extending southward along the east side of the peninsula for a distance of nearly 150 miles. It is separated from the Atlantic by a narrow strip of sand, through which it com municates with the open water by the Indian River Inlet (latitude 27° 30' N.) and by Jupiter Inlet ; and for more than 30 miles of its northern course the St. John's River flows parallel with it, at an average distance of not more than 10 miles. The easiest mode of reaching the Indian River has hitherto been by stage from Enter prise ; or by small steamer to Salt Lake (see p. 19) and thence by a " portage " of 8 miles to Sand Point or Titusville. From St. Augustine excursions are often made in yachts to the Indian River ; hut the entrance from the coast is decidedly less easy than from the St. John's, the deepest of the outlets having rarely more than 7 feet of water at high tide. It is announced that during the coming season a new and much easier route will be opened from St. Augustine by steamer down the Matanzas to its mouth; thence by stage or railroad along the shore to Halifax River; and thence by steamer along the Halifax and Indian Rivers. And still another route is opened by stage from Crescent City on Dunn's Lake three times a week to New Britain on the Halifax River. The water of the lagoon is salt, though it receives a considerable body of fresh water through Santa Lucia River, an outlet of the Everglades ; there are no marshes in the vicinity; the adjacent lands are for the most part remarkably fertile, pro ducing abundantly oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, pineapples, guavas, grapes, sugar-cane, strawberries, blackberries, and all varieties of garden vegetables; and the river itself teems to an almost incredible degree with fish of every kind, in cluding the pompano, the mullet, the sheepshead, turtles, and oysters of the most delicious flavor. Along the shore of the lagoon toward the Atlantic is a belt of thick, evergreen woods, which, breaking the force of the chilling east winds that sometimes visit these latitudes in winter, renders the climate of the Indian River country peculiarly favorable to consumptives and rheumatic patients. At Fort Capron, near the Indian River Inlet, a series of meteorological observations, taken during a series of years, shows a singularly equable temperature, with comparative dryness; the winter months having a mean temperature of 63° 20' Fahr., and there being 217 fair-weather days for the year. " The westward side of the lagoon," says Mr. King, who visited the region in 1873, "presents a sad panorama of ruined sugar-plantations and houses, of superb machinery lying idle, and of acres of wild- orange trees, which only need transplanting and budding to produce fruit equal to the best which we receive from Havana. The sportsman who pitches his tent for a few days on the splendid camping-ground of this same shore will see the pelican, 24 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the cormorant, the sea-gull, and gigantic turtles, many of them weighing 500 pounds; may see the bears exploring the nests for turtles' -eggs ; may ' fire-hunt ' the deer in the forest ; chase the alligator to his lair; shoot at the ' raft-duck ; ' and fish from the salt-ponds all the finny monsters that be. Hardly a thousand miles from New York one may find the most delicate and delightful tropical scenery, and may dwell in a climate which neither Hawaii nor Southern Italy can excel. _ Settlements throughout this section are few and far between. The mail is carried down the great silent coast by a foot-messenger; for there is a stretch of nearly 100 miles along which there is not a drop of fresh water for a horse to drink." At its northern end, as already mentioned, the Indian River connects by a canal with the Mosquito Lagoon, which is also known as the Hillsboro' River; and at the northern end of Mosquito Lagoon the Halifax River comes in, which begins about 40 miles south of St. Augustine. Along the Halifax and Hillsboro' Rivers are sev eral recently-established settlements — Port Orange, Baytona, and Halifax City. Travelers and invalids can secure accommodations at any of these places ; also at New Smyrna (see p. 19) at the Bostrom House, 30 miles above New Smyrna, and at New Britain. Lake City and Vicinity. Lake City is a pleasant village on the line of railway between Savannah and Jack sonville, about 60 miles west of the latter. It contains about 2,500 inhabitants, is the seat of justice of Columbia County, is a U. S. Signal-Service station, and the terminal station of the Cuban telegraph-line. It has three hotels, seven churches (belonging to the Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist denomi nations), and cotton, saw, and grist mills. Within the city limits are Lakes Isabella, De Soto, and Hamburg, and Indian or Alligator Lake is only half a mile away. The climate of Lake City is very similar to that of Jacksonville, but the air is thought to be somewhat drier, while the rich balsamic odors from the surrounding forests endow it with exceptional curative and healing power, and- render the neighborhood remarkably beneficial to consumptives in the more advanced stages of the disease. About 10 miles west of Lake City (on the railroad) is the village of Wellborn, which is pleasantly situated and a favorite resort for invalids. In the neighborhood are Lake Wellborn and other lakes well stocked with fish. Board may be had at the houses of Rigsbee, Williams, and others (terms $20 to $30 per month ; $7 to $10 per week). Eight miles away (14 miles from Lake City) are the Smoanee White Sulphur Springs, situated upon the beautiful hanks of the Suwanee River. The spring is about 15 feet deep and the same in diameter, and its clear waters pouring into the river contrast strongly with the dark current flowing from the Okefinokee Swamp. The spring-waters are said to be a valuable cure in cases of rheumatism and dyspepsia, as are also those of the Upper White Sulphur, some miles farther up the river. Twelve miles east of Lake City, also on the railroad, is Olnstee, noted as the site of a desperate battle between the Federal and Confederate forces, fought in February, 1864. A bloody engagement, which lasted all day, resulted in the defeat of the Federals, who retired from the field after losing 1,200 men. Some distance south of Lake City is the important town of Gainesville, which is described on page 14 ; and stretching southward through the whole region is a series of ham mock-lands, including the great Gulf Hammock, below Gainesville, and the Annut- telaga Hammock, in Hernando County, which is 14 miles long and 7 wide. The Tallahassee Country. " Middle Florida," in the midst of which Tallahassee lies, differs from the rest of the State in that its surface is more broken and undulating, reaching here and there an elevation of from 300 to 400 feet. The hills are singularly graceful in outline, and the soil is exceedingly fertile, producing all the characteristic products of the Southern States, including tobacco and early garden vegetables. The vegetation is less tropical in character than that of Eastern and Southern Florida, but it is very profuse and comprises many beautiful evergreens. Tallahassee, the capital of the State and county-seat of Leon County, is situated on the Jacksonville, Pensacola & WESTERN FLORIDA. 25 Mobile R. R., 155 miles west of Jacksonville and 21 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, in lat. 30° 25' N. It is beautifully located on high ground, and is regularly laid out in a plot a mile square, with broad streets and several public squares, shaded with evergreens and oaks. The abundance and variety of the shrubs and flowers give it the appearance of a garden. The business portion of the city is of brick. The public buildings are the Capitol (commenced in 1826), a large three- story brick edifice, with pillared entrances opening east and west; the Court-House, a substantial two-story brick structure ; and the West Florida Seminary, a large two-story brick building, on a hill commanding a view of the entire city. The seminary has separate male and female departments, and is supported by the pro ceeds of the " seminary lands " granted to the State by Congress. There are, be sides, several free public schools, two weekly newspapers, telegraph and express offices, and Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic churches. The car and machine shops of the railroad company are located here ; also the only cotton-factory in the State. The society of Tallahassee is distinguished for its intelligence and refinement, and the old-time hospitality has survived the rav ages of the war. The climate is delightful, the heat of summer and the cold of winter being tempered by the breezes from the Gulf; but consumptives should bear in mind that, as the site is higher than that of Jacksonville, the air is more likely to prove trying to weak lungs, unless proper precautions are taken as to clothing, etc. The City Hotel ($3.50 a day) affords comfortable accommodations, and private board may be had at from $8 to $12.50 a week. In the immediate neighborhood of Tallahassee are Lake Bradford, Lake Jackson (17 miles lcng), and Lake Lafayette (6 miles long) — the second named after General Jackson and the last after the French marquis. During the winter months these lakes swarm with ducks and brant ; and to the angler Lake Jackson presents many at tractions, as it is well stocked with bass and bream. Quail are also extremely abundant. About 15 miles from Tallahassee is the famous Wakulla Spring, which is reckoned among the chief wonders of Florida. It is an immense lime-stone basin, 106 feet deep, and with waters so crystalline clear that the bottom with fish near it can be seen as plainly as though they were in the air, and so copious that a river is formed at the very start. Along the line of railway on which Tallahassee is situated (the Jacksonville, Pensacola & Mobile) there are several towns which offer great attractions to in valids, tourists, and sportsmen. Qnincy (24 miles west of Tallahassee) is a prosper ous village of about 1,000 inhabitants, the county-seat of Gadsden County. Its climatic characteristics are the same as those of Tallahassee, and there is a similar abundance of game in the vicinity. Board may be had at the Willard House and at private boarding-houses. Monticello (33 miles east of Tallahassee) is an important town of about 2,000 inhabitants, and the terminus of a branch road 4J- miles in length. It contains Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches, sev eral schools, and a weekly newspaper. The Monticello Hotel is a fairly-kept inn, and board may be had in private families. In the vicinity of Monticello is Lake Miccosukie, whose banks are noted as the camping-ground of De Soto, and as the field of a bloody battle between General Jackson and the Micccsukie Indians. At its southern end the lake contracts to a creek and disappears underground. Near Monti cello is the Lipona plantation, where Murat resided for some time while in Florida. Madison (22 miles east of Monticello), the capital of the county of the same name, is an attractive town of about 800 inhabitants, containing Baptist, Methodist, and Pres byterian churches, and several good boarding-houses. Near by is the Suwanee River, and in the county are the beautiful Lakes Rachel, Mary, Francis, and Cherry, all of which abound in fish. Western Florida. That portion of the State lying west of the Appalachicola River is usually spoken of as "West Florida," and by nature belongs rather to Alabama than to Florida. Its population is very scanty, and, being less accessible than any other part of the State, it is seldom visited by either tourists or invalids. Its coast-line is indented 3 26 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. with many beautiful bays, and the country is watered by numerous creeks and rivers down which is floated the lumber which constitutes the chief staple of its industry. The principal city of this part of Florida is Pensacola, situated on the northwest side of the bay of the same name, about 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The coun try immediately around Pensacola is sandy, little cultivated, and covered with pines. The town itself, although a place of considerable political and commercial impor tance during the Spanish and English occupation, had, until a year or two prior to the civil war, presented a decayed appearance. At that time a large accession both to its trade and population took place, in consequence of the approach to completion of the railroad connecting it with Montgomery. Since the war it has had considerable commerce, and its population now numbers nearly 5,000. The principal public build ings are a Custom-House, and Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Method ist, and Baptist churches. There are several schools and academies, and two weekly newspapers. The remains of the old forts, San Miguel and St. Bernard, relics of the Spanish occupation, may he seen in the rear of the city. The climate of Pensacola is exceedingly healthful, the winter temperature being remarkably equable and bland. Pensacola Bay forms a thoroughly land-locked harbor covering an area of over 200 square miles, being about 30 miles long and from 4 to 8 miles wide, having unsur passed anchorage and a depth of from 30 to 35 feet. The entrance to the harbor is about a mile wide, and there is a depth of about 22 feet of water on the bar, so that a laden ship of the largest tonnage can approach the city at any time of the year. The entrance is defended by Fort Pickens on the east, situated on the extreme point of the long, low island of Santa Rosa, and Fort McRee on the west, situated on the mainland. About l-£ mile to the north, and immediately in front of the entrance, stands Fort Barrancas. Near this fort are extensive barracks, a Lighthouse, and the Naval Hospital. About a mile above the hospital (7 miles from Pensacola) is the Navy-Yard, situated on Tartar Point. The villages of Warrington and Woolsey lie immediately adjacent to the walls of the navy-yard. Pensacola may be reached from Jacksonville and Eastern Florida by the railroad to St. Mark's on the Gulf, and thence by regular packet-steamer. The Pensacola & Louisville R. R. (44 miles long) connects at Pollard with the Mobile & Montgomery R. R., and brings Pensa cola into connection with the general railway system of the country. The Perdido Railway is a short line of 9 miles, connecting Pensacola with Millview, on Perdido Bay, where there are extensive lumber establishments. ippalachicola is attractively situated at the entrance of the river of the same name into the Gulf of Mexico, through the Appalachicola Bay. It was formerly a place of considerable trade, being the shipping-port for the rich cotton-growing region lying on the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers; but in consequence of the building of the numerous railways in Lower Georgia and Alabama, tapping the river, the trade of this old city has been transferred to Mobile and Savannah. The popu lation of Appalachicola is now less than 1,000, and the place bids fair to experience a still further decay. A weekly line of steamers up the Appalachicola and Chatta hoochee Rivers connects Appalachicola with Columbus, Georgia ; and occasional steamers and sailing-vessels come in from the Gulf. The Gulf Coast. It has already been remarked, in the general description of the State, that much the larger part of the coast-line of Florida is washed by the Gulf of Mexico ; but this immense stretch of sea-front is almost inaccessible on account of shallow soundings, and has few good harbors. The principal towns on the coast — Pensacola, Appalachi cola, and Cedar Keys— have already been described. The best starting-point for a visit to the ports lower down is Cedar Keys (see p. 14). A small steamer makes weekly trips between Cedar Keys, Tampa, Manatee, Punta Rassa, and Key West. In order to reach the minor intervening points, it has hitherto been necessary to charter a steam er or sailing-vessel for the purpose ; but it is announced that during the coming sea son (1877-'78), a weekly steamer will leave Cedar Keys, touching at each of the fol lowing points : Crystal River, Hamosassa, Bayport, Anclote River, Clear- Water Har bor, Law's Store, McMullen's Store, Philippi's Grove, Point Penales, Tampa, Alafia, KEY WEST. 27 Terrasea Bay, Little Manatee, Manatee, and Sarasota. Most of these are mere farming or lumbering settlements, offering great attractions to sportsmen, but scarcely interesting to the tourist or invalid, so we shall attempt to describe only two 'or three of the more important points, contenting ourselves with observing that the entire coast abounds in game of every kind, and that the winter climate is marvel- ously genial and equable. Tampa, the first noteworthy point below Cedar Keys, is situated near the centre of the western coast, at the head of the beautiful Tampa Bay (formerly Espiritu Santo Bay). The bay is about 40 miles long, is dotted with islands, and forms a splendid harbor for the largest vessels. Its waters swarm with fish and turtle, the former being so numerous in some places as to impede the pas sage of boats ; and there is an abundance of sea-fowl, including the beautiful flamingo-bird. Deer swarm on the islands. The surrounding country is sandy, and for miles along the shore there is a luxuriant tropical vegetation. Large groves of orange, lemon, and pine trees, are everywhere to be seen. The village contains about 500 inhabitants, but, though it is probably destined to become one of the chief health-resorts of Florida, there are at present scanty accommodations for tourists or invalids. Of the boarding-houses that of D. Isaac Craft is perhaps the best. Tampa has regular mail communication (by stage) with Gainesville (see p. 14). The pro jected railway to Waldo, on the Cedar Keys & Fernandina R. R., when com pleted, will make Tampa one of the principal ports on the Gulf. Manatee is a small village situated on the Manatee River about 8 miles from its mouth. There are two or three boarding-houses here where fair accommodations may be had at $2 a day or $40 a month. Charlotte Harbor, or Boca Grande, south of Sarasota, is about 25 miles long and from 8 to ten miles wide, and is sheltered from the sea by several islands. The fisheries in and around the harbor are very valuable, the oysters gath ered here being remarkably fine and abundant. The entrance to the harbor be tween Boca Grande Key and Gasparilla is 6 fathoms deep and f of a mile wide. Pnnta Rassa is a small hamlet near the mouth of the Caloosahatchie River, chiefly noteworthy as the point where the Cuban telegraph-line lands and as a U. S. Signal- Service station. The thermometrical observations recorded here are interesting as indicating the climate of all this portion of the coast. In 1874 the range was as follows: January, highest 79°, lowest 42°; February, highest 84°, lowest 50°; March, highest 85°, lowest 55° ; April, highest 87°, lowest 55° ; May, highest 90°, lowest 59°; June, highest 91°, lowest 70°; July, highest 91°, lowest 70°; August, highest 91°, lowest 70° ; September, highest 91°, lowest 67° ; October, highest 85°, lowest 64°; November, highest 82°, lowest 50°; December, highest 80°, lowest 49°. Biscayne Bay, at the end of the peninsula, and emptying into Barnes's Sound and Florida Bay, is a good harbor for vessels drawing less than 10 feet of water, and is always open. The yield of the bay in sponges and turtle is estimated at $100,000 per annum. Key Biscayne is a small settlement and post-office, and county-site of Dade County. Ex-Lieutenant-Governor Gleason says of the Biscayne Bay country, "The pure water, the chalybeate and other mineral springs, the magnificent beauty of the scenery, the salubrity and equability of its climate, must make Biscayne Bay, at no distant day, the resort of the invalid, the tourist, and the lover of adventure." Key West. How to reach. — Key West is reached from New York by the New York and New Orleans steamers, leaving Pier 36, North River, every Saturday, at 3 p. m., and also by the New York and Galveston steamers, leaving Pier 20, East River, every Saturday, at 3 p. m. From Baltimore, by the Baltimore, Havana, and New Orleans steamers, on the 1st and 15th of every month. Weekly steamers leave Cedar Keys and run down the coast to Key West. Hotels and Boarding-Honses. — The Russell House affords comfortable accommoda tions to from 50 to 75 guests. Another hotel, to accommodate 200 guests, is about to be erected. Good board maybe had in private families at from $7 to $12 a week. Key West, the largest city in Florida, next to Jacksonville, is situated upon the island of the same name, off the southern extremity of the peninsula, and occupies the important post of key to the Gulf passage. The island is 7 miles long by from 28 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. 1 to 2 miles wide, and is 11 feet above the sea. It is of coral formation, and has a shallow soil, consisting of disintegrated coral, with a slight admixture of decayed vegetable matter. There are no springs, and the inhabitants are dependent on rain or distillation for water. The natural growth is a dense, stunted chaparral, in which various species of cactus are a prominent feature. Tropical fruits are cultivated to some extent, the chief varieties being cocoanuts, bananas, pineapples, guavas, sapo- dillas, and a few oranges. The air is pure and the climate healthy. The ther mometer seldom rises above 90° and never falls to freezing-point, rarely standing as low as 50°. The mean temperature, as ascertained by 14 years' observations, is, for spring, 75.79°; for summer, 82.51°; for autumn, 78.23°; for winter, 69.58°. The city has a population of about 7,000, a large portion of whom are Cubans and natives of the Bahama Islands. They are a hardy and adventurous race, remark able for their skill in diving. The language commonly spoken is Spanish, or a patois of that tongue. The streets of the town are broad, and for the most part are laid out at right angles with each other. The residences are shaded with tropical trees, Key West. and embowered in perennial flowers and shrubbery, giving the place a very pict uresque appearance. The buildings, however, are mostly small, and are constructed of wood, except the Western Union telegraph-office, those belonging to the United States Government, and one other, which are of brick. The public buildings are the Custom-House, Naval Storehouse, Marine Hospital, County Court- House, County Jail, a Masonic Hall, and an Opera-House. Near the Naval Storehouse is a monu ment of dark -gray granite, erected in 1866 to the memory of the sailors and soldiers who died in the service on this station during the civil war. Key West has a fine harbor, and being the key to the best entrance to the Gulf of Mexico it is strongly fortified. The principal work of defense is Fort Taylor, built on an artificial island within the main entrance to the harbor. It mounts nearly 200 guns, and there are several sand-batteries. The Barracks are large and commodious, and' are garrisoned by 60 men. There is a U. S. Bock, with cisterns to catch rain-water, a condensing and distilling apparatus, and a machine-shop and foundery. Among the principal industries of Key West are turtling, sponging, and the catching of mullet and other fish for the Cuban market. The value of sponges annually obtained is about $100 - 000. Upward of 30 vessels, with an aggregate of 250 men, are engaged in wreck ing on the Florida Reef, and the island profits by this industry to the amount of HINTS FOR SPORTSMEN. 29 $200,000 annually. The manufacture of cigars employs about 800 hands, chiefly Cubans, and 25,000,000 cigars are turned out yearly. An establishment for canning pineapples — the only one in the United States — is also in successful operation. The city contains Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, and Roman Catholic churches; two public and eight private schools; a convent, and two weekly newspapers (one Spanish). There are a number of charming drives on the island, and the fishing and boating are unsurpassed. Steamers leave Key West occasionally for the Dry Tortngas,, a series of desolate, barren rocks at the extreme end of the Florida Keys. During the war these islands were used as a penal station for Confederate prisoners, and several of the conspira tors concerned in the assassination of President Lincoln were confined there. Hints for Sportsmen. Probably every portion of the United States, off the beaten lines of travel, has been in turn described as " a paradise for sportsmen ; " but it is literal truth to say that there is at the present time no place on the continent like Florida for both game and fish. In the immediate vicinity even of such centres of population as Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Tallahassee, there is excellent sport for either the angler or the huntsman, and it is only necessary to penetrate a short distance into the country in any direction in order to find game incredible in quantity and variety. One great advantage which Florida offers to sportsmen is that, owing to the extreme mildness of its climate, what is called "roughing it " is a much less trying process than perhaps anywhere else in America. By taking only the most obvious precau tions as to clothing, etc.. even invalids may camp out for weeks with substantially no risk; and, so much of the locomotion being by water, there is comparatively little likelihood of exhausting fatigue. Some of the most ardent of every season's sports men belong to the class of "consumptives" who, before reaching Florida, were afraid to venture out of the house after sunset. As for game there is an inexhaustible variety from which to choose. Of quad rupeds, there are the bear, the panther, the lynx, the gray wolf, the gray fox, the raccoon, the Virginia deer, the Southern fox-squirrel, the gray squirrel, the gray rabbit, and the opossum. The game-birds include the wild-turkey, the Canada goose, the mallard, the canvas-back, the teal, the black duck, the scaup-duck, the red-head duck, the wood-duck, the ruddy duck, the raft-duck, the green wingtail, the blue wingtail, quail, black-billed plover, golden plover, piping plover, snipe, yellow-legs, godwits, curlew, black-necked stilt, rails, herons, cranes, and ibis. The fish include the pompano (most delicious of American fish), the sheepshead, the red- fish or channel bass, the black bass, the sea-bass, the mullet, the trout, the salt water trout, the drum, the whiting, the red snapper, the "grouper," the cavalli, the crab-eater or sergeant fish, the hogfish, the catfish, the " tarpum," the bream, the sunfish, and several varieties of perch. Sharks are numerous in all the sea- coast waters, and alligators and other reptiles abound in all the inland streams. We have already remarked that there is no portion of the State where sufficient sport cannot be had to satisfy a reasonable amateur's appetite ; but those who are especially in search of game should go to Mosquito Inlet, to the Indian River, to the Upper St. John's, to the Upper Ocklawaha (Leesburg), or to the points mentioned in the preceding section on the " Gulf coast." The southwest coast, in particular, is comparatively little visited, and the sportsman can hardly make a mistake in attack ing any part of it.1 1 Those desiring more detailed information should procure " Camp-Life in Florida " (New York : Forest and Stream Publishing Co.). This book was written by sportsmen fo-r sportsmen, and contains fall and ap parently trustworthy suggestions as to outfit and equipments, modes and cost of travel, eligible localities, and means of accommodation. 30 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. GEORGIA RESORTS. Georgia, the last settled of the " original thirteen States," and long regarded as the "Empire State" of the South, lies just north of Florida, between lat. 30° 21' and 35° N. and Ion. 80° 48' and 85° 40' W., having an extreme length north and south of 320 miles, and an extreme breadth east and west of 254 miles, with an area of 58,000 square miles. The sea-coast, extending about 100 miles along the Atlantic, is similar to that of Florida and the Carolinas, being very irregularly indented, and skirted by numerous low islands, which extend parallel to the shores, from which they are divided by narrow lagoons or sounds. The famous Sea-Island cotton is grown on these islands, and wild-fowl are abundant in all varieties. The State presents a great variety of surface. Along the coast and the Florida line it is low and swampy, while a little farther back occur parallel ranges of sand-hills, 40 or 50 feet high. Near the southeast corner is the Okefinokee Swamp, or rather series of swamps, about 180 miles in circuit, filled with pools and islands, covered with vines, bay- trees, and underwood, and teeming with alligators, lizards, and other reptiles. The elevation for 20 miles inland rarely exceeds 40 feet, and averages 10 to 12 feet above the sea. Then the land suddenly rises by a terrace 70 feet higher, and this table land continues nearly level about twenty miles farther inland, when another rise of 70 feet leads to a third tract, which continues to ascend toward the north, till at the distance of about 150 miles from the sea the elevation is about 575 feet. From the central portion of the State, the surface becomes more elevated, the hills increasing in size toward the north, till, at last, they verge upon the great hill-region traversed by the Appalachian or Alleghany Mountains. These noble ranges occupy all the northern counties, and present to the charmed eye of the tourist scenes of beauty and sublimity not surpassed in any part of the Union. The soil of the coast-islands is light and sandy, but the mainland consists of rich alluvions, producing corn and cotton in abundance, while the tide-swamps of the rivers are fertile in rice. Back from the coast is a stretch of sandy land, chiefly valuable for its timber and naval stores. The southwest portion of the State is light and sandy, but yields good crops Cotton Picking. of cotton, corn, tobacco, sweet-potatoes, sugar-cane, fruits, etc. The northern re gion contains much fertile land, particularly in the valleys, yielding grain, fruits po tatoes and other vegetables, but is not so well suited to cotton. Near the coast the GEORGIA RESORTS. 31 growth along the banks of the streams is of canes, cypress, magnolia glauca and grandiflora, gums of different species, oaks, tulip, ash, sweet-bay, and many other genera ; while back upon the sandy lands pines and scrub-oaks are almost the only trees. Several species of palmetto give a tropical aspect to the sea-islands, and the magnificent live-oaks largely obtained in the vicinity of Brunswick furnish the most valuable ship-timber grown in the United States. One of the most charming feat ures of Georgia vegetation is that, in the larger portion of the State, tropical fruits, and flowers, and shrubbery, grow side by side with those characteristic of the more northern States. There are many fine rivers in Georgia; but, as with the water courses of the South generally, they are often muddy, and their only beauty is in the luxuriant vegetation of their shores, with here and there a bold, sandy bluff. The Savannah, which divides the States of Georgia and South Carolina through half their length, has a course, exclusive of its branches, of about 450 miles. The Chat tahoochee pursues a devious way through the gold-region westward from the moun tains in the northeastern part of the State, and forms the lower half of the dividing line between Georgia and Alabama ; at the point where it enters Florida it is joined by the Flint River, and the united waters are thenceforward called the Appalachi cola. The Oconee and the Ocmulgee combine to form the Altamaha, which, next to the Savannah, is the largest river falling into the Atlantic. Other important streams are the Ogeechee, the Santilla, and the St. Mary's. The climate of Georgia, like that of California, presents much variety. In the low lands in summer, it is hot and unhealthy, and malarious fevers are prevalent ; but in the pine-lands farther back the air is salubrious, while in the northern portion of the State the summers are always cool and healthful. The winter climate is delightful, especially in the eastern and southern districts ; the days are bright and sunny, with little variation in the temperature, and the atmosphere is dry and balmy. The fol lowing table embodies the results of meteorological observations made at Augusta and Savannah, under the direction of the chief Signal-Officer of the United States, for the year ending September 30, 1872 : MONTHS. MEAN THERMOME TER. TOTAL KAINFAiL, INCHES. PREVAILING WIND. Augusta. Savannah. Augusta. Savannah. Augusta. 1 Savannah. 66° 544741 46 5066 7479 8180 75 68° 59 51i 46 50bU6776 80 83 8476 1.627.784.985.205.87 10.88 2.95 5.36 4.77 6.87 4.10 1.33 3.552.22 1.59 2.094.65 10.18 2.755.22 9.524.36 12.31 3.52 S. E. i N.E. W. ' S. W. N. W ! S. W. N. W. N. W. W. I N. W. N. W. N.W. S. ! E. W. 1 s. w. S. E. S.W. S.E. W. S.W. E. S. E. 63.3 66.2 61 75 61 96 W. S. W. Many consumptives and others who find it necessary to winter in a southern climate remain at Savannah, Augusta, Charleston, or Aiken, in preference to going to Flor ida. Here they find comforts, and conveniences, and social attractions, which, of course, cannot be secured in comparatively remote and unsettled regions ; and the climate is scarcely less propitious. Out of 13,606 deaths in Georgia in 1870, only 875 were from consumption, and of these the majority occurred among visitors from the Northern States. The pine-woods of Georgia, beginning about 70 miles from the coast and extending through the eastern and central sections of the State, are considered highly beneficial to consumptives, and are resorted to in increasing num bers. In addition to the dryness and mildness of the atmosphere, the terebinthine odor of the pine is thought to exercise a curative and healing influence peculiar to itself. Malarial and pulmonary diseases are unknown in these woods ; and, accord ing to Dr. Howe, " invalids with troublesome coughs and shortness of breath rapidly 32 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. improve after a short residence, and some far advanced in tubercular disease recover their health completely." Savannah. How to reach.— From New York, Savannah may be reached by steamer three times a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays from Pier 43 North River, at 3 p. m., and on Thursdays from Pier 16 East River. Time, about 3 days; fare (cabin), $20. There are also steamers to Savannah from Philadelphia (Pier 22) every Saturday at noon, and from Baltimore semi-weekly. Fare from Philadelphia, $20 ; from Balti more, $15. Savannah may also be reached from the North by any of the thirty "All-rail Routes" enumerated on page 2, except routes 8, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30. The fare from New York to Savannah by these routes ranges from $28.30 to $31.55. From Charleston, Savannah may he reached by either rail or steamer. Hotels and Boarding-Honscs. — The principal hotels are the Screven House, on John son Square ($4 a day) ; the Pulaski House, on Bryan St., Johnson Square ($4 a day) ; the Pavilion ($3 a day) ; the Marshall House, in Broughton St. ($3 a day); and the Planters' Hotel ($2 a day). McConnell's and Bresnan's are kept on the European plan. Excellent board may be had in private families in all parts of the city and also in the suburbs for from $8 to $15 a week. Location, Climate, and History. — Savannah, the chief city of Georgia, is situated on the south bank of the Savannah River, 18 miles from its mouth. The site was select ed by General Oglethorpe, the founder of the colony of Georgia, who made his first settlement at this point in February, 1733. The city occupies a bold bluff about 40 feet high, extending along the river-bank for a mile, and backward, widening as it recedes, about 6 miles. The river making a gentle curve around Hutchinson's Island, the water-front of the city is in the shape of an elongated crescent about 2J- miles in length. The corporate limits extend back on the elevated plateau about 14. mile, the total area of the city being 3J- square miles. In its general plan, Savannah is universally conceded to be one of the handsomest of American cities. Its streets are broad and beautifully shaded, they cross each other at right angles, and atmany Savannah. of the principal crossings are small public squares or parks, from \\ to 3 acres in extent. These parks, 24 in number, located at equal distances through the city neatly inclosed, laid out in walks, and planted with the evergreen and ornamental SAVANNAH. 33 trees of the South, are among the most characteristic features of Savannah; and, in the spring and summer months, when they are carpeted with grass, and the trees and shrubbery are in full foliage, afford delightful, shady walks, and playgrounds for the children, while they are not only ornamental, but conducive to the general health by the free ventilation which they afford. Upon the large " trust-lots," four of 4PHI Public Square, Savannah. which front on each of these squares (two on the east and two on the west), many of the public edifices and palatial private residences of the city are built. The resi dences are mostly surrounded by flower-gardens, which bloom throughout the year; and among the shrubbery, in which the city is literally embowered, are the orange- tree, the banana, the magnolia, the bay, the laurel, the cape-myrtle, the stately pal metto, the olive, the flowering oleander, and the pomegranate. Flowers are culti vated in the open air throughout the year, many choice varieties (queen among them all the beautiful Camellia japonica, which flourishes here in the greatest perfection, the shrub growing to a height of from 12 to 15 feet) blooming in mid-winter. Being in lat. 32° 5' north, and so near the Gulf Stream as to be within the influ ence of its atmospheric current, the climate of Savannah has all the mildness of 34 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the tropics in winter, without the intense heat in summer, the mean temperature being 66° Fahr., very nearly the same as that of Bermuda. The winter months are particularly genial and equable, the days being bright and sunny, with no marked or sudden changes of temperature. (For details, see meteorological table on page 31). In point of health, the mortuary statistics of Savannah will compare favora bly with those of any other city of the same population in the United States, the locality being comparatively free from the fevers of the lower latitudes, and almost entirely exempt from the pulmonary affections so prevalent farther north. Great numbers of consumptives and other invalids prefer remaining here, where all the comforts and conveniences of a city can be secured, to going to the sanitary retreats farther south. Savannah was founded, as we have seen, in February, 1733, by General Ogle thorpe. In 1776 the British attacked it and were repulsed ; but on December 29, 1778, they reappeared in overwhelming force and took possession of the city. In October, 1779, the combined French and Americans attempted to recapture it, but were unsuccessful, and Count Pulaski fell in the engagement. Savannah received a city charter in December, 1789. In November, 1796, a fire destroyed property to the amount of $1,000,000 ; and in January, 1820, another conflagration occurred, in volving a loss of $4,000,000. During the civil war the city was occupied as a Con federate military port and depot. It was the point on the sea to which Sherman's march from Atlanta was directed, and by December 10, 1864, he had fairly invested it. The capture of Fort McAllister on December 13th sealed the fate of the city, and on the night of the 20th General Hardee evacuated his lines and left it to the pos session of the Union forces. In 1850 Savannah had a population of 15,312 ; in 1860 22,292; and in 1870, 28,235. It is estimated at the present time at about 40,000! It recovered rapidly from the effects of the civil war, and its commerce has since about doubled. The chief business of the place is the receipt and shipment of cot ton, though the trade in lum ber is also considerable. As a cotton-port it ranks third in the United States. Points of Interest. — The great warehouses of the city are located on a narrow street at the foot of the steep bluff; they open below on the level of the piers, and from the up permost story on the other side upon a sandy area 200 feet wide and divided by rows of trees. This is called the Bay, and is the great commer cial mart of Savannah. The principal business streets and promenades are Bull, Bray- ton, and Broad Sts. Among the noteworthy public build ings are the new granite Cus tom-House, which also con tains the Post- Office, corner Bull and Bay Sts.; the City Exchange, in front of which General Sherman reviewed his army, January 7, 1865; the Court -House, Theatre, State Arsenal, Artillery Ar- bt. Andrew s Hall and the Chatham Academy are conspicuous the tower of the Exchange the best view of the city and neish- Presbyterian Church. mory, and Jail. buildings. From SAVANNAH. 35 horhood is to be had. The building on the northeast corner of Bull and Broughton Sts., known as the Masonic Hall, is interesting as the place where the Ordinance of Secession was passed, January 21, 1861. Four years later (December 28, 1864), a meeting of citizens was held in the same apartment to commemorate the triumph of the Union arms. Among the interesting relics of the past history of Savannah are the building in which the Colonial Legislature held its sessions, in South Broad St. near Drayton, and the mansion of the Governor of Georgia during the occupa tion of the city by the British, which stands in Broughton St. The Market pre sents an animated and characteristic spectacle in the early morning. The Georgia Historical Society has a large and beautiful hall, in which are a fine library and some interesting relics. Of the church edifices the the Episcopal Churches of St. John's and Christ's are the most striking. The former is in the Gothic, the latter in the Ionic style. The lofty spire of the Independent Presbyterian Church is much admired. This church is built of Quincy granite, and cost $130,000. Trinity Church stands in Johnson Square, near tbe spot where John Wesley delivered his famous sermons. The new Catholic Cathedral is an imposing structure. The most attractive place of public resort is Forsyth Park, an inclosure of 30 acres in the south part of the city. It is shaded by some venerable old trees, is laid out in serpentine walks, and orna mented with evergreen and flowering trees and shrubs. In the centre is a handsome fountain, after the model of that in the Place de la Con corde, Paris. In Johnson or Monument Square, near the centre of the city, is a fine Doric obelisk, erected to the memory of General Greene and Count Pulaski, the cor ner-stone of which was laid by Lafayette, during his visit in 1825. The Pulaski Monu ment stands in Chippewa Square, and is one of the most chaste and perfect speci mens of monumental archi tecture in the United States. The steps are plinths of granite ; the shaft is of purest marble, 55 feet high, and is surmounted by an exquisite ly-carved statue of Liberty, holding the national ban ner. The monument appro priately covers the spot where Pulaski fell, during an at tack upon the city while it was occupied by the British, in 1779. at a cost of $22,000, gold. Though built upon a sandy plain, Savannah is not without suburban attractions, there being several places in its vicinity whose sylvan character and picturesque beauty are in keeping with the "Forest City" itself. Thunderbolt, Isle of Hope, Beaulieu, Montgomery, and White Bluff, tire all rural retreats on "The Salts," within short driving-distance of the city, where, in the summer months, bracing sea- breezes and salt-water bathing may he enjoyed. The great drive is to Bonaventure Cemetery, which is situated on Warsaw River, a branch of the Savannah, about 4 miles from the city. The scenery of Bonaventure has long been renowned for its Monument to General Greene. It was constructed by Launitz, of New York, 36 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. Arcadian beauty. A hundred years ago the seat of the Tatnalls, a wealthy English family, the grounds around the mansion were laid out in broad avenues, and planted in native live-oaks. These trees, long since fully grown, stand like massive columns on either side, while their far-reaching branches, interlacing overhead like the fretted roof of some vast cathedral, the deep shade of their evergreen foliage shutting out the sky above, and the long, gray moss-drapery depending from the leafy canopy, silent and still, or gently swaying in the breeze, give to the scene a weird and strange ly sombre aspect, at once picturesque and solemn. A more beautiful or more appro priate home for the dead than in the shades of these green forest-aisles cannot well be imagined. On the road to Bonaventure the Catholic Cemetery is passed ; the municipal cemetery, Laurel Grove, lies northwest of the city, near Forsyth Park. Thunderbolt, a popular drive and summer resort, is on the Warsaw River, a mile be yond Bonaventure. According to local tradition, this place received its name from the fall of a thunderbolt. A spring of water which issued from the spot upon that event has continued to flow ever since. Jasper Spring, 2J miles west of the city, is the scene of the famous Revolutionary exploit of Sergeant Jasper, who, with only one companion, successfully assailed a British guard of eight men and released a party of American prisoners. White Bluff, 10 miles out, is another favorite resort of the Savannah people, and the road to it is one of the most fashionable drives. Augusta. How to reach. — From Savannah, Augusta is reached either by steamer on the Sa vannah River or by the Central Railroad (135 miles), or by Savannah, Charleston, & Port Royal R. R. (141 miles). From Charleston, via the South Carolina R. R. (137 miles). From the North by either of Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 14, and 22, of the " All- Rail Routes " enumerated on page 2. Fare from New York to Augusta, $22 to $26. Hotels and Boarding-Houses. — The leading hotels are the Planters' Hotel ($3 a day); the Globe Hotel ($3 a day) ; and the Augusta Hotel ($3 a day). Good board may be had in private families at from $8 to $15 a week. Location, Climite, and History. — Augusta, one of the most beautiful cities in the South, and the third in population and importance in Georgia, is situated on the eastern boundary of the State, upon the banks of the Savannah River, 230 miles from its mouth, and at the head of its navigable waters. The river is wide at this point, and the shores picturesque. Along the high banks upon which Augusta is built are rows of old mulberry-trees, the trunks of which are covered with warts and knot3, and the roots exposed by the washings of many freshets. Facing these trees are many pleasantly-situated cottages and villas, with very charming prospects of the river and the green slopes of the opposite shore. The area embraced by the city proper is 2 miles in length and about a mile in width, but it is rapidly spreading itself over the level lands westward. It is very handsomely laid out, with wide streets crossing each other at right angles. These avenues may well claim the palm for beauty among city thoroughfares. The principal one, Greene Street, is 168 feet wide, and lined with elegant mansions; tall, spreading trees not only grace the sidewalks, but a double row, with grassy spaces between, runs down the centre of the ample roadway. This places beautiful park-grounds before every man's door ; and the children playing under the trees, and the roaming cattle that are allowed to gather under the grateful shade, give the scene a domestic peace that is very charm ing. Broad Street, the main thoroughfare of the city, is another noble avenue, 165 feet wide and 2 miles long. This is the Broadway of Augusta, wherein all the shopping and promenading are done, and where the banks and hotels and markets are to be found. Other streets will attract the visitor's notice, and the entire city is embowered in foliage. The climate of Augusta is very similar to that of Aiken (from which it is only 17 miles distant). It is slightly cooler than that of Savannah, but is marked by the same genial equability, the same bright, sunny winter days, and the same dry and balmy atmosphere. (For details, see meteorological table on page 31.) The mean temperature in December and January is about 50° Fahr. ; in midsummer it is S0°. Many consumptives find Augusta more beneficial than the warmer resorts AUGUSTA. 37 farther south ; and the climate is thought to be peculiarly invigorating to persons suffering from overwork and nervous exhaustion. A good many invalids, after spending the first part of the winter in Savannah or in Florida, come to Augusta to remain during February, March, and April, which are here especially delightful. Augusta was laid out by General Oglethorpe only two years after the settlement of Savannah (1735), and became an important point in military operations during the Revolutionary War, being alternately in the possession of the royal troops and the Americans. The city was incorporated in 1798, and the chief magistrate bore the appellation of Intendant until 1818, when the first mayor was elected. It es caped the ravages of the civil war, and the population increased from 12,493 in 1860 to 15,386 in 1870. Points of Interest. — There are a few fine public buildings in Augusta, among them a Masonic Hall of massive and imposing architecture, a handsome Odd-Fellows' Hall, and an Opera-House of good dimensions and considerable beauty. The City Hall, completed in 1824 at a cost of $100,000, is a really fine building of venerable age, set in an ample green amid tall trees, and having about it an air of quiet dignity and repose. On the green in front of the hall stands a granite monument 45 feet high, erected by the city in 1849 to the memory of the Georgian signers of the Declara tion of Independence. The Medical College and the Richmond Academy have neat buildings; and an Orphan Asylum, 178 feet by 78, has been recently completed at a cost of $150,000. The churches are about 25 in number, and of all denominations. St. Patrick's, constructed in 1863 at a cost of $42,000, is a fine edifice. The Mar ket-Homes are on Broad St., and are f of a mile apart. The rapid development of the up-country of Georgia, within a few years, has brought down to Augusta great commercial prosperity; and the water-power, secured by means of the Augusta Canal, which brings the upper floods of the Savannah River to the city, at an ele vation of 40 feet, is enriching it by extensive manufactures. This canal, 9 miles in length, was constructed in 1845. The City Water- Works were completed at a heavy cost in 1861 ; the- water is drawn from the canal and forced into a tank, hold ing 185,000 gallons, in a cylindrical brick tower standing 115 feet above the general level of the city. There is a City Cemetery, which exhibits the taste and care that, in America, are now so commonly bestowed upon " God's acre." Just outside of the city, and east of the cemetery, are the Fair-Grounds of the Cotton States Mechanics' and Agricultural Fair Association, which were opened in 1870. Situated upon a plain, level as the sea, they are especially adapted to the uses which they serve. They embrace about 47 acres, and are laid out in attractive walks and drives. An excellent view of Augusta and its environs may be had from Summcrville, a suburban town of handsome villas situated on high hills about 3 miles from the city. A line of horse-cars runs from the town to the summit of the range. Here are situated many villas and cottages, embowered in trees, with broad verandas, handsome gardens, and many signs of wealth and culture. The scene is more Northern in its general features than Southern ; the houses are like those of the North, and the gardens not essentially different, although the Spanish-bayonet — that queer horticultural caprice, with its bristling head of pikes — shows a proximity to tropical vegetation. These heights form a part of the famous red sand-hills of Georgia, and a characteristic feature are the rich red tints of the roadways. Among the objects of interest at Summerville, are the United States Arsenal, built in 1827, and the long range of workshops built and used by the Confederates during the war. The latter extend upward of 500 feet in length, are substantially built, and present an imposing effect. Returning to the city by leaving the main road to the left, a short distance from the Arsenal, the traveler can get a view of the Powder- Mill and Cotton Factories immediately on the outskirts of the city. These latter are very extensive, and give constant employment to 700 operatives. There are other pleasant drives along the banks of the Savannah, particularly below the city ; and across the river at Hamburg there are some beautiful wooded and grassy ter races, known as Schultz's Hill, and much resorted to as a picnic-ground. The river-voyage between Augusta and Savannah is a very pleasant one, pre senting to the eye of the stranger many picturesque novelties in the cotton-fields 38 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. which lie along the banks through the upper part of the passage, and in the rich rice-plantations below. Approaching Savannah the tourist will be particularly de lighted with the mystic glens of the wild swamp-reaches, and with the luxuriant groves of live-oak which shadow the ancient-looking manors of the planters. A few miles above the city of Savannah he may visit the spot where Whitney invented and first used his wonderful cotton-gin. Thomasville. How to reach.— Thomasville is situated on the line of the Atlantic & Gulf R. R., 200 miles from Savannah, 58 miles from Albany via the Albany Division of that road, and 36 miles from Bainbridge, on the Flint River, where steamer connection is made with Columbus, Ga., and Appalachicola, Fla. Across the southern portion of Georgia, from east to west, extends a broad belt of primitive pine-forest. Its width is about 75 miles, and the surface of the coun try is almost a dead level. No underbrush grows, and no other tree beside the tall, spindling, long-leaved pine. The ground is carpeted with a green growth of weeds, and so open is the forest that were it not for the fallen trunks of dead trees a horseman might ride through it at a gallop. At the northern verge of this forest- wilderness, on the highest ground between Savannah and the Flint River, stands Thomasville, a pretty town of 4,000 inhabitants. It has broad, well-shaded streets, has Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic churches, and in the surrounding country, besides cotton and sugar, grapes are produced in abun dance. Mr. E. V. Smalley, a correspondent of the New York Tribune, who visited Thomasville in the spring of 1877, says of it : " Great are the surprise and delight of the traveler, after journeying all day through the dreary country I have de scribed, to come at evening to a pretty town in the midst of orchards and green fields. His astonishment increases when he finds a large hotel, with handsome furniture and carpets, spring beds, and a civilized bill of fare. A wealthy citizen of Thomasville built the hotel a year ago, and a Boston man, who keeps a house in the White Mountains in the summer, conducts it from October to May as a winter resort for invalids. The town is 300 feet above the sea-level, and has the dry, pure atmosphere, laden only with the odors of pine-forests, which consumptives highly prize. The existence of a handsome, thriving little village in the confines of the wilderness is explained by the fact that there is a belt of fertile, well-settled coun try on three sides of it. This belt begins at the Okefinokee Swamp and the Suwanee River, and runs westward, on both sides of the line between Georgia and Florida, for a distance of about 200 miles. Its average width is 50 miles. The land is rolling, and the predominant growth of pines is interspersed with oaks and other deciduous trees. Corn and cotton are the principal crops. Oats and rye do well, and wheat can be raised, but it does not thrive as well as the other small grains. A few Northern people have settled in Thomasville, and are anxious to attract others by making known the advantages of cheap and good lands, and a climate not extremely warm in summer, and delightfully mild in winter. Uncleared land can be bought at from one to two dollars an acre, and cleared land at from five to ten." Mineral Springs. There are numerous mineral springs in various portions of Georgia, the best known and most frequented being the Warm Springs, in Meriwether County, 36 miles northeast by stage from Columbus. Nearer railway points are Lagrange, on the Atlanta & West Point R. R. ; and Geneva, on the Muscogee R. R. The springs discharge 1,400 gallons of water per minute, of 95° Fahr. The waters are used for both bathing and drinking. Their effect is tonic and alterative, and they have acquired considerable reputation for the cure of rheumatism, gout, cutane ous affections, and other chronic diseases for which such waters are commonly em ployed. The springs are pleasantly situated in a picturesque and salubrious dis trict near the Pine Mountains, and the accommodations for visitors are good. Be sides the warm springs proper there is in the immediate vicinity a cold spring con- MOUNTAIN REGION AND SCENERY. 39 taining iron and a large proportion of free carbonic-acid gas ; and another containing sulphates of soda and magnesia, and a large quantity of sulphureted hydrogen. The Chalybeate Springs, in Talbot County, 7 miles south of the Warm Springs, have fine tonic properties, and are picturesquely located. They are reached by a stage-ride of about 20 miles from Geneva, on the Muscogee R. R. The Indian Springs, in Butts County, are famous sulphurous waters, with a wide reputation for the cure of chronic rheumatism and various diseases of the liver and stomach. Their virtues were known to the Indians, and they have long been a place of popular resort. The springs are reached by stage from Forsyth, a town on the Macon & Western R. R., 26 miles from Macon. Among the attractions in the vicinity are the beautiful Falls of the Towaligo. The river above the falls is about 300 feet wide, flowing swiftly over a rocky shoal. At its first descent it is divided by a ledge of rock, and forms two precipitous falls for a distance of 50 feet. The falls are much broken by the uneven surface over which the water flows, and on reaching their rocky basin are shivered into spray and foam. From the foot of the fall the stream rushes rapidly down its declivitous channel for 200 feet, and again bounds over a minor precipice in several distinct cascades, which commingle their waters at its base in a cloud of foam. The Madison Springs, in Madison County, are a pure and excellent chalyb eate, having wide reputation as a tonic. They are reached by stage from Athens, on the Athens branch of the Georgia R. R. The Red Sulphur Springs (or "Vale of Springs ") are at the base of Taylor's Ridge, in Walker County, the northwest corner of the State. No less than 20 springs are found here in the space of half a mile — chalybeate, red, white, and black sulphur, and magnesia. In the vicinity are Lookout Mountain and other beautiful scenery. The Catoosa Springs are in Catoosa County, 4 miles from Ringgold on the Western & Atlanta R. R. The waters are a saline chalybeate, and the springs are much resorted to in the watering-season. Row land's Springs, in Bartow County (6 miles from Cartersville on the Western & Atlanta R. R.), and Gordon's Springs, in Murray County, are chalybeate, and have begun to attract the attention of invalids. The Thundering Springs are in Upson County ; the nearest railway-station is Forsyth, on the Macon & Western R. R. The Powder Springs, sulphur and magnesia, are in Cobb County, 20 miles above Atlanta. Mountain Region and Scenery. Throughout all Northern Georgia the traveler will find a continuation of that charming Blue Ridge landscape which constitutes the chief beauty of the scenery of Virginia and Western North Carolina. Here are the famous gold-lands, and in the midst of them Bahlonega, which contains a branch of the United States Mint, and which is beautifully situated on a high hill commanding a magnificent view of the mountain scenery of this lovely region. The most frequented if not the finest scenes in this neighborhood are in the northeast, as the wonderful falls of Tallulah and Toccoa, the valley of Nacoochee and Mount Yonah, in Habersham County, the Cascades of Eastatoia, and the great Rabun Gap in Rabun ; all within a day's ride of the Sable Mountain, Caesar's Head, Jocasse, the Whitewater Falls, and other wonders of South Carolina, described in the chapter on that State. Farther west are the Falls of Amicalolah, the Cahutta Mountain, the Dogwood Valley, and Look out Mountain. This region was the hunting-ground of the Cherokees, before the final removal of the tribe to new homes beyond the Mississippi. The point of rendezvous for the exploration of the mountain region is Clarksville, a pleasant village in Habersham County, much resorted to in summer by the people of the "Low Country " of Georgia. It is reached by stage from Bellton or Toccoa City, on the Atlanta & Richmond Air Line R. R. ; or by stage from Walhalla (on the Blue Ridge, Anderson, Greenville & Columbia R. R.) to Clayton, which is still nearer the mountains. Fair accommodations for travelers may be had at Clarksville, and also horses or wagons for the exploration of the surrounding country. The celebrated Toccoa Fall is a few miles from Clarksville. A narrow passage leads from the roadside to the foot of the falls. Before the spectator rises a perpendicular rock resembling a rugged stone-wall 180 feet high, and over it " The brook comes babbling down the mountain's Bide." 40 HA>JD-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. There are picturesque legends connected with this winsome spot ; one of which narrates the story of an Indian chief and his followers, who, bent upon the exter mination of the whites, and trusting to jSpssr the guidance of a woman, were led by her over the precipice, and, of course, perished in their fall. The Cataracts of Tallulah are 12 miles from Clarksville, by a road of very varied beauty. From Toccoa to Tallulah the cut across is only 5 or 6 miles. There is a comfortable ; hotel near the edge of the gorges trav- ; ersed by this wild mountain-stream, and . hard by its army of waterfalls. The Tal- pl lulah, or Terrora, as the Indians more appositely called it, is a small stream, which rushes through a chasm in the Blue Ridge, rending it for several miles. The ravine is 1,000 feet in depth, and of an equal width. Its walls are gigantic cliffs of dark granite. The heavy masses, piled upon each other in the wildest con fusion, sometimes shoot out, overhanging the yawning gulf, and threatening to break from their seemingly frail tenure, and hurl themselves headlong into its dark depths. Along the rocky and un even bed of this deep abyss the infuriated Terrora frets and foams with ever-vary ing course. Now, it flows in sullen maj esty, through a deep and romantic glen, embowered in the foliage of the trees, which here and there spring from the rocky ledges of the chasm-walls ; anon, it rushes with accelerated motion, break ing fretfully over protruding rocks, and uttering harsh murmurs as it approaches the verge of a precipice, and plunges in a broad sheet into the loud-resounding gorge below. The most familiar point of observation is The Pulpit, an immense cliff which projects far into the chasm. From this position, the extent and depth of the fearful ravine and three of the most romantic of the numerous cata racts are observed. At various other localities fine glimpses down into the deep gorge are afforded, and numerous other steep paths lead to the bottom of the chasm. At the several cataracts — the Lodore, the Ternpesta, the Oceana, the Serpentine, and others— the picture is ever a new and striking one — which the most striking and beautiful, it would be very difficult to determine. The natural recess called the Try sting- Rock, once the sequestered meeting-place of Indian lovers, is now a halting-spot for merry groups as they descend the chasm, just below the Lodore Cascade. From this point, Lodore is upon the left, up the stream ; a huge perpendicular wall of party-colored rock towers up in front and below ; to the right are seen the foaming waters of the Oceana Cascade, and the dark glen into which they are surging their maddened way. Tempesta, the Serpentine, and other falls, lie yet below. The wild grandeur of this mountain-gorge, and the variety, number, and magnificence of its cataracts, give it rank with the most imposing waterfall scenery in the Union. The Valley of Nacoochec (or the Evening Star) is a pleasant day's excursion from Clarksville. The valley is said by tradition to have won its name from the story of the hapless love of a beautiful Indian princess, whose sceptre once ruled its solitudes; but with or without these associations it will be remembered with pleasure by all whose fortune it may be to see it. Mount Yonah looks down into the quiet heart of Nacoochee, lying at its base ; and if the Falls of Toccoa. SOUTH CAROLINA RESORTS. 41 tourist should stay overnight in the valley, he ought to take a peep at the mountain panorama from the summit of Yonah. Another interesting peak in this vicinity is Mount Currahee, which is situated south of Clarksville, a few miles below the Toccoa Cascade. The traveler, fresh from the lowlands, always finds this a scene of much interest. The Falls of the Eastatoia are about 3 miles from Clayton (see page 39), in Rabun, the extreme northeastern county of Georgia. Clayton may be reached easily from Clarksville, or by a ride of 12 miles from the cataract of Tallulah. The falls lie off the road to the right, in the passage of the Rabun Gap, one of the mountain-ways from Georgia into North Carolina ; they would be a spot of crowded resort were they in a more thickly-peopled country. The scene is a succession of cascades, no ble in volume and character, plunging down the ravined flanks of a rugged moun tain-height. From the summit of one of the highest of the falls, a magnificent view is gained of the valley and waters of the Tennessee, north of the village of Clayton, and of the hills which encompass it. Union County, adjoining Habersham on the northwest, is distinguished for natural beauty, and for its objects of antiquarian interest. Among these latter is the Track Rock, bearing wonderful impressions of the feet of animals now extinct. Pilot Mountain, in Union, is a noble elevation of some 1,200 feet. The Hiawassee Falls, on the Hiawassee River, present a series of beautiful cascades, some of them from 60 to 100 feet in height. The much-visited Falls of Auiicalolah are in Lumpkin County, 17 miles west of the village of Dahlonega, near the State road leading to East Tennessee. The name is a compound of two Cherokee words — "Ami," signi fying water, and " Calolah," rolling or tumbling ; strikingly expressive of the cata ract, and affording us another instance of the simplicity and significant force of the names conferred by the untutored sons of the forest. The visitor should rein up at the nearest farm-house, and make his way thence, either up the Rat tlesnake Hollow to the base of the falls, or to the summit. The range of moun tains to the south and west, as it strikes the eye from the top of the falls, is truly sublime ; and the scene is scarcely surpassed in grandeur by any other, even in this country of everlasting hills. The view of the falls from the foot is much more strik ing than the view from above ; both, however, should be obtained, for here we have a succession of cataracts and cascades, the greatest not exceeding 60 feet in height, but the torrent, in the distance of 400 yards, descending more than as many hun dred feet. JVickojack Cave extends into the Raccoon Mountains, near the northwest extremity of the State, for several miles, with a portal 160 feet wide and 60 feet high, through which flows a stream, up which boats can pass for 3 miles to a cataract. The cave is said to have been the headquarters of the leader of a band of negro outlaws. He was known by the name of " Nigger Jack ; " hence the name of the cave. SOUTH CAROLINA RESORTS. South Carolina, one of the original thirteen States of the Union, is situated be tween lat. 32° and 35° 10' north, and Ion. 78° 25' and 83° 19' west. It has the form of an irregular triangle, with the coast-line for its base, and Georgia and North Car olina for its converging sides. Its extreme length from east to west is 275 miles, and its greatest breadth from north to south 210 miles ; area about 34,000 square miles. The topography of the State resembles that of Georgia. The coast for about 100 miles inward is flat and sandy, with a light soil, covered by pitch-pine forests, trav ersed by sluggish streams, and interspersed with numerous swamps. This portion of the State is of alluvial formation. Beyond this plain is a belt of low sand-hills, called the "middle country," which is moderately productive. West of the middle country is a belt called the "ridge," where the land rises abruptly, and thence con tinues to ascend, exhibiting beautiful alternations of hill and dale, till it terminates, 4 42 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. at the extreme northwest part of the State in the Blue Ridge, the highest peak of which in South Carolina is Table Mountain, 4,000 feet above the Atlantic. The coast presents numerous inlets, bays, shallow sounds and lagoons, and a few good harbors; small iplands skirt the southern portion, shut off from the mainland by nar row channels, which afford "inside" steamboat communication between Charles ton and Savannah. These islands are low and flat, and produce sea-island cotton. Rice is also produced in large quancities, and tropical fruits flourish. The natural scenery of the State is exceedingly varied : on the seaboard of the south, broad savannas, and deep, dank lagoons, covered with teeming fields of rice, and fruitful in a thousand changes of tropical vegetation ; in the middle districts, great, undulating meadows, overspread with luxuriant maize, or white with snowy carpetings of cot ton ; and, again, to the northward, bold mountain-ranges, valleys, and waterfalls. There is very little waste-land in South Carolina, and the soil is generally fertile, producing in abundance cotton, rice, tobacco, maize, oats, rye, barley, wheat, all kinds of garden vegetables, and numerous varieties of fruit. Of forest-trees, on the islands are found the live-oak, pine, palmetto, and laurel ; in the lower and pine-barren dis tricts, pitch-pine; and in the middle and higher regions, oak, hickory, and pine. The palmstto is the most characteristic of the vegetable productions, and it grows in such abundance, especially in the southern districts, that South Carolina is known throughout the Union as the " Palmetto State." The State is remarkably well wa tered, and almost every county abounds in good water-power. Among the more im portant rivers are the Savannah, the Great Pedee, the Santee and its affluents, the Congaree and Wateree, the Saluda and the Broad, the Edisto and the Combahee, to gether affording an inland navigation of 2,400 miles. Of the climate of South Carolina, Dr. Joseph W. Howe, of New York, who has made a special study of its adaptation to invalids from the North, says: "In many respects it has a climate resembling Southern Europe, without any more sudden variations in the daily temperature than are noticed there. Both the Carolinas are good winter resorts, but they are objectionable in the summer months. . . . During the winter there is very little rain; the days are usually cloudless and warm. The diurnal thermal variations are greater than in Florida. Between the day and night temperature there is often a difference of 20° Hence, invalids must pay great at tention to their clothing, and provide suitable winter dress for day and evening wear. Consumptives generally improve faster in the highlands of the western part of the State than in the counties bordering on the Atlantic. However, there are some who prefer the moister and lower lands, and who do well there. Rheumatic and gouty patients may reside anywhere in the neighborhood of the mineral springs. Those afflicted with malaria will do well to seek a residence in some other State, but they may derive benefit from the climate of the northern slope of the Blue Ridge Moun tains. The fall and spring months are the best seasons to reside in South Carolina. The latter part of December, January, and February, consumptives who are beyond the incipient stages will do well to go farther south into Georgia or Florida. March and April are exceedingly mild in South Carolina, and very free from disagreeable variations." For details as to thermometrical range and mean temperature, consult the following articles on Charleston and Aiken. Out of 7,380 deaths in the State in 1870, 657 were from consumption ; there being 11.2 deaths from all causes to one from this disease. Pneumonia caused 709 deaths out of the total number, or 10.4 deaths from all causes to one from this disease. Charleston. How to reach. — From New York, Charleston is reached direct via "New York and Charleston Steamships," leaving Pier 29 North River at 3 p. m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Time, about 3 days; fare, cabin, $20. From Phila delphia, via steamer leaving Pier 4 every Friday. Time and fare same as from New York. From Baltimore by steamer every 5 days. Time, about 50 hours ; fare, $15. From either of the above cities and from the North generally it may be reached by Nos. 5, 7, 12, 19, and 24, of the " All-Rail Routes" enumerated on page 2. The fare from New York to Charleston is $24.35 by the first-mentioned route, and $25 by CHARLESTON. 43 the last four. From Savannah, Charleston may be reached by either steamer or railroad. Hotels, Boarding-Houses, etc. — The leading hotel is the Charleston Hotel ($4 a day), centrally located in Meeting Street, between Hayne and Pinckney Sts. It is noted for its great stone colonnade and piazza, reaching from pavement to roof. The Mills House, also in Meeting St., is temporarily closed. The Pavilion Hotel ($3 a day), cor ner Meeting and Hasel Streets, and the Waverley House ($2.50 a day), in King Street, near Hasel, are unpretentious but comfortable houses. Board may be had in different parts of the city at from $8 to $20 a week. There are few restaurants in Charleston, almost none deserving the name, though there are "lunch-rooms " with bars attached. The best of these are in Bay Street, near Broad, and in King Street, near Wentworth. Location, Climate, and History.— Charleston, the chief commercial city of South Car olina, is picturesquely situated at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, in lat. 32° 45' north, and Ion. 79° 57' west. The rivers run a parallel course for nearly 6 miles, widening as they approach the sea, and thus gradually narrowing the site of the city to a peninsula. The harbor is a large estuary, extending about 7 miles to the Atlantic, with an average width of 2 miles. It is landlocked on all sides except an entrance of about a mile in width. The passage to the inner harbor is de fended by four fortresses. On the right at the entrance is Fort Moultrie, on Sulli van's Island, occupying the site of the fort which, on June 28, 1776, beat off the British fleet of Sir Peter Parker. On the left, raised upon a shoal in the harbor and directly covering the channel, is Fort Sumter, rendered famous by the part played in the opening scenes of the civil war. Immediately in front of the city, and but one mile from it, is Castle Pinckney, covering the crest of a mud-shoal, and facing the entrance. A fine view of the city is obtained in entering the harbor from the sea; and, as it is built on low and level land, it seems to rise from the water as we ap proach, whence it has been called the "American Venice." The corporate limits of Charleston extend from the Battery or White Point, on the extreme southern verge of the city, to an arbitrary line on the north, about 3 miles above. Within this area the city is laid out with tolerable regularity, the streets generally crossing each other at right angles. The houses are mostly of brick or wood, and have large open grounds around them. There are few regular blocks or rows of buildings, and no uniformity; hut what is lost in this respect is gained in variety, and with the fine gardens, shade and fruit trees, creepers, vines, the magnolia, the oak, the cedar, and the pride of India, girdling the quaint dwelling-houses, the effect is highly pictu resque. The climate of Charleston is very similar to that of Savannah, and differs but little from that of the most favored localities in Southern Europe. The genial Con- 44 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. trast which its mildness in winter presents to the fierce rigors of the Northern States, is yearly drawing to it more and more visitors, and increasing its claims to be numbered among the popular winter resorts. The mean temperature of Charleston is: for spring, 65.8°; for summer, 80.6° ; for autumn, 68.1°; for winter, 51.7° ; for the year, 66.6°. The average rainfall is: spring, 8.60 inches; summer, 18.68; autumn, 11.61 ; winter, 9.40 ; year, 48.29. Prevailing wind, southwest. From care ful observations taken during the year 1872 it was found that the mean temperature of January was 45° ; of February, 48.5° ; of March, 51° ; of April, 65.6° ; of May, 74.9° ; of June, 79.7° ; of July, 84.1° ; of August, 81.8° ; of September, 77.8° ; of Octo ber, 69° ; of November, 59° ; of December, 49°. There is comparatively little rain fall in winter; the days are bright, sunny, and cheerful ; and it is seldom that even invalids are compelled to remain in-doors on account of the inclemency of the weath er. As in the case of Savannah and Augusta, many consumptives and other inva lids prefer remaining in Charleston — -where they can enjoy all the comforts, con veniences, luxuries, facilities, diversions, and social attractions of a large city — to going to the sanitary resorts farther south. Charleston is especially attractive to those who, without being sick, desire to escape the rigors of a Northern winter. Charleston was settled in 1679 by an English colony under William Sayle, who became the first Governor. It played a conspicuous part in the Revolution, having been the first among the chief places of the South to assert a common cause with and for the colonies. It was thrice assaulted by the British, and only yielded to an over whelming force, May 12, 1780. It was the leading city, both in the Nullification movement during Jackson's Administration and in the incipient stages of Southern secession. Open hostilities in the civil war began at Charleston, with the bombard ment of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 ; and for the next four years it was one of the chief points of Federal attack, without being lost by the Confederates, however, until Sherman's capture of Columbia on February 17, 1865. During the war many buildings were destroyed, and the towers and steeples of churches were riddled with shot and shell. Since its close rapid progress has been made in the work of rebuilding, and Charleston is now more prosperous than ever. The growth of population has been as follows: In 1800, it was 18,711 ; in 1850, 42,985; in I860, 40,519 ; and in 1870, 48,956. The commerce of the city is large, the chief exports being cotton (for which it is one of the chief shipping-ports), rice, naval stores, and fertilizers. The manufacture of fertilizers from the valuable beds of marl and phos phate, discovered in 1868, is now one of the principal industries ; but there are also flour and rice mills, bakeries, carriage and wagon factories, and machine-shops. Modes of Conveyance. — Three lines of horse-cars traverse the city, and afford easy access to the chief points of interest (fare 10c). They pass through the principal streets, from the Exchange and the Battery to the upper ends of Rutledge Ave. and Meeting St. Omnibuses are in waiting at the depots and landings on the arrival of trains and steamers, and convey passengers to any portion of the city (fare 50c). Livery-stables are attached to the different hotels, and, though the charges are not uniform, they are usually moderate. Streets and Drives. — The two principal streets are King and Meeting, which run north and south, nearly parallel, the whole length of the city, but converge to inter section near the northern limits. King St. contains the leading retail stores, and is the fashionable promenade. The jobbing and wholesale stores are chiefly in Meeting St. ; and the banks, and brokers' and insurance offices, are in Broad St. The Bat tery is a popular promenade, lying near the water's edge, and commanding an ex tensive view of the bay; it is surrounded by fine private residences. Fine resi dences are also found in Meeting St. below Broad, in Rutledge St. and Ave., and at the west end of Wentworth St. The roads leading out of the city along the Ashley and Cooper Rivers are singularly beautiful, and afford interesting drives. They are all richly embowered in loveliest foliage ; pines, oaks, magnolias, myrtles, and jasmines, vying with each other in tropical luxuriance and splendor. There are also fine drives on Sullivan's Island (reached by ferry). Puhlic and Prominent Buildings. — Several of the most important of these are clus tered at the intersection of Broad and Meeting Sts. On the northeast corner is the CHARLESTON. 45 City Hall, an imposing building, entered by a double flight of marble steps, and standing in an open square. The Council-Chamber is handsomely furnished, and ¦nail urn MM illi ikx-^1 f^d^g^r'/t j*tf. m-. llsaf W k :-*w$mm¥timmw He Hf Live-Oak on the Asbley. contains some interesting portraits. On the northwest corner is the Court-House, a substantial structure of brick, faced so as to resemble stone. On the southeast corner stands St. Michael's Church, which will be described further on ; and on the southwest corner is the Guardhouse, or Police Headquarters, a plain brick building, with a colonnade extending over the sidewalk in Broad St. The force is semi-military in organization, and is composed about equally (or was until recently) of whites and negroes, who drill with Winchester rifles. At the foot of Broad St. stands the Post- Office, a venerable structure, dating from the colonial period, the original material hav ing been brought from England in 1761. It was much battered during the war, but has since been renovated. The new Custom- House, which has been building for sev eral years and is still unfinished, is situated just south of the Market- wharf, on Cooper River. It is of white marble, in the Roman-Corinthian style, and will be the finest edifice in the city. A noble view is obtained from its graceful Corinthian portico. The Charleston Club-House is an elegant building, in Meeting St. between Broad and Tradd, with a pretty garden in front. It was erected before the war, by the Carolina Club (which was broken up by the war), and is now used by the United 46 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. States Courts. The Chamber of Commerce occupies the 2d and 3d floors of a hand some building at the corner of Broad and East Bay Sts. ; it has a good reading-room and a restaurant for the use of the members. The Academy of Music, cor. King and Market Sts., is one of the finest theatres in the South. It is 60 by 231 feet, and cost $160,000. Besides the theatre, with accommodations for 1,200 persons, it contains two large halls for concerts, lectures, etc. The Masonic Temple is a large but rather fantastic building, at the cor. of King and Wentworth Sts. The old Orphan-Honse, standing in the midst of spacious grounds, between Calhoun and Vanderhorst Sts., is the most imposing edifice in the city, and one of the most famous institutions of the kind in the country. John C. Fremont, once a candidate for the presidency, and C. C. Memminger, Confederate Secretary of the Treasury, were educated there. A statue of William Pitt, erected during the Revolution, stands in the centre of the grounds. The College of Charleston, founded in 1788, has spacious buildings, located in the square bounded by George, Green, College, and St. Philip Sts. It has a library of about 6,000 volumes, and a valuable museum of natural history. The Medical College, cor. Queen and Franklin Sts., and Roper Hospital, cor. Queen andMazyck Sts., are large and handsome buildings, the latter especially so. On the same square with these two are the City Hospital and the County Jail. The Workhouse, near by, in Magazine St., is a spacious castellated structure in the Norman style. The Charleston Library, founded in 1748, has a plain but commodious building at the cor. of Broad and Church Sts. It lost heavily in the fire of 1861, but now contains about 20,000 volumes. The South Carolina Society Hall, in Meeting St, near St. Michael's Church, is a substantial structure, with colonnade and portico, and a fine interior. Market Hall, in Meeting St. near the bay, is a fine building, in temple form, standing on a high, open basement, having a lofty portico in front, reached by a double flight of stone steps. In rear of this building are the markets, consisting of a row of low sheds supported by brick arches, and extending to East Bay St. Between 6 and 9 a. m. these markets present one of the most characteristic sights that the stranger can see in Charleston, and should by all means be visited. Churches. — There are at least two churches in Charleston that no stranger should fail to visit — St. Michael's and St. Philip's — both Episcopal. St. Michael's is at the southeast corner of Broad and Meeting Sts. It was built in 1752, it is said from designs from a pupil of Sir Christopher Wren. The tower is considered very fine, and- the situation of the church makes the spire a conspicuous object far out at sea. Its chimes are celebrated for their age and sweetness. During the siege of Charles ton, in the late war, the spire was a mark for the Federal artillerymen ; but, though persistently shelled, it was struck but a few times, and then only with slight injury. The view from the belfry is very fine, embracing the far stretch of sea and shore, the fortresses in the harbor, the shipping, and nearer at hand buildings as ancient as the church itself. St. Philip's, in Church St. near Queen, was the first church establishment in Charleston ; but the present structure, although of vener able age, is yet not quite so old as St. Michael's. The view from the steeple is fine; but there is a keener interest in the graveyard than even in the old church itself, for here lie South Carolina's most illustrious dead. In the portion of the grave yard that lies across the street is the. tomb of John C. Calhoun. It consists of a plain granite slab, supported by walls of brick, and for inscription has simply the name of " Calhoun." St. Finbar's Cathedral (Roman Catholic), or rather the ruins of it (for the building was destroyed in the great fire of 1861), is at the cor. of Broad and Friend Sts. It was one of the most elegant edifices in Charleston, and the walls, turrets, and niches, still standing, are highly picturesque. The Citadel Square Baptist Church, cor. Meeting and Henrietta Sts., is a fine building, in the Norman style, with a spire 220 feet high. The Central Presbyterian, in Meeting St. near Society, has an elegant Corinthian portico with 8 columns. The Unitarian Church, in Archdale St. near Queen, is a fine specimen of the perpendicular Gothic style, and has a very rich interior. The new German Lutheran Church, in King St. opposite the Citadel, is a handsome building, in the Gothic style, with lofty and ornate spire. Grace Church (Episcopal), in Wentworth St., is the most fashionable CHARLESTON. 47 in the city. The old Huguenot Church, corner Church and Queen Sts., is worthy of a visit, if for no other purpose, to see the quaint and elegant mural entablatures with which its walls are lined. Suburbs. — Just outside of the city, on the northern boundary, is Magnolia Ceme tery (reached by horse-cars). It is embowered in magnolias and live-oaks, is taste fully laid out, and contains some fine monuments, of which the most noteworthy are those to Colonel Wm. Washington, of Revolutionary fame, Hugh Legard, and W. Gilmore Simms, the novelist. In a vault repose the remains of Lieutenant Van- Magnolia Cemetery. derhorst, whose coffin, shrouded with the Union Jack, may be seen through the lattice-door of the tomb. — Of the old planters' houses that stood along the Ashley, but one remains, and that is abandoned. Brayton Hall is a large brick mansion, standing in the centre of grounds of a park-like character. The rooms are wain scoted from floor to ceiling, the fireplaces are lined with old-fashioned colored tiles, and the mantels are richly carved ; but the building was never entirely finished, for the owner lost the bride for whom it was designed, and since then it has stood in its incompleteness a memorial of his loss. A few miles farther up the river, on a slight elevation, are the ruins of the celebrated Middleton Place, once one of 48 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the most beautiful plantations in South Carolina. The scenery, the flowers, hedges, and shrubbery, the undergrowth and noble oaks, the ponds and lakes, the pictu resque old tombs — these still remain, but it is melancholy to contemplate that all the ruin which one sees around him was caused by the unsparing hand of war. Visit ors frequently make a pilgrimage to the spot in order to gratify their curiosity, and, if reports are true, the house has suffered greatly from their unscrupulous desire for relics. A steamer makes regular excursions to this place during the winter. — Perhaps the most interesting spot in the neighborhood of Charleston is the old Church of St. James on Goose Creek (reached by carriage, or by Northeastern R. R. to Porcher's station, 15 miles). It is situated in the very heart of a forest, is approached by a road little better than a bridle-path, and is entirely isolated from habitations of any sort. The church was built in 1711, and was saved from destruction during the Revolutionary War by the royal arms of England that are emblazoned over the pulpit. The floor is of stone, the pews are square and high, the altar, reading-desk, and pulpit, are so small as to seem like miniatures of ordi nary church-fixtures, and on the walls and altar are tablets in memory of the early members of the congregation. One dates from 1711 and two from 1717. — A short distance from the church, on the other side of the main road, is a farm known as The Oaks, from the magnificent avenue of those trees by which it is approached. The trees are believed to be nearly 200 years old; they have attained great size, and for nearly J- of a mile form a continuous arch over the broad road. Not the least interesting of the "sights" of Charleston, even to a casual tourist, will be a visit to the "Phosphate Mines.'' as they are called, along the Ashley River or on Bull River. The phosphates overlie the extensive marl-beds of the South Caro lina lowlands, which have long been known, and cover almost the entire peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. To the unscientific eye they appear to be merely stones or nodules of various shapes, and ranging in size from a walnut to a bowlder. Since the Eocene period there they have lain, richer than a gold-mine, awaiting the test of the exploring chemist who was to develop the fact that they contained from 40 to 70 per cent, of phosphatic strength ; that every ton was worth sixty dollars in the market for fertilizing purposes ; and that every acre of land, previously owned as almost valueless, held, but a few inches below its surface, thousands upon thousands of dollars in actual, tangible wealth. This test was applied in 1865 by one of the resident chemists — and so poor was he at the time that he could not afford to hire a horse with which to pursue his investigations. He endeavored to borrow money in Charleston, and to organize a company for the purchase of some of these lands, but failed. The capitalists looked on him as a theorist. A friend loaned him money enough to reach Philadelphia. There he ex hibited his specimens, explained the character of his discovery, and with three or four gentlemen inaugurated the enterprise. In a little while they owned 20 square miles of the richest phosphate-lands around Charleston. A great factory was built for the manipulation of the article, which consists — 1. Of its removal from the earth and transportation. 2. Washing, or burning, and drying. 3. Grinding to powder and mixing with sulphuric acid. It is then ready for use as a pure phos phate, or may be still further combined with fish, guano, or other articles calculated to make it more valuable on certain soils. Since that time many companies have been formed, and it has been discovered that the entire coast, including the beds of the rivers, is covered with this valuable fertilizer. Fleets of English and Scotch vessels are to be seen at nearly all seasons of the year in Bull River, and at other points, loading with phosphate in its rough state just as it comes from the land or water. Its value in even this rude condition is six or seven dollars per ton. Em ployment is thus given to thousands of negroes, and much machinery has been invented and manufactured to aid in obtaining the article by the most speedy and economical means. Through the winter boats frequently run to these works with excursion-parties. A day or two may be profitably spent in visiting the various points of interest in the harbor : Fort Sumter, which is picturesque even in its ruins ; James Island, with its ruined plantations and crumbling fortifications; Mount Pleasant, once a SUMMERVILLE.— AIKEN. 49 popular summer resort, but now filled with moss-grown and rotting houses ; and Sullivan's Island, which is fast becoming the "Long Branch" of South Carolina, and already contains many handsome cottages and some attractive drives. A steam boat plies regularly every hour between the city, Mount Pleasant, and Sullivan's Island, and on the latter is a line of horse-cars. Many Northerners spend the winter on Sullivan's Island, the climate of which is favorable to consumptives, and pecul iarly so to sufferers from rheumatism. Summerville. Summerville is a small town, 22 miles from Charleston on the South Carolina R. R., situated on a ridge which extends across from the Cooper to the Ashley River, which is covered with pine-woods, and is remarkable for its healthfulness. Its climate is very agreeable, especially in winter, when, being beyond the range of the east winds that frequently prevail on the coast, the temperature is extremely mild and equable. Many invalids who find the winter climate of Charleston too variable would derive benefit from a residence here, and its attractions as a health resort are rapidly becoming known. The village, though containing hut a small population, spreads over a good deal of ground ; the houses being built far apart, so that each one is perfectly private, and like a country residence. There is no hotel, but a number of good boarding-houses at which the charges are from $7 to $10 a week. Rents are cheap, there are several schools, and churches of nearly all the religious denominations, while the proximity of Charleston affords liberal supplies for the market. The South Carolina R. R. runs special trains for the accommoda tion of residents, who are thus enabled to enjoy all the advantages and attractions of the adjacent city. The country around abounds in game, and in the immediate vicinity of the village are many pretty walks and drives, while on the banks of the Ashley, about 4 miles distant, are some spots of great beauty. The most interesting of these is Neioington, once an elegant country-seat, now a picturesque ruin. Ap proaching from Summerville by a rather uninteresting pine-land road, the scene sud denly changes and the visitor finds himself in the midst of a dense growth of live- oaks, magnolias, and other trees, denoting the neighborhood of the river. Passing through these he comes upon an open space in which stand the walls of the once splendid mansion, almost hidden by a dense growth of vines and creeping plants. There are remnants of several other fine seats in this neighborhood which were occupied by wealthy men in the days when this part of the country was more resorted to in summer than it is at present. Aiken. How to reach. — The Pennsylvania R. R. Co. sell tickets by ten different routes to Aiken, as follows: 1. Via Baltimore, West Point, Richmond, Greensboro. Charlotte, and Augusta (fare, $20.10) ; 2. Via Baltimore, West Point, Richmond, Petersburg, Wilmington, Florence, and Charleston (fare, $28.10) ; 3. Via Baltimore, Norfolk, Wilmington, Columbia, and Augusta (fare, $26.75) ; 4. Via Baltimore, Norfolk, AVeldon, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Augusta (fare, $28.75) ; 5. Via Baltimore, Norfolk, Wilmington, Florence, and Charleston (fare, $28.75) ; 6. Via Washington, Richmond, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Augusta (fare, $26.75); 7. Via Washington, Richmond, Petersburg, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Augusta (fare, $28.60) ; 8. Via Washington, Richmond, Petersburg, Wilmington, Columbia, and Augusta (fare, $26.75) ; 9. Via Washington, Richmond, Wilmington, Florence, and Charleston (fare, $28.75) ; 10. Via Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Augusta (fare, $26.75). A favorite route for invalids from the North is via steamer to Charleston or Savannah, and thence by rail. Hotels and Boarding-Houses. — The Highland Park Hotel ($4.50 a day) is a vast building, situated upon the very edge of the plateau, and overlooking the broad intervales which drop off from the ridge upon which the town is situated. Near by, also upon the edge of the highland, is a group of neat cottages which are let to families who desire to escape the bustle of a great hotel. Other leading hotels are 50 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the Aiken Hotel ($4 a day), and the Clarendon ($3.50 a day). There are great numbers of boarding-houses in and about the town, charging from $10 to $20 a week. Location, Climate, and Characteristics. — Aiken, the most frequented winter resort in America, is situated on the line of the South Carolina R. R., 16 miles from Augusta and 120 from Charleston. The land upon which it lies is an elevated, sandy plateau, some 600 or 700 feet above the sea, the water-shed of the Edisto and Savannah Rivers. The soil is an almost unmixed sand, covered by a scanty crust of alluvium which is so thin that a carriage-wheel easily breaks through. It bears but little grass and hardly any of the minor natural plants; but the great southern pine finds here a congenial habitat, and vast forests of it encircle the town on all sides. The streets of the town are remarkably wide, the main avenue being 205 feet wide, and the cross-streets 150 feet. Along the centre of the main avenue are four or five hitching-circles for mules, three or four wells, and a small town-hall with an ugly lock-up beneath it; and extending for about -J- of a mile on each side are rows of shops and offices. The houses are generally large and pleasant, and very far apart. Within the town, the natural barrenness of the soil has been overcome by careful culture and a liberal use of fertilizers ; and every house has its garden full of trees and Southern plants. Inside the white palings are dense thickets of yellow jasmine, rose-bushes, orange, wild-olive, and fig trees, bamboo, Spanish-bayonet, and numberless sorts of vines and creepers, to say nothing of the low bush and surface flowers that are common in the North. But, without the palings, the sand is as dry and white as it is upon the sea-shore. The air of Aiken is remarkably pure and dry, and the balsamic odors of the pines endow it with a peculiar healing power. The winter climate is wonderfully mild and genial, consisting, as some one has described it, of " four months of June." From observations recorded during the year 1870, it was found that the mean tem perature of Aiken in spring is 63.4° ; in summer, 79.1° ; in autumn, 63.7° ; in win ter, 46.4° ; for the year, 63.1^°- The average rainfall during the same period was, spring, 11.97 inches; summer, 13.89; autumn, 7.34; winter, 716; for the year, 40.36. The climate is not less beneficial to rheumatic and gouty patients than to consumptives ; and many come here, who, without being sick, desire to escape the rigors of a Northern winter. It is said, too, that about one-fifth of the total popu lation of 2,500 consists of Northerners who have taken up their permanent resi dence at Aiken. Table showing the Difference between the Mean Winter Temperature of Aiken and other Places in the United States and Europe. Mean winter temperature of Aiken (six months) 51.63° New York is 35.40° or 16.23° colder than Aiken Cornish, Me., 26.16° or 25.47° tt tt tt Worcester, Mass., 31.95° or 19.68° tf u ft Newark, N. J., 35.88°, or 15.75° tf tt a Philadelphia, 39.30° or 12.33° it ti Chicago, 33.88° or 17.75° " " " Cincinnati, 38.70° or 12.93° ft ft tt St. Louis, 40.11° or 11.52° tt tt tt St. Paul, Minn., 21.21° or 30.42° tt tt It Florida, 62.06°, or 10.43° warmer " " Nice, 51.80°, or 0.17° ft ft tt Palermo, 51.60°, or 0.03° colder " " Pau, 49.26°, or 2.37° tt tt tt Pisa, 49.00°, or 2.63° tt tt it Madeira, 56.00°, or 4.37° warmer " " Venice, 41.42°, or 10.21° colder " " The best description that has been given of the surroundings of Aiken, and of the characteristic features of life there, is that which, under the title of " Spring Days in Aiken," was contributed, by Mr. Albert F. Webster, to late numbers of AIKEN. 51 Appletons' Journal. The substance of the sketch we shall reproduce in the fol lowing paragraphs : " The spirit of the town is a languid one. Apart from the ease and lassitude that naturally belong to the class of visitors, there is a contented leisure in all the people native to the place. No one seems anxious. No one hastens. The days and the seasons are long, and life seems endless. If a horse moves faster than a walk he takes the ' lope,' a pace which is as lazy as the rocking of a cradle. You hear no rattle of hoofs, for the sand is so soft; the single railroad is hidden in a cut, and so there is no roar to the approaching trains; there are no factories in town, and therefore no clatter of machinery and no clangor of bells. Those who move far, ride. Those who move a little way expect to be brought back by a team. Those who go across a square take the afternoon. Those who intend to go to morrow sit down to-day to think it over. Just without the town, indeed encroach ing upon its very streets, begin the true pine-woods. To the north, east, and south, the land is level, but to the west it falls away in deep gorges, and gives the shade and sunshine plenty of play. Through all the forests there run winding paths and a certain species of thoroughfares, known as ' neighborhood roads.' These are roads that lead from one house to another, across the country, and without respect to line or distance. This carelessness makes them charming. They are commonly hard and of gray-white sand, thickly sprinkled with pine-needles and fragments of bark, and they lose themselves like threads in a tangle. The moment that one strolls outside the town he discovers these foot-ways leading off here and there from the right and the left into leafy obscurities, half illuminated by the sun and half darkened by the shade of the lofty pine-plumes far above. Few birds are to be heard. Now and then a jay lifts up its short and somewhat querulous voice, but commonly all are silent. Where the ground is level one may look far in advance and see among the brown tree-trunks another portion of the path he is treading; but upon the western side of the town, where the land is broken, the way loses itself at once up-hill and down-dale and in winding turns in and out among the oaken copses. I do not know of a place where people stroll in a truer way than they do here. To walk in the woods is an important part of the duty of an invalid, and the pleasantest part of the enjoyment of a lounger. But, to do it well, to get out of the act all the virtue that lies in it, requires practice in the great arts of self-abandonment and of seeing. The stroller in Aiken soon becomes an adept in these arts. He may not be a botanist, and he may know nothing of trees; he may remember very few verses, and he may have an indifferent eye for color and artistic effect, yet so gentle will he find the air, so splendid the hues of the sky, the party-colored sands, and the old and new verdure, and so tranquil and retired the recesses of the forest, that he will fast become, in spite of his disabilities, a most observing indolent ; he will not walk, he will saunter; he will not glance, he will gaze ; he will not pass any plant heedlessly, but he will stop and ponder ; he will not breathe, he will inhale ; he will not talk, except to himself, for the spirit of the woods is the same as the spirit of a sanctuary. " The landscape about Aiken never ' climbs the sky.' Looking off in any direc tion you find your eye to be on a level with the horizon. There are no hills, no ele vations of any sort. The sky seems as vast as it seems at sea. The trees, notwith standing their height and density, lie before you in long lines, with beautiful vistas between that run on to the right and left indefinitely, but never rise in those grand - hill-side terraces that are so dear to Northern eyes. This flatness adds to the sense of tranquillity that you are sure to feel. There is nothing to clamber, nothing to ascend, nothing wherefrom you are tormented to take a view. To the west of the town there is a very charming region where the land sinks in a very irregular man ner away from the high plateau, leaving many isolated hills, scarcely less in height than the table-land itself. Except at the very bottom of the ravines, the neighbor hood is well wooded with pines of great size, together with a young growth of oaks. Among these trees, and perched upon nearly every point of vantage, are low, wide-porticoed houses, of the true Southern type. Roads turn and twist and turn again, past and about these dwellings, leading from grove to door and back to grove again, then losing themselves at once in the thicket. Every house has its formal 52 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. paling, its fountain of roses, its shaded piazzas, its tilting-board, its quartet of chim ney-stacks, its sunlit yard, and its look of welcome to the passer-by. Some face the east, some the west, and some have fronts for all points. From the windows of one you look down upon the roof of a second, and a little way below and across at porches of another, or upon the opposite border of the valley. Encircled with grand if not mournful woods, half enveloped in flowering vines, inviting the soft winds with their open doors, they completely fill one's notion of true country- homes. Among these hills are a few cultivated fields, with their red earths, and among their lanes a few spare cattle wander in search of a little more grass. Negro cabins stand upon many of the boldest spurs of the land, and the shabby white of their rough walls adds not a little to that that is picturesque. A little way off be gins a strange valley, with wooded sides, running to the west, and along whose bottom trails the 'river of sand.' This river resembles almost any other, except in the fact that there is not a drop of water in it. The rains have brought down from the hill-sides thousands of currents of fine, clean earth, of a yellow shade, and have caused them to eddy about the trees and roots that have stood in the way, and to spread and disperse themselves in all the inequalities of the ground. Yet the torrents of water which have caused this have been instantly absorbed in the bed of their own making, leaving all the marks of their presence, indeed their fac-simi- les, upon the sand above. It is hereabout that the town-urchins, and industrious visitors as well, come to gather the colored earth for mementos of the place. It is not unusual to find before your hotel-door on a March morning a group of children of all shades of black, holding in their hands bunches of roses in full bloom, and tubes of glass filled with fifty specimens of tinted sands. The colors range from green to russet-red and chrome-yellow, and include chocolate and violet. Every stranger buys, and it is a thriving trade. The land in the region of this river is filled with springs of the softest water. They trickle out from the hill-sides, cut deep ravines for themselves in the soft ground, and flow away the veriest threads ten feet below the surface, and overshaded with grasses and ferns. In the town they cover the wells with pretty trellis-work, with pagoda-like roofs, and in a few places in the woods, where the head of water is quite strong, considerable care has been taken to make the streams approachable. " The effect of a fair Aiken day upon one fresh from the bitter spring winds of the North is something wonderful. You descend from your chamber in the early morning, and find the doors and windows gaping wide, and a faint, fresh breeze stirring through the house. You perceive the scent of flowers, and you go out upon the veranda. The garden below you, with its soil of whitish-yellow sand, is over crowded with verdure. The masses of leaves, so rich are they, seem to have been lately drenched with water. The white and red roses lift themselves with their own grace into the sweet air, and every interval in the cloud of green shows a handful of fragrant blooms. There is none of that earthy scent that one always perceives in Northern gardens in early morning ; the air is dry, even though it is cool and fresh. Outside the white fence is the broad, deserted street, with a score of lofty, fine-leaved oaks growing hap-hazard in the centre of it. A thin sprin kling of grass covers the untraveled portion of the way, while the tracks in which the wheels run is of soft earth, ankle-deep. Beneath the shade of the oaks is a bench or two, where strollers sit when they are tired. Beyond the trees on the other side of the way are another paling, another garden, and another house with a pillared portico, perhaps, but all so distant that you look upon the demesne as a hermitage of some sad recluse — a place not to be thought of with familiarity, still less to be talked of. In another direction you see a negro's log-cabin built close on the highway, with its brown-mud chimney sticking close to its shabby end, and its little herd of children playing and falling about upon the door-step. Beyond this and beyond the trees, on every side, you catch glimpses of other huts and other houses: now a gable ; now a gray roof; now another chimney-stack; and now more pillars and more piazzas. There seem to be plenty of suggestions of life and neighborhood, but you look in vain for a settlement, and you listen in vain for noises of bustle and traffic. You walk out into the sunlight at ten o'clock; you pass down MINERAL SPRINGS. 53 the street, seeing no one and hearing nothing, except now and then, perhaps, the caroling of some canary-bird in some hidden parlor. You look up the street, and you see that it disappears at the distance of a quarter of a mile in a wood. You look down, and you see in another distance that it crosses a ravine by means of a brown bridge. If you wait a while, a negro will walk past ; or a four-wheeled cart, drawn by two shaggy oxen, driven by a stolid, pale-faced countryman, will trail along through the tiresome sand upon the avenue. " The pleasures to be had at Aiken are all of the minor sort. To walk, to ride saddle-horses in the afternoon, to visit the out-of-town farms and rose-gardens, to dance in the evening, are nearly the only means at hand to speed the days. . . . It is safe to assert that nine persons in every ten are cast down at the end of the third or fourth day of their stay in the town. They look out of their windows and see a scanty, silent settlement, a wide expanse of rich foliage, and an arid soil bedecked with flowers. And this is all. There seems to be nothing to entice or to stimulate them. They find themselves wholly without scenes that might awaken strong emotions. After a day or two of prostration, or perhaps of absolute ennui and disappointment, they begin, out of sheer compulsion, to search about among the small resources that do exist for satisfaction. And they succeed admirably. They become enamored of the solemn and limitless woods, and grow content to wander hour after hour in the companionship of their own spirits. Their yesterday crav ings for the towering rocks of the great hills become satisfied with the colored sands that they uncover with their footsteps. They count the kinds, turn the pretty shades to the snn, and marvel at the profusion of hues. They get as much out of a handful as they used to get out of a whole landscape. If, in the depths of the groves, they find a spray of phlox, they gather it, and study it moru than they ever studied the half-tropical verdure of Florida. When they come upon an old plantation, with its flat expanse of pale fields, its few verdant copses, its gray log-cabins, and its lonely dwelling, they stand and gaze at it, and find that it is overflowing with the most marvelous color. Thus, having been awakened, they grow content. It is a matter of fact that the rebound from their despair carries them up to the heights of elation. After five days in Aiken the visitor becomes happy. It is a place of rest. Every thing in Nature induces tranquillity, and so does every thing in the town. There is nothing to disturb, nothing to excite; a tired man may here fold his hands and forget the world. That this forgetfulness, combined with the comfort of warmth and the pleasure of beholding in the days of winter the glories of summer, is a gift of inestimable value, it needs no paper like this to prove. One has but to look closely at the pinched faces that he some times meets in his walks, to reckon how valuable these few conditions are in the tiresome struggles of a mortal for a little more time." Mineral Springs. The only mineral springs in South Carolina that are much visited are the Glenn Springs and the Limestone Springs near Spartanburg. Spartanburg is in the north ern part of the State, 223 miles from Charleston and 93 miles from Columbia by the Greenville & Columbia and Spartanburg & Union Railways. It is pleasantly situated in the midst of a region famous for its gold and iron, and is much resorted to in summer by people from Charleston and the lowlands. It is also a good winter resort, the air being cooler than, but quite as dry as, that of Aiken. Glenn's Springs here are strongly impregnated with sulphur, and contain traces of sulphate of magnesia, with sulphate, percarbonate, and chloride of lime. The waters are considered efficacious in certain forms of rheumatism, scrofula, and dyspeptic affec tions. The Limestone Spring is a chalybeate, and possesses valuable tonic proper ties. The scenery around Spartanburg is very attractive, and not far from the village is the memorable Revolutionary battle-field of the Cowpens, located on the hill-range called the Thickety Mountain. The battle was fought January 17, 1781, and resulted in the defeat of the British under Tarleton. In the olden time the cattle were suffered to graze upon the scene of the contest — whence its name. Chick's Springs, in Greenville County, on the Ennoree River, just below the 54 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. mountains, are also a good deal visited. The springs are two in number. One is slightly sulphurous, and is used for hepatic and intestinal affections and cutaneous diseases ; the other is a mild chalybeate, and is employed as a tonic. The Wil- liamston Springs, near the railway between Anderson and Greenville, are repre sented as having valuable tonic and alterative properties. The Mountain-Region. The northern districts of South Carolina form, with the neighboring hill-region of Georgia and the western part of North Carolina, one of the most interesting chapters in the great volume of American landscape. In mountain surprises, picturesque valley-nooks, and romantic waterfalls, this region is nowhere surpassed. Beautiful and healthful villages, with high social attractions, afford most agreeable homes and headquarters to seekers after the picturesque. These villages are rapidly becoming favorite resorts of people from the lowlands of the State; and their ele gant mansions and villas are every year more and more embellishing the vicinity. Greenville, on the Atlanta & Richmond Air Line R. R., 143 miles from Columbia and 271 from Charleston, lies at the threshold of the chief beauties of the moun tain-region, and gives ready access to all the rest. The village is beautifully sit uated on Reedy River, near its source, and at the foot of the Saluda Mountain. It is one of the most popular summer resorts in the State, and contains excellent hotels, schools and colleges, and a uni versity. Twenty miles above Greenville is Table Moun tain, one of the most re markable of the natural wonders of the State, ris ing as it does 4,300 feet above the sea, with a long extent on one side of perpendicular cliffs, 1,000 feet in height. The view of these grand and lofty rocky ledges is exceed ingly fine from the quiet glens of the valley below, and not less imposing is the splendid amphithea tre of hill-tops seen from its crown. Among the sights to be seen from Table Mountain is Caesar's Head, a lofty peak with one side a precipice of great height, just back of which is a large hotel. It is the highest point in the vicinity, and well worth a visit. Looking across the valley from Table Mountain the Fall of Slicking is visible, its long line of sparkling spray heightening the beauty of the scene. The Stool Moun tain, which is prominent from the valley below, here dwindles to its proper height. The top of Table Mountain, which is comparatively level, is of great extent. In NORTH CAROLINA RESORTS. 55 many places the surface is stony, in others alluvial and covered with noble trees. Near the centre the remains of a hut exist ; a building erected as the kitchen to a hotel, which it was once contemplated to erect on the rock. The Falls of Slicking are in the mountain-glens, on the opposite side of the valley, at the base of Table Rock. Leaving the cabin at the base of the Saluda Mountain, the tourist, in his ascent, soon finds himself following the windings of the river. After the passage of about one-quarter of a mile, he reaches the " Trunk," so called from its being the point of junction of two different branches of the river or creek; the distance between these streams, as the ascent continues, gradually increases, and, when near the summit, they are widely separated; they bear one name, and abound, each, in cascades. The right-hand branch is the more picturesque, and is the one by which the visitor is usually conducted. From the " Trunk," the gem of all this locality, and the Table Rock, is a charming view of the neighboring mountains of Caesar's Head, Bald Mountain, the Pinnacle Rock, and other spurs. At the " Trunk," the two streams fall perpendicularly some seventy feet, mingling in one in the basin below. This basin is easily accessible, and nowhere is there a more secluded or more wildly picturesque spot. Save when in his meridian, the sun's rays seldom penetrate its solitude. On one side are the two cascades leaping in snowy masses from rock to rock, and on others are mighty bulwarks of venerable stone, here and there studded with an adventurous shrub, or overhung with rich foliage. The Keowee is a beautiful mountain-stream in Pickens County, which, with the Tugaloo River, forms the Savannah. The route from Greenville to the valley of Jocasse lies along its banks, amid the most lovely scenery, and the entire region is full of romantic memories of the Cherokee wars. Jocasse Valley, near the northern boundary-fine, is one of the most charmingly secluded nooks in the State, environed as it is on every side, except that through which the Keowee steals out, by grand mountain-ridges. The great charm of Jocasse is that it is small enough to be seen and enjoyed all at once, as its entire area is not too much for one comfortable pict ure. It is such a nook as painters delight in. White Water Cataracts are an hour's brisk walk north of Jocasse. Their chief beauty is in their picturesque lines, and in the variety and boldness of the mountain-landscape all around; though they would maintain their claims to admiration for their extent alone, even were the accessory scenes far less beautiful than they are. Adjoining this most attractive region of South Carolina, and easily accessible therefrom, are Tallulah, and Toccoa, and Yonah, and Nacoochee, and the other lovely spots described in the chapter on Georgia; also the beautiful scenes of Western North Carolina, to be described in the next chapter. NORTH CAROLINA RESORTS. North Carolina, also one of the original thirteen States, lies just north of South Carolina, between lat. 33° 53' and 36° 33' north, and Ion. 75° 25' and 84° 30' west, with an extreme length from east to west of 490 miles, and an extreme breadth from north to south of 185 miles; area, 50,704 square miles. The State may be physically divided into the coast and swamp-land section, extending from 80 to 100 miles inland; the middle section, extending to the foot of the mountains; and the mountain section, embracing the western part of the State. The first section abounds in valuable timber, and includes the turpentine region. The country is level, with many swamps and marshes, and the streams are sluggish and muddy. Much of the land is sandy, but a large portion of this region is very fertile, the swamps being generally so. Rice, cotton, tobacco, and maize flourish. The Great Dismal Swamp extends north from Albemarle Sound into Virginia, covering an area of about 150,000 acres. Between Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds is the Alli gator or Little Dismal Swamp, which is about as large as the other. It is estimated that the swamps of the State altogether cover 3,000,000 acres. Parts of the Little 56 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. Dismal Swamp have been drained so as to make valuable rice and grain lands ; and a considerable quantity of the swamp-land may be drained or reclaimed by embank ment. The middle section is adapted to the production of the cereals, tobacco, and cotton. It possesses great mineral wealth, and abounds in streams affording exten sive water-power. About 100 miles from the coast the land begins to rise into small hills, and a little farther westward is every variety of hills and dales consist ent with a fertile country fit for cultivation. West of the Yadkin and Catawba Rivers is an elevated region from 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the sea; and still be yond this plateau the main range of the Appalachian Mountains traverses the State from northeast to southwest, reaching here its greatest altitude. The Iron or Smoky Mountains separate the State from Tennessee. Between these two ridges is a plateau whose altitude ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 feet, being the highest plateau of the same extent east of the Rocky Mountains. In the centre stands the sym metrical forest-crowned summit of the Sugar Mountain (5,312 feet high), and on its margin rises the Grandfather (5,897 feet), the highest summit of the Blue Ridge, though inferior in altitude to the adjacent peaks of the Black Mountains. The mountain-region presents much beautiful scenery, and affords rich grazing- lands and abundant water-power. The coast-line is nearly 400 miles long, and along its whole length are sandy, barren, desert islands, from -J- to 2 miles wide, separated by numerous inlets, few of which are navigable. From these islands shoals extend far into the sea, which render the navigation of the coast extremely dangerous. Cape Hatteras forms the headland of the dangerous triangular island beach which separates Pamlico Sound from the ocean. Narrow, shallow lagoons, filled with constantly-shifting sand-bars, extend all along the coast south of Cape Lookout between the mainland and the sand-islands. In the northeastern part of the State, above Cape Lookout, are two extensive sounds, Pamlico and Albemarle, and a smaller one, Currituck, which are cut off from the ocean by the islands or sandbanks before referred to. Their waters are nearly fresh, and little affected by tides. The rivers of North Carolina are numerous, but have shifting sand-bars at their mouths, and rapids in their descent from the hilly regions. The principal are the Cape Fear (300 miles long), the Roanoke (250 miles long), the Neuse, the Tar, the Chowan, the Yadkin, and the Catawba. These all flow into the Atlantic. From the western slope of the Blue Ridge flow New River, the Little Tennessee, and several other streams, the waters of which, breaking through the Iron or Smoky Mountains, join those of the Ohio and Mississippi. The soil of North Carolina is of every variety, from the sands and marshes of the coast to the rich alluvions of the river-bottoms. In the coast-regions the swamps when drained are fertile, and rice grows well. The pine-region is barren for the most part, while farther inland the soil improves, and is well adapted to wheat, rye, barley, oats, and flax. Cotton is chiefly raised in the counties along the southern border. Among the leading products are sweet-potatoes (of which North Carolina produced more in 1870 than any other State), tobacco, and Indian-corn. The forest-trees of the upland are oak, hickory, ash, walnut, and lime; in the low country, pine ; and in the swamps, cedar, cypress, maple, oak, and poplar, with an undergrowth of vines. Among the fruits are apples, pears, peaches, plums, cher ries, grapes, and strawberries. Grapes are especially abundant in the coast-region. The Scuppernong, which is a native of and peculiar to North Carolina, has at tracted attention for its large size, luscious flavor, and excellent wine-making quali ties. Cranberries are produced in abundance and are exported. The great char acteristic product of the State, however, is spirits of turpentine, which is distilled from the sap of the pitch-pine, vast forests of which cover the middle section of the State.t In Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds immense quantities of herring and shad are taken in season; and the estuaries and bays are favorite resorts of wild fowl of every description. In the forest-country in the eastern part of the State, quail, partridges, and other game-birds abound ; while in the mountainous region of the western portion deer are plenty, and bears and other wild animals are found. The climate of North Carolina is very similar to that of South Carolina (see page THE MOUNTAIN-REGION. ¦>7 42), except that it is a trifle colder. In the low country, the atmosphere is warm and humid, and malarial and bilious diseases prevail. In the mountain-region it is cool, dry, and bracing, and remarkably healthy. The mean annual temperature at Making Tar. Raleigh, the capital of the State, is 60°. At Asheville, in the mountains, the mean temperature of spring is 53.1° ; of summer, 71.70° ; of autumn, 54.8° ; and of win ter, 38.2°. The rainfall in spring is 14.05 inches; in summer, 16.7; in autumn, 6.5 ; and in winter, 8.4. The winter climate of the mountain-section is peculiarly adapted to that class of consumptives who find a cold, dry climate more beneficial than a warm and moist one — to such, for instance, as go to Minnesota and Colorado. It has not the intense coldness of these, and is less marked by sudden variations of temperature. Asthmatics are also benefited by a residence here. There are no places in North Carolina that have secured as yet any special rep utation as '• winter resorts," but the mountain-region is much visited in spring and fall by tourists on their way to or from more southern retreats, and further along we shall mention a few localities whose sanitary advantages are gradually becom ing known. The Mountain-Region. Grand and impressive as is the mountain-region of South Carolina and Georgia, already described, that of North Carolina is vastly superior in extent and variety, and presents scenes of beauty and sublimity unsurpassed by anything east of the Rocky Mountains. Here the great Appalachian system reaches its loftiest altitude : here brawling mountain-streams dash down the precipitous mountain-sides in cas cades and cataracts of incomparable splendor; and here the contrasted loveliness of smiling valley and rugged peak is brought out with a fullness scarcely equaled else where. The region consists of an elevated table-land, 250 miles long and about, 50 broad, encircled by two great mountain-chains (the Blue Ridge on the east and the Great Smoky on the west), and traversed by cross-chains that run directly across the country, and from which spurs of greater or lesser height lead off in all directions. Of these transverse ranges there are four : the Black, the Balsam, the Cullowhee, and the Nantahala. Between each lies a region of valleys, formed by 5 oS HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the noble rivers and their minor tributaries, where a healthy atmosphere and pict uresque surroundings are combined with a soil of singular fertility. The Blue Ridge is the natural barrier, dividing the waters falling into the Atlantic from those of the Mississippi, and its bold and beautiful heights are better known than the grander steeps of the western chain. This western rampart, known as the Great Smoky, comprises the groups of the Iron, the Unaka, and the Roan Mountains; and from its massiveness of form and general elevation is the master-chain of the whole Alleghany range. Though its highest summits are a few feet lower than the peaks Mount Pisgah of the Black Mountain, it presents a continuous series of lofty peaks which nearlv a?^r^r! \ . ait'tud6> its culminating point, Clingman's Dome, rising to the height Ol_o,bb0 teet. the most famous of the transverse ranges is that of the Black Moun tain, a group of colossal heights, the dominating peak of which— Mount Mitchell — is now known to be the loftiest summit east of the Mississippi. With its two great branches it is over 20 miles long, and its rugged sides are covered with a wil- THE MOUNTAIN-REGION. 59 derness of almost impenetrable forest. Above a certain elevation, no trees are found save the balsam-fir, from the dark color of which the mountain takes its name. Northward of the Black Mountain stand the two famous heights which Prof. Guyot calls " the two great pillars on both sides of the North Gate to the high mountain-region of North Carolina." These are the Grandfather Mountain in the Blue Ridge, and Roan Mountain in the Smoky. Both of these peaks command a wide view, but the Roan is especially remarkable for the extent of territory which it overlooks, comprising the seven States of North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Next to the Black, in the order of transverse chains, comes the Balsam, which in length and general magnitude is chief of the cross-ranges. It is 50 miles long, and its peaks average 6,000 feet in height, while, like the Blue Ridge, it divides all waters and is pierced by none. From its southern extremity two great spurs run out in a northerly direction; one terminates in the Cold Mountain, which is over 6,000 feet high, and the other in the beautiful peak of Pisgah, which is one of the most noted landmarks of the region. " Among the mountains which, seen from Asheville, lie in blue waves against the southern horizon, this commanding pyramid stands forth most promi nently, and from its symmetrical outline, not less than from its eminence, attracts the eye at once." The key of the mountain-region, and converging point of all the roads west of the Blue Ridge, is the town of Asheville, situated in the lovely valley of the French Broad River, surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills, and commanding one of the finest mountain-views in America. Just above its site the beautiful Swannanoa unites with the French Broad, charming natural parks surround it, and within easy Asheville. excursion-distance is some of the noblest scenery in the State. The town itself is adorned with many elegant private residences, the hotel accommodations are supe rior, and there are good churches, schools, banks, and newspapers. "Asheville Court-House stands nearly 2,250 feet above the sea; and the climate of all the adjacent region is mild, dry, and full of salvation for consumptives. The hotels and many of the cheery and comfortable farm-houses are in summer crowded with visitors from the East and West ; and the local society is charmingly cordial and agreeable." Asheville is also an excellent winter home for those who are benefited by a cold, dry climate. A few miles from the town are some white sulphur springs, from which a variety of lovely views may be had; and 9 miles north are the so- called Million Springs, beautifully situated in a cave between two mountain-ranges, where sulphur and chalybeate waters may be had in abundance. 60 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. There are five routes by which Asheville may be reached, and as each of them presents numerous attractions to tourists by the way, we shall describe them at some length : 1st Route.— -From Salisbury, North Carolina, via Western North Carolina R. R., to Old Fort (114 miles), and thence 25 miles by stage. Morganton on this rail way, between Salisbury and Old Fort, is a popular resort, and well worth the atten tion of all lovers of mountain-scenery. It is a town of considerable age, and was named in honor of General Morgan, of Revolutionary fame. It is situated on the slopes of the Blue Ridge, 1,100 feet above the sea, and a very beautiful view may be obtained from any eminence in the vicinity. About 15 miles west of Morganton are the Piedmont Springs, whose waters contain sulphur and iron, and are said to possess diuretic, tonic, and alterative properties. The springs have considerable local reputation, but the remoteness of their location has prevented them from be coming widely known. In this neighborhood the Hawk's Bill and Table Rock are situated. The latter is a high, bleak rock rising out of the top of a mountain to the height of over 200 feet. It can easily be ascended, and upon the summit there is about an acre of rock with a smooth surface. About 25 miles from Morganton is the grand Linnville Gorge, where the Linnville River bursts through the massive barrier of the Linnville Mountains. The gorge is 15 miles in length, and the heights which overshadow it are not less than 2,000 feet high. The river plunges into its dark depths in a majestic fall, 100 feet high and 150 broad, and then rushes forward over a bed of rock. Cliffs, worn by the ceaseless action of the water into the most fantastic shapes, lean over it, detached masses of granite strew its chan nel, and the tumult of its fretted waters only ceases when it pauses now and then in crystal pools of placid gentleness. Beyond Old Fort the stage route penetrates the Blue Ridge through the rugged but picturesque Swannanoa G.ip, and descends gradually into the elevated basin in which Asheville lies. The latter part of the route lies along the banks of the Swannanoa, loveliest of North Carolina rivers. 2:t! Route. — From Charlotte, North Carolina, via the Western Division of the Carolina C antral R. R. to Shelby (54 miles), and thense by stage to Asheville (75 miles). Near Shelby are Wilson's Springs, somewhat notsd as a summer resort. This route lies through the famous Hickory-Nnt Gap, the scenery of which has been declared by some European travelers to be equal in beauty and grandeur to any pass in the Alps. The entire length of the Gap is about 9 miles, the last five being watered by the Rocky Broad River. The gateway of the gorge on the eastern side is not more than half a mile wide, and from this point the road winds upward along a narrow pass, hemmed in on all sides by stately heights. The loftiest bluff is on the south side, and, though 1,500 feet high, is nearly perpendicular. Midway up its front stands an isolated rock, of a circular form, and resembling the turret of some stupendous castle. A stream of water tumbles over one portion of this im mense cliff, and falls into an apparently inaccessible pool. From the summit of the Gap (where stands " Sherrill's Hotel," an excellent house of entertainment) there is a most impressive view in all directions. 3d Route. — By stage from Greenville, South Carolina (see page 54), via Saluda Gap, Flat Rock, and Hendersonville, to Asheville (60 miles). Some of the attrac tions of this route have already been described in the chapter on South Carolina, but the entire road lies through the most enchanting and picturesque scenery. Flat R»uk, once the most frequented of Carolina resorts, has been shorn of its for mer glories, but the lovely valley still contains some noble mansions, surrounded by gardens filled with rarest and costliest of shrubbery and flowers. 4th Route. — -By stage from Greenville, South Carolina (see page 54), via Jones's Gap and Caesar's Head to Asheville (about 75 miles). Coesar's Head is a bold and beautiful headland in South Carolina (see page 54), and will well repay a visit. Be yond Caesar's Head the route passes near Cashier's Valley, famous for its salubrious climate, and so accessible from South Carolina that many gentlemen from the low country have erected summer residences there. It is more of a table-land than a valley, lying on the side of the Blue Ridge, so near the summit that its elevation above the sea cannot be less than 3,500 feet, and hemmed in on all sides by noble THE MOUNTAIN-REGION 61 peaks, among which Chimney-Top stands forth conspicuously. On the south western edge of the valley is Whiteside Mountain, which is in many respects the most striking peak in North Carolina. Rising to a height of more than 5,000 feet, its south eastern face is an im mense precipice of white rock, which, towering up perpendicularly 1,800 feet, is fully 2 miles long, and curved so as to form part of the arc of a circle. The face of the precipice is not al together smooth, as one fancies when approach ing it, but has been worn by the elements into j wildly picturesque es carpments and cave-like recesses. The largest of these recesses is known as the Devil's Supreme Court-House ; and according to Chero kee tradition the prince of the powers of dark ness will on the day of doom erect his throne here and try all the spirits who fall under his jurisdiction. The approach to it at present is along a narrow and dangerous ledge, upon which only the most cool-headed should ven ture. The ascent to the summit of the mountain can be made partly on horseback and presents no difficulties, and the view is of surpassing grandeur. " To the northeast, as far as the eye can reach, rise a multitude of sharply-defined blue and purple peaks, the valleys between them, vast and filled with frightful ravines, seeming the merest gullies on the earth's surface. Farther off than this line of peaks rise the dim outlines of the Balsam and Smoky ranges. In the distant south west, looking across into Georgia, we can descry Mount Yonah, lonely and superb, with a cloud-wreath about his brow ; 60 miles away, in South Carolina, a flash of sunlight reveals the roofs of the little German settlement of Walhalla ; and on the southeast, beyond the precipices and ragged projections, towers up Chimney-Top Mountain, while the Hog-Back bends its ugly form against the sky, and Cold Mountain rises on the left. Turning to the north we behold Yellow Mountain, with its square sides, and Short-Off. Beyond and beyond, peaks and peaks, and ravines and ravines! It is like looking down on the world from a balloon." 5th Route. — From the north, west, or southwest, Asheville may he reached via East Tennessee & Virginia R. R. to Morristown, Tenn. ; thence via Cumberland Gap & Charleston R. R. to Wolf Creek; and thence by stage (8 miles) to the Warm Springs and up the valley of the French Broad. The Warm Springs and the route thence to Asheville are described further along. Having reached Asheville (see page 59), the tourist or invalid may spend days The Swannanoa. g2 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. and weeks in visiting the many picturesque spots within an area of 35 or 40 miles, or in hunting, fishing, or exploring the caves, mines, and Indian mounds The ex cursion which above all others he should not fail to make is that down the French Broad River, the supreme beauty of which has long been famous. Below Asheville The French Broad. the river flows through an ever-deepening gorge, narrow as a Western caiion and inexpressibly grand, until it cuts its way through the Smoky Mountains, and reach es Tennessee. For 36 miles its waters well deserve their musical Cherokee name (Tahkeeostee, " the Racing River "), and the splendor of their ceaseless tumult fas cinates both eye and ear. A fine highway follows its banks, and often trespasses npon the stream, as it is crowded by the overhanging cliffs. About 35 miles from Asheville, on the right of the road, is the famous rock, Lover's Leap ; and just below it where 'the left bank widens out into a level plain, the Warm Sprinjrs nestle in a beautiful orove of trees. These springs are among the most noted mineral waters in the Soilhern States, and their virtues have been known for nearly a cen- THE MOUNTAIN-REGION. 63 tury. An analysis of the water shows that it contains free carbonic acid, free sul phuretted hydrogen, carbonic acid, and sulphuric acid, in combination with lime, and a trace of magnesia. Though quite palatable as a beverage, it is taken chiefly m the form of baths, for which there are excellent facilities, and is recommended for dyspepsia, liver-complaint, diseases of the kidneys, rheumatism, rheumatic gout, and chronic cutaneous diseases. The atmosphere is clear, cool, and invigorating, and is regarded as particularly beneficial in all pulmonary diseases. The hotel is spacious and comfortable, and is kept open winter and summer. (Terms, $2 a day, or $40 a month.) Five miles below the springs, on the Tennessee boundary, the road passes beneath the bold precipice of the Painted Rocks, a titanic mass over 200 feet high, whose face is marked with red paint, supposed to be Indian pictures. Near by are the Chimneys, lofty cliffs, broken at their summits into detached piles of rock bearing the likeness of colossal chimneys, a fancy greatly improved by the fireplace-like recesses at their base. Mountain Island, 2 miles above the Springs, is a hilly islet in the impetuous stream, its shores and slopes carpeted with evergreens, and rich in all the variegated colors of the North Carolinian flora. Among the mountain-ascents that may be readily made from Asheville, those of Mount Pisgah and Mount Mitchell will best repay the trouble. Pisgah lies to the south, and commands an extensive view over Tennessee, South Carolina, and Geor gia, as well as over the greater part of Western North Carolina. The excursion to Mount Mitchell, including the ascent of the peak and the return to Asheville, can be made in three days, and, though arduous, is entirely free from danger. There are three resting places en route: one at " Patton's," which nestles at the base of the chain of peaks ; another at the " Mountain-House," 4 miles from the foot ; and an other at the point where the Government once maintained an observatory, 3 miles from the topmost height. — -- Js^J=fc^_ -=— --=- - _ ^& The summit of Mount ;¦- . - -=¦;¦* Mitchell is the highest in the United States east of the Mississippi (6,701 feet), and affords the visitor a view of unsurpassed extent and grandeur. All West ern Carolina lies spread below him, together with portions of Virginia, Ten nessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. He can trace across the Old Do minion the long, undulat ing line of the Blue Ridge, which, entering North Car olina, passes under the Black, and thence runs southerly until it reaches South Carolina, when it turn3 to the west, and, making a curve, joins the Smoky near the northeast corner of Georgia. Over looking this range, from his greater elevation, he sees every height in that part of North Carolina which lies east of it. Far away on the borders of the Laurel Kun- near AsheTille- two Carolinas stands a misty mound, which is King's Mountain, of Revolutionary fame; and from this point the eye sweeps over an illimitable expanse, returning 64 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. to where the spurs of the Black cover the counties of Rutherford, Burke, and McDowell, with a network of hills. " There is a greater attraction in the unknown than in the known, however," says a recent writer in Applbtons' Jourxal, " and the traveler who has followed the French Broad to where it surges around Mountain Island and sweeps beneath Paint Rock; who has stood on the hills of Asheville, and admired the gentle loveliness of the valleys which encompass it ; who has tracked the Swannanoa to its birthplace in the ice- cold springs of the Black Mountain, and climbed to the summit of that Appalachian patriarch (Mount Mitchell)— it is natural that such a traveler, turning his back on these places, made familiar by exploration, should look with longing eyes at the dark chain of the Balsam, forming so lofty a harrier between himself and the still wilder, still more beautiful region that lies farther westward. _ If he possesses courage and resolution, if he does not shrink from trifling hardships, and if he can endure cheerfully a few inconveniences, let him resolve to scale those heights, and gaze at least upon all that lies beyond. There is very little difficulty in executing such a resolution, and nobody who can appreciate the sublime in natural scenery, or who likes the zest of adventure, will ever regret having executed it. " As a first step, let him establish his headquarters at Brevard, a pleasant village of Transylvania County, lying in the matchless valley of the Upper French Broad. He will find here the most comfortable lodging and most admirable fare, together with that cordial hospitality which is ever ready to oblige the wayfarer and stranger. Should he possess the mountaineering spirit to which allusion has been made, he need not fear that time will hang heavily on his hands. There are speckled trout in the streams, there are deer in the coverts of the forests, and there are countless places of picturesque interest, many of which are within the easy range of a day's excursion. One of the most attractive of these excursions is to Dunn's Rock, a rugged cliff on the eastern side of the valley, from the summit of which a most charming view is to be had. Besides Dunn's Rock, there are many other eminences around Brevard, which repay a hundred-fold the exertion of ascending them; while down the glens of the hills impetuous streams come rushing in Undine-like cascades. Such are the lovely Falls of Conestee, of Looking- Glass, and of Glen Cannon. Into these enchanted recesses the lances of sunlight are scarcely able to pierce to find the laughing water, so luxuriant is the forest-growth, which forms depths of twilight obscurity where ferns and mosses and unnumbered bright, sweet flowers flourish. "From Brevard the way to the Balsam is plain and short. Following the north fork of the French Broad into what is called the Gloucester settlement, the traveler will find himself at the foot of this range. Here he can readily secure a guide, and make the ascent of the peaks which attain their highest elevation at this point. Prof. Guyot has recorded his opinion that ' considering these great features of physical structure (the Balsam heights), and the considerable elevation of the valleys which form the base of these high chains, we may say that this vast cluster of highlands between the French Broad and the Tuckaseege Rivers is the culminating region of the great Appalachian system.' It is at least certain that their appearance impresses one with a deeper sense of grandeur and sublimity than even the Black Mountain. Immense ridges rise on all sides, lofty peaks lift their heads into the dazzling regions of the upper air, escarpments of rugged rock contrast with the verdure of the forest that clothes all other points, while trackless gorges and deep chasms, where the roar of unseen cataracts alone breaks the silence of solitude, are the characteristic features of the region. Leaving the domain of Gloucester, a traveler of faint heart and wavering courage may be struck with dismay at the wildness of the scenes into which he is led. The path is a trail, only visible to the eyes of a mountaineer, which plunges down precipitous hill-sides, winds along dizzy verges, where a single false step would send horse and rider crashing into the abyss below, and mounts ascents so steep that the saddles threaten to slip back over the straining animals, and a cautious rider will look well to his girths. Knob after knob is climbed, and yet the dominating heights, as one catche3 glimpses of them now and then, seem far away as ever. Nevertheless, it is evident that one's labor is not MINNESOTA RESORTS. 65 in vain. The air grows more rarefied, the horizon expands, the world unrolls like an azure scroll, and over it spreads the marvelous haze of distance. " The tops of the Balsam peaks are generally bare of trees, and the Cherokees believe that these open spaces are the footprints of the devil, made as he stepped from mountain to mountain. They command singularly wild and impressive views. including no less than five great mountain-ranges. Looking to the west, we see on our left the Blue Ridge, on our right the Smoky, and in front the Cullowhee, with the Nantahala lying cloud-like in the far distance. Countless intervening chains spread over the vast scene, with graceful lines blending, and dominant points ascending, forming a whole of wondrous harmony. Near at hand the heights of the Balsam, clad in a rich plumage of forest, surrounds us in serried ranks — a suc cession of magnificent peaks, infinitely diversified in shape, but nearly approaching the same standard of elevation." MINNESOTA RESORTS. The State of Minnesota derives its name from its principal river, the Minnesota (St. Peter's), which, in the Sioux or Dakota language, means "muddy water." It is situated between lat. 43° 30' and 49° 24' north, and Ion. 89° 39' and 97° 5' west, with an extreme length from north to south of 380 miles, and an extreme breadth from east to west of 337 miles; area, 83,531 square miles. Lying nearly at the centre of the continent, and occupying the most elevated plateau between the Gulf of Mexico and Hudson's Bay, Minnesota forms the water-shed of the three great river-systems of North America: that of the Mississippi, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico ; that of the St. Lawrence, which, connected with the great chain of Northern lakes, has an easterly direction to the Atlantic Ocean ; and that of the Red River of the North, flowing north to Lake Winnipeg, which has its outlet in Hudson's Bay. A group of low sand-hills in the northeastern part of the State, formed by huge deposits of drift overlying a local outcrop of the primary and metamorphic rocks, and called Hauteurs des Terres (Heights of Land), forms the dividing ridge between the Mississippi and Lake Superior. These Heights of Land rise by scarcely perceptible slopes from the general level, in no instance higher than 1,680 feet above the sea, which is not more than 600 feet above the average elevation of the country. These hills are commonly flat at the top, varying in height from 85 to 100 feet above the surrounding waters. Generally the surface of Minnesota is an undulating plain, with an average elevation of nearly 1,000 feet above the sea, and presents a succession of small rolling prairies or table-lands, studded with lakes and groves, and alternating with belts of timber. Two-thirds of the surface slopes southeast with the waters of the Mississippi, the northern part of the State being nearly equally divided between the alluvial levels of the Red River valley on the northwest and the broken highlands of the northeast, which are mainly drained by the precipitous streams which flow into Lake Superior and the Rainy Lake Chain. The navigable waters of the State have a total shore-line of 2,746 miles, and com prise numerous rivers, of which the Minnesota, the Mississippi, the Red River of the North, the St. Croix, and the St. Louis, are the most important. A characteristic feature of the State is the number and beauty of its lakes, of which there are said to be upward of 10,000. They are from 1 mile to 30 miles in diameter, and many of them have an area of from 100 to 400 square miles. Their waters, generally sweet and clear, abound in fish. The largest are the Lake of the Woods, Rainy, Namekin, Bois Blanc, Vermilion, Swan, Sandy, Winibigoshish, Leech, and Mille Lacs, in the north aDd northeast; Red Lake, in the northwest; Big Stone, Benton, Sauk, and Swan, in the west and southwest. The soil is fertile, two-thirds of the surface being well adapted to the cultivation of all the cereals and roots of the temperate zone. It is composed generally of a dark, calcareous loam, abounding in organic and saline ingredients, and is retentive of moisture. The country, especially above latitude 46°, is well-timbered; pine- 66 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. forests extend far to the north, and birch, maple, aspen, ash, and elm abound. A large forest of hard-wood varieties, known as the Big Woods, extends over the central portion of the State west of the Mississippi, and covers an area of about 4,000 square miles. On the river bottoms are found basswood, elm, aspen, butternut, ash, birch, maple, linden, balsam fir, and some oaks; and in the swamps tamarack, cedar, and cypress. Among the wild animals are the elk, deer, antelope, bear, wolf, wolverene, otter, muskrat, mink, martin, and raccoon. Of birds, there are the golden and bald eagles, grouse, partridge, hawk, owl, quail, plover, lark, and many smaller kinds. There are also the pelican, tern, sheldrake, teal, loon, wild-geese, wild-ducks, and other water -fowl. The waters contain pike, pickerel, bass, white- fish, muskelonge, catfish, trout, and other varieties of fish. To the sportsman Minnesota offers greater attractions than any other State in the West. The climate of Minnesota is very cold in the winter, but clear, dry, and equable, and is recommended for those invalids (such as are in the incipient stages of consumption for example) who are more benefited by a climate of this character than by one which is warmer and more moist. It is a well-ascertained fact that the dryness of the atmosphere is an even more important factor in the prevention and cure of consumption than its warmth ; and, upon not a few consumptives, a climate which is warm without being dry has a peculiarly debilitating and unwhole some effect. For this class it is claimed that Minnnesota presents greater advan tages than any other locality in America. Though its winters are long, and the cold intense and continuous, yet the dryness of the atmosphere and the slight diurnal variations of temperature render the cold far less oppressive than in the Eastern Atlantic States, where the moist air and the rasping winds seem to tear weak lungs to pieces. There are few days of a Minnesota winter during which an invalid, if properly clad, cannot go out-of-doors for several hours at least ; and the bracing air almost always has a decidedly tonic and exhilarating effect. The cold in winter and the heat in summer, though extreme, are subject to but slight variations in short periods, and all the seasons are remarkably free from those sudden changes that are so injurious to persons in delicate health. The following summary of meteorological observations, made at St. Paul during 1874, is reported by the United States Signal Bureau : January February March April May gOO June July August September October November December Mean, THERMOMETER. Mean Barometer. Total Rainfall, Prevailing Wind. Maximum. Mini iimn. Mean. 43.00 -23.00 13. 85 30.073 0.49 36.00 -18.00 14.40 30.082 1.07 46. CO -5.00 23.66 30.030 2.24 71.00 7.00 37.52 30.003 0.95 North. 94.00 31.00 62.24 29.860 1.65 North. 94.00 42.00 68.70 29.797 11.67 99.00 53.00 74.72 29.842 1.94 91.00 54.00 70.54 29.892 3.90 93.00 37.00 60.95 29.908 5.76 74.00 21.00 41.36 30.003 3.21 72.00 -8.00 28.72 29.951 1.90 48.00 -20.00 18.81 30.848 0.72 Northwest. 71.67 14.25 43.62 30.490 35.50 Southeast. These are the facts on which are based Minnesota's claims as a resort for invalids; and they are sustained by the record of vital statistics. While the rate of mortality from consumption is 1 in 254 in Massachusetts, 1 in 473 in New York, and 1 in 757 in Virginia, in Minnesota it is only 1 in 1,139. It is declared more- ever,_on high authority, that there is no such thing as "Minnesota consumption," that is, consumption which has originated in the State itself. The recorded deaths from that disease are, in nearly every case, those of invalids from other States in whom the disease had progressed too far for cure. It should be added, however ST. PAUL. 67 that the climate of Minnesota is thought to be unfavorable to sufferers from bron chitis or catarrh; and that of all those who have hitherto visited Minnesota with consumption, only 1 in 15 has recovered. Dr. Joseph W. Howe, an authority on the subject, says: '• The cold, clear air of the State is undoubtedly beneficial to certain cases of consumption. None, however, should attempt the journey whose lungs are seriously diseased, or who have not the strength to take daily exercise in the open air. It is the open-air life after all that does the work of curing, and it is, therefore, little less than suioide for invalids to seek a home where they are com pelled to shut themselves in-doors day after day." Of the health resorts of Minnesota the most frequented are St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Winona ; but there is really an unlimited range of choice, as any of the towns of the central, southern, or eastern portions of the State possess the advantages of climate already enumerated. Care must be taken, of course, that the local sani tary conditions are favorable, and a sheltered location is naturally best ; but the visitor can hardly make a mistake in selecting any one of the more easily accessi ble towns. St. Paul. How to reach. — From Chicago, St. Paul may be reached via Chicago & North western R. R. (distance, 409 miles ; fare, $15.25) ; or via Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul R. R. (distance, 411 miles ; fare, ($15.25. From St. Louis it may be reached eia steamer up the Mississippi River. In the summer from Buffalo by steamer on Lakes Erie, Huron, and Superior, to Duluth ; thence via Lake Superior & Missis sippi R. R. to St. Paul (155 miles). During the season this last is a very pleasant route from the East. Hotels and Boarding-Houses. — The leading hotels are the Metropolitan ($3 a day), in Third Street ; the Merchants' Hotel ($3.00 a day), near the centre of the busi ness quarter ; and the Park Place, which is a pleasant family hotel, situated on the summit of a gentle hill and surrounded by trees. There are several smaller hotels, and numerous excellent boarding-houses where board may be had at from $5 to $10 a week. In the summer, the suburbs are much cooler than the city, but in winter the invalid had better seek a residence in the city. Location, Climate, and History. — St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota, is a beautiful city of about 36,000 inhabitants, situated at the head of navigation on the Missis sippi River, 2,200 miles from its mouth. It was formerly confined to the left bank, the site embracing four distinct terraces, forming a natural amphitheatre with a St. Paul Minnesota. southern exposure, and conforming to the curve of the river. The city is built prin cipally upon the second and third terraces, which widen into level, semicircular plains, the last, about 90 feet above the river, being underlaid with a stratum of 68 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. blue limestone from 12 to 20 feet thick, of which many of the buildings are con structed. The original town is regularly laid out, but the newer portions are irreg ular. The streets are well graded and partially paved, are lighted with gas, and a system of sewerage is in progress. The water-works are supplied from Lake Pha- lon, 3 miles distant ; and two lines of street-railway are in operation. — The climate of St. Paul has already been indicated in our general remarks on that of the State at large. The meteorological table on page 66 was compiled from observations made here. The city is a peculiarly favorable winter residence for consumptives because of its sheltered situation and the dryness of its soil. Tables of mortality show St. Paul to be one of the healthiest cities in the United States. — The first re corded visit to the site of St. Paul was made by Father Hennepin, a Jesuit mission ary, in 1680. Eighty-six years afterward, Jonathan Carver came there and made a treaty with the Nandowessie Indians, in what is now known as Carver's Cave. The first treaty of the United States with the Sioux, throwing their lands open to settlement, was made in 1837, and the first claim was entered by Pierre Parent, a Canadian voyageur, who sold it in 1839 for $30. It is the present site of the prin cipal part the city. The first building was erected in 1838, and for several years thereafter it was simply an Indian trading-post. It was laid out into village streets in 1849, and a city government was obtained in 1854, when the place contained about 3,000 inhabitants. It derives its name from that of a log chapel dedicated to St. Paul by a Jesuit missionary in 1841. Places of Interest. — The principal public buildings in the city are the State Capitol, a plain brick structure situated on high ground, and occupying an entire square ; and the United States Custom-House, which also contains the Post-Office. The principal place of amusement is the Opera-House in Wabashaw Street, near Third, a large and handsome building, with a fine auditorium seating about 1,200 persons. There are about 40 churches of all denominations in the city, some of them large and handsomely finished. There are 4 public and as many private cir culating libraries, the former including the State Law Library, and those of the Historical Society and Academy of Sciences, comprising together about 24,000 vol umes. The Academy of Science also contains 126,000 specimens in natural history. The public and private schools are noted for their excellence, the latter including several female seminaries of a high grade. There is a free hospital, managed by the Sisters of St. Joseph, and a Protestant and a Roman Catholic orphan asylum. Carver's Cave is a great natural curiosity, near the river, in Dayton's Bluff, on the east side of the city. It was named after Jonathan Carver; who, on May 1, 1767, made a treaty with the Indians, by which they ceded him a large tract of land. There is a lake in the cave, which may be crossed in a boat. Fountain Cave, about 2 miles above the city, was apparently hollowed out of the rock by a stream which flows through it. It contains several chambers, the largest being 100 feet long, 25 wide, and 20 high ; and it has been explored for 1,000 feet without the termination being reached. There are some beautiful drives in and around St. Paul, and many places in the neighborhood of the city which can be reached either by carriage or by rail. Of these the most popular is White Bear Lake, 12 miles distant, on the Lake Superior & Mississippi R. R. It is about 9 miles in circumference, with picturesque shores and an island in its centre. The lake affords excellent boating, fishing, and bathing. Bald-Eagle Lake, 2J miles beyond White Bear Lake, is noted for its fishing and pict uresque scenery, and is a popular resort for picnic-parties. Minnehaha Falls, im mortalized by Longfellow, are reached by a delightful drive past Fort Snelling. The Falls are picturesquely situated, but they hardly merit the prominence that Mr. Longfellow's poem has obtained for them. Lake Como is reached by a pleasant drive of 2| miles over a good road. The boating and bathing here are excellent, and two hotels on the shore are well patronized during the summer. Minneapolis and St. Anthony. The twin city of Minneapolis and St. Anthony is situated on both sides of the Mississippi River, 10 miles above St. Paul, with which it is connected by three lines WINONA.— RED WING AND FRONTENAC. 69 of railway. It is built ou a broad esplanade overlooking the famous Falls of St. Anthony and the river, which is bordered at various points by picturesque bluffs. The city is regularly laid out, with avenues running east and west, and streets cross ing them north and south. They are generally 80 feet wide, with 20 feet sidewalks, and two rows of trees on each side. There are many substantial business blocks and elegant residences. The Court-House, City Hall, Academy of Music, Opera- House, and Athenasum, are noticeable structures ; as are also the Nicollet House and the First National Hotel. The Athenseum Library contains 4,000 volumes, and that of the University of Minnesota about 2,500. Besides the University, there are several other important educational institutions, and the public schools are numer ous and good. The number of churches is 48, including all the denominations, and some of the church-edifices are elegant and imposing. The city is supplied with water by powerful works, the streets are lighted with gas, and a system of sewer age is in process of construction. Its situation being less protected than that of St. Paul, it is perhaps less desirable as a winter residence for invalids, but it is never theless much frequented. A large part of the business prosperity of Minneapolis and St. Anthony is owing to the Falls of St. Anthony, which afford abundant water-power for manufacturing purposes. The fall is 18 feet perpendicular, with a rapid descent of 50 feet within a mile. The rapids above the cataract are very fine, in fact much finer than the fall itself, the picturesqueness of which has been destroyed by the wooden " cur tain " erected to prevent the wearing away of the ledge. The falls can be seen with about equal advantage from either shore, but the best view is from the centre of the suspension-bridge which spans the river above the fall. The country around Minneapolis is remarkable for its beauty. Numerous lakes, of which the chief are Lakes Calhoun, Harriet, and Cedar, dot the landscape, particularly to the west ward, and cultivated prairies roll off in every direction. The celebrated Minne haha Falls are only 3 miles below, and the Silver Cascade and Bridal Veil Falls are within easy driving distance. Lake Minnetonka is 12 miles westward, and affords great attractions to the pleasure-seeker or the sportsman. Other attractive resorts render the neighborhood an especially alluring one for residents and tourists. Winona. Winona is a thriving little city of about 8,000 inhabitants, situated on the Missis sippi 105 miles below St. Paul by river, and 215 miles by rail. It is built on a spa cious plain, commanding a fine view of the river for several miles, and contains the State Normal School, several fine churches, and numbers of handsome stores and private residences. Being somewhat sheltered by the high bluffs which line the river above and below, it is thought to offer conditions favorable to consumptives and other invalids. About 20 miles below Winona is Trempeleau Island (some times called Mountain Island), a rocky island, 300 to 500 feet in height, and one of the most noted landmarks on the Upper Mississippi. About 12 miles above is the famous Chimney Rock. Red Wing and Frontenao. These lively little towns are situated on Lake Pepin, as it is called, respectively 40 and 51 miles below St. Paul. Lake Pepin is simply an expansion of the Missis sippi, about 30 miles long and 3 miles in average width, and is considered by many the most beautiful portion of the river. The bluffs on either side present peculiar characteristics, which are found in such perfection nowhere else : grim castles seem only to want sentries to be complete, and all the fantastic forms into which the action of the weather can transform limestone cliffs are to be seen. For miles the bluffs are indented with huge natural amphitheatres, the land rising to the level of the projecting heights, which form the portals, the curve being apparently as true as that of any auditorium ever built. The forests reach to the river-bank, and the water is so beautifully clear that fish may be seen many feet below the surface. Red Wing lies at the head of the lake, on a broad, level plain, extending to the foot of some majestic bluffs, and is a well-built town of about 5,000 inhabitants. It is 70 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. a favorite summer resort, and, being thoroughly protected by ^.J^f **¦? * desirable winter-residence. The Chicago and St. Paul branch of the Milwaukee Lake Pepin. & St. Paul R. R. connects Red Wing with St. Paul. Frontenac lies in the centre of the lake-region, and is a favorite resort in summer on account of its fine scenery, and the hunting, bathing, fishing, and sailing, which it affords. Besides the sport furnished by Lake Pepin, there are fine trout-fishing in the streams and deer-hunting in the woods of Wisconsin, on the opposite side of the river, while prairie-chickens are found in abundance in the country back of the village. Frontenac offers the same advantages as a winter-residence as are possessed by Red Wing. Faribault. Faribault lies about 46 miles south of St. Paul, on the Iowa and Minnesota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul R. R. It is situated at the con fluence of the Cannon and Straight Rivers, and is one of the most populous and thriving interior towns in the State. In 1853 it was the site of Alexander Fari bault's trading-post; since 1857 its growth has been rapid, and the present popula tion is estimated at 5,000. It is the seat of the State Asylum for the deaf, dumb, and blind, and of an Episcopal academy, and contains several other schools, six or ARKANSAS HOT SPRINGS. 71 eight churches, two weekly newspapers, two national banks, and several flour-mills, saw- mills, founderies, etc. The National and the Barron House are the leading hotels. For invalids, Faribault possesses all the characteristic advantages of the Minnesota climate. ARKANSAS HOT SPRINGS. How to reach. — The Hot Springs are reached from St. Louis via the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R. R. to Malvern (388 miles from St. Louis, and 42 from Little Rock), and thence by a stage-ride of 18 miles. A branch railroad from Malvern to the Springs will speedily he completed, and the entire journey made by cars. Hotels and Boarding-Honses. — There are about a dozen hotels in and near the town of Hot Springs, charging from $2.50 to $4 a day, and a great number of boarding- houses, where board may be had at from $8 to $20 a week. The entire town, indeed, is simply an appendage to the sanitarium, and the visitor usually has his choice of accommodations, livery, and anything that the town contains. Hot Springs, a town and capital of Garland County, Arkansas, is situated about 45 miles southwest of Little Rock, and 6 miles north of the Washita River, in a wild and picturesque mountain-region. It is built principally in the narrow valley of Hot Spring Creek, running north and south between the Ozark Mountains, and contains, besides the hotels, 3 schools, 5 churches, 2 weekly newspapers, and a per manent population of about 1,500. The town itself and the surrounding hill-sides are embowered in trees, and present a very picturesque and inviting appearance. The valley in which the town is situated is about a mile and a half long, and very narrow, and has an elevation of about 1,500 feet above the sea. In the middle of the day the sunbeams are like a blaze, but an almost constant cool and refreshing breeze renders the atmosphere cool and agreeable even in summer. The disappear ance of the sun behind the mountain-tops is followed by a lovely twilight, such as is found in but few other places. The springs, 57 in number, issue from the west ern slope of the Hot-Spring Mountain, which lies on the east side of the valley. They vary in temperature from 93° to 160° Fahr., and discharge into the creek up ward of 500,000 gallons of water every 24 hours — about 350 gallons per minute. Fifty-four of the springs have been tested in temperature, but there are many under the roads and ledges that cannot be tested without too great labor. The largest spring discharges 60 gallons a minute at a temperature of 150°, which will cook eggs in 15 minutes. The water of the springs is very clear, pure, transparent, and almost tasteless, and does not deposit sediment by standing. It is taken both internally and externally, and a great number of bathing-houses have been constructed for the use of invalids. The vapor baths stand at 112° ; the douche, a spirit-bath, at 120° ; and the saving bath at 116°. The amount of hot water discharged into the creek renders it sufficiently warm for bathing purposes in midwinter. When taken internally, the waters of the springs have an aperient and tonic effect, are rapidly absorbed into the circulatory system, and are beneficial in nearly all diseases of the blood. Taken both internally and in the form of baths, they have performed many wonderful cures of rheumatism, rheumatic gout, stiffness of the joints, mercurial diseases (arising from the effects of mercury in the system), malarial fevers, scrof ula, and diseases of the skin. Of the thousands suffering from these ills who flock to the Hot Springs yearly, many recover entirely, while those who do not achieve a cure experience great relief. A heavy fog hangs continually over the springs and upon the sides of the moun tains, giving the neighborhood the appearance, at a little distance, of a number of furnaces in active operation. Near the edges of the springs is found, luxuriantly growing, a species of green algce, which seems to delight in these natural hot-beds; while the mountain-slopes are covered with luxuriant vines, whose growth is per petually stimulated by the condensation of the vapor. The air is warm and very 72 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. moist, and for this reason the valley should be shunned by consumptives, and all who are suffering from pulmonary or throat diseases. The United States Government has a disputed claim to the " Hot Springs reser vation," and it is hoped and expected that, should it succeed in getting possession, it will make the valley a great sanitary resort free to the people. COLORADO RESORTS. Colorado, the most recently admitted among the States of the Union, is situ ated between lat. 37° and 41° north, and Ion. 102° and 109° west, forming a nearly perfect parallelogram, with an average length east and west of 380 miles, and an average breadth north and south of 280 miles ; area, 104,500 square miles. It has three great natural divisions : the mountain-range (including the park system), the foot-hills, and the plains. The mountain-ranges are so numerous, and cover such a large portion of the surface, that Colorado has been aptly called "the Switzerland of America." The State is intersected north and south, near the centre, by the Rocky Mountains, which here attain their greatest elevation; 200 peaks nearly 13,000 feet high, and about 25 of 14,000 feet and over, being visible from Mount Lincoln. Between latitude 38° and 40° this chain is about 120 miles broad, con sisting of three parallel ranges running nearly northwest. The east one, called the Front, or Colorado range, as seen from Denver, appears to rise abruptly from the plain, stretching with snow-capped summits from Pike's Peak on the south to a group 20 mile3 north of Long's Peak, a distance of 120 miles. Six of its peaks are from 14,000 to 14,200 feet above the sea, viz., Long's Peak, Mount Torrey, Gray's Peak, Mount Rosa, Mount Evans, and Pike's Peak. West of this range lie the parks, separated from each other by comparatively low or broken cross-ridges; and parallel with it, and about 40 miles farther wast, is the Park Range, forming the western boundary of North, Middle, and South parks. Its highest points are in the Mount Lincoln group, near the dividing ridre batwaen South and Middle parks ; 20 peaks exceeding 13,000 feet in height, while Maunt Lincoln and Quandary Peak risa above 14,000 feet. West of the south part of the Park range is the Arkansas valley, and beyond this is the National Rmje, also called the Sawatch range, or Sierra Madre, dividing through nearly its whole extent the waters of the Atlantic from those of the Pacific. It is pxrallel with and about 16 miles west of the Park range, terminating some forty miles northwest of Mount Lincoln, in the Mount of the Holy Cross, about 13,400 feet high. The highest part of this range commences in the Grand Mountain (14,200 feet high), 20 miles south of the Holy Cross, whence for 50 miles farther south the whole range is 13,000 feet high, with 10 peaks rising to a height of from 14,000 to 14.400 feet. The principal summits are Mounts El bert, La Plata, Harvard, and Yale. West of the National range, and connected with it, are the Elk Mountains, lying between the Grand River on the north and the Gunnison on the south. The most elevated peaks form a ridge about 30 miles long, nearly parallel with the National range, and 35 miles west of it. West of this group there are no high mountains, the ridges changing within 20 miles to pla teaus, which fall off to the Colorado River. On the east side of the mountains, ami parallel thereto, extending from the Black Hills on the north to the Wet Mountains on the south, are the foot-hills, having an average elevation of 8,000 feet. The plains constitute the geographical division of Colorado east of the mountain- belt, and embrace more than one-third of the entire territory. The surface of this section is not one continuous level, but a series of valleys separated by ridges and traversed by innumerable water-courses. The average elevation above tide-water is 6,000 feet. The most prominent feature of this vast plateau is the " divide " an elevation reaching a height of 7,500 feet above the sea-level, which separates the waters of the South Platte and the Arkansas, and supplies many of their affluents. The most remarkable physical characteristic of Colorado is its system of great COLORADO RESORTS. 73 Natural Parks, which consist of extensive irregular plateaus or basins, shut in on all sides by lofty mountain- ranges. The surface of these plateaus is diversified by numerous hills or ridges, and valleys, containing streams which form the head waters of all the great rivers that rise in Colorado. These valleys are clothed with luxuriant grasses and flowering plants of various species, and possess an extremely fertile soil. The hills are covered with dense forests of pine, abounding in game, such as the bear, elk, and deer. The beds of the streams furnish many varieties of minerals and fossils, and afford a remarkable field for geological investigations. Mineral springs, with waters possessing rare medicinal properties, are numerous, while salt and coal beds seem to underlie the entire surface. The four principal parks are in the central portion of the State, and constitute the greater part of a Buttresses of Marble Canon on the Colorado Eiver. belt running north and south between Ion. 105° and 106°. They will be described in detail further on. 6 The river-system of Colorado embraces the principal tributa- 74 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. ries of the Rio Colorado, Rio Grande, Arkansas, Platte, and Smoky Hill and Re publican forks of the Kansas. The Arkansas and the South Fork of the Platte drain the eastern part ; the Bear River, the Bunkara, and the Gunnison, flow from the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains ; the Rio Grande rises in the southern part of the State, and flows southward into the Gulf of Mexico. The Grand and Green Rivers, and nearly all the streams which unite to form the Colorado, flow through mountain-chasms of unknown depth; and the Colorado itself flows for hundreds of miles through a series of stupendous gorges or cafions which are among the wonders of the West. About one-third of Colorado is good agricultural land. In the plains and the parks the soil of the valleys is peculiarly fertile, and produces in abundance the hardier cereals and vegetables. The arid sands of the plains have been proved to be merely surface deposits, covering a soil of remarkable fertility when moistened. The necessary moisture is supplied by irrigating canals, which have already been constructed to a great extent. Vegetables reach an enormous size, and fruits of all kinds grow with remarkable luxuriance. Mining, however, is the principal indus try, and the mineral deposits are among the richest in America. The principal varieties of timber are pine, hemlock, spruce, cedar, fir, cottonwood, box-elder, and quaking aspen. The sides of the mountain below the timber-line and the foot-hills are covered with forests of pine, larch, and aspen, which afford valuable timber and fuel. The wild animals are the bear, cougar, wolf, buffalo, elk, deer, antelope, moun tain-sheep, lynx, wild-cat, badger, hare, fox, mink, beaver, and prairie-dog, the last resembling the fox-squirrel. Of game-birds there are the wild turkey, mountain- grouse, sage-hen, prairie-chicken, ducks, geese, swans, ptarmigan, etc. The climate of Colorado is remarkably equable and healthy. The winters are mild, the days resembling those of a northern summer ; and the summers are cool and bracing. Hot, sultry nights are unknown in summer, and in winter they are generally very cold. On the plains the temperature averages from 50° to 55°. At Denver during 1 870 the mean temperature for each month and the amount of rain and melted snow were as follows: January. . . . February . . March April May June July August September. Octoher.. . . Novemher. . December.. Tear. TEMPERATURE. 60"646780 86 949897898368 60 5"1 -8 16 4048 53 45 40 27 20 -18 29.4°35.6 32.7 48.156.1 68.274.264 8 60.1 47.8 41.823 48.5 Rain and Melted Snow, Inches. 1.15 1.70 .70 2.80 .35 .52.51 .12 2.85 .68 .54 .73 12.65 The average temperature for 1871 was 54.1°; rainfall, 12.35 inches. For 1872 the average temperature was 49.8°; rainfall, 18.77 inches. Among the foot-hills the average temperature is from 45° to 50° ; in the mountains it is from 40° to 45°. On the summits of the mountain-ranges, and in the highest parks, the cold is often ex treme; but in the mountain-valleys and foot-hills the thermometer seldom falls below zero, and in midwinter there is much delightful weather. The greatest ex tremes of cold and the most severe storms occur in November and December. In the mountains the greatest fall of snow occurs in September, October, and April ; except on and near the summits, where the fall is considerable, it does not remain long on the ground. On the plains in the latitude of Denver, the fall of snow never exceeds 10 or 12 inches, and seldom remains longer than 24 hours. In the southern portion of the plains there is little snow, and the winters are extremely mild. There is no rainy season in Colorado. On the plains the rain generally falls in the DENVER.— COLORADO SPRINGS AND VICINITY. 75 spring and early summer, scarcely any falling in autumn or winter. In the moun tains rains are frequent in the summer and autumn, but rain-storms of long dura tion are unknown. Heavy wind-storms are common in all parts of the State. The extreme rarity of cloudy weather and of mists and fogs is remarkable. The atmos phere is wonderfully clear and invigorating, and remarkably free from humidity. These characteristics of climate, together with the great altitude (4,000 to 10,000 feet), and the beautiful scenery, have made Colorado a popular resort for persons afflicted with throat and lung diseases. Consumptives who go there during the earlier stages of the disease are always benefited, and usually cured; but when haemorrhages have supervened, the extreme thinness and dryness of the atmosphere are likely to aggravate them. Asthmatics can live comfortably in any part of the State ; and rheumatism and gout are materially alleviated. Hay fever also is in variably cured. Denver. Denver, the capital and largest city of Colorado, is situated on the south bank of the South Platte River, at the junction of Cherry Creek, 15 miles from the east ern base of the Rocky Mountains, 922 miles from St. Louis via the Missouri Pacific and Kansas Pacific R. R., and 991 miles via the Atchison, Topeka & Santa F6 R. R., via Pueblo and Colorado Springs. It occupies a series of plateaus, facing the mountains, and commanding a grand and beautiful view. Through the clear mountain atmosphere may be seen Pike's and Long's Peaks, and the snow-capped range extending more than 200 miles, its rich purple streaked with dazzling white, and here and there draped in soft, transparent haze. The city is the commercial centre of Colorado, and is compactly built, chiefly of brick manufactured in the vicinity. Its trade is very large, and five railroads radiate from it, which, with their stage connections, afford access to all parts of the State. There are upward of 30 hotels, numerous handsome commercial buildings, a United States Branch Mint, several fine churches and school-houses, a theatre, large manu factories and breweries, and some elegant private residences. The population of the city is estimated at 20,000, and it is annually visited by large numbers of tourists. The details as to its climate are given on page 74. During the summer a residence in the suburbs is preferable to one in the city ; but during the winter the invalid will find himself most comfortable in town. Whatever places in Colorado the tour ist may wish to visit, Denver will be his natural starting-point. Colorado Springs and Vicinity. Colorado Springs (76 miles from Denver via the Denver & Rio Grande Narrow- Gauge R. R.) is an important centre for the tourist, being situated in close prox imity to various points of interest ; hut its name is misleading, the Springs being 5 miles distant and bearing another name. Colorado Springs is a flourishing village, situated on the plains, with a fine view of the mountains, and with pleasantly- shaded streets. The following table of distances will show how conveniently it is situated for visitors bent on sight-seeing : To Manitou Springs, 5 miles ; to Gar den of the Gods, 4 miles ; to Glen Eyrie, 5 miles ; to Monument Park, 8 miles ; to Cheyenne Caiion, 5 miles; and to the summit of Pike's Peak, 16 miles. Guides are at hand for the more distant points, and horses, etc., are easily procured. The Maniton Springs are 5 miles from Colorado Springs, with which they connect by stages on the arrival of every train, and are so much resorted to as to be known as the " Saratoga of Colorado." They are situated among the foot-hills at the base of Pike's Peak, on the banks of the beautiful Fontaine Creek. The waters contain sulphur, soda, and iron, and are recommended for their tonic effects in all diseases of which general debility is a feature. Asthmatics and consumptives are generally benefited by a residence at Manitou ; the former, always. There are several ho tels, of which the most prominent is the Manitou House ; and the adjacent grounds are beautifully laid out and adorned. Within easy walking-distance of the hotel is the picturesque and romantic Ute Pass, through which the road runs to South Park. A short distance above the mouth of the Pass are Ute Falls, where the creek de- 76 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. scends in an unbroken sheet over a precipice 50 feet high. The road runs close to the edge of this precipice, while on the other hand the rocks tower above to an immense height. Manitou is on the road to Pike's Peak, the summit of which is only 11 miles distant, and may be climbed on horseback. This peak stands on the outer edge of the great mountain-range, and the view from its summit is magnifi cent, embracing many thousand square miles of mountain and plain. Here is a station of the Weather-Signal Bureau, which is occupied winter and summer. Garden of the Gods is the fanciful title of a little mountain-valley lying 4 miles northwest of Colorado Springs. The road enters it through the " Beautiful Gate," a narrow passage-way between two towering but narrow ledges of cliffs, which is still further narrowed by a rock-pillar, 30 feet high, standing nearly in the centre. The Garden consists of a tract of land less than 500 acres in ex tent, hemmed in by mountains on the west and north, bordered by ravines on the south, and by Old Red sandstone-cliffs on the east, which shut it in entirely from the plains. Its features are a number of iso lated rocks, upheaved into perpendicular po sitions, some of them rising to a height of 350 feet. The rocks are mainly of a very soft, brilliantly - red sandstone, although several ridges of cliffs are of a white sandstone. The foot-hills in the vicinity are many of them capped by similar upheavals, while all about the main cliff in the valley are numerous separate, spire-like columns. At the entrance to Glen Eyrie (1 mile ,from the Garden, and 5 miles from Colorado Springs) are similar formations, one of which stands like an immense tower, several hundred feet high, and not more than 7 or 8 feet in thick ness. Glen Eyrie is a most picturesque mountain-gorge, closed in on either hand by frowning cliffs, and with a purling mountain-brook traversing it from end to end. Within it is the elegant summar-villa of General Palmer, President of the Denver & Rio Grande R. R., and the natural attractions of the place have been enhanced by art. Up the rugged Queen's Caiion is the Devil's Punch-Bowl, and a succession of picturesque rapids and cascades. The road to the Glen from Colorado Springs offers a succession of noble views. Cheyenne Cation, 5 miles from Colorado Springs, is a sequestered mountain- gorge, in which are some striking rock-formations and picturesque cascades. A tor tuous trail leads from the mouth of the cation in 3 miles to the first fall, which is 30 feet high, and extremely fine. From the ledge above the fall there is a view of a succession of falls, 6 in all, rising one above another at almost regular intervals, the remotest and highest being several miles away. monument Park, perhaps the most visited spot in Colorado, is 8 miles from Colo rado Springs, and still nearer to Monument, a station on the railway above the Springs. The Park is very striking. " It is filled with fantastic groups of eroded sandstone, perhaps the most unique in the Western country, where there are so many evidences of Nature's curious whims. If one should imagine a great number of gigantic sugar-loaves, quite irregular in shape, but all showing the tapering form, varying in height from 6 feet to nearly 50, with each loaf capped by a dark, flat Eroded Sandstones, Monument Park. PUEBLO AND THE BOILING SPRINGS. 77 stone, not unlike in shape to a college-student's hat, ho would have a very clear idea of the columns in Monument Park. They are for the most part ranged along the low hills on each side of the park, which is probably a mile wide, hut here and there one stands out in the open plain. On one or two little knolls, apart from the hills, numbers of these columns are grouped, producing the exact effect of ceme teries with their white-marble columns." The stone is very light in color. Pueblo and the Boiling Springs. Pueblo, the terminus of the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe R. R. (117 miles from Denver, via Denver & Rio Grande R. R.), is the chief city of Southern Colorado, and is situated at the confluence of Arkansas River and Fontaine Creek. It is the centre of a vast and rich agricultural and grazing region, does a very large trade, and has a population of about 4,000. It is built in a broad, nearly level basin, the soil of which is rather sandy and impregnated with alkali. The streets are regularly laid out, hut the buildings are for the most part small and unpretentious. Like all Southern Colorado, Pueblo enjoys a delightful winter-climate, and its accessibility gives it mauy advantages for such invalids as cannot endure the fatigue of traveling to more remote points. Las Animas and Trinidad are other cities of Southern Colorado which offer great attractions to health- seekers in winter. They are reached via the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., from Pueblo 87 miles east to the former, and 98 south to the latter. Ten miles from Pueblo, near the foot of Pike's Peak, are the Boiling Springs, situated at an elevation of 6,350 feet above the sea. The waters belong to the acidulous class, are highly carbureted, and are said to resemble closely those of the famous Nassau Seltzer Springs. Caiion City lies at the foot of the mountains, 40 miles from Pueblo by a branch of the narrow-gauge railway. It is a flourishing mining-town, and, besides mines, has in its vicinity coal-deposits, oil-wells, and mineral springs that are prized for their medicinal qualities. A short distance above Cafion City, the Arkansas River makes its exit from the mountains through Arkansas Cafion, a wild gorge of incon ceivable majesty and grandeur. The site of the town is sheltered by the adjacent hills, and the climate is delightful. Idaho Springs and Georgetown. Visitors to Idaho Springs take the main line of the Colorado Central R. R. at Den ver and traverse the entire distance to the Springs or to Georgetown by rail. The scenery along the route is exceedingly grand and picturesque. Idaho Springs is beau tifully situated in a lovely valley nestling among lofty mountain-ranges, at an eleva tion of 8,000 feet above the sea. The air is remarkably dry, pure, and invigorating, and the surrounding scenery is charming ; but the chief attraction of the place is its hot and cold mineral springs. The waters contain soda, magnesia, iron, and lime, and have fine tonic properties. They are used chiefly for bathing, and there are exten sive bathing establishments and swimming-baths, in which baths may he had at the natural heat of the water as it bubbles from the ground, or at a lower tempera ture. During the summer the little town is thronged with tourists, and its shel tered position makes it a desirable resort in winter. It is a favorite rendezvous for excursion-parties, and full outfits of carriages, horses, and guides, are here furnished to those desiring to visit Middle Park, the Chicago Lakes, Green Lake, the Old Chief, or the mining-regions. The most popular excursions are to Fall River (2-J miles), and to the lofty-lying Chicago Lakes (15 miles by trail). Invalids staying at the Springs in winter should be careful to select a residence in a protected situa tion, and to stav in-doors when the easterly winds are blowing. — Georgetown (reached by a rail-ride of 16 miles from Idaho Springs) is the centre of the silver-mining interests, and is situated on a broad level plateau at the mouth of two or three canons, walled in on three sides by Leavenworth, Republican, and Summit Moun tains. It is a place of much commercial activity, and in point of climate closely resembles Idaho Springs. Many mountaineering tourists make Georgetown their base of operations during the season, and complete outfits and guides may easily be 78 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. procured. The distance to the Hot Springs in Middle Park is 45 miles. George town is also the starting-point for Gray's Peak, which every one who can should ascend. It is only 15 miles to the summit (14,200 feet above the sea), and the trip there and back can he made in a day. The mountain-view from Gray's Peak, ex cept that it lacks the picturesqueness of the glaciers, has all the beauties of Alpine ' scenery. North Park, Middle Park, and the Hot Springs. As we have already remarked in our general description of the State, the four great Natural Parks are perhaps the most characteristic feature of Colorado. North Park, lying in the extreme northern part of the State, has been less explored and settled than the rest, owing to its remote situation and colder climate. It offers, for these reasons, the greatest attractions for the sportsman and adventurer ; its streams are stocked with fish, and its forests and hill-sides abound with deer, antelopes, wolves, and bears. The park embraces an area of about 2,500 square miles, and has an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet above the sea. Guides and outfit may be procured at Georgetown. Middle Park lies directly south of North Park, from which it is separated by one of the cross-chains of the great mountain laby rinth. The snow-range, or continental divide, sweeps around on its eastern side, and it is completely encircled by majestic mountains. Long's Peak, Gray's Peak, and Mount Lincoln, from 13,000 to 14,500 feet high, stand sentinels around it. It embraces an area of about 3,000 square miles, extending about 65 miles north and south and 45 miles east and west, and is about 9,000 feet above the sea. It is drained by Blue River and the head-waters of Grand River, flowing westward to the Colorado. The portions of the park not covered by forest expand into broad, open meadows, the grasses of which are interspersed with wild-flowers of every hue. There is game in abundance, including deer, mountain-sheep, elk, bears, and antelopes, and the waters teem with fish. The climate, notwithstanding the great elevation, is remarkably mild and equable, with cool nights in summer and warm days in winter. No one, of course, should attempt to winter here who cannot safely be cut off from many of the comforts and conveniences of life ; but those who are able and willing to " rough it " will hardly find a place where they can do so under more favorable conditions. The usual objective point of tourists who go to the Middle Park is Hot Snlphnr Springs, which may be reached from Georgetown by the Berthoud Pass (45 miles); from Central City by the James's Peak trail (60 miles) ; and from South Boulder. The first-mentioned route is the easiest for invalids who can stand a horseback journey; hut the James's Peak route is practicable for carriages. The route from South Boulder is tedious and little used. The Springs are situated on a tributary of Grand River, about 12 miles from the southern boundary of the park. Describ ing a visit to them in his " Switzerland of America," Mr. Samuel Bowles says: " On the hill-side, 50 feet above the Grand River, and a dozen rods away, these hot, sul phurous waters bubble up at three or four different places within a few feet, and, coming together into one stream, flow over an abrupt bank, say a dozen feet high, into a little circular pool or basin below. Thence the waters scatter off into the river. But the pool and the fall unite to make a charming natural bathing-place. You are provided with a hot sitz bath and douche together. The stream that pours over the precipice into the pool is about as large as would flow out of a full water-pail turned over, making a stream 3 to 5 inches in diameter. The water is so hot that you cannot at first bear your hand in it, being 110° Fahrenheit in temperature, and the blow of the falling water, and its almost scalding stream, send the bather shrieking out, on his first touch of them ; but with light experi ments — first an arm, then a leg, and next a shoulder — he gradually gets accustomed to both heat and fall, and can stand directly under without flinching ; and then he has such a bath as he can find nowhere else in the world. The invigorating effects are wonderful. There is no lassitude or chill from it, as is usually experi enced from an ordinary hot bath elsewhere. Though the water be 110° warm and the air 30° to 40° cold, the shock of the fall is such a tonic, and the atmos- SOUTH PARK AND SAN LUIS PARK. 79 phere, strictly, so dry and inspiring, that no reaction, no unfavorable effects are felt, even by feeble persons, in coming from one into the other. The first thing in the morning, the last at night, did we renew our trial of this hot bath during our brief stay in the neighborhood, and the old grew young, and the young joyous and rampant, from the experience." These baths have been found highly beneficial in cases of rheumatism, neuralgia, chronic diseases of the skin, and gen eral debility. The accommodations for invalids are not first rate as yet, hut suffi cient, perhaps, for those who ought to venture upon the journey thither over the mountains. A small town is gradually growing up in the vicinity. One of the pleasantest excursions in Middle Park is up the valley, 27 miles from the Springs, by a good road to Grand Lake, the source of the main fork of Grand River. The lake nestles close to the base of the mountains, precipitous cliffs hang frowning over its waters on three sides, tall pines come almost down to the white sand-beach, and its translucent depths are thronged with trout and other fish. South Park and San Luis Park. South Park, the best known and most beautiful of all the parks, lies next below Middle Park, from which it is separated by a branch of the Park range. It is 60 miles long and 30 wide, with an area of about 2,200 square miles, and, like the Middle Park, is surrounded on all sides by gigantic ranges of mountains, whose culminating crests tower above the region of perpetual snow. The maximum ele vation of the park above the sea is 10,000 feet, while the average elevation is about 9,000 feet, and nearly all the land which it contains is well adapted to agriculture. The streams, which are supplied by melting snows from the surrounding mountains, are tributaries of the South Platte, and flow eastwardly through the park to the plains. The climate of the South Park is milder than that of either North or Middle Park, and its greater accessibility gives it peculiar advantages for such tourists and invalids as cannot endure much fatigue. Fairplay is the chief town ot the region, and the best centre for excursions. It is reached by stage, or wagon, or horseback, from Denver via Turkey Creek Cafion (95 miles) ; from Colorado Springs via Ute Pass (75 miles) ; and from Cafion City, at the end of the Denver & Rio Grande R. R. (75 miles). The scenery afforded by any or all of these routes is of incomparable grandeur and beauty. The visitor to Fairplay in summer should not fail to ascend Mount Lincoln, which is the highest of the Colorado peaks, and which affords a view that Prof. Whitney declares to be unequaled by any in Switzerland for its reach or the magnificence of the included heights. The ascent may be made nearly all the way by wagon or carriage, and presents no difficulty. Besides Fairplay, there are other pleasant and easily-accessible towns in South Park, of which Breckenridge and Hamilton may be mentioned. San Luis Park is larger than the other three combined, embracing an area of nearly 18,000 square miles— about twice the size of New Hampshire. It lies south of South Park, from which it is separated by the main range, which forms its northern and eastern boundary, while its western boundary is formed by the Sierra San Juan. It is watered by 35 streams descending from the encircling snow-crests. Nineteen of these streams flow into San Luis Lake, a beautiful sheet of water near the centre of the park, and the others discharge their waters into the Rio del Norte, in its course to the Gulf of Mexico. On the flanks of the great mountains dense forests of pine, spruce, fir, aspen, hemlock, oak, cedar, and pifion, alternate with broad, natural meadows, producing a luxuriant growth of nutritious grasses, upon which cattle subsist throughout the year, without any other food, and requir ing no shelter. The highest elevation in the park does not exceed 7,000 feet above the sea, and this, together with its southern and sheltered location, gives it a won derfully mild, genial, and equable climate. Thermal springs abound here, as in other parts of Colorado, generally charged with medicinal properties ; but, unfor tunately, little is known of this vast region. [For further particulars concerning Colorado, especially the mountain ascents and scenery, see Applbtons' Hand-Book or Ameeican Summer Resoets.] 80 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. CALIFORNIA RESORTS. The State of California extends along the Pacific coast of the United States, between lat. 32° 20' and 42° north, and Ion. 114° 20' and 124° 25' west. Its out line is very irregular. Its general direction lengthwise is northwest and southeast, and a line drawn through its centre, following the curves of its eastern and western boundaries, would measure about 770 miles. The greatest breadth is about 330 miles, least breadth 150 miles, average about 230 miles. In size it is the second state in the Union, its area being 188,981 square miles, which is exceeded only by Texas; its population in 1870 was 560,247. The most striking feature in the phys ical geography of California is the existence of the two great ranges of mountains running northwest and southeast, and generally parallel, called the Sierra Nevada (snow range) and the Coast Range. The former is by far the more lofty and rugged of the two, its summit being generally above the region of perpetual snow, and having but few, and those very elevated, passes. In California it is 450 miles long and 80 miles wide, with an altitude varying from 5,000 to 15,000 feet above the sea. The sides of the mountains to a height of about 2,500 feet are covered with oak, manzanita, and nut-pine, above which, to a height of 8,000 feet, dense forests of coniferous trees appear, which are succeeded by naked granite and snow. From its western slope it sends off numerous spurs into the interior valley; and among these lies the great gold region discovered in 1848. The Coast Range, as its name indi cates, runs along the coast, giving it a dangerous and forbidding rock-bound character. This range averages from 2,000 to 4,000 feet in height, and is divided in its length by long, narrow valleys: the Los Angeles, Salinas, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa, and others, and also by the Bay of San Francisco. The breadth of the coast mountains (from the Pacific to the great valley of the Sacramento and San Joaquin) does not exceed 40 miles in most parts of the entire length of the State. The moun tains of this range are clothed throughout with luxuriant forests, and contain a great variety of minerals, of which some of the most valuable are found in abundance. Between the Coast Range and the ocean occur numerous minor ranges and isolated hills, frequently approaching the water's edge, and enclosing a succession of the most salubrious, beautiful, and fertile valleys. To the north, the Pacific is still more broken with low hills and mountains. The interlocking spurs of the Coast Range and Sierra Nevada cover the whole northern end of the State, and give it a very broken and rugged character. Between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range lies the great basin bearing the double name of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, although really but one geographical formation. This extends north and south about 400 miles, with an average breadth of from 50 to 60 miles, and presents evidences of having onse been the bed of a vast lake. It is drained from the north by the Sacramento River, and from the south by the San Joaquin, which, after meeting and uniting in the centre of the basin, break through the Coast Range to the Pacific Along the rivers the valleys are generally low and level, and extremely fertile, rising into undulating slopes and low hills as the mountains are approached on either side. At the northern end, between lat. 40° and 42°, is a high table-land or plateau, about 120 miles long, and 5,000 feet above the sea, lying between the main chain of the Sierra Nevada and a branch which extends northwest to Mount Shasta. This plateau is an independent basin ; its waters do not leave it, but flow into a few lakes where they are absorbed in the sands. The great basin of Utah and the Colorado Desert, in the southeastern portion of the State, are barren and sterile tracts of land, with a sandy soil and scanty vegetation. The Sacramento and the San Joaquin are the most important rivers of California, and the only lakes worth mentioning are Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe, which lie together near the eastern boundary. Its vast mineral wealth has hitherto attracted most attention to California • but it is no less remarkable for its vegetable productions. The soil of the vallevs 'both on the coast and in the interior, is generally fertile, consisting of a gravelly clay with a rich sandy loam. All the fruits and cereals of the temperate zone are pro- CALIFORNIA RESORTS. 81 duced in abundance throughout the State; while in the southern districts nearly all the most valuable products of the tropics are cultivated with success. In many of the southern counties two crops are taken annually from the same field. The pro duction of fruits is unparalleled both in variety and amount, and includes apples, apricots, cherries, figs, grapes, lemons, oranges, plums, pears, peaches, nectarines, olives, pomegranates, pineapples, prunes, quinces, bananas, limes, citrons, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants, raisins, almonds, walnuts, chest nuts, etc. Fruits generally attain a much larger size than in the Eastern States, and are brought to maturity with very little care. California is widely celebrated for A California Vineyard. its production of grapes and wines. The grape region extends from the southern boundary about 600 miles northerly, with an average breadth of about 100 miles, and includes three distinct wine-districts: the southern, or Los Angeles, making port and other sweet wines, together with some white wines ; the Coast Range, producing white and red acid wines, hock, sauterne, claret, etc. ; and the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada, making dry wines of excellent quality, sherry, madeira, tene- riffe, etc. Next to Australia, California is regarded as the best country in the world for sheep-raising; no shelter is needed for the flock, while the fleeces are remark ably heavy, and of superior quality. In the San Joaquin Valley and on the south coast are extensive ranges where large herds of cattle run almost wild, the animals being branded to indicate ownership. The climate of California varies greatly in different parts, irrespective of the great range of latitude (9|°) through which the State extends. It differs widely from that of the Atlantic slope in the same latitudes, and probably from that of any other country in the world. Properly speaking, California has several climates: the basin of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys having one; the western slope of the Coast Range north of lat. 35° another ; and that portion of the State south of lat. 35° still another. The climate west of the Coast Range is differ ent from that east of the same range, which is less than 60 miles in width. At San Francisco the mercury seldom rises above 80° in the dry, or falls below 40° in the wet season; the mean annual temperature is 56°, and the mercury seldom, if ever, 82 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. remains at the freezing-point 24 hours together. Snow very rarely falls there, and the winters bear a strong resemblance to the Indian summers of the Mississippi Valley. It is doubtful if any other country in the world has such warm winters and such cool summers as California; the mean temperature of the coldest month being only about 10° lower than that of the highest. The coolness of the sum mer nights is attributed to the extreme clearness of the atmosphere favoring radiation; and the warmth of winter to the influence of the great Japan Cur rent, which performs the same functions in the Pacific as the Gulf Stream does in the Atlantic Ocean. The wind blows for a part of each day from the north and northwest along the coast nearly the whole year. During 8 months of the year the prevailing wind in San Francisco is southwest. This wind commences pouring through the Golden Gate toward noon, and increases in violence and chilliness till late at night. Heavy fogs occur during the night in the months of June, July, and August, but are of rare occurrence in winter, when the winds are not so strong. The numerous sheltered valleys near the coast are comparatively free from winds and fogs, and have a delicious and equable climate. In the interior the extremes are much greater, the mercury in the Sacramento Valley often rising in summer to 110° and 112° ; but, owing to the extreme dryness of the atmosphere, this great heat is much less prostrating in its effects than even a considerably lower temperature on the Atlantic slope, and the nights are never so hot as to prevent sleep. In the Sacramento and San Joaquin basin the mean temperature of the winter is about 4° below that of the coast, and of the summer from 20° to 30° above. The greater heat of the summer is supposed to result from the absence of the ocean- breezes and fogs, and the cold of winter from the proximity of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. Southern California is said to possess a better climate than Italy. South of San Francisco, and in the San Joaquin valley, frost is rarely known. Roses bloom throughout the winter, and many trees retain their foliage green the year round. The air, peculiarly warm and dry, is wonderfully healthful, and highly fa vorable to consumptives and persons subject to diseases of the throat. For this reason, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Stockton, Visalia, and other places to be described further along, have become popular winter-resorts for in valids ; and many cures, even of those in the last stages of consumption, have been recorded. The mean temperature for the year, and for the seasons, at various lo calities, is shown in the following statement : San Francisco . Sacramento Monterey Santa Barbara. San Diego Fort Yuma Humboldt Bay., Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Year. 56.5' 60° 59° 51° 56.6" 56 69.5 61 46.5 58 54 59 57 51 55.5 60.46 69.58 65.9 53 33 60.2 60 71 64.5 52.5 62 72 90 75.5 57 73.5 52 57.5 53 43.5 51.5 California has a rainy and a dry season, the former nearly corresponding to the winter, and the latter to the summer of the Atlantic region. The rains begin at the north early in autumn, but do not fall in the latitude of San Francisco in any ap preciable quantity until about the middle of December, which is the month of greatest rain. The rainy season terminates toward the end of May. June, July, and August are dry, only 2.3 inches of rain having fallen in these months collectively m 17 years. It has been estimated that there are on an average 220 perfectly clear days in a year, 85 more or less cloudy, and 60 rainy. The average fall, in inches, for the seasons and the year, is as follows : PLACES. Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Yenr. 6.64 7.01 18 51 0.27 2.74 .13 .00 1.18 1.30 0.55 3.31 2.61 4.870.86 1.24 11.33 121115.03 0 72 5.90 21.4121.73 34.56 Sacramento Humboldt Bay Port Yuma 10.43 SAN FRANCISCO. 83 Snow is very rare on the coast and in the valleys, and never remains for many days. A marked phenomenon of the climate is the comparative absence of thunder and lightning. During autumn many of the rivers sink in the sand soon after leaving the mountains in which they rise ; the plains and hills are baked hard to the depth of many inches ; and the grass and herbage, except near springs and in swampy ground, are dried up and burned as brown as the earth they grow upon. The climate is remarkably adverse to epidemic diseases, and California, as a whole, is one of the healthiest countries in the world. San Francisco. San Francisco is not considered a desirable residence for invalids, because of the prevalence of winds and fogs and its liability to sudden variations of temperature ; but, whatever may be the ultimate destination of the tourist, this is likely to be his first resting-place and starting-point ; and, as it is one of the most interesting cities in the United States, it is well worth a visit. The route to San Francisco via the Pacific Railroad, and the city itself, are fully described in Appletons' Hand-book of Ameei can Cities (a companion-volume to the present), so we shall do no more here than sum marize a few of the more important points. The journey from Chicago to San Fran cisco (2,400 miles) requires from 5-J to 6 days. Some invalids, however, find this jour ney very trying, and these should either break it at several points, or — better still — make the steamer-voyage from New York to San Francisco via Panama. The elegant steamers of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. make the voyage in 15 days, with a rail way journey of only 47 miles. Fare, $138, including stateroom and meals. The city of San Francisco is situated at the north end of a peninsula which is 30 miles long and 6 miles across at the city, and separates San Francisco Bay from the City Hall, San Francisco. Pacific Ocean. It stands on the eastern or inner slope of the peninsula, and at the base of high hills. The business streets are built up densely, but beyond that the houses are scattered at considerable intervals, and the settled part of the city may be said to cover an area of 9 square miles. Of the hotels, the principal are the Palace Hotel the largest and finest in the world ($3 to $4.50 a day) ; the Bald win House ($3 to $4 a day) ; the Grand Hotel ($3 a day) ; the Occidental ($3 a day) ; the Lick House ($3 a day) ; the Cosmopolitan ($3 a day) ; and the Russ House ($2 50 a day) The leading business streets are Montgomery, Kearney, Market, and California The public buildings are the new City Hall, in process of erection m Yerba Buena Park, the Custom-House. the U S. Branch Mint, the U S. Treasury, the Hall of Records, the Merchants' Exchange, and the building of the Mercantile 84 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. Library Association. The California Theatre, the Grand Opera-House, the Metro politan Theatre, Woodward's Gardens, and the Chinese theatres, are the principal places of amusement ; and the finest church edifices are St. Patrick's, St. Mary's Cathedral, St. Joseph's, Grace, Calvary Presbyterian, the First Unitarian, and the synagogue of Sherith- Israel. The favorite drive is to the Cliff House, situated on the seashore, 6 miles from the city; and across the bay at Alameda, Oakland, and Saucelito, are some large and beautiful public gardens. All the railways and steam boat-lines of California centre at San Francisco. Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara, the best known and most frequented of the California health- resorts, lies in a sheltered nook of the shore of the Pacific, 275 miles S. S. E. of San Francisco (from which it is reached by steamer). Many of its climatic advantages are due to its peculiar situation. " Upon referring to a map of California," says a recent visitor, "the reader will see that, at Point Conception, the coast (previously running nearly north and south) makes a sharp and sudden turn to the east, and that it again turns, farther on, to the southward; also, that a range or succession of ranges of mountains, gradually gaining in altitude as they recede from the ocean, follows the general line. Between this range, which shuts off the force of the cold northwest winds which prevail upon the upper part of the California coast, and the sea, there lies that semi-tropical region that has of late years become noted as a place of refuge from Northern winters. In the midst of that region is Santa Bar bara. The approach to it from the north and by sea is very pleasing, and disposes one pleasantly toward the town before it comes into view. The land terminates in abrupt cliffs, from 40 to 60 feet high, and at their bases there are long, smooth beaches, gently washed by the sea. From their tops the land recedes in low un dulations, rich in pasturage, and the view terminates at the crests of high moun tains about 20 miles farther inland. One perceives his approach to a settlement in the gradually increasing number of houses and farm-lands along the coast. Some of these houses are very fine, having balconies, broad piazzas, large gardens and groves, and the cultivated ground seems particularly rich and productive. Several hours before approaching this spot the traveler feels a very sensible change for the better in the temperature. Before turning Point Conception he shuddered with the cold, but now he is pleasantly warm, and he is tempted even to seek the shady side of the boat. ... A sudden break in the coast-line discloses the town, lying upon a gently-rising plain facing almost south. It seems to be nearly encircled, first by low foot-hills, and then by lofty mountains in the rear. The plain that is directly in view is perhaps 3 square miles in extent, and over the greater part of this the town is distributed. A few spires and a few towers here and there, a number of square and lofty mercantile buildings, together with a collection of low roofs, fairly dense, and then a very scattered suburb of handsome villas, is the reward for the first glances at the place." The town has grown out of an old Spanish mission which was founded in 1780, and which gradually drew around it the native cultivators of the adjacent lands. Its present population is about 6,000, half of whom are Americans, that have come here in search of health from the New England and Middle States ; and, as most of these latter belong to what are called the " better classes," the society of the place is exceptionally pleasant and refined. There are several hotels and many boarding- houses (charging $10 to $14 a week), 2 banks, a college, good public schools, 3 daily and 2 weekly newspapers, and 7 churches. The town contains a " Spanish quar ter " and a " Chinese quarter," both of which will prove interesting to strangers by their tumble-down picturesqueness ; but the new or American part of the town, and especially the suburbs, are handsomely built and tastefully adorned. " Most of the cottages are really charming, and if some of them are a little overdone in orna mentation, the trouble is balanced by the real beauty which Nature affords in the gardens. Every plot of ground, no matter how small, has its row of orange-trees, its exotics, and its bed of native perennials. Roses abound summer and winter. The verbena-beds are cut down like grass' thrice yearly, and spring up again stronger SAN DIEGO AND LOS ANGELES. 85 than ever. Sago, palm, Japanese persimmon, cacti of the rarest and most curious sort, grow freely, and so do the calla, the Spanish bayonet, and the great white- plumed pampas-grass. Vines of every sort flourish luxuriantly. Heliotrope climbs 20 feet high. The two predominating native trees of the place are the live-oak and the sycamore. But the people plant a little shoot of the Australian blue-gum (Eu calyptus globulus), and in two years it becomes a shade-tree 15 or 20 feet high. One of these trees, having a graceful, green-brown foliage, will rise in five years above the surrounding verdure like a Lombardy poplar, and the rows which in Santa Bar bara meet the eye everywhere are very marvels of rapid and healthy growth. A little apart from the town, and in all directions, there are large farms and ranches hundreds of acres in extent, and upon these are dwellings about as rich and tasteful as one sees in the suburbs of Boston. They are surrounded by a hundred umbra geous retreats, and are in all respects the results of the nicest taste." The climate of Santa Barbara is extremely equable and mild. By reference to the table on page 82, it will be seen that the mean temperature for the year is 60.2° ; for the summer, 69.58° ; and for the winter, 53.33°. The variations are very slight, the thermometer rarely rising above 80° in summer, and as rarely sinking to 40° in winter. The coldest day recorded during a period of 9 years was 42° ; and there are none of those sharp and sudden changes of temperature that are so trying to invalids. The air, too, is not only warm, but remarkably dry. The rainfall aver ages but 12 or 15 inches annually, and the days are nearly always brilliantly bright and sunny. The only serious drawback is the fogs which sometimes come in from the sea. Between May and September they average, perhaps, two a week ; but they disperse at nine in the morning, and the succeeding weather is delightful. Mr. Nordhoff expresses the opinion that there were not " five days, either in Santa Bar bara or San Diego, in December, January, and February of this year (1871), in which the tenderest invalid could not pass the greater part of the day out-of-doors with pleasure and profit. In Santa Barbara there were not a dozen days during the whole winter in which a baby I know did not play on the sea-heach. But in the evening you will sit by a wood-fire (mostly withthe doors and windows open), and at night you sleep under blankets very comfortably." After reaching Santa Bar bara it is necessary for the more delicate invalids to exercise some care in the selec tion of a residence. The air of the plateau near the Old Mission is thought to be drier than in the town itself, and in the valley back of the encircling foot-hills it is drier still. Sometimes a change of half a mile will make all the difference be tween discomfort and serene ease. Mr. Nordhoff recommends that persons who are very sensitive to damp should find lodgings in the upper part of the town, or in what is called Montecito (a little mountain), a suburb 2 or 3 miles distant, and sheltered from the sea-breeze by an intervening range of low hills. Near Montecito are the Hot Sulphur Springs, some containing sulphur and sulphnreted hydrogen, and others containing iron, alumina, and potash. They are said to cure rheuma tism and various diseases of the skin ; hut the waters should not be used by invalids except under the advice of a local physician. The chief recreation at Santa Barbara is horseback-riding. Horses can be bought for from $20 to $50, and, as it costs very little to keep them, every family, almost every person, has one or more. There are numberless attractive roads lead ing out in every direction, many pleasant excursion points, and a fine ocean-beach, on which the Spanish Californians used in the old times to race their horses. The visitor to Santa Barbara becomes an equestrian almost perforce ; for the universal example is contagious, and unless he takes kindly to it he finds him self cut off from participation in nearly all the current gayeties and amusements. San Diego and Los Angeles. San Diego, another favorite resort of health-seekers, is the capital of San Diego Co., and lies on the northeast shore of a bay of the same name, about 460 miles southeast of San Francisco, and 15 miles north of the Mexican border (in lat. 32° 44' 41"). Its harbor is, next to that of San Francisco, the best on the California 86 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. coast, being well protected, capacious, and having a good depth of water. The town is more than 100 years old, having been founded by the Roman Catholic mis sionaries in 1769. Its growth during the last few years has been rapid, and it now has four churches, two academies, two daily and two weekly newspapers, two hanks, a fine court-house, a comfortable hotel, several large boarding-houses, and a population estimated at 5,000. The climate of San Diego is remarkably equable and salubrious, the thermometer seldom rising to 80°, or sinking to the freezing- point, and the usual mean being 62°. The average rainfall is only 10 inches per annum, and there is never enough at one time to render it muddy. The winter days are as sunny and inviting as those of June in the Eastern States, and an out-door life is possible to all save the feeblest invalids. There is no fog, as in Santa Barbara and more northern latitudes, and very little moisture in the air. For consumptives and asthmatics, San Diego is probably as helpful a place of residence as any in Europe or America ; but rheumatism is said to be more or less prevalent in winter, and malarious diseases in summer. The pleasantest months are November, December, January, and February ; the spring and summer months are rendered disagreeable by the high winds and the storms of dust that often prevail. San Diego has been fixed by act of Congress as the western terminus of the Texas & Pacific R. R. ; but its present connection with San Francisco is by steamer along the coast, or by a pleasant stage-ride of 130 miles from Los Angeles. Los Angeles, the largest city in Southern California, is situated on the west bank of the Los Angeles River, a small stream, 30 miles above its entrance into the Pacific, and 350 miles S. S. E. of San Francisco. A railroad 22 miles long connects it with San Pedro on the coast, whence it has connection with San Francisco by steamer ; and it may also be reached from San Francisco via the Visalia Division of the Central Pacific R. R. (473 miles). The city was settled by the Spaniards in 1780, and was called Pueblo de los Angeles (" town of the angels "), from the excellence of its climate and the beauty of its surroundings. Its present popu lation is about 12,000, and the adobe buildings, of which it was originally com posed, are fast giving way to larger and more imposing structures. It has a large and varied trade with the interior, and contains three banks, a Roman Catholic college, several public schools, a public library, three daily and two weekly newspapers, churches of the various denominations, and good hotels. In the north west portion is a hill 60 feet high, commanding a fine view of the city, which lies in a sheltered valley, bounded on the west by low hills, that extend from the Santa Monica Mountains, 40 miles distant, and on the east by the San Gabriel plateau. The climate of Los Angeles is almost as mild as that of San Diego, and some inva lids prefer it, because here they escape the winds, which blow all along the coast. The nights, however, are chilly, and it is not considered a desirable residence for persons affected with throat diseases. Along both banks of the river below the city extends a fertile plain, planted with vineyards and orange-groves, and there are also large vineyards within the city limits. Los Angeles is the centre of the orange-growing business of California, and lemons, olives, and other tropical fruits are cultivated in the vicinity. San Bernardino. San Bernardino, the most frequented of the inland resorts, lies about 60 miles east of Los Angeles (from which it is reached by a stage-ride of 10 hours), in a beautiful valley with picturesque mountains on three sides of it. The town con tains about 4,000 inhabitants, two hotels, four churches, an excellent school, and a number of private boarding-houses, where accommodation can be had at reason able rates. It is supplied with water by artesian wells, and all parts of the town, especially Old San Bernardino, are embowered in fruit and ornamental trees. Fruits of all kinds are grown here, and oranges and lemons are produced in great abun dance. The view of Mount San Bernardino, the loftiest peak of the Coast Range is exceedingly grand. The air of San Bernardino is drier than that of points nearer the coast, and for this reason is preferable for some consumptives. Little rain falls during the year, malaria is unknown, and the climate is a perpetual invitation to THE PASO-ROBLES HOT SPRINGS.— SACRAMENTO. 87 an open-air life. Many invalids find a residence in Old San Bernardino (which lies higher than the new town), or in Riverside, more beneficial than one in the town proper ; hut the entire valley is remarkably salubrious. About 4 miles distant, near Mount San Bernardino, are some hot springs, containing lime, soda, iron, and alumina ; their medicinal properties have not been fully ascertained, and the waters should be taken with caution. Horses may be bought at from $20 to $50 each at San Bernardino ; their keep costs very little, and many attractive excursions may be made in the vicinity — to the San Gorgonio Pass, the Great Yuma Desert, the San Jacinto tin mines, or the placer gold diggings. The Faso-Robles Hot Springs. The Paso-Rohles mineral springs lie on the line of the stage-route between Los Angeles and San Diego, but the easiest way of reaching them from San Francisco is via steamer to San Luis Obispo, and thence by a pleasant stage-ride of 28 miles. The springs are situated on the great Paso-Robles ranch, and contain sulphureted hydrogen, carbonic acid, soda, magnesia, potassa, iron, bromine, iodine, alumina, and sulphuric acid. The waters are taken chiefly in the form of baths, at the nat ural temperature, and are considered among the most valuable in America for rheumatism, gout, and chronic diseases of the skin. There are good accommoda tions for visitors at the springs, and the climate has the mildness and salubrity com mon to all Southern California. Sacramento. Sacramento, the capital of California, and second city in the State in population and importance, lies northeast of San Francisco, 83 miles distant by the California Pacific R. R., and 139 miles by the Central Pacific R. R. It is also reached from San Francisco by the steamers of the California Steam Navigation Company up the State Capitol. Sacramento River (117 miles). The city is built in an extensive plain on the east bank of the Sacramento River, immediately south of the mouth of the American River. Its site is very low, having originally been only fifteen feet above low-water 88 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. mark; and as the river often rises twenty feet, it has been subjected to frequent overflows. The business portion of the city has been artificially raised about eight feet above the original level, and the exposed portions surrounded by a great levee ; but in seasons of floods the land for miles around is saturated with moisture, and the air is apt to be damp and penetrating. For these reasons, though the climate of Sacramento is delightfully mild and equable in winter, it is not considered so propitious for invalids as other portions of the State, and is not likely to secure it a reputation as a health-resort. Still, many prefer to remain here instead of going to more remote points, attracted by the social and other advantages of the place ; for Sacramento is one of the handsomest cities west of the Rocky Mountains. The streets are straight and wide, and cross each other at right angles ; those in the business portion are paved with Nicolson pavement and cobble-stones, and are lighted with gas. The shops and stores are mostly of brick, the dwellings mostly of wood, and surrounded by gardens. Shade-trees are abundant, and a luxuriant growth of flowers and shrubs may be seen in the open air at all seasons of the year. The only important public building is the State Capitol, but this is one of the finest structures of the kind in the United States. It is situated almost in the heart of the city, and the grounds cover eighteen blocks, beautifully laid out with trees, shrubs, and flowers. The State Library, in the Capitol, has upward of 35,000 volumes; and the Sacramento Library, in a fine building belonging to the association, about 7,000 volumes. The State Agricultural Society has ample accommodations for the exhibi tion of stock, and one of the finest race-courses in the world. It holds a fair an nually, about the middle of September. There are a number of fine church edifices in the city, excellent hotels, many schools, public and private, charitable institutions, a convent, and vast manufactories and machine-shops. Sacramento is a great rail road and steamboat centre, and connects directly with all parts of the State. On this account it is a favorable temporary stopping-point and headquarters for either tourists or invalids. Stockton and Visalia. Stockton and Visalia are situated in the great San Joaquin Valley, east of the Coast Range, and are, like San Bernardino, peculiarly favorable to such invalids as are liable to be affected injuriously by even mild sea-air. Stockton has a climate very closely resembling that of Naples, but the atmosphere is drier and more brac ing, with fewer variations of temperature. It is situated at the head of the San Joaquin Valley, about 65 miles east of San Francisco, on the Central Pacific R. R., and at the head of tide-navigation on the San Joaquin River. It occupies a level site, and is substantially and compactly built, with handsome, wide streets, and pub lic buildings that indicate enterprise and taste. The population at present is about 15,000, and is rapidly increasing. The Court-House and City Hall, near the centro of the city, is surrounded with choice shade-trees and shrubbery, as are also many of the residences. The business-blocks are principally of brick. The city is lighted with gas, and is supplied with water through pipes from three artesian wells. The State lunatic asylum is located here, and there are twelve churches, several of which are costly structures, and excellent public schools. Of several good hotels the Yosemite House is perhaps the best. The city is surrounded by the most extensive and productive wheat-growing lands in the State, and its business consists chiefly in furnishing supplies to the farmers of the San Joaquin Valley and in the shipment of wheat, wool, and other produce. Stockton may be reached from San Francisco by steamer as well as by rail, and is an excellent starting-point for excursions to the Yosemite Valley, the Big Trees, and other popular resorts. Visalia lies about 150 miles farther down the San Joaquin Valley than Stockton (a railway connecting the two is nearly completed), and has a climate slightly warmer, but equally dry and healing. It is a thriving and well-built town of 3 000 inhabitants, and is situated in the midst of a forest of magnificent oaks which shelter it from the winds that sometimes sweep over the broad San Joaquin plains. The Visalia House is an excellent hotel, and there are private boarding-houses where good board may be had at from $30 to $50 per month. The tropical fruits SAN JOSE AND THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY. 89 produce abundantly in the neighborhood, and the surrounding scenery is attractive. There is no better spot in California for persons who are troubled with a tender throat than Visalia. San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley. The Santa Clara Valley lies between the Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains, and is about 100 miles in length ; it is watered by the Coyote and Guadalupe Rivers and by artesian wells, and is considered by many to be the most fertile in the world. Vineyards covering hundreds of acres, vast wheat-fields one and two miles in length, stately trees, forests of live-oak, and finely-cultivated farms, are to be seen on every hand ; and the vegetation is of tropical luxuriance and beauty. Being protected north and south by mountain-ranges, its climate is wonderfully bland and genial in winter ; while, being open to the ocean toward the west, it has all the advantages of the sea-breezes. In the heart of the valley, 40 miles southeast of San Francisco and 8 miles from the head of San Francisco Bay, is the city of San Jose, with a pop ulation of about 15,000. The main portion of the city occupies a gently-rising pla teau between the Coyote and Guadalupe Rivers, here If miles apart, with suburbs extending some distance beyond them. It is handsomely laid out, lighted with gas, and well supplied with water. Horse-cars run through the main streets. The principal public buildings are the Court-House, a massive Corinthian structure, costing $200,000, with a dome commanding a fine view ; the Jail, adjoining it, the finest in the State, costing $80,000 ; the City Hall; two markets, costing more than $40,000 each; 8 public-school buildings; and 10 churches, of which the largest and most expensive is an unfinished edifice belonging to the Roman Catholics. The city is noted for its educational institutions. Besides the public schools, there are the College of Notre Bame (Roman Catholic), a day and boarding school for girls ; the San Jose Institute, a day and boarding school for both sexes; and the University of the Pacific (Methodist), connected with which is a young ladies' seminary. The library of the San Jose Library Association contains 4,000 volumes. There is an Opera-House, seating 1,200 persons, and an elegant and commodious Music- Hall. The city has three public parks, containing 2, 8, and 30 acres respectively, and owns a tract of 400 acres in Penitencia Cafion, 7 miles east, reserved for a public park, containing a wild rocky gorge with a mountain-stream and a variety of mineral springs. The surrounding country yields grain and fruits abundantly, and in the vicinity are some of the finest vineyards in California. San Jose is a favorite excursion-point for San Franciscans, and to the stranger the streets are highly interesting from the strongly-contrasted groups that pass through them. "Here," says a correspondent of the Springfield Republican, " we see an American, with his fine broadcloth and silk hat, his light wagon and well-groomed trotter ; there, two or three rancheros, with their slouched hats, loose and shabby garments, on rough- coated horses, stained with the mud of a former day ; here, a Mexican on a com pactly-limbed mustang, with the high peak and broad stirrups of the Mexican saddle (which is the only one in use here), with his big, broad-brimmed hat, his loose but jaunty jacket, with all the seams of his clothing trimmed with rows of small steel or silver buttons, and heavy spurs. Chinese and negroes abound among the passers- by on foot. There is a street in San Jose occupied entirely by the French. The houses are unpretending, but very cheerful and pretty, with small grounds a good deal decorated, abundance of flowers, and always a cluster of artichoke-plants in the garden. There is another quarter occupied entirely by the Chinese ; one-story brick buildings, crowded and poor, hut quaint with Chinese pottery, and brightened by what are called Chinese lilies — bulbs grown in dishes filled with pebbles and water. They are the narcissus of the spring-borders in New England, and every Chinaman tries to have one blossom for his New Year's." The famous Almaden Quicksilver Mines are about 14 miles from San Jose, and may be reached by a pleasant two-hours' ride in a stage-coach. They are well worth a visit. Three miles west of San Jos6 is the picturesque village of Santa Clara, with a population of about 5,000. Horse-cars connect the two, running along the Alameda, 1 90 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. a beautiful avenue bordered by fine residences, and rows of superb trees planted by the Jesuit fathers in 1777. Santa Clara contains several fine churches, and is the site of the Santa Clara College (Jesuit), which occupies a number of elegant build ings in an inclosure of about 12 acres. Included in this institution is the Old Mis sion, founded by the Spanish missionaries in early times, and the orchards planted by them may still be seen. Stages run from the depot at Santa Clara to the Congress Mineral Springs (about 11 miles). These waters contain carbonate and sulphate of soda, chloride of sodium, lime, iron, silicate of alumina, and magnesia, and are re garded as a specific for rheumatism. San Rafael and Monterey. Near the western shore of San Pablo Bay, about 15 miles from San Francisco (from which it is reached by rail or steamer), is the pretty little town of San Rafael. It is sheltered on the north and west by mountains, which protect it from the ocean-winds and fogs that prevail at San Francisco, and is much frequented both in winter and summer. The air is pure and bracing, and, though hardly warm enough for consumptives in advanced stages of the disease, is admirably adapted for such as are in the preliminary stages, and only need a dry and tonic climate inviting to an out-door life. The scenery about San Rafael and in the approaches to it is extremely fine, and horses may be had in the village for the ascent of Mount Ta- maulipas (12 miles distant). Of course, its proximity to San Francisco gives it im portant advantages for many. — Monterey is beautifully situated on the southern ex tremity of a bay of the same name, which lies 78 miles south of San Francisco by water. Until 1847 this town was the seat of government and principal port on the California coast ; but since the rise of San Francisco its commerce and business have dwindled away, and it is now one of the quiotest places in the State, containing in 1870 less than 1,200 inhabitants. Within the past two or three years, however, it has begun to attract attention as a health-resort ; its climate being warm in winter, cool in summer, and dry all the year round. It is not so sheltered as Santa Bar bara, nor so warm as San Diego, but it is much preferable to any point on the coast farther north, and will probably grow in popularity. The view of the town from the anchorage is very fine, especially in early spring. The green slopes upon which the houses are built contrast beautifully with the forest of pines which grows upon the ridges beyond. The Rocky Bluffs above the town also afford fine views. Mon terey is reached by stage from San Jose (see page 89), or by steamer from San Fran cisco. On the north side of Monterey Bay, opposite Monterey, is the town of Santa Cruz, where manufacturing is extensively carried on. Bathing, fishing, and hunt ing, are among the attractions of Santa Cruz ; and the scenery in the neighborhood is romantic and beautiful. Pescadero (38 miles by stage from Santa Cruz, and about 50 miles by sea from San Francisco) is a thriving town, beautifully situated in a remarkably productive valley, on both sides of Pescadero Creek, near its confluence with the Butano, about a mile from the sea-shore. The new San Francisco Water Company takes its supply from the head of the creek. Near the town is the famous pebble-beach, where agates, opals, jaspers, carnelians, and other siliceous stones, of almost every conceivable variety of color, are found in great abundance, with a natural polish imparted by the action of the waves and the smooth sea-sand. The industrious little town of Pescadero annually makes and exports to San Francisco 175,000 pounds of cheese and 50,000 pounds of butter._ The great " Sanitary Cheese," weighing 4,000 pounds, measuring five feet and six inches in diameter, and twenty-two inches thick, manu factured for the benefit of the " Sanitary Fund," 1863, was made in the Pescadero Valley. Pescadero is a favorite resort for San Francisco pleasure-seekers. Napa City and Calistoga. Steamers leave San Francisco twice daily for Vallejo (26 miles), where con nection is made with the California Pacific R. R. The route of this railway lies through Napa Valley, which is about 50 miles long, 1 to 6 miles wide, and in point of cultivation and beauty second to none on the Pacific coast. Napa City (41 miles THE GEYSER SPRINGS. 91 from San Francisco) is a thrifty plaoe of about 4,000 inhabitants, and is surrounded by a highly productive agricultural region, rich in fruits of all kinds, and in immense fields of grain that stretch away in every direction. The climate is less mild than that of Southern California, but is equable and salubrious, and is considered highly beneficial for those suffering from general nervous prostration. There are many beautiful drives in the environs of Napa, one of the most attractive of which is that to Santa Rosa, taking in the famous wine-cellars of Sonoma. The Napa Soda Springs are situated in the foot-hills, about 5 miles northeast of the town. The water is palatable, and is said to possess valuable medicinal properties, but their precise nature has not been sufficiently ascertained. — Calistoga (68 miles from San Fran cisco), the terminus of the Napa Valley branch of the California Pacific R. R., is a pretty little town, lying in a valley a mile in width, and encircled by hills and mountains covered with oak, pine, maple, ash, and madrona. It is supplied with pure water from a reservoir on the adjacent mountain-side, and there are several bath-houses, supplied with water from neighboring springs. The public warm swim ming-bath, 40 feet square, is one of the features of the place. The scenery is exceedingly picturesque, the well-cultivated fields, green lawns, sunny slopes, and shaded villas, contrasting pleasantly with the wild grandeur of the rugged moun tains. This region is not a desirable residence for consumptives; but those suffer ing from rheumatic or gouty affections, or skin-diseases, derive much benefit from the mineral springs, which are numerous in the vicinity. The most noted of the springs are Harbin's (20 miles north of Calistoga), and the White Sulphur Springs. The latter are situated in a deep and picturesque gorge of the mountains, which rise on either side to a height of about 1,000 feet. About 5 miles southeast of Calistoga is the Petrified Forest, which is justly regarded as one of the great natural wonders of California. Portions of nearly 100 distinct trees, of great size, prostrate and scattered over a tract 3 or 4 miles in extent, have been found, some on the surface and others projecting from the mountain-side. They are supposed to have been silicified by an eruption of the neighboring Mount St. Helena, which discharged hot alkaline waters containing silica in solution. The Geyser Springs. Steamers leave San Francisco twice daily for Donahue (34 miles), where con nection is made with the North Pacific R. R. From Healdsburg, on this road (72 miles from San Francisco), stages run to the famous Geyser Springs, which are situated in Sonoma County, in a lateral gorge of the Napa Valley, called the "Devil's Cafion," near the Pluton River. The approaches to the springs are very impressive, the scenery being finer, according to Bayard Taylor, than anything in the Lower Alps. The narrow Geyser ravine, which is always filled with vapor, is shut in by steep hills, the sides of which, marked with evidences of volcanic action, are smoking with heat and bare of vegetation. A multitude of springs gush out at the base of these rocks. Hot and cold springs, boiling springs, and quiet springs, lie within a few feet of each other. They differ also in color, smell, and taste. Some are clear and transparent, others white, yellow, or red with ochre, while still others are of an inky blackness. Some are sulphurous and fetid in odor, and some are charged with alum and salt. The Steampipe is an orifice in the hill side, about 8 inches in diameter, from which a volume of steam rises with a con tinuous roar to a height varying from 50 to 200 feet. In a cavity called the Witches' Caldron a mass of black fetid mud is ever bubbling with heat, the vapor from it depositing black flowers of sulphur on the rocks around. Opposite is a boiling alum-spring, very strongly impregnated; and within 12 feet is an intermittent scalding spring, from which issue streams and jets of boiling wate*r. The surface of the ground about the springs, which is too hot to walk upon with thin shoes, is covered with the minerals deposited by the waters, among which are sulphur, sul phate of magnesia, sulphate of aluminum, and various salts of iron. A properly- directed course of these waters is said to afford an almost certain cure for rheuma tism, gout, and skin-diseases; but persons suffering from throat or pulmonary affections should not reside in the neighborhood. 92 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. Theee is, perhaps, not a spot in the entire Mississippi Valley, between St. Louis and New Orleans, which offers to the invalid any special attractions as a residence; but a winter-voyage down the river is one of the most delightful of experiences. The traveler who makes such a voyage feels as if he were indeed going " from lands of snows to lands of sun ;" and, though he may miss the picturesque and beautiful scenery that distinguishes the Upper Mississippi from St. Paul to the mouth of the Missouri, his eye will be alternately charmed and amazed by the strange panorama that unfolds itself before him from day to day. The dreary solitude, and often the absence of all living objects save the huge alligators, which float past apparently asleep on the drift-wood, and an occasional vulture attracted by its impure prey on the surface of the waters ; the trees, with a long and melancholy drapery of pen dent moss fluttering in the wind ; and the gigantic river, rolling onward the vast volume of its dark and turbid waters through the wilderness, form the leading feat ures of one of the most dismal yet impressive landscapes on which the eye of man ever rested. "The prevailing character of the Lower Mississippi," says a recent A Bayou of trie Mississippi. traveler, " is that of solemn gloom. I have trodden the passes of Alp and Apen- nine, yet never felt how awful a thing is Nature, till I was borne on its waters through regions desolate and uninhabitable. Day after day and night after night we continued driving right downward to the south ; our vessel, like some huge demon of the wilderness, bearing fire in her bosom, and canopying the eternal for est with the smoke of her nostrils. The effect on my spirits was such as I have never experienced before or since. Conversation became odious, and I passed my time in a sort of dreamy contemplation. At night I ascended to the highest deck, and lay for hours gazing listlessly on the sky, the forests, and the waters, amid silence only broken by the clanging of the engine. The navigation of the Missis sippi is not unaccompanied by danger, arising from what are called planters and sawyers. These are trees firmly fixed in the bottom of the river, by which vessels are in danger of being impaled. The distinction is, that the former stand upright THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. 93 in the water, the latter lie with their points directed down the stream. The bends or flexures of the Mississippi are regular in a degree unknown in any other river. The action of running water, in a vast alluvial plain like that of the basin of the Mississippi, without obstruction from rock or mountain, may be calculated with the utmost precision. Whenever the course of a river diverges in any degree from a right line, it is evident that the current can no longer act with equal force on both its banks. On one side the impulse is diminished, on the other increased. The ten dency in these sinuosities, therefore, is manifestly to increase, and the stream which hollows out a portion of one bank, being rejected to the other, the process of curva ture is still continued, till its channel presents an almost unvarying succession of salient and retiring angles. In the Mississippi the flexures are so extremely great, that it often happens that the isthmus which divides different portions of the river gives way. A few months before my visit to the South, a remarkable case of this kind had happened, by which forty miles of navigation had been saved. The opening thus formed was called the new cut. Even the annual changes which take place in the bed of the Mississippi are very remarkable. Islands spring up and disappear ; shoals suddenly present themselves where pilots have been accus tomed to deep water; in many places, whole acres are swept away from one bank and added to the other ; and the pilot assured me that in every voyage he could perceive fresh changes. Many circumstances contribute to render these changes more rapid in the Mississippi than in any other river. Among these, perhaps the greatest is the vast volume of its waters, acting on allvuial matter peculiarly penetrable. The river, when in flood, spreads over the neighboring country, in which it has formed channels, called bayous. The banks thus become so saturated with water, that they can oppose little resistance to the action of the current, which frequently sweeps off large portions of the forest. The immense quantity of drift-wood is another cause of change. Floating logs encounter some obstacle in the river, and become stationary. The mass gradually accumulates; the water, saturated with mud, deposits a sediment, and thus an island is formed, which soon becomes covered with vegetation. Some years ago the Mississippi was surveyed by order of the Government, and its islands, frcm the confluence of the Missouri to the sea, were numbered. I remember asking the pilot the name of a very beautiful island, and the answer was, "573," the number assigned to it in the hydro- graphical survey, and the only name by which it was known." The voyage down the Mississippi may be begun at either Cincinnati or St. Louis ; but as we have already described the Upper Mississippi from St. Louis to St. Paui in Appletons' Hand-book of Ameeican Summee Resoets, we shall, for the purpose of linking on with that, begin our present description at St. Louis. The city of St. Lonis is fully described in Appletons' Hand-book of Ameeican Cities, and before leaving it the traveler should, if possible, acquaint himself with its more salient and attractive features. The steamers which ply on the Mississippi are among the largest and finest in American waters ; and as eight days or more are consumed in the passage to New Orleans, their luxuries and conveniences will be found no unimportant item in the sum of the traveler's enjoyment. Almost immediately after getting out of sight of the wharves and smoke of St. Louis, the steamer enters upon the vast solitudes which one finds so impressive on the Mis sissippi. Every now and then a stop is made at a small landing, or at the towns and villages that cluster along the banks; and the clamor of lading and unlading causes a momentary excitement that subsides at once as the steamer resumes her course. About 125 miles below St. Louis the mouth of the Ohio River is reached, and a somewhat prolonged stay is made at Cairo, a lively little city and railroad centre, built on a low point of land at the junction of the two rivers. There is a fine cut-stone custom-house here, and other handsome public buildings ; and vast levees protect it from the inundations to which its position renders it peculiarly liable. Cairo is the southern terminus of the Illinois Central R. R., and is con nected by ferry with Colnmbns, Ky., which lies on the river 18 miles below. Co lumbus is situated on the southern slope of a high bluff commanding the river for about 5 miles, and at the outbreak of the Civil War was strongly fortified by the 94 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. Confederates, who regarded it as the northern key to the mouth of the Mississippi. They collected in the town and its vicinity an army of 30,000 men, hut after the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson, in February, 1862, it was promptly evacuated. Just above the town are the Iron Banks, extending along the river on the same side for about 2 miles, and so called from their color resembling iron-rust. Island No. 10 (51 miles below Columbus) was the scene of a terrific bombardment by the Mississippi River fleet, extending from March 16 to April 17, 1862, in which the Federals were completely successful. The canal which was cut to assist in the in vestment of the island, and the remains of some of the earthworks, can still be seen in passing the island. Ten miles below, in Missouri, is New Madrid, which was captured at the same time as Island No. 10, both places having formed parts of one position, and mutually dependent upon each other. This was the first battle of the war in which the superiority of gunboats to stationary batteries was clearly demonstrated. New Madrid was settled in 1780, and was the scene of a great earthquake in 1811. From Columbus to Memphis the river skirts the bluffs of the eastern or Ken tucky shore, having on its west the broad, alluvial lands of Missouri and Arkansas. A number of small towns dot either bank, and at intervals spots are pointed out which events of the Civil War have rendered interesting. Conspicuous among these is Fort Pillow (148 miles below Columbus), situated on the first Chickasaw Bluff, It was evacuated by the Confederates on June 4, 1862 ; but on April 12, 1864, was the scene of the shameful butchery by the troops under General Forrest, known in history as the Fort Pillow massacre, concerning which the testimony is conflicting, and probably exaggerated, on both sides. Below Fort Pillow a journey of about 100 miles, along desolate and almost uninhabited shores, bringsi the voyager to Memphis, the chief city of Tennessee, and the largest on the Mississippi between St. Louis and New Orleans. It is situated on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, 420 miles below St. Louis, and 780 above New Orleans, and has a population of about 65,000. Memphis. The city presents a striking appearance as seen from the water, with its esplanade several hundred feet in width, sweeping along the bluff, and covered with large warehouses. The streets are broad and regular, and lined with handsome build ings ; and many of the residences on the avenues leading from the river are sur- THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. 95 rounded with beautiful lawns. The city extends over 3 square miles. In the cen tre there is a handsome park, filled with trees, and containing a bust of Andrew Jackson. The principal of the six cemeteries is Elmwood, on the southeast border of the city. Memphis has an immense railroad and steamboat traffic, a vast cotton trade, and numerous manufactures. There are large hotels, two theatres seating respectively 800 and 1,000 persons, fine churches and charitable institutions, excel lent public and private schools, and a library with 9,000 volumes. Memphis was captured by the Federals early in the war (June 6, 1862), and was never after held by the Confederates. A short distance below Memphis the Mississippi turns toward the west, and crosses its valley to meet the waters of the Arkansas and AYhite Rivers. The lat ter enters the Mississippi 161 miles below Memphis, and the former about 15 miles farther down. The Arkansas River is a large stream 2,000 miles in length, for 800 of which it is navigable by steamers. It rises in the Rocky Mountains, and, next to the Missouri, is the largest tributary of the Mississippi. The town of Napoleon lies at its mouth. Near this point commences the great cotton-growing region, and the banks of the river are an almost continuous succession of plantations. Fifty miles below begins the growth of the Spanish moss, which, covering the trees with its dark and sombre drapery, forms one of the most notable features of the river scenery. Having received the waters of the two affluents above mentioned, the Mississippi again crosses its valley to meet the Yazoo near Vicksburg, creating the immense Yazoo reservoir on the east bank, extending from the vicinity of Mem phis to Vicksburg, and the valleys and swamps of the Macon and Tensas on the west side. Vicksburg is situated on the Walnut Hills, which extend for about 2 miles along the river, rising to the height of 500 feet, and displaying the finest scenery of the Lower Mississippi. It is a well-built city of 15,000 inhabitants, the largest be tween New Orleans and Memphis, and about equidistant from both. As at Mem phis, the view of the city from the water is in the highest degree picturesque and animated, and the pleasing impression is confirmed by a closer examination of the town. Vicksburg was founded in 1836 by a planter named Vick, members of whose family are still living there. As the chief commercial mart on this portion of the river, it has long been a place of some note, but it is more widely known as the scene of one of the most obstinate and decisive struggles of the Civil War. After the loss successively of Columbus, Memphis, and New Orleans, the Confederates made here their last and most desperate stand for the control of the great river. The place was surrounded by vast fortifications, the hills crowned with batteries, and a large army under General Pemberton placed in it as a garrison. Its capture by General Grant after a protracted siege (July 4, 1863) " broke the backbone of the Confederacy and cut it in twain." Above Vicksburg, at the point where Sher man made his entrance from the " Valley of Death," is the largest national cemetery in the country, containing the remains of 16,000 soldiers. From Vicksburg to Baton Rouge the river hugs the eastern bluffs, with Missis sippi on one side and Louisiana on the other. Grand Gulf, in Mississippi, is a pretty little town 60 miles below Vicksburg, lying upon some picturesque hills overhang ing the river ; and Natchez, 60 miles nearer New Orleans, is built mostly upon a high bluff, 200 feet above the level of the stream. That portion of the city lying on the narrow strip of land between the foot of the hill and the river is called " Natehez- under-the-Hill," and, though containing some important business-houses, can make no claim to beauty. It communicates by broad and well-graded roads with the upper town, called " Natchez-on-the-Hill," which is beautifully shaded, and contains many handsome residences and other buildings. The streets are regular, lighted with gas, and generally graveled in the roadway. The houses are principally of brick, and the residences are adorned with gardens. The brow of the bluff along the whole front of the city is occupied by a park. The principal buildings are the Court-House, in a public square shaded with trees, the Masonic Temple, the Catholic cathedral, with a spire 128 feet high, the Episcopal church, and the Presbyterian church, with a spire containing a clock. The City Hall and the Market-House are immediately back of the Court-House. In the suburbs there were formerly nu- 96 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. merous residences of wealthy planters, expensively furnished, and surrounded with beautiful lawns and gardens ; but many of these were destroyed in the Civil War. Natchez. On the bluff adjoining the city there is a national cemetery, handsomely laid out and decorated. The climate of Natchez is pleasant and very salubrious ; the win ters are temperate, though variable, and the summers long and equable. Natchez was founded by D'fberville, a Frenchman, in 1700, and is replete with historic as sociations. Here once lived and flourished the noblest tribe of Indians on the con tinent, and from that tribe it takes its name. Their pathetic story is festooned with the flowers of poetry and romance. Their ceremonies and creed were not un like those of the Fire-worshipers of Persia. Their priests kept the fire continually burning upon the altar in their Temple of the Sun, and the tradition is, that they got the fire from heaven. Just before the advent of the white man, it is said, the fire accidentally went out, and that was one reason why they became disheartened in their struggles with the pale-faces. The last remnant of the race were still ex isting a few years ago in Texas, and they still gloried in their paternity. It is proba ble that the first explorer of the Lower Mississippi River, the unfortunate La Salle, landed at this spot on his downward trip to the sea. It is a disputed point as to where was the location of the first fort. Some say it lay back of the town, while others say it was established at Ellis's Cliffs. In 1713, Bienville established a fort and trading-post at this spot. The second, Fort Rosalie, or rather the broken pro file of it, is still visible. It is gradually sinking, by the earth being undermined by subterranean springs, and in a few years not a vestige of it will be left. Any one now standing at the landing can see the different strata of earth distinctly marked, showing the depth of the artificial earthworks. The former capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, is pleasantly situated on the last bluff that is seen in descending the Mississippi. The site is 30 to 40 feet above the highest overflow of the river. The bluff rises by a gentle and gradual swell, and the town, as seen from the water, rising regularly and beautifully from the banks, with its singularly-shaped French and Spanish houses, and its queer squares, looks like a finely-painted landscape. From Baton Rouge to New Orleans " the coast," as it is called, is lined with plantations. Every spot susceptible of cultiva tion is transformed into a beautiful garden, containing specimens of all those choice fruits and flowers which flourish only in tropical climes. From the deck of the steamer the traveler overlooks a kaleidoscopic succession of the most exquisite land and water views; and when, at last, the steamer rounds the great bend of the river, and he sees the "Crescent City" spread out before him, and knows that his long journey is ended, he will probably experience a feeling of regret. NEW ORLEANS. 97 New Orleans. How to reach. — In the preceding paragraphs is described the method of reaching New Orleans from St. Louis or Cincinnati by steamer down the Mississippi River. From New York direct, New Orleans is reached by rail via " Great Southern Mail Route:" Baltimore, Washington, Lynchburg, Bristol, Knoxville, Rome, Montgom ery, and Mobile. Distance, 1,405 miles; time, 73 hours; fare, $47.50. Also via preceding route to Knoxville, thence via Chattanooga, Corinth, Meridian, and Mobile. Distance, 1,539 miles; time, 80 hours; fare, $47.50. Also via Baltimore, Washington, Lynchburg, Danville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Montgomery, and Mobile. Distance, 1,372 miles; time, 70 hours; fare, $47.50. By steamer from New York on Wednesdays (from Pier 21 East River) and Saturdays (from Pier 5 and Pier 9 North River). Time, 7 days; fare (cabin), $50. From Philadelphia via semi-montb- ly steamers, touching at Havana. Time, 11 days; fare, $60. From Baltimore via semi-monthly steamers, touching at Havana and Key West. Time, 8 days ; fare, $50. From Louisville by rail, via Memphis and Jackson. Hotels, Restaurants, and Clubs. — The St. Charles Hotel ($4.50 a day), bounded by St. Charles, Gravier, and Common Streets, is one of the institutions of New Orleans, and one of the largest and finest hotels in the United States. The St. James Hotel ($2.50 a day), in Magazine Street, between Gravier and Natchez, is a large, comfort able, and well-kept house. The City Hotel ($2.50 a day), at the corner of Camp and Common Streets, is much frequented by merchants and planters. All the hotels make considerably lower rates to guests remaining a week or more. Good board may be obtained in all parts of the city at rates ranging from $8 to $20 a week. For particulars consult the advertising columns of the morning papers. Of restaurants, New Orleans is said to have the best in America; in many of them is still practised the famous Creole cuisine of ante- war times. The most noted are Moreau's, in Canal Street; Victor's, 38 and 40 Bourbon Street ; John's, 16 and 18 Bourbon Street; Antoine's, 65 St. Louis Street; and Denechaud's, 8 Carondelet Street. In the French quarter, cafes are to be found in nearly every block. There are about twenty clubs in the city, prominent among which are the Bos ton, the Pickwick, the Shakespeare, and the Jockey Club. The Jockey Club has a fine house and beautifully decorated and cultivated grounds near the fair-ground. The Shakespeare Club gives occasional dramatic entertainments which are always largely and fashionably attended. The privileges of these as well as of the Social Club are obtained by introduction by a member. Location, Climate, and History. — New Orleans, the capital, chief city, and commer cial metropolis of Louisiana, is situated on both banks (but chiefly on the left) of the Mississippi River, 100 miles above its mouth, in latitude 29° 57' north and longitude 90° west. The older portion of the city is built within a great bend of the river, from which circumstance it derives its familiar sobriquet of the " Crescent City." In the progress of its growth up-stream, it has now so extended itself as to follow long curves in opposite directions, so that the river-front on the left bank presents an outline somewhat resembling the letter S. The statutory limits of the city embrace an area of nearly 150 square miles, but the actual city covers an area of about 41 square miles. It is built on land gently descending from the river toward a marshy tract in the rear, and from 2 to 4 feet below the level of the river at high-water mark, which is prevented from overflowing by a vast embankment of earth, called the Levee. This Levee is 15 feet wide and 14 feet high, is constructed for a great distance along the river-bank, and forms a delightful promenade during the fall and winter months. The climate of New Orleans is more severe in winter than that of corresponding latitudes on the Atlantic coast, owing to the cold north winds; and the variations of temperature are too great and too sudden to entitle it to be considered as pro pitious for invalids. According to observations taken in 1873, the mean temperature of the year at New Orleans is 67.55°. The mean temperature of the hottest month was 82.40°, and of the coldest month (January), 49.5°. The mercury often falls below the freezing-point, and variations of fifteen degrees in a day are not unusual. 98 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. The rainfall is heavy, amounting to 72.81 inches per year, and the low-lying situa tion of the city — lower than the surface of the river — adds the aggravation of ex ceptional dampness to its other climatic drawbacks. For these reasons, New Or leans cannot be recommended as a winter residence for those suffering from pul monary or throat diseases; and consumptives, especially those in advanced stages of the disease, should avoid even a brief stay. In other respects New Orleans is a healthy city, and its winters, in spite of occasional inclemency, are so much more genial than those of our Northern States, that many resort there during the three coldest months, and not a few who are in the " weak lungs " and " general debility " stages of disease are benefited by the change. Numerous visitors from the North are attracted thither by the social and other attractions of the place ; for, with the possible exception of San Francisco, New Orleans is the most variedly interesting city in the United States. The site of New Orleans was surveyed in 1717 by De la Tour ; it was settled in 1718, but abandoned in consequence of overflows, storms, and sickness; was reset tled in 1723, held by the French till 1729, then by the Spanish till 1801, and by the French again till 1803, when, with the province of Louisiana, it was ceded to the United States. It was incorporated as a city in 1804, and in 1868 was made the capital of the State. The most memorable events in the history of New Orleans are the battle of January 8, 1815, in which the British were defeated by Andrew Jackson, and the capture of the city by Admiral Farragut on April 24, 1862. In 1810, seven years after its cession to the United States, the population of New Or leans was 17,243. In 1850 it had increased to 116,375 ; in 1860, to 168,675 ; and in 1870, to 191,418. In 1875 local authorities estimated it at about 210,000.— In the value of its exports and its entire foreign commerce New Orleans ranks next to New York, though several ports surpass it in the value of imports. Not unfrequently from 1,000 to 1,500 steamers and other vessels may be seen lying at the Levee; and, except in the summer months, its wharves are thronged with hundreds of ships and sailing-craft from all quarters of the globe. New Orleans is the chief cotton- New Orleans. mart of the world; and, besides cotton, it. sends abroad sugar, rice, tobacco, flour, pork, etc., to the total value in 1874 of $93,715,710. Its imports of coffee, sugar, salt, iron, dry-goods, liquors, etc., amounted in 1874 to 114,533,864. The manufact ures of the city are not extensive. Modes of Conveyance. — The horse-car system of New Orleans is perhaps the most complete in the country. Starting from the central avenue — Canal Street; tracks NEW ORLEANS. 99 :j» radiate to all parts of the city and suburbs, and passengers are carried to any point within the city limits for 5 cents. Omnibuses attend the arrival of trains and steamers, and convey passengers to the hotels, etc. (fare 50 cents). Carriages can be found at the stands in front of the St. Charles and other leading hotels (fare $2 an hour ; $5 for the forenoon or afternoon.) The best plan for strangers is to hire a suitable conveyance by the hour and discharge at the end of each trip. Ferries connect the city with Algiers, Macdonough, and Gretna, on the opposite side of the river. Streets and Drives. — The streets of New Orleans, in width and general appearance, are second to those of no city of its size. As far back as Claiborne Street those running parallel to the river and to each other present an unbroken line from the lower to the upper limits of the city, a distance of about 12 miles. Those at right angles to them run from the Mississippi toward the lake with more regularity than might be expected from the very sinuous course of the river. Many of the streets are well paved and some are shelled ; but many are unpaved and consequently scarcely usable in wet weather, while in dry weather they are intolerably dusty. Some of the finest streets of the city are in this condition. Canal Street is the main business thoroughfare and promenade, and contains many fine stores and private residences. It is nearly 200 feet wide, and has a grass-plot, 25 feet wide and bordered with two rows of trees, extending in the centre through its whole length. Claiborne, Rampart, St. Charles, and Espla nade Streets, are similarly embellished. Royal, Rampart, and Esp la na de Streets, are the prin cipal promenades of the French quarter. — The favorite drive is out the Shell Road to Lake Pontchar- train, or over a simi lar road to Carrollton. Either route presents a highly - animated spectacle on Sunday afternoons. Public and Promi nent Buildings. — New Orleans is not rich in architecture, but there are a few impos ing buildings. Chief among these is the Custom- House, which, next to the Capitol at Washington, is the largest building in the United States. This noble structure is built of Quincy granite brought from the Massachusetts quarries. Its main front on Canal Street is 334 feet; that on Custom-House Street, 252 feet; on the new Levee, 310 feet, and on the old Levee, 297 feet. Its height is 82 feet. The Long Room, or chief business apartment, is 116 by 90 feet, and is lighted by 50 windows. The building was begun in 1848, and is not yet entirely finished. The Post-Office occu pies the basement of the Custom-House, and is one of the most elegant and com modious in the country. The State-House is located in St. Louis Street, between Royal and Chartres Streets. Prior to 1874 the building was known as the St. Louis Hotel, and held the same high rank as the St. Charles. The old dining-hall is one of the most beautiful rooms in the country, and the great inner circle of the dome is richly frescoed with allegorical scenes and busts of eminent Americans. The United States Branch Mint stands at the corner of Esplanade and Old Levee Streets. It is built Canal Street. 100 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. United States Mint. of brick, stuccoed in imitation of brown -stone, in the Ionic style, and, being 282 feet long, 180 feet deep, and three stories high, presents an imposing appearance. No coining has been done there since the war, but Congress has taken steps to re commence operations. The window, under the front portico of the main building, from which Mumford was hung by order of General Butler, June 7, 1862, is still pointed out. The City Hall, at the intersection of St. Charles and Lafayette Streets, is the most artistic of the public buildings of the city. It is of white marble, in the Ionic style, with a wide and high flight of granite steps leading to an elegant portico supported by eight columns. The State and City Libraries occupy sui table rooms in this build ing. The Court - Houses are on the right and left of the Cathedral, in Jack son Square. They were constructed . toward the close of the last century, through the liberal ity of the founder of the Cathedral, Don Andre Almonaster, and are conspicuous for their quaint style of architecture, which is Tusco-Doric. The City Prisons, which comprise a parish jail and a police jail, are in Orleans and Ann Streets, opposite the Trem6 Market. They are of brick, plastered to imitate granite, and three stories high. The Mer chants' Exchange, a handsome marble structure in Royal Street near Canal, was for merly a place of great resort, hut since the removal of the Post-Office to the Cus tom-House its glory has departed, and it exists now in little more than name. Masonic Hall, corner St. Charles and Perdido Streets, is an imposing edifice, 103 by 100 feet. Odd-Fellows' Hall is a massive square structure in Camp Street, op posite Lafayette Square. It is of brick, stuccoed and painted white, four stories high, and cost $210,000. St. Patrick's Hall, on the site of the old Odd-Fellows' Hall, is one of the most elegant buildings in the city. Its concert-room seats 3,500 people. Exposition Hall is a spacious building in St. Charles Street, between Julia and Girod, in which are given floral displays and other exhibitions. The St. Charles Hotel and the State-House, which are among the largest and finest edifices in the city, have already been mentioned. The Mechanics' Institute, in Dryades Street, near Canal, is one of the finest buildings in the city. The Pontalba Buildings are im mense brick structures on Jackson Square. Theatres and Places of Amusement. — The French Opera-House, corner Bourbon and Toulouse Streets, is a well-arranged building of modern construction. It has seats for 2,000, and is fitted up in the style of the Theatre Francais, Paris. The Academy of Music, in St. Charles Street, between Poydras and Commercial Streets, is the usual place for star performances. The St. Charles Theatre, in St. Charles Street, between Perdido and Poydras, is handsomely appointed, and has a good company. The National for Globe) Theatre is at the corner of Perdido and Baronne Streets, and the Varieties Theatre in Canal Street. Besides the theatres, there are a score or more of halls in which entertainments of various kinds are given. The principal of these are the Masonic Hall, Odd-Fellows' Hall, St. Patrick's Hall, and Exposition Hall, previously mentioned ; and Grilnewald Hall, in Baronne Street, near Canal. Horse-races occur at the Fair-Grounds race-track (reached by Shell Road and 3 lines of horse-cars). Besides the regular sources of amusement which it enjoys in common with other NEW ORLEANS. 101 cities, New Orleans is noted for its great displays during the holiday and carnival season. Among the many societies which contribute to these displays, the most famous are the Twelfth-Night Revellers, who appear on the night of January 6th, and the Mystick Krewe of Comus, who appear on the night of "Mardi Gras," or Shrove-Tuesday. On the same day (Shrove-Tuesday), Rex, King of the Carnival, arrives with a large retinue, takes formal possession of the city for the nonce, and makes a grand display, followed by his staff, courtiers, and attendants, all mounted and dressed in the most gorgeous Oriental costumes. The processions are followed by receptions, tableaux, and balls, which are largely attended by the elite of the city, and by strangers sojourning there, who in some mysterious manner are always the recipients of unique cards of invitation. Churches. — The most famous church edifice in New Orleans is the old Cathedral of St. Louis (Roman Catholic), which stands in Chartres Street, on the east side of Jackson Square. It has an imposing facade surmounted by a lofty steeple and flanked by two towers, each surmounted by a smaller steeple. The foundation was laid in 1792, and the building completed in 1794 by Don Andre Almonaster, perpet ual regidor of the province. It was altered and enlarged in 1850, from designs by De Louilly. The paintings on the roof of the building are by Canova and Rossi. The Church of the Immaculate Conception (Jesuit), corner Baronne and Common Streets, is a striking edifice in the Moorish style of architecture. High-mass, both here and at the Cathedral, at 10 o'clock every Sunday. St. Patrick's (Roman Catholic) is a fine Gothic structure in Camp Street, north of Lafayette Square. Its tower, 190 feet high, was modeled after that of the famous minster at York, Eng land. The church of St. John the Baptist, in Dryades Street, between Clio and Calli ope, which was opened in 1872, is a very elegant building. The most fashionable Episcopal churches are Trinity, corner Jackson aud Coliseum Streets, and St. Paul's, corner Camp and Gaiennie Streets. The latter is a handsome specimen of the Gothic style, and has a rich interior. The oldest of the Episcopal organizations, dating back to 1806, is Christ Church, corner Canal and Dauphin Streets. The First Pres byterian, fronting on Lafayette Square, is a fine structure in the Greco-Doric style, much admired for its elegant steeple. The McGhee Church, in Carondelet Street, near Lafayette, is the principal of the Methodist Episcopal churches South. The Unitarian Church, corner St. Charles and Julia Streets, is a handsome building. The Temple Sinai (Jewish synagogue), in Carondelet Street, near Calliope, is one of the finest places of worship in the city. Party-colored bricks and pointing give its walls a light, airy appearance, and it has a handsome portico, flanked by two towers capped with tinted cupolas. The Gothic windows are filled with beautifully-stained glass. St. Antoine's Chapel, corner Rampart and Conti Streets, is generally known as the "Mortuary Chapel," all funeral ceremonies of resident Catholics being per formed here. One of the most interesting relics of the early church history of New Orleans is the old Ursuline Convent in Conde Street. This quaint and venerable building was erected in 1787, during the reign of Carlos III., by Don Andre Almonaster. It is now occupied by the bishop, and is known as the " Bishop's Palace." Educational and Charitable Institutions. — The University of Louisiana is in Common Street, near Baronne, and occupies the entire front of the block. Only two depart ments, law and medicine, have been organized, hut these are of a very high order, and are largely attended. The Medical College, which stands in the centre of the block, has a fagade of 100 feet. It contains a large anatomical museum, and exten sive and valuable collections of many kinds. Straight University is exclusively for colored students, and gives instruction of good grammar-school grade. There are 80 public schools, and numerous private ones, mostly Roman Catholic. The Charity Hospital, in Common Street, is one of the noblest buildings in the city, and one of the most famous institutions of the kind in the country. It was founded in 1784, has stood on its present site since 1832, and has accommodations for 500 patients. The Hotel Bieu, i mile farther back from the river, is a very fine hospital established by the Sisters of Charity, and supported entirely by receipts from patients, some of whom are, nevertheless, beneficiary. It occupies a full 102 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. square, and is surrounded by a well-kept garden of shrubbery and flowers. The Maison de Sante, corner Canal and Claiborne Streets, long one of the most noted infirmaries of New Orleans, is now deserted, and, like the United States Marine Hospital (corner Common and Broad Streets), which has not been used since 1860, is rapidly falling into decay. Other prominent charitable institutions are the Poy dras Female Orphan Asylum, in Magazine Street, the St. Anna's Widows' Asylum, the St. Vincent Orphan Asylum, the Indigent Colored Orphan Asylum, and the German Protestant Asylum. The ruins of the Touro Almshouse, burned during the war by colored troops, who had used it for barracks, occupy a prominent locale on the Levee at the lower end of the city. Public Squares and Cemeteries. — There are 10 public squares in the city, most of them inclosed with iron railings, hut some barely more than in embryo. The largest of these inclosures is the City Park, near the northeast boundary (reached by Canal Street and Ridge Road cars). It embraces 150 acres, tastefully laid out, but is little frequented. Jackson Square (formerly known as the Place d'Armes), covering the centre of the river-front of the old Town Plot, now First District, is the favorite resort. It is adorned with beautiful trees and shrubbery, and shell-strewed paths, and in the centre stands Mill's equestrian statue of General Jackson. The imposing fronts of the cathedral and courts of justice are seen to great advantage from the river-entrance to the square. Lafayette Square, in the First District, bounded by St. Charles and Camp Streets, is another handsome inclosure. The fine marble front of the City Hall, the tapering spire of the Presbyterian Church, and the massive fa- gade of Odd-Fellows' Hall, present a striking appearance. In the square is a fine white-marble statue of Franklin, by Hiram Powers. In Canal Street, between St. Charles and Royal, is a colossal bronze statue of Henry Clay, by Hart. Douglas Square is beautifully laid out and well kept. Annunciation Square and Tivoli Circle, at the head of St. Charles Street, are worth a visit. There are some handsome private residences in the neighborhood of the former. The Cemeteries of New Orleans are noteworthy for their unique arrangement and peculiar modes of interment. From the nature of the soil, which is semi-fluid at a depth of 2 or 3 feet below the surface, all the tombs are above-ground. Some of these are very costly and beautiful structures, of marble, iron, etc. ; but the great majority consist of cells, placed one above another, generally to the height of 7 or 8 feet. Each cell is only large enough to receive the coffin, and is hermetically bricked up at its narrow entrance as soon as the funeral rites are over. In most instances a marble tablet, appropriately inscribed, is placed over the brickwork by which the vault (or " oven," as it is called here) is closed. There are 33 cemeteries in and near the city ; of these the Cypress Grove and Greenwood, on the Metairie Ridge, at the north end of Canal Street, are best worth visiting. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, at the corner of Basin and St. Louis Streets, contains some fine monuments, of which the more noteworthy are the vaults of the' " Societe Francaise de Bien- faisance,'_' " Orleans Battalion of Artillery," and " Italian Benevolent Society." The last is of white marble, and is one of the most beautiful structures of its kind in the country. The Markets and the Levee.— The great " sight " of New Orleans, and perhaps the most picturesque to be seen in America, is the French Market, which comprises several buildings on the Levee, near Jackson Square. The best time to visit it is between 8 and 9 o'clock on Sunday morning, or at 6 a. m. on other days. At break of day the gathering commences, and it would seem as if all nations and tongues were represented in the motley crowd which surges in and out until near 10 o'clock. The noise, far from being unpleasant, however, is musical to the stranger's ears ; and nowhere else will he find such an infinite variety of articles exposed for sale. Fruits are especially abundant and various, embracing all the products of both tem- p.erate and tropical regions, and the flowers are wonderful to behold. French is the prevailing language, and it will be heard in every variety, from the silvery elegance of the polished Creole to the childish jargon of the negroes. The Levee affords the visitor one of the most striking and characteristic sights of the Crescent City. For extent and activity it has no equal on the continent. The best points from which THE RIVER BELOW NEW ORLEANS. 103 to obtain a view of the city and its environs are the roof of the St. Charles Hotel and the tower of St. Patrick's Church. The public markets transact their business at the Abattoir, constructed by a corporate company styled " The Crescent City Live-Stock Landing and Slaughter-House Company." It is situated on the left river-bank, adjacent to the lower line of the city. The establishment comprises 2 cattle-landing wharves; 12 covered cattle-pens, each having an area of over 1,000 square feet; 28 open pens, each with an area of about 1,125 square feet; 18 other pens for sheep, hogs, etc. ; 2 receiving-pens, each of an area of 600 square feet, for cattle to be immediately slaughtered ; a slaughter-house for cattle, in 22 divisions, each of an area of 800 square feet ; a slaughter-house for smaller animals, well sup plied with hot as well as cold water, and covering an area of 21,200 square feet ; and 22 stables. These buildings are separated from each other by wide and well- constructed causeways, and are lofty and airy. Attached to them are two steam- engines by which a plentiful supply of water is commanded, and the fluid offal is pumped off; also covered hide-vats, an apparatus for the rapid curing of hides, and a Barbarin patent gas-apparatus for lighting the whole establishment. Several dwellings and other buildings are also comprised within the property of the Slaughter-House Company. The average number of cattle slaughtered is about 1,000 a day in winter and about 700 a day in summer. The slaughtering of any of these animals else where within the city limits is prohibited by law. An inspector, appointed by the Governor, examines all cattle killed, and certifies to their fitness for food. Suburbs. — The Battle-field, the scene of General Jackson's great victory over the British, January 8, 1815, is the most interesting spot in the vicinity of New Orleans. It lies 4J miles south of Canal Street, and may he reached either by carriage along the Levee or by horse-cars. It is washed by the waters of the Mississippi, and sur rounded by cypress-swamps and canebrakes. A marble monument, 70 feet high and yet unfinished, occupies a suitable site overlooking the ground, and serves to commemorate the victory. A National Cemetery occupies the southwest corner of the field. Between the Battle-field and the city the Vrsuline Convent, an imposing building, 200 feet long, overlooks the river. A nunnery and chapel are attached to the convent. Lake Pontchartrain, 5 miles north of the city, is famous for its fish and game. It is 40 miles long and 24 miles wide. It is reached by the Lake Rail way every hour, by drive on the Shell Road, and by two lines of horse-cars. The swamps which lie between the city and the lake are covered with a thick growth of cypress and other trees peculiar to this locality. Carrollton, in the northern suburbs, has many fine public gardens and private residences. Algiers, opposite New Or leans, has extensive dry-docks and ship-yards. Communication by ferry. Gretna, on the same side, is a pretty rural spot, abounding in pleasant, shady walks. The River below New Orleans. Those who, taking an ocean steamer, pursue the journey below New Orleans, traverse a portion of the river not less interesting if less attractive than that left behind. Very soon after leaving the city the phenomena of a " delta-country " become conspicuous, and one can fairly witness the eternal and ever-varying con flict between land and sea. The thick forest vegetation disappears, giving place to isolated and stunted trees ; the river-banks grow less and less defined, and finally lose themselves in what appears to be an interminable marsh; and through this marsh the "passes" furnish channels to the Gulf, which are discernible only by the practised eyes of the pilots. The " delta " protrudes into the Gulf of Mexico far beyond the general coast-line, and is slowly but imperceptibly advancing into the Gulf by the shoaling caused by the deposition of the sediment brought down by the river. It is impossible, however, for the inexperienced traveler to say where land ends and sea begins ; and before he is aware of having reached the " mouth " of the river, he is far out on the Gulf of Mexico, where a muddy surface-current is the only relic of the mighty Father of Waters. ]04 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. THE WEST INDIES. Just off the southern coast of Florida, and stretching across the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, lies a very extensive group of islands, which, though their sov ereignty is distributed among nearly all the leading European powers, are known collectively as " The West Indies," and are so laid down upon the maps. The total length of this group is upward of 3,000 miles, and it embraces more than 1,000 islands and islets, with a total area of about 150,000 square miles. They lie between lat. 10° and 28° north and Ion. 59° and 85° west, and are divided into four groups: 1. The Bahamas, about 600 in number, low, flat islands of coral formation, southeast of Florida, and extending toward Hayti; 2. The Greater Antilles, between the Bahamas and Central America, comprising the four great islands of Cuba, Hayti or San Domingo, Jamaica, and Porto Rico, with a few neighboring small ones; 3. The Lesser Antilles or Caribbean Islands, extending in a semi-circular line from Porto Rico to ffhe mouth of the Orinoco, and by some geographers also called collectively Windward Islands ; 4. The group off the coast of Venezuela (the Leeward Islands of the Spanish explorers), embracing Margarita, Tortuga, Buen Ayre, Curacoa, and several smaller islands. The West Indies are generally considered to he the remains of a mountain-range which at some remote period united the continents of North and South America. The Bahamas are low, level, and of coralline formation. Some of the Lesser Antilles are flat, but the general character of the entire group is bold, with a single mountain or cluster of mountains in the centre, which slope to the sea all around — more precipitously on the east side, which is exposed to the force of the Atlantic current. Volcanic action in the archipelago is confined to the smaller islands ; others possess craters recently extinct, that have vomited ashes and lava within historical periods. The latest violent eruption was in St. Vincent, in 1812 ; but, more remotely, Hayti and Jamaica have been the scene of some of the most tremendous earthquakes on record. Hurricanes occur nearly every year, and are sometimes very destructive, especially in the Lesser Antilles. The characteristic feature of the vegetation of the West Indies is the predominance of ferns and orchi daceous plants. The forests furnish mahogany, lignum- vitrje, granadilla, rosewood, and other valuable woods. Tropical fruits abound ; and maize, sugar, coffee, tobacco, and cotton, are extensively cultivated. Of the formerly-existing wild animals — the agouti, peccary, raccoon, and wild-boar — the last only remains. Birds are numerous, and their characteristics are, beautiful and varied plumage and lack of song. Fish are very abundant, as are also reptiles, including turtles, lizards, and snakes. Insects. and reptiles are the pests of the islands. San Salvador, one of the Bahamas, was the first land discovered in America, Columbus having landed on it in October, 1492; and it was not until the next voyage of the great navigator that the American continent was discovered. When first visited, all these islands teemed with a dense native population ; but the natives were speedily exterminated by the early Spanish colonists, and for many generations have been wholly extinct. Some of the smaller islands are barren and uninhabited, hut for the most part they are covered with a vegetation of tropical luxuriance and beauty. Owing to their generally delightful climate, the West Indies have for many years been the resort, especially in winter, of consumptives and other invalids from the United States. In the following pages we shall describe those places which are most frequented and most easily accessible to travelers. Cuba. Cuba, "The Queen of the Antilles," the largest and most important of the West India Islands, lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, about 130 miles south of Florida, from which it is separated by the Strait of Florida. The greatest length of the island from east to west is 760 miles, and its width varies from 20 to 135 miles, the total area being 47,278 square miles. In shape it is long, narrow, and slightly curved, the convex side being on the north. The entire coast- CUBA. 105 line is about 2,200 miles in extent, but, owing to the almost continuous reefs, and the low level of the land skirting the sea-shore, it is in general very difficult of approach, and there are but few really good harbors. A range of mountains, more or less broken, traverses the island from end to end, dividing it into two unequal sections, that on the north side being for the most part the narrower of the two. This range gives great diversity to the surface, and from the bases of the highlands the country opens into extensive meadows or beautiful plains and savannas, with occasionally some low, swampy tracts. There are very few rivers of any magnitude in Cuba, and a large portion of the territory is subject to severe droughts ; yet the gently undulating surface, the continually renewed verdure, and the wonderful distribution of vegetable forms, give rise to the. most varied and beautiful landscapes. Every where the eye falls only upon a mass of luxuriant vegetation, and nowhere is the structure of the country to be seen except on the scarred and treeless mountain- slopes. Coming in winter from the North Atlantic seaboard, where half the United States are buried in snow, and the forests are stripped naked, the traveler finds in Cuba a more wooing climate, and a more bountiful profusion and luxuriance of vegetable growth, than even in imagination he ever pictured to himself. The climate is warm aud dry during the greater part of the year, but it is more temperate than in other islands of the same latitude, and more equable than in many more northern coun tries. The thermometer never rises so high as it sometimes does in New York in the hot months, and sunstrokes are unknown. From May to October the heat sel dom reaches 100° Fahrenheit in any part of the island. The highest recorded temperature, in observations extending over many years since 1801, was 104°. In December and January the air is cooled by the north winds, and the thermometer has occasionally fallen to the freezing-point. The average temperature of Havana is 77° ; maximum 89° ; minimum, 50°. The average temperature of the hottest month is 82°, and of the coldest 72°. In Santiago de Cuba the average of the year is 80° ; of the hottest month, 84° ; of the coldest, 73°. The topographical position of Cuba reduces the four seasons of the year to two, the wet and the dry. In the former, extending from May or June to November, the rain pours down in torrents almost every day. The rainfall in the island in one year has been known to reach 133 inches, and the average annual number of rainy days is 102. The most rain falls in September and October. In the dry season the dews are very abundant, both at night and in the early morning. There is no record of snow having fallen in Cuba, excepting on December 24, 25, 1856, when the coldest term ever' known on the island was experienced, and snow fell near Villa Clara, in the central part of the island ; but hailstorms are frequent in the eastern department, and hoar-frosts are not uncommon. Violent thunder-storms occur from June to September. Earthquakes are seldom felt in the western districts, but are frequent in the eastern, especially in the vicinity of Santiago de Cuba. The climate is considered to be, in general, remarkably healthy. In the lowlands, summer fevers sometimes prevail, and to these strangers are said to be especially liable; hut the higher parts of the island are salubrious all the year round. The yellow fever is justly feared by those coming from more temperate climates, but the Cuban physicians believe that this disease is not indigenous, and was not known in the islaud until 1762. It is not yet known in the interior, and its appearance at many places is recent. The best time to visit Cuba is between the first of December and the last of March, and during this period those suffering from lung and throat diseases usually find a resi dence there highly beneficial and agreeable. Havana, the largest city and chief commercial port of the West Indies, is situated on the northwest coast of Cuba, on a beautiful bay of the Gulf of Mexico. Its har bor, formed by this bay, which nowhere exceeds a mile and a half in width, is one of the best in the world, being deep enough for vessels of the largest size, capacious enough to accommodate at least 1,000 ships-of-war, and so sheltered that vessels ride securely without cable or anchor. The approach from the sea is very impressive, the entrance to the harbor being half a mile in length, so narrow that only a single vessel can pass at a time, and with massive fortifications on either side throughout the whole distance. At the mouth of the channel, which is less than a quarter of a 106 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. mile wide, are two strong castles, the Punta on the west side, connected with another castle in the city, and on the east the famous Morro Castle, beetling with artillery, and surmounted by a fixed light 144 feet high. La Cabana, situated a little southeast of Morro Castle, is the strongest fortress of Havana, and half a dozen others are passed before the inner harbor is reached. The city, as viewed from the harbor, Havana. has a very picturesque and beautiful appearance, with its numerous spires, its mas sive edifices, its wide-spreading suburbs, and its background of hills ; but this im pression is hardly confirmed by closer acquaintance. The city stands on a sort of peninsula, formed on one side by the bay and on the other by the waters of the Gulf, and is commonly distinguished into two portions, the intramural or old town, and the extramural or new town, beyond the walls. In the former, the streets, though for the most part regular and well paved, are extremely narrow, and, being lowest in the middle, favor the accumulation of great pools of water in the rainy season ; and the sidewalks are barely wide enough for one pedestrian. The macad amized thoroughfares of the other portion, rather resembling roads than streets, are broad and ample, and fringed on either side with rows of graceful palm-trees. The prevailing style of architecture is identical with that of the south of Spain. The houses are solidly built of stone, with very thick walls, often painted within and without in showy colors, especially blue, green, or yellow, and occasionally a min gling of all three ; they are either of one story and roofed with tiles, or of two stories with a flat roof of substantial masonry, at times surmounted by a mirador (lookout), affording at once a fine view and a cool and agreeable retreat after sunset. The windows, which are extremely high, are never glazed, but defended on the outside by strong iron bars, and within by wooden shutters secured, like the doors, with massive bars or bolts. The doors, almost always double, are very ponderous, and open either directly into the sola or parlor, or into a large gateway guarded by a janitor, and leading into an open patio (court-yard) whence a spacious staircase leads to the apartments above. All the rooms open upon a covered veranda, which sur rounds the patio. In the dwellings of the rich the floors and stairs are usually of marble, the decorations and furniture luxurious and tasteful, and the patio is gener ally embellished with a parterre of exotic flowers and an elegant fountain in the cen tre. Many of the residences in the new portion of the city are constructed in a more modern style, particularly in El Cerro (the Hill), a handsome street three miles CUBA. 107 long leading to a village of the same name, and chiefly inhabited by the wealthy and fashionable. There is, however, no quarter of the town exclusively occupied by the higher classes, and in any street a miserable hovel may be seen side by side with a stately mansion. The handsomest portion of Havana is in the vicinity of the great central square, or Plaza de Armas, which comprises four gardens, with a statue of Ferdinand VII. in the centre, and spacious walks bordered by magnificent palms and other trees. On the west side of the plaza is the Governor's Palace, a yellow two-story edifice, with a handsome colonnade in front, and containing the offices of the captain-gen eral, his staff, and of the other Government departments. Opposite the palace is a beautiful chapel (El Templete), erected on the spot where the first mass was cele brated in Havana after the removal of the city to its present site, in 1519. Fore most among the public edifices is the Cathedral, erected in 1724, and used as a col lege by the Jesuits till 1789 ; hut it is less remarkable for the beauty of its archi tecture than as containing the ashes of Christopher Columbus, transferred thither from Santo Domingo, January 15, 1796. On one of the walls is a stone slab with the bust of Columbus in relief, and an inscription beneath. There are fifteen other churches, nine of which are attached to certain monastic orders. Two — Santa Ca- talina and San Juan de Dias — date from the sixteenth century ; one — San Agus- tin — from the beginning of the seventeenth ; and all are noteworthy for the rich ness and splendor of their decorations. The Custom-House, fronting on the hay, is a spacious building, devoid of architectural interest; but the Customs Warehouse, formerly the church of San Francisco, has the loftiest tower in the city. Other buildings or public establishments worthy of notice are the Admiralty, the Ex change, the Royal University, the Prison (a vast quadrangular structure, erected in 1771, near the mouth of the bay), and the Real Casa de Beneficencia, a large build ing, with beautiful grounds, and comprising an orphan asylum and an asylum for vagrants. There is also a hospital for those afflicted with a species of leprosy pecul iar to the West Indies, and reputed incurable ; a lying-in, a charity, and a military hospital, and an insane asylum. Monasteries and nunneries are numerous. Havana has three theatres, one of which, the Tacon Theatre, is said to be equal in size to La Scala, of Milan ; an arena for bull-fights, this amusement being still popular in Havana ; a gymnasium, a circus, and a number of well-arranged and commodious public baths. Of the eight hotels, we may mention the Hotel de Inglaterra, in the Calle del Prado, beside the Tacon Theatre, and affording an excellent view of the harbor; El Telegrafo, in the newer part of the city, in Amistad Street; and San Carlos, overlooking the harbor. Madame Almy's is a very popular boarding-house. Restaurants and cafes are numerous; the best of the former is at 72 Cuba Street. Few cities in the world have a larger number of paseos, or public promenades, and public parks, than Havaua. Besides the Plaza de Armas, already mentioned, there is the Alameda de Paula, bordering the bay, and having an elegant fountain, surmounted by a marble column, with military trophies and national symbols. A favorite evening resort is the Parque de Isabel, tastefully laid out, and having in the centre a statue of Isabella II. The Campo de Marte, used as a drill-ground for the military, is a large inclosure resembling a trapezium in shape, the longest side of which is 375 feet ; it has four handsome gates, distinguished respectively by the names Colon, Cortes, Pizarro, and Tacon. The Paseo de Tacon is a magnificent wide drive, with double rows of trees, a promenade for pedestrians, and profusely embellished with columns and statues, some of the latter, especially one of Charles III., ranking among the finest specimens of art in America. Adjoining this prom enade is a beautiful gate opening into the Botanic Garden, in which are specimens of countless tropical plants ; and besides these gardens are the magnificent grounds attached to the quinta, or country residence, of the captain-general. Other paseos, such as those of La Reina, El Prado, La Cortina de V aides, and El Salon de O'Don- nel, vie in beauty of scenery with those enumerated. In the vicinity of the city are numerous places of fashionable resort, such as Marianao, Puentes Grandes, and Guanabacoa. In consequence of the heat of the climate, the inhabitants of Havana, save the business community, remain in-doors during the day ; but in the evening 108 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the delightful promenades of the city and its environs present a most animated spectacle, being thronged with the gay and fashionable of both sexes. The elegant dress, grace, and beauty of the Havanese ladies (who always ride when abroad) dis played on these occasions, and at the theatres, seldom fail to elicit the admiration of visitors. There are also many beautiful drives around Havana, and driving is one of the favorite recreations of the wealthier classes. A popular drive is to Marianao. On Sunday afternoons all Havana may be seen driving on the Paseo. From New York Havana may be reached by "New York and Havana Direct Mail Line," sailing every ten days from Pier 13 North River; also by " Alexandre's Line," sailing every Wednesday, and occasionally on Saturdays, from Pier 3 North River (fare, cabin, $50 gold). From Philadelphia, Baltimore, or New Orleans, by weekly steamers. From Key West, Florida, by steamers sailing twice weekly. Havana is the terminal point of nearly all the railway-lines in Cuba, and connects by steamer with Matanzas, Cardenas, Jucaro, Santiago de Cuba, and other chief ports. Matanzas, which ranks next to Havana in commercial importance, is also situated on the northwest coast of Cuba, 53 miles east of Havana. It may be reached in two hours from Havana three times a day by one railway, and in four hours twice a day by another ; also by a daily line of steamers which make the trip in five hours. Travelers remaining even a few days in Havana will find a visit to Matanzas very interesting ; they should go by regular route and return via Giiines to Villanueva. The bay which forms the port of Matanzas is spacious, easy of access, and com pletely sheltered from all winds except those from the northeast, which bring in a heavy swell. The city, strongly fortified, is situated on an extensive flat on both sides of the San Juan River, here crossed by a bridge, and contains about 30,000 in habitants. The streets are wide, regular, well kept, and lighted with gas; and the houses, chiefly of stone, are solidly built in the same style as those of Havana. The handsomest of the public squares is the Plaza de Armas, where military bands perform every evening, and the walks are crowded with fashionable promenaders. There are two churches, a massive castle (San Severino), fine barracks, a hospital, a good theatre, and a cockpit ; and among the schools, which are proportionately more numerous than in any other Cuban town, is the Empresa Academy, one of the best educational institutions in the West Indies. The climate of Matanzas is more salubrious than that of Havana, and the winters are extremely mild and equable. For consumptives this is in many respects the most desirable resort in Cuba; but a residence on the adjacent hills is preferable to one in the town itself. The coun- Matanzas. try around Matanzas is covered with magnificent sugar-estates, and a large trade is done in sugar and molasses. The leading hotels are the Leon de Oro and the Hotel Frances. THE BAHAMAS— NASSAU. 109 Santiago de Cuba (locally called Cuba), situated almost at the other end of the island and on its south side, was formerly the capital of Cuba, and is still the second city in rank and population, containing in 1875 about 45,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Santiago, 6 miles from its mouth, and has a port 4 miles long, which is deep enough for ships-of-war, and strongly fortified. The city is regularly laid out on a steep acclivity, with wide streets, some very precipitous, and handsome houses which are chiefly of stone. The Cathedral, completed in 1819, is the largest on the island, and there are several other churches, a theatre, a custom-house, barracks, a college, and three hospitals. Santiago is an archbishop's see and the residence of the Governor of the Eastern Department, who is independent of the Captain-General of Cuba; it is, consequently, next to Havana the liveliest city in Cuba. The city is supplied with bad water through an aqueduct, and, as it is shut in from the northern breezes, the suffocating heat and the miasmatic effluvia from the adjacent marshes render it the most unhealthful abode in the Antilles. Still, some consumptives have derived great benefit from its remarkably warm winter climate. Santiago may be reached by taking the railway from Havana to Batabano, and a steamer from tho latter point, which touches at Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Cruz, and Manzanillo, reaching Santiago in five days. Puerto Principe is the chief city of the interior, and in population nearly equals Matanzas. It is the capital of the Central Department, and lies about midway be tween the north and south coasts, 305 miles E. S. E. of Havana. The city is irregu larly built between two small streams, theTinima and the Jatibonico, in a rich agri cultural district, the chief products of which are sugar and tobacco. Its trade is in significant compared with its population. The principal buildings are several churches and monasteries, a hospital, and two theatres. The town has been threatened sev eral times during the present war by the Cuban patriots, and two or three battles have taken place in its vicinity. The climate is hot and moist, but the winters are remarkably mild, and the town is at that time somewhat resorted to by invalids who wish to get away from the coast. Puerto Principe is connected by a railway 56 miles long with the port of Nuevitas, through which it communicates with the outside world. Isle of Pines. This island lies in the Caribbean Sea, 33 miles off the coast of Cuba, and is under the jurisdiction of the political governor of Havana. It is 43 miles long and 35 miles wide in the widest part, with an area of 1,200 square miles and a population of about 2,000. The coasts are deeply indented by bays and inlets, some of which afford commodious anchorage, though surrounded by innumerable rocky islets or keys. A mountain-chain over 1,600 feet high, the Sierra de la Cafiada, traverses the island, and the country is well watered by several rivers. The centre is some what marshy, but the soil is elsewhere very fertile and productive. Timber and precious woods are very abundant ; and among the mineral productions are silver, quicksilver, iron, sulphur, and rock crystal, while marble of various beautiful colors occurs in large quantities. The climate is exceedingly mild and salubrious, and there is no place in the West Indies better adapted for invalids. Being sheltered on the north by Cuba, the thermometrical range is very small, and the winters are strangely bland and equable. The towns on the island are Nueva Gerona (which in 1870 had a population of 100), Santa Fe, and Jorobado. The island was discovered by Columbus in 1494, and was long the favorite haunt of pirates, among whom was Gibbs. It is reached from Havana by steamer at irregular intervals. The Bahamas — Nassau. The Bahamas are the most northern section of the West India group, and stretch from the north side of San Domingo to the coast of Florida, between lat. 21° and 27° 30' north and Ion. 70° 30' and 79° 5' west. They are about 600 in number, of which only about 15 are inhabited, a great many of them being mere rocky islets. The most important of them are Grand Bahama, Great and Little Abaco, Andros, New Providence Eleuthera, San Salvador, Rum Bay, Great Exuma, Wathng Island, Long 110 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. Island, Crooked Island, Atwood's Key, and Great and Little Inagua. The group is about 600 miles long, and has an estimated area of 3,000 square miles, with a popu lation of about 40,000. Most of the islands are situated on those remarkable flats called the Bahama Banks, of which the Great Bank (lying at the western extremity of the archipelago) occupies a space 300 miles in length and 80 miles in breadth. The deepest water on this bank is 30 feet, but the patches of coral-rock and dry sand are innumerable. These banks rise almost perpendicularly from an unfathomable depth of water, and are formed of coral, with an accumulation of shells and cal careous sand. The character of the islands is generally long and narrow, low, and covered with a light sandy soil. Fruit, including oranges, lemons, limes, and pine apples, is produced in abundance ; and maize, yams, and sweet potatoes are exten sively cultivated. The climate is salubrious, and very beneficial to consumptives. The more northern islands, during the winter months, are rendered cool and agree able by the northwest breeze that blows off the continent of America ; the more southern are hot throughout the year, and are low, barren, and rocky. Nassau, which is pretty much the only place in the Bahamas frequented by trav elers, is the capital of the island of New Providence and the seat of government for all the islands. It is situated on the northern side of the island, extending along the waterfront for about three miles and back to the crest of a slope, on which stand the Government-House and many of the finest private residences at an ele vation of 90 feet above the harbor. The streets are laid out at right angles with each other, and are uniformly macadamized, as are also the numerous excellent drives around the island ; and the houses are generally built of stone, with the sur rounding grounds ornamented with a tropical profusion of flowers and trees. The city has a public library of 6,000 volumes, a museum, numerous churches, some bar racks, a prison, and a hospital. During the late civil war it developed a great business as rendezvous for vessels engaged in running the blockade of the Southern ports. This temporary prosperity has now departed, but Nassau has excellent hotel accommo dations, and is still probably the pleasantest and most frequented invalid resort in the West Indies. Its climate is remarkably healthy, and the winters are delight fully mild and equable, without being depressing. The temperature never falls below 64° Fahrenheit, nor rises above 82°, and the variation rarely exceeds 5° in the 24 hours. Little rain falls in the winter months, which are almost uniformly dry and clear. Not the least attractive feature of Nassau is the Royal Victoria Hotel, which was erected by the British Government in 1860, especially to meet the requirements of invalids. It is of stone, four stories high ; and each of the first three stories is surrounded by a broad piazza, forming a continuous promenade over 1,000 feet long, and affording to those unable to endure the fatigues of out-door exer cise ample facilities for enjoying the fine scenery and refreshing breezes. The rooms are large and carefully ventilated, and the house has all the modern improve ments. Convenient arrangements for sea-bathing exist, and, for such as prefer it, salt-water baths, both hot and cold, are provided in the hotel. The hotel is open from the 1st of November to the 1st of May ; terms, $3 a day in gold. Nassau may by reached from New York direct by Murray, Ferris & Co.'s Line of Mail- steamers, sailing monthly from Pier 16 East River (fare $50) ; also from Savannah via St. Augustine, Florida, by steamer every 10 days (fare, New York to Nassau via Savannah, $50 ; Savannah to Nassau, $30 ; St. Augustine to Nassau, $21 ; New York to Nassau and return— excursion ticket— $90 ; Savannah to Nassau and return, $60). Harbor Island, a few miles distant from Nassau, is preferred by some invalids 2, -^ew Providence, though the climate is the same and the conveniences fewer. lurks Island, at the southeastern extremity of the Bahama group, 90 miles north ot Hayt,; is aiso wen spoken of. Its ci;mate is slightly warmer than that of Nassau, but it is too much cut off from the rest of the world to be resorted to by those who are not strong enough to "rough it." Jamaica. Jamaica, one of the Greater Antilles, lies in the Caribbean Sea, about 90 miles south of Cuba and 118 southwest of Hayti, from which it is separated by the Wind- JAMAICA. Ill ward Channel. It is the largest of the British West India islands, and forms the chief possession of Great Britain in this portion of the world. It is 145 miles long by 53 miles wide, and has an area of 4,473 square miles, with a population in 1871 of 506,154. The general appearance of the island is extremely beautiful. On the north it rises into hills of gentle ascent, covered with groves of pimento and a brilliant verdure, and intersected by vales which exhibit the most romantic scenery ; while on the south it presents abrupt precipices and inaccessible cliffs, the general effect being heightened by the profusion of streams which pour from every valley, and frequently precipitate themselves from the overhanging rocks into the ocean. The Blue Mountains traverse the island in all directions, reaching an altitude in some localities of 7,200 feet. The declivities are covered with stately forests, and between the mountain-ranges and the foot of the central plain are spacious savan nas and extensive plains. The coast-line is 500 miles long, and is indented with a great number of excellent harbors, of which Port Royal, the harbor of Kingston, is the most considerable. Jamaica was discovered by Columbus during his second Kingston, Jamaica. voyage, in 1494, and was taken possession of by the Spaniards in 1509. So great was the inhumanity of the conquerors that, fifty years after the Spanish invasion of the island, the native population had entirely disappeared. On May 3, 1655, a British expedition, sent out by Oliver Cromwell, under Admirals Penn and Venables, captured the island, which was formally ceded to England by the Treaty of Madrid, in 1670. During the 150 years of Spanish domination, the inhabitants, including Africans and Europeans, had not attained the number of 3,000. Within about the same period of English rule the estimated census showed 340,000. In 1861 the total population was 441,264, of whom 13,816 were whites and the rest half-breeds or blacks. In 1865 there was an insurrection of the blacks, which was put down by the notorious Governor Eyre with relentless rigor. These blacks had been liberated in 1832. The climate in the low regions is essentially tropical, the aver age temperature being 72° Fahr., and the maximum 100°; but the sea-breeze (called " the doctor ") during the day, and the land-breeze at night, temper to a consider able degree the excessive heat. In the elevated districts the thermometer ranges from 45° to 70°, and the atmosphere is mild and agreeable. In few parts of the world does so slight an elevation produce so great a modifying effect upon the heat as in Jamaica; at about 2,500 feet above the sea, the fevers, dysenteries, and other maladies which usually prevail along the coast, are unknown. The rainy seasons, comprising the months of April, May, September, October, and November, are usually preceded by a cessation of the day and night breezes, when the atmosphere 112 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. becomes most oppressive, and almost insupportable for Europeans. Heavy rain falls every day during these seasons, and is often accompanied by terrific thunder and lightning, and violent gusts of wind from the north. Earthquakes are frequent and sometimes violent; in 1692 the town of Port Royal was submerged several fathoms beneath the ocean. Hurricanes in the summer months, between the rainy seasons, are of frequent occurrence and commonly of great violence. One of the most appalling occurred on the 3d of October, 1780. The little seaport town of Savana la Mar, on the southwest coast of the island, was completely destroyed. During the conflict of the elements, the sea hurst furiously over it, and in an in stant swept inhabitants and houses into the abyss, leaving no vestige of either. The best time to visit the island is between the beginning of December and the end of March. Kingston, the capital and chief commercial city of Jamaica, is situated on the north coast of the island, in lat. 18° north and Ion. 76° 50' west. It stands on the gentle slope of a branch of the Blue Mountains, on the north shore of a magnifi cent bay defended by two forts. It is built in the form of an amphitheatre, with wide and regular streets ; the houses, mostly two stories in height, are solidly constructed of brick or wood and painted green and white. The houses in the centre of the city form blocks, or squares, and in the principal streets are furnished with verandas below, and covered galleries above ; while those in the outskirts are detached, and surrounded by delightful gardens. Besides the English church, which is the handsomest in the city, there are a Scottish, some Methodist, and several Roman Catholic churches, and two synagogues; hut neither these, nor the other public edifices, such as the theatre, hospital, court-house, new penitentiary, work house, barracks, and jail, possess any architectural beauty. The environs are covered with fine sugar-plantations, interspersed with picturesque villas. The region to the west is extremely marshy, and to the east rises Long Mountain. The climate is hot and generally unhealthy for strangers ; the thermometer ranges from 70° to 95°; but alternate sea and land breezes in the morning and evening temper in a measure the almost suffocating atmosphere. Kingston may be reached by Mur ray, Ferris & Co.'s Line ; or by Pim, Forwood & Co.'s Line, sailing bi-monthly from Pier 51 North River, fare $50 ; or by steamer from Havana. Spanish Town, or Santi ago de la Vega, the former capital of Jamaica, is situated on the bank of the river Cobre, 12 miles west of Kingston, with which it is connected by rail. It is ill-built and un healthy, and possesses no attractions either for the visitor or as a place of residence. The most desirable places in Jamaica for invalids lie hack in the elevated districts, hut there are no localities that have made any special reputation as health-resorts. Hayti and Santo Domingo. The island of Hayti, or Santo Domingo, is also one of the Greater Antilles, and, after Cuba, is the largest and most beautiful of the West India islands. It lies 48 miles E. S. E. of Cuba and 118 E. N. E. of Jamaica, between lat. 17° 36' and 19° 59' north, and Ion. 68° 20' and 74° 38' west. It is about 400 miles long and 165 miles wide, with an area, including the islands off the coast, of 28,030 square miles, and a population of 708,500, three-fourths of whom are negroes ormulattoes. The island is very irregular in form, being so deeply indented by bays and inlets as to constitute a coast-line of about 1,500 miles, presenting numerous excellent harbors. It is intersected east and west by three chains of mountains, connected by trans verse ridges, and intervening are extensive plains and savannas. The central chain, the principal part of which is the Sierra del Cibao, runs E. S. E. from Cape San Nicolas to Cape Engano ; its culminating point, near the centre of the island, at tains an elevation variously estimated at from 7,200 to 9,000 feet. Nearly parallel with this chain is the Sierra de Monte Cristo, stretching from near the town of Monte Cristo to Escocesa Bay, where it terminates abruptly. Between these two ranges lies the Vega Real or Royal Valley, 130 miles long, watered by the Yuna and Gran Yaque Rivers, and comprising extensive pasture-lands. The third or southern mountain-range begins at Cape Tiburon, extends eastwardly through the southwest peninsula, and terminates at the Rio Neiva, about midway between the cities of Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo. The secondary chains, running from the main HAYTI AND SANTO DOMINGO. 113 ones toward the sea, divide the country into plains of various figures and extent, which are intersected by still other ridges, reaching sometimes to the beach. Be sides the Vega Real there are other extensive plains and valleys, one of the most important of which is the plain of Les Oayes, at the western end of the island. This plain has been greatly extended by the formation of a kind of rock, consisting of comminuted shells and coral, incrusted with calcareous cement, resembling trav ertine, a species of rock which is in process of formation throughout the whole of the West India islands. There are numerous rivers, the navigation of which, how ever, is obstructed by sand-bars, and many lakes, both fresh and salt. The vegeta tion of the island is of a tropical character, and for beauty and luxuriance is unsur passed by any in the world. The mountains are clothed with majestic forests of pine, mahogany, ebony, fustic, satinwood, oak, lignum-vitse, and various other cabi net woods; while the graceful palma real, or royal palm, nourishes everywhere in the lowlands. The richest of flowering plants abound; and the usual tropical escu lents, grains, and fruits, including plantains, bananas, yams, batatas, maize, millet, oranges, pineapples, sapodillas, with melons, grapes, and tamarinds, grow in all parts of the island. There is a species of agave (Fourcroya Cubense) extremely abundant, from the fibres of which is made almost all the rope used in the country. The articles chiefly raised for export are coffee, cotton, cacao, sugar-cane, indigo, and tobacco. The native animals are small, the largest being the agouti ; but those introduced from Europe, and now in a wild state, have thriven prodigiously, large numbers of cattle, swine, and dogs, roaming freely in the savannas. The cattle of hundreds of owners graze in herds, and are annually collected and counted, and the young branded. Birds are not numerous, though large numbers of pigeons are annually taken and used as food, while ducks and other water-fowl frequent the marshy places. Insects abound, and many of them are venomous — such as scor pions, tarantulas, and centipedes. There are many species of snakes and lizards; the iguana sometimes attains a length of five feet, and is then much feared ; its flesh is considered a delicacy by the natives. The lakes and rivers contain caymans and alligators; in the surrounding sea whales are frequently taken ; manatees or sea- cows are numerous ; and turtles, lobsters of enormous size, and crabs, abound on the coast. Hayti was discovered by Columbus in December, 1492, and was the seat of the first Spanish colony founded in the New World. For three hundred years it was the arena of fierce struggles between the French, Spaniards, and English ; passed alternately under the domination of each of these powers ; was torn for many years by insurrections and civil wars ; and in 1804 achieved its independence. At the present time the island is occupied by two independent states, the Republic of Hayti to the west, and the Dominican Republic to the east. The latter, commonly called Santo Domingo (or San Domingo), comprises nearly two-thirds of the area of the island, but is much less populous than Hayti proper and far inferior in pro ductiveness and wealth. Its physical characteristics have already been summarized in the general description of the island. The climate of this eastern portion is said to be much more salubrious than that of any of the other West India islands ; and statistics show the average health and longevity to be about equal to that of the United States. In the highlands the temperature is equable and agreeable all the year round; in the lowlands the thermometer ranges from 84° to 91° Fahr. The intensity of the summer heat is tempered by the sea-breeze which blows nearly all day long, and by the land-breeze which begins two or three hours after sunset and continues until sunrise. The winters are wonderfully mild and soothing, and fa vored localities are wholly free from those sharp variations which are so trying to invalids elsewhere. At Santo Domingo City the extremes of temperature are 60° and 95°, with an annual mean of 78.5° ; and at Port-au-Prince the extremes are 63° and 104°, with an annual mean of 81°. From May to October heavy rains fall, frequently accompanied by thunder and lightning. November, December, and January, have a moderate rainfall, and from February to April it is uniformly dry. It is only on the southern coasts that hurricanes are common. The island has on several occasions suffered from earthquakes ; the most disastrous on record being 114 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. those of 1564, 1684, 1691, 1751, 1770, and 1842. By that of 1751 Port-au-Prince was destroyed, and the coast for 60 miles submerged ; and by that of 1842 many towns were overturned and thousands of lives lost. _ The city of Santo Domingo, capital of the republic, is situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Ozama River, in lat. 18° 28' north. It is the oldest existing settlement by white men in the New World, having been founded by Bartholomew Columbus in 1494; in 1871 it had a population of about 6,000. The town is built on a solid limestone formation, with a perceptible incline toward the river, and is surrounded by a wall 8 feet thick and 10 feet high. The streets are straight,^ wide, and at right angles to each other. Many of the ancient houses and public buildings are still standing, but are only remarkable for their solidity. Few of the many churches that once graced the city now remain. The most noteworthy is the Cathe dral, in which the remains of Columbus and of his brother Bartholomew reposed Cathedral of Santo Domingo. for two and a half centuries. It was begun in 1512 and finished in 1540, and was modeled after a church in Rome. On the bank of the river are the ruins of the so- called Castle of Columbus, a fortified stone-house built by Diego Columbus. There are in the city a seminary, a college, and a primary school, all under the care of the Church, with about 300 pupils. The government buildings are spacious but of no architectural pretensions. The climate, as of all this portion of the island, is de lightful, and the city could easily be made an attractive winter resort for invalids, were proper accommodations provided. At present there is no hotel worthy of the name; but the traveler will be well taken care of by inquiring for "Monsieur Auguste." In the vicinity of Santo Domingo are the curious natural caves of San- tanna, reputed to have been one of the places of resort of the aborigines of the island who came here to worship their zemes or gods. From New York Santo Domingo is reached by steamer about 18 times a year. Samana Bay, rendered famous by the attempt of President Grant to secure it for the United States, is formed by the peninsula of Samana on the northeast end of the island. It is about 35 miles long and 10 to 13 miles wide, but its entrance is nar row and easily defended. There are several small towns on the shores of the bay, of which the principal is Santa Barbara, which has a population of about 1,000 souls. Its site is locally considered unhealthy, but there are delightful situations in the immediate vicinity. Savana la Mar, on the opposite shore of the bay, is a little village of about 300 inhabitants, situated at the end of a vast plain 30 miles long by 12 miles wide. Puerto Plata (or Porto Plata) is situated on the northern coast of the island, about 100 miles northwest of Santo Domingo City. It lies on PORTO RICO. ¦ 115 the slope of a mountain at the foot of a crescent-shaped bay, and contains about 3,000 inhabitants. The harbor has good anchorage, but shallows so rapidly near the shore that ships have to be loaded and unloaded by lighters. The city is a very old one, having been projected, it is said, by Columbus himself, hut it has been completely destroyed several times, and is now a mere collection of small wooden houses, irregularly built on narrow and ill-paved streets. The location is very healthy, being fully open to both the sea and land breezes, and its winter climate is highly spoken of by residents and visitors. The leading element in the population are Germans, who have a monopoly of the tobacco-trade, which furnishes the chief business of the port. There are two small hotels, one kept by a Frenchman and the other by a German. For invalids probably the most favorable spots in Santo Do mingo are the high inland valleys, but these must be selected by personal inspec tion. The Haytian portion of the island has always been the best cultivated and most populous ; but owing to its physical configuration the climate is less favorable to strangers than that of Santo Domingo proper. Except in the north, the air is both hot and moist, and malarious and febrile diseases are apt to prevail. The coast- regions generally are unhealthy ; but doubtless in the more elevated localities of the interior there are many favored spots where the ordinary climatic drawbacks may be avoided, though none have achieved as yet more than a local reputation. Pcrt- au-Prince, the capital of Hayti, is situated on the west coast of the island, at the head of the beautiful bay of Gonaives, and has a population of about 21,000. The town itself stands on somewhat elevated ground, but the surrounding country is for the most part marshy. The streets, though generally wide, are ill paved and very filthy, and the houses, mostly built of wood, are apt to present a dilapidated appear ance. Among the public edifices are the President's House, the Senate House, a church, the Custom-House, a mint, and a hospital. There are also a lyceum, a college, and a few schools. The climate is hot, moist, and unhealthy for for eigners; the mean annual temperature is 81° and the extremes 63° and 104°. Hotel accommodations are very meagre. There is a monthly steam service to and from New York, and the coasting-trade is very active. Cape Haytien, on the north coast, formerly had the reputation of being " the Paris of the West Indies," but its mag nificence has now greatly dwindled. In 1789 it had a population of nearly 20,000, and was the commercial capital of the rich French planters who controlled the eastern half of the island ; in 1851 the population had sunk to 6,000, and is now about 15,000, the great majority of whom are negroes. It lies at the foot of some noble mountains that stretch boldly out into the sea, and presents a fine view from the harbor. On the street next the wharf are some fine stone warehouses, and a few handsome stone buildings are still found in various portions of the city, but ruins and flimsy wooden structures line most of the streets. Many of the foreign mer chants live in considerable style and luxury, occupying generally the rooms over their warehouses, some of which are very handsome, solidly-built edifices. The climate of Cape Haytien is much more salubrious than that of Port-au-Prince, and hut for the lack of good hotel accommodations this would doubtless prove a bene ficial winter residence for invalids. The country about the town is extremely^ pict- uresque ; and about half a day's journey away, in a charming valley near the village of Milot, are the famous "Sans-Souci" palace and "Citadel" of the Emperor Christophe. Other towns in Hayti are Port de la Paix, Gonaives, Saint-Marc, Miragoane, Jerimie, and Jacmel, all of them open ports. Pirn, Forwood & Co.'s line leave bi-monthly for Port-au-Prince via Kingston, Jamaica, from Pier 51 N. R. Porto Rico. Porto Rico, the smallest and most easterly of the Greater Antilles, lies 76 miles southeast of Santo Domingo, from which it is separated by the Mona Passage, and is after Cuba the most important of the Spanish dependencies in the West Indies. It is nearly rectangular in shape, about 100 miles long by 40 miles wide, and has an area, including the adjacent small islands, of 3,530 square miles, with a population of 625 000, rather more than half of whom are white. The coasts are generally 116 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. regular, hut there are many bays and inlets, and the northern shore is lined with navigable lagoons. A range of mountains extends through the island from east to west, having a general height of about 1,500 feet above the sea, with one peak (Lu- quillo) in the northeast which attains a height of 3,678 feet. From these mountains descend many small streams, some of which are navigable a few miles inland for small vessels. In the interior are extensive plains, and there are level tracts from five to ten miles wide on the coast. The soil is exceedingly fertile, and agriculture, which is mostly in the hands of the natives, is prosecuted with great success. The chief productions are sugar-cane, coffee, tobacco, cotton, rice, and maize ; and many varieties of cabinet and dye woods, including mahogany, ebony, lignum- vitse, cedar, and logwood, and many plants valuable in the arts and pharmacy, abound. All the tropical fruits grow in perfection ; but the poverty of the fauna and flora is remarkable, there being scarcely any wild animals, birds, or flowers. The climate of Porto Rico, though very warm, is in general more healthy than that of the other Antilles ; and owing to the diversified surface of the island almost any desired degree of temperature can be secured. The prevailing winds are easterly and northeasterly, but from November to March north winds are frequent. The land-wind, so constant at night in the other islands of the Antilles, is felt but seldom. The island has suffered much from hurricanes, of which those in 1742 and 1825 were particularly destructive. The winters are mild and equable, com paratively free from rain, and healthy for strangers. The capital and principal town is San Jnan de Puerto Rico, situated on a small island off the north coast, in lat. 18° 29' north and long. 66° 7' west. It is strongly fortified, contains a population of about 20,000, and is well though not handsomely built. The streets are regular ly laid out, well kept, and lighted with gas. The public buildings are the old Gov ernment-House, the Royal Military Hospital, the Bishop's Palace and Seminary, a large Cathedral, an Arsenal, Custom-House, and City Hall, and several fine cas tles now used as barracks. There are a House of Refuge, an Insane Asylum, and other benevolent institutions ; also a college and a fine library. The port is diffi cult of access, but is considered one of the most important in the Antilles, and a direct trade has recently been established with Europe and the United States. It is regularly visited by the steamers of the British lines frequenting the West Indies. Other important towns of Porto Rico are San German, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo, Guayama, Aguadilla, and Bayamon, most of which are seaports. St. Thomas. St. Thomas is one of the principal islands of the Virgin Group, lying south of the Bahamas, 30 miles east of Porto Rico, and belongs to Denmark. It is formed by a mountain-ridge extending the whole length and attaining an elevation of 1,480 feet, has an area of 35 square miles, and a population of 15,000. The shores are deeply_ indented, and the adjacent waters are studded with islands and rocks. There is no running stream on the island and only one small spring: rain-water is the sole reliance and droughts are frequent. The soil is not fertile, and the prod ucts are not sufficient for one-twentieth of its inhabitants ; but nearly all the steam ers visiting the West Indies make this a stopping-place and give it considerable commercial importance and prosperity. The climate is warm, the thermometer ranging from 70° to 90°, and those suffering from consumption or from Bright's dis ease of the kidneys usually derive benefit from a winter residence here. Hurri canes pass over the island about once in twenty years, and do great damage. Earth quakes are very frequent, but serious shocks do not occur oftener than once in fifty years. St. Thomas is reached from New York by the Brazilian line of steamers, sail ing once a month from Pier 33 North River (fare $100). Charlotte Amalie, the only town, contains about 12,000 inhabitants, and is built along the shore of an excel lent bay on the south side of the island, in lat. 18° 20' north and Ion. 64° 56' west. The streets are paved and generally clean; the houses are supplied with gas, and, although low and poorly built, are comfortable and healthy. SANTAi CRUZ.— ST. VINCENT.— BARBADOES. 117 Santa Cruz, or St. Croix. _ This island, the largest and southernmost of the Virgin Group, lies about 35 miles east of St. Thomas, forming with the latter and St. John the Danish Gov ernment of the West Indies. It is 25 miles long by 5 miles broad, with an area of 84 square miles and a population in 1870 of 22,760. The surface is generally level, but a range of low heights follows the line of its northern shore and throws out nu merous spurs. There are numerous streams, the soil is fertile, and nearly the whole island is in a high state of cultivation, about half being planted with sugar-cane. Sugar and rum are the principal products; the others being cotton, coffee, and indi go. All varieties of tropical fruits are produced in abundance, and flowers are per petually in bloom. The roads throughout the island are admirable, and the scenery is remarkably picturesque and pleasing. English is the language generally spoken. The climate is warm and strikingly equable. During the winter the thermometer ranges from 76° to 82°, and in summer the heat is but slightly increased. Little rain falls at any time of the year, so that the air is dry, and there is no malaria. Many invalids who have made trial of it consider Santa Cruz the best health-resort in the West Indies, especially for those in advanced stages of consumption. The west side of the island is somewhat more sheltered than the eastern side. Christian- sted is the capital of the island, and here and at the little town of Frederickstadt are good hotels and boarding-houses. Santa Cruz is reached by steamer from St. Thom as in 4 hours. St. Vincent. St. Vincent is an island of the British West Indies, belonging to the Windward Group, in lat. 13° 13' north and Ion. 61° west. It is 17 miles long and 10 broad, with an area of 131 square miles, and a population in 1871 of 35,688. The surface is divided in the middle by a mountain-ridge, culminating in the volcano of Morne Garou (Souffrifere), about 5,000 feet high, which contains a crater ^ mile in diam eter, and 500 feet deep ; the most recent eruption was on April 30, 1812. The soil is fertile ; the mountains are clothed with valuable forests ; the valleys are well watered and cultivated, yielding sugar-cane, arrow-root, cotton, and cacao. The climate is warm and very humid, but not unhealthy, and exactly suits those con sumptives who thrive best in a warm, moist atmosphere. The thermometrical range in winter is between 72° and 84°; in summer between 78° and 87°. The mountainous districts are cooler, and there is considerable field for choice. Kingston, the chief town of the island, is built on the shore of a fine bay on the southwest coast. It is a pleasant place, and has considerable reputation as a health-resort. Barbadoes. This also is an island of the British West Indies, the most easterly of the Carib bean Group, in lat. 13° 10' north and Ion. 59° 32' west. It is of an oval form, 22 miles long and 14 broad, with an area of 166 square miles, and a population of 160,000. The population of Barbadoes is denser than that of any other country in the world except Malta, averaging nearly 1,000 to the square mile. The island is divided by a deep valley into two parts. Near the centre of the northern and larger part Mt. Hillahy rises to the height of 1,147 feet. From the west coast theground rises in successive terraces, broken by ravines, to the central ridge, from which hills of a conical form radiate in a northeast direction to the sea-shore. The soil in parts is sandy and porous, in others rich and extremely productive ; and the whole island is under cultivation. There are several chalybeate springs, containing chiefly iron, carbonic acid, and fixed alkali in different proportions. The coast is encircled by coral-reefs, which in some parts extend seaward for 3 miles, and are dangerous to navigation. Carlisle Bay, the port and harbor of Barbadoes, is a spacious open roadstead, capable of containing 500 vessels ; but it is exposed to south and south west winds. The climate of the island is warm, but equable and salubrious, and residence here seldom fails to benefit those suffering from consumption or from Bright's disease of the kidneys. In December the thermometer ranges from 73° to 118 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. * - -- I I m Vmmr Barbadoes. 85°; in February from 71° to 84°. Throughout the year the heat is tempered by the sea-breezes. Bridgetown, the capital of Barbadoes, contains 25,000 inhabitants, and is the seat of government for this and several other islands, including St. Vincent. There are only three other towns. Curacoa. This is one of the Dutch West Indies, and lies in the Caribbean Sea, 46 miles north of the coast of Venezuela, in lat. 12° 20' north, and long. 69° west. Its ex treme length from northwest to southeast is 36 miles, its breadth is about 8 miles, and its area 164 square miles. The population in 1870 was 21,319. It has a hilly surface, with rugged coasts, and is exceedingly barren. Fresh water is scarce, and is obtained either from rain or from deep wells. Severe droughts frequently occur ; the soil is so poor that provisions are imported, and some of the products once cul tivated, as indigo, cotton, and cacao, ^re now entirely neglected. Sugar, tobacco, maize, cochineal, cattle, horses, asses, sheep, and goats are raised ; and from the lime is made the celebrated Curacoa liqueur. The climate is dry and hot, hut the island is not unhealthy, and it has long been a favorite resort for sufferers from Bright's disease of the kidneys. Some consumptives have also derived great bene fit from a residence here, and except for its remoteness it would probably be one of the most frequented of the West India health-resorts. The capital and principal town of the island is Willemsted, situated at the entrance of Santa Anna harbor, on the southwest coast. It is a pretty place, and offers excellent accommodations to visitors. There is irregular connection by sailing-vessels with New York. "Down the Islands." It is of course impossible for us to even enumerate the countless islands which make up the West Indian archipelago, but some of the attractions, which are gen eral to nearly all of them, are admirably pointed out by Charles Kingsley, in his book on "The West Indies," and from his second chapter we condense the follow ing account of a sail " down the islands " (from St. Thomas) : " I had heard and read much from boyhood," he writes, " about these ' Less er Antilles.' I had pictured them to myself a thousand times, but I was alto- "DOWN THE ISLANDS." 119 gether unprepared for their beauty and grandeur. For hundreds of miles, day after day, the steamer carried us past a shifting diorama of scenery, which may be likened to Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples, repeated again and again, with every possible variation of the same type of delicate loveliness. Under a cloudless sky, upon a sea lively, yet not unpleasantly rough, we thrashed and leaped along. Ahead of us, one after another, rose high on the southern horizon banks of gray clouds, from under each of which, as we neared it, descended the shoulder of a mighty mountain, dim and gray. Nearer still, the gray changed to purple ; low lands rose out of the sea, sloping upward with those grand and simple concave curves which almost always betoken volcanic land. Nearer still, the purple changed to green. Tall palm-trees and engine-houses stood out against the sky ; the surf gleamed white around the base of isolated rocks. A little nearer, and we were under the lee or western side of the island. The sea grew smooth as glass ; we entered the shade of the island-cloud, and slid along in still, unfathomable blue water, close under the shore of what should have been one of the Islands of the Blessed. "It was easy, in presence of such scenery, to conceive the exaltation which pos sessed the souls of the first discoverers of the West Indies. What wonder if they seemed to themselves to have burst into Fairy-land — to be at the gates of the earthly paradise ? With such a climate, such a soil, such vegetation, such fruits, what lux ury must not have seemed possible to the dwellers along those shores ? What rich es, too, of gold and jewels might not be hidden among those forest-shrouded glens and peaks? And, beyond, and beyond again, ever-new islands, new continents, perhaps, an inexhaustible wealth of yet undiscovered worlds. "I said that these islands resembled Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples. Like causes have produced like effects, and each island is little but the peak of a volcano, down whose shoulders lava and ashes have slidden toward the sea. Some carry several crater-cones, complicating at once the structure and scenery of the island ; but the majority carry hut a single cone, like that little island, or rather rock, of Saba, which is the first of the Antilles under the lee of which the steamer passes. Santa Cruz, which is left to leeward, is a long, low, ragged island, of the same form as St. Thomas and the Virgins, and belongs, I should suppose, to the same forma tion. But Saba rises sheer out of the sea some 1,500 feet or more, without flat ground or even harbor. From a little landing-place to leeward a stair runs up 800 feet into the bosom of the old volcano, and in that hollow live some 1,200 honest Dutch, and some 800 negroes, who were, till of late years, their slaves, at least in law. But in Saba, it is said, the whites were really the slaves, and the negroes the masters ; for they went off whither and when they liked ; earned money about the islands, and brought it home ; expected their masters to keep them when out of work, and not in vain. The island was, happily for it, too poor for sugar-growing and the ' grande culture ; ' the Dutch were never tempted to increase the number of their slaves; looked upon the few they had as friends and children, and, when emancipation came, no change whatsoever ensued, it is said, in the semi-feudal rela tion between the black men and the white. So these good Dutch live peacefully aloft in their volcano, which, it is to be hoped, will not explode again. They grow garden-crops, among which, I understand, are several products of the temperate zone, the air being, at that height, pleasantly cool. They sell their produce about the islands. They build boats up in the crater — the best boats in all the West In dies — and lower them down the cliff to the sea. They hire themselves out, too — not having lost their forefathers' sea-going instincts — as sailors about all those seas, and are, like their boats, the best in those parts. They all speak English, and, though they are nominally Lutherans, are glad of the services of the excellent Bishop of Antigua, who pays them periodical visits. He described them as virtuous, shrewd, simple, healthy folk, retaining, in spite of the tropical sun, the same clear, white-and-red complexions which their ancestors brought from Holland two hun dred years ago — a proof, among many, that the white man need not degenerate in these isles. , • "Much more recent — in appearance at least — is the little Isle of St. Eustatius, 120 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. or, at least, the crater-cone, with its lip broken down at one spot, which makes up five-sixths of the island. St. Eustatius may have been in eruption, though there is no record of it, during historic times, and looks more unrepentant and capable of misbehaving itself again than does any other crater-cone in the Antilles ; far more so than the souffriere in St. Vincent, which exploded in 1812. " But these two are mere rocks. It is not till the traveler arrives at St. Kitts that he sees what a West Indian island is. " The ' Mother of the Antilles,' as she is called, is worthy of her name. Every where from the shore the land sweeps up, slowly at first, then rapidly, toward the central mass, the rugged peak whereof goes by the name of Mount Misery. Only once, and then but for a moment, did we succeed in getting a sight of the actual summit, so pertinaciously did the clouds crawl around it. Thirty-seven hundred feet aloft a pyramid of black lava rises above the broken walls of an older crater, and is, to judge from its knife-edge, flat top, and concave eastern side, the last remnant of an inner cone, which has been washed, or, more probably, blasted away. Be neath it, according to the report of an islander to Dr. Davy (and what I heard was to the same effect), is a deep hollow, longer than it is wide, without an outlet, walled in by precipices and steep declivities, from fissures in which steam and the fumes of sulphur are emitted. Sulphur in crystals abounds, incrusting the rocks and loose stones, and a stagnant pool of rain-water occupies the bottom of the souf friere. " The steamer passes each island only once a fortnight, so that to land in an isl and is equivalent to staying there at least that time, unless one chooses to take the chances of a coasting-schooner, and bad food, bugs, cockroaches, and a hunk, which — but I will not describe them. ' Non ragionam di lor, ma guarde ' (down the com panion) ' e passa.' "I must therefore content myself with describing, as honestly as I can, what lit tle we saw from the sea of islands, at each of which we would gladly have staid several days. As the traveler nears each of them— Guadeloupe, Dominica, Marti nique (of which last two we had only one passing glance), St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Grenada — he will be impressed not only by the peculiarity of their form, but by the richness of their color. All of them do not, like St. Kitts, Guadaloupe, and St. Vincent, slope up to one central peak. In Martinique, for instance, there are three separate peaks, or groups of peaks, the Mont Pelde, the Pitons du Carbet, and the Pitons du Vauclain. But all have that peculiar jagged outline which is noticed first at the Virgin Islands. " Flat ' vans ' or hog-backed hills, and broad sweeps of moorland, so common in Scotland, are as rare as are steep walls of cliff, so common in the Alps. Pyramid is piled on pyramid, the sides of each at a slope of about 45°, till the whole range is a congeries of multitudinous peaks and peaklets, round the base of which spreads out, with a sudden sweep, the smooth lowland of volcanic ash and lava. This ex treme raggedness of outline is easily explained. The mountains have never been, as in Scotland, planed smooth by ice. They have been gouged out, in every direc tion, by the furious tropic rains and tropic rain-torrents. Had the rocks been strati fied and tolerably horizontal, these rains would have cut them out into table-lands, divided by deep gullies, such as may be seen in Abyssinia and in certain parts of the Western United States. But these rocks are altogether amorphous and unstratified, and have been poured or spouted out as lumps, dikes, and sheets of lava, of every degree of hardness; so that the rain, in degrading them, has worn them, not into tables and ranges, but into innumerable cones. And the process of degradation is still going on rapidly. Though a cliff, or sheet of bare rocks, is hardly visible among the glens, yet here and there a bright, brown patch tells of a recent land slip ; and the masses of debris and banks of shingle, backed by a pestilential little swamp at the mouth of each torrent, show how furious must be the downfall and down-roll before the force of a sudden flood, along so headlong an incline. " But, in strange contrast with the ragged outline, and with the wild devastation of the rainy season, is the richness of the verdure which clothes the islands, up to their highest peaks, in what seems a coat of green fur, but, when looked at through THE BERMUDAS. 121 the glasses, proves to be, in most cases, gigantic timber. Not a rock is seen. If there be a cliff here and there, it is as green as an English lawn. Steep slopes are gray with groogroo palms, or yellow with unknown flowering trees. High against the sky-line tiny knots and lumps are found to be gigantic trees. Each glen has buried its streamlet a hundred feet in vegetation, above which, here and there, the gray stem and dark crown of some palmiste tower up like the mast of some great admiral. The eye and the fancy strain vainly into the green abysses, and wander up and down over the wealth of depths and heights, compared with which European parks and woodlands are but paltry scrub and shaugh. No books are needed to tell that. The eye discovers it-for itself, even before it has learned to judge of the great size of the vegetation from the endless variety of form and color; for the islands, though green intensely, are not of one, but of every conceivable green, or rather of hues ranging from pale yellow through all greens into cobalt blue; and as the wind stirs the leaves, and sweeps the lights and shadows over hill and glen, all is ever- changing, iridescent, like a peacock's neck, till the whole island, from peak to shore, seems some glorious jewel — an emerald with tints of sapphire and topaz, hanging between blue sea and white surf below, and blue sky and cloud above. If the reader fancies that I exaggerate, let him go and see. Let him lie for one hour off the Rous seau at Dominica. Let him sail down the leeward side of Guadaloupe, down the lee ward side of what island he will, and judge for himself how poor, and yet how tawdry, my words are, compared with the luscious yet magnificent coloring of the Antilles. " The traveler, at least, so I think, would remark also, with some surprise, the seeming smallness of these islands. The Basse Terre of Guadaloupe, for instance, is forty miles in length. As you lie off it, it does not look half or even quarter of that length, and that not merely because the distances north and south are foreshortened, or shut in by nearer headlands. The causes, I believe, are more subtile and more complex. First, the novel clearness of the air, which makes the traveler, fresh from misty England, fancy every object far nearer, and therefore far smaller, than it actually is. Next, the simplicity of form. Each outer line tends upward so surely toward a single focus — each whole is so sharply defined between its base-line of sea and its background of sky, that, like a statue, each island is compact and complete in itself, an isolated and self-dependent organism, and therefore, like every beautiful statue, it looks much smaller than it is. So perfect this isolation seems, that one fancies, at moments, that the island does not rise out of the sea, but floats upon it ; that it is held in place, not by the root of the mountains, and deep miles of lava-wall below, but by the cloud which has caught it by the top, and will not let it go. Let that cloud but rise, and vanish, and the whole beautiful thing will be cast adrift, ready to fetch way before the wind, and (as it will seem often enough to do when viewed through a cabin-port) to slide silently past you, while you are sliding past it." THE BERMUDAS. The Bermudas— the "still vext Bermoothes" of Shakespeare's " Tempest "—are a group of small islands belonging to Great Britain, lying in the Atlantic Ocean, about 580 miles S. S. E. of Cape Hatteras, between lat. 32° 14' and 32 25' north and Ion. 64° 38' and 64° 52' west. They are formed upon a coral-reef, and, though only 18 miles long by 6 in greatest breadth, they are no less than 365 in number. They are separated from each other by very narrow channels, and are mostly mere rocky islets, only 5 being of any considerable size, and only 12 or 15 being inhabited. Bermuda or Long Island is the principal member of the group; it is 16 miles long and about U mile wide. The other principal islands are St. George s, Ireland, Som erset and St David's. Dangerous coral-reefs surround the islands on the north, west, and south and as these are nearly all under water and extend in some places 10 miles from land' access is difficult and navigation of the waters should not be attempted except with the aid of experienced native pilots. There are some excellent harbors, however that of St. George's, the easternmost island, having been formed at great cost by blasting away the reefs and constructing a breakwater on the point of the = 9 122 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. adjacent island of Ireland. St. George is now an important naval station, and is strongly fortified. When viewed from the sea the Bermudas are of slight elevation, the highest point of land scarcely attaining the height of 200 feet. In their general aspect they closely resemble their neighbors the West Indies. Vegetation is green throughout the year, and the soil, though overworked, still yields abundance of gar den vegetables, potatoes, fruit, and arrow-root. Pomegranates, figs, and bananas, are produced in profusion, and oranges, strawberries, and pineapples, are raised to some extent. The cocoanut, the India-rubber tree, the cabbage-palm, the tamarind, and the Pride of India, give a tropical character to the vegetation, which, however, lacks the tropical richness and luxuriance. The climate of the Bermudas is damp, but mild. The mean temperature in winter is 60° Fahr. and the thermometer rarely records 40° ; but rain falls copiously during the winter months and violent storms are frequent. At such times the variations of temperature are sudden and marked, and the air becomes surcharged with a penetrating moisture. Asthma, rheumatism, and bronchitis, are nearly always benefited by residence in the Bermudas ; but con sumptives in advanced stages of the disease are apt to find the climate very trying, and even those in the earlier stages should seek sheltered locations. Hamilton is recommended with this view. Hamilton, the capital of the Bermudas, is situated on Bermuda or Long Island, the largest of the group, and is a pretty little town of 1,500 inhabitants, built on the slope of a gentle elevation, and containing about 500 houses constructed for the most part of freestone. The government buildings are located here, the hotel ac- Bermuda. commodations are good, the society has something of the gayety and liveliness of a capital, and the hospitality of the people is boundless. Several churches add to the attractions of the place, and there are a number of good free schools. Pleasant ex cursions from Hamilton may be made to Harrington Sound and Fairy-Land. The former is a salt-water lake, with a narrow outlet to the sea, and shores honey-combed with caves, in soihe of which are beautiful stalactite formations. In the neighbor hood are Moore's cottage and the calabash-tree under which he composed his poems. Fairy-Land is a delightful bit of sea-coast scenery, in perfecting which Nature and Art have joined hands. The waters around Hamilton invite to bathing and boating, and yachting, is a favorite amusement. From New York Hamilton is reached by THE BERMUDAS. 123 steamers leaving Pier 12 North River on alternate Thursdays. Fare, $30 gold. Excursion tickets, good for six months, $50 gold. St. George, situated on the east side of the island of the same name, is the largest town and chief port of the Bermudas. It has a magnificent harbor, made, as we have said, by blasting away the coral-reef, and is an important military and naval station, a regiment of the line and one or more vessels being always stationed here. The town is pleasantly located on a gentle acclivity fronting the harbor, but it is built in a very straggling and irregular manner, and possesses neither the external nor the social attractions of Hamilton. Hotel accommodations, though limited, are fairly good. A lively article in a recent number of Harper's Magazine contains an ani mated description of the Bermudas, from which we cull such items as are likely to prove interesting to the tourist or invalid : " Not more than 16 or 20 of the numer ous islands are inhabited, and of these the five largest are St. David's, St. George's, Bermuda proper, sometimes styled the Continent, Somerset, and Ireland. They are about 15 miles in length, and the greatest breadth is about 5 miles. There are no mountains, no rivers, and so, while they are without magnificence in scenery, in a quiet sort of beauty they are unique. There are about 150 miles of good hard roads, which are generally free from dust. In many places deep cuttings have been made, and the rock towers above the carriage even. The scenery is exceedingly picturesque, and changes continually. Now you drive through wide stretches of country, and the landscape bears a striking resemblance to that of New England ; then through a narrow road, with high walls of rock on either hand, on the sides of which the maiden-hair fern grows in profusion, and the road is so winding that every new view which bursts suddenly upon you is a surprise; and then there are delightful glimpses of the sea, with its many islands. Walls of stone extend along the road-side, and over them clamber the morning-glory, the prickly -pear, and the night-blooming cereus. Great beds of geraniums, which mock our hot-houses in their profusion, grow wild. Hedges of oleander line the roads or border cultivated patches of land, protecting them from the high winds which at times sweep over the islands. Thirteen varieties of it are found here, and wherever you go it is one mass of pink-and-white blossoms. The lantana also grows wild along all the hedges. The passion-flower peeps out from its covert of green leaves, creeping up the branches of tall trees. The profusion of flowers is wonderful, and one can always have a bouquet for the gathering. The winter is the regal time for them. About Christmas the roses, magnificent in size and of great variety, are in all their glory. One gentleman assured me that he had upward of 150 varieties. No great care seems to be taken to cultivate them. Here and there one sees a fine garden, hut nothing that even approaches what might be accomplished with such a soil and climate. The beauty and variety of flowers are fully equaled by the excellence and diversity of fruits. Oranges of superior quality are raised, though their culture is not general. The lemon grows wild. The mango, guava, papaw, pomegranate, fig, arocado pear — whose lovers (for they can be called nothing else) become eloquent in its praise — the custard-apple, the banana — the lazy man's delight, hearing its wealth of fruit, and dying as it yields its single bunch, while the new plants spring ing up about its dead stalk maintain the supply the year round — all these fruits grow readily, and with due effort would grow abundantly. Apples and pears are raised, but lack the flavor they possess with us. Peaches, heretofore excellent, have been destroyed for two years past by an insect. Strawberries ripen from Novem ber till July. Grapes grow luxuriantly. The most common tree is the Bermudian cedar, with which nearly all the hill-sides are wooded. Occasionally one sees the mountain-palm, while tamarind, tamarisk, palmetto, cocoanut, India-rubber, ma hogany, and calabash trees are quite common. In gardens many West Indian trees are found. . "Although three crops of vegetables can be raised annually, still agriculture is in a very backward state, and most of the fruits enumerated are specially rather than generally cultivated. In the early colonial days it was the chief occupation of the people but was afterward abandoned for other pursuits, and after the introduo- 124 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. tion of slavery the land was mostly tilled by slaves, and a certain disgrace attached to this kind of labor. Ignorance reigned in the fields, and it is only recently that an attempt has been made to wrest them from its sway. The most progressive men are now deeply interested in the subject, and strong efforts are being made to induce the people to cultivate something besides the stereotyped onion, potato, tomato, and arrow-root, the last said to be the best in the world, though the quantity raised is constantly diminishing, as it exhausts the soil, and does not prove as remunerative as some other crops. Small patches of land are selected here and there, are care fully spaded — the plough not being in common use — and from them the surprisingly large crops are realized. The land is quite generally inclosed by the oleander, and to prevent inroads upon it all creatures that feed out-of-doors, from a hen to a cow, are usually tied. The poor things have that resigned look peculiar to individuals linked to any thing from which they are too weak ortoo stupid to escape. " In traveling through Bermuda one's thoughts continually revert to Spain. The name of old Juan Bermudez, its discoverer, has been bestowed upon the islands, and it would seem as if his spirit still floats over them, so thoroughly Spanish are the outward characteristics ; and in no place is this more marked than in the quaint old town of St. George's. The harbor is beautiful, and much more accessible than that of Hamilton. The streets are narrow — mere lanes, in fact — across which you can shake hands with your neighbor if so disposed, and they are, moreover, sandy and disagreeable for pedestrians. Houses are huddled together in the most miscellane ous manner, and from one perfumed with the onion, with its unkempt and uninter esting-looking occupants bursting out at doors and windows, you come pat upon a beautiful garden, with its pretty Bermudian cottage, only to find repetitions of the experience throughout the town. On its most commanding height are fortifica tions, and the work now in progress is said to be particularly fine. There are bar racks all over the hill, and soldiers sitting or loafing about wherever you go. Dur ing the war St. George's was a busy town, being a great resort for blockade-run ners, which were hospitably welcomed by our English friends. Goods purchased abroad were brought here, and then transferred to the craft waiting to receive them. It was risky business, but one well followed, and many men here who flat tered themselves at the beginning of the war that they were amassing large fortunes were bankrupt or nearly so at its close. Some few, however, realized large amounts. The town was crowded, and at night every available space out of doors or in was occupied. Men lay on verandas, walls, docks, and floors. Money was plenty, and sailors sometimes landed with $1,500 in specie. The price of labor advanced ; wages were doubled. Liquor flowed freely, and the common laborer had his champagne and rich cake to offer. Here, too, was concocted the fiendish plot by Dr. Blackburn and others for introducing the yellow-fever into Northern cities by sending thither boxes of infected clothing ; but it was fortunately discovered in season to prevent injury to any save the plotters. During the entire war it was one of the hot-beds of secession, and with its close there came a sudden collapse. If a door-nail is deader than anything else in Nature, then St. George's is as dead as that nail. "From St. George's to Hamilton there is a fine ocean-drive of 8 or 9 miles. Going by Harrington Sound, you will pass the Devil's Hole, or Neptune's Grotto, between which and the sound there is a subterranean communication— the sound, hy-the-way, being an arm of the sea. Fish caught at the most favorable seasons of the year are kept here until wanted for use. The usual number is 1,000, though it will hold twice as many. There are many varieties of fish, and the spectacle is a3 plea'sing as it is novel. These ponds, on a small scale, are quite numerous through out Bermuda. " Like most limestone countries, Bermuda abounds in caves, and nowhere are they more beautiful than in Walsingham, not far from Neptune's Grotto, on the road leading around Harrington Sound, one of the loveliest sheets of water imaginable. The whole region is singularly attractive. Mimic lakes, reflecting the varied hues of the rocks which inclose them, with trees overhanging their banks, teem with fish wonderful in variety and color, whose motions are the very ideal of grace. By paths through the tangled wildwood lead one through a wilderness of beauty. THE BERMUDAS. 125 Nature has been lavish of her gifts all through this locality, and as it is geologically one of the oldest sections of Bermuda, all the rocks seem to have the weather-stain which the vines love so well. Over the whole is thrown the charm of poetry, from the fact that it was one of Tom Moore's favorite haunts while living in Bermuda. It is fitting that Nature should have her temples in such a place. Humility is one of the conditions of entrance to them, and so, bending low, making a slight descent, we are soon standing in a room from whose arched roof hang large stalactites. Artificial lights bring out each in its full proportions, and one contemplates with wonder this strange architecture, regardless of the ages it has endured. In a second one near by, and which is much more spacious, is a beautiful sheet of water, clear as crystal, and of an emerald tint. The finest cave is the Admiral's, which guides may fail to mention from the fact that it is more difficult of access than any of the others ; but to one at all accustomed to climbing there is little danger and no great difficulty in visiting any of them. "Back to the enchanted ground we lunch under ' Moore's calabash-tree,' hacked by specimen-hunters, but beautiful still. Here he sat and wrote, and so acquired the divine right to all this place. Of course there is a love-story, and the characters in it are this same poet and the handsomest lady in all the Bermudas at that time, Miss Fanny Tucker, sometimes prettily called the ' Rose of the Isles,' whom Moore in his poems addresses as ' Nea.' Well, he wrote verses to her, and about her, and went on in true lover-like style ; hut she seems not to have been moved by his strains, and liked her own name so well that she did not change it on her marriage. Moore lived to love again, as we all know. In fact, all the people in this little story are said to have lived happily ever after. " One of the most delightful places in Bermuda to visit is Clarence Hill, the resi dence of the admiral, who is supposed to live here three months each year. The road from Hamilton is a wild one, and full of variety, with most charming combina tions of the woods, country, and sea. We pass Undercliff Cottage, designed for happy lovers, who can here spend the honey-moon in a retreat so secure that there will be no demand for the farce of ' Old Married People,' always a failure when en acted by amateurs. There are flowers in abundance, which with the air and views will sustain life for a month or so. A pretty veranda overlooks the water, with its " Summer isles of Eden lying in dark purple spheres of sea." Steps lead almost from the door down to the boat, which will bear them out into all the loveliness, which is ever beckoning to them. For absolute beauty I know of but one other view in Bermuda comparable with this — that from the summit of St. David's Island. The atmospheric effects are marvelous, and lead one to consider matrimony very favorably, so closely are the place and the condition connected. The grounds at Clarence Hill are quite extensive and well kept. The house is plain, but the attractiveness of the place is in its marine views, and in thefactthat Nature has been left in. On a hill-side overlooking the sea, in a most sequestered spot, is an exquisite bit of gardening. Mosses, ferns, and many tropical plants, grow in such profusion and grace, peeping from under rocks, climbing over them, that it is only by critical inspection that you perceive that their presence is due to cultivation. Near by is a cave, against whose outer wall the sea is ever dashing. It was tun neled by a former admiral, and is so large that on its completion a hall was given in it by way of celebration. " Some pleasant morning a visit must be made to Ireland Island, the site of the dock-yard and naval establishment, and one of the four telegraphic signal-stations. We land, and encounter at once the British sentinel, who is very courteous, and splutters' in the most unintelligible English, using words on general principles, more as a relief to himself than as an assistance to any one else. Not being in any sense dangerous to Great Britain, we are allowed to proceed. There are marines every where and with few exceptions they seem to be a most disagreeable set of fellows. The most remarkable object of interest is undoubtedly the floating-dock, one of the West structures of its' kind in the world, which was built in England, and was towed across the Atlantic to its present position by 5 ships. Its length is 381 feet, 128 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. and its breadth 124 feet. The largest and heaviest man-of-war can be docked. It is divided into 43 water-tight compartments, which are fitted with valves worked from the upper deck. By placing some 4,000 tons of water in the upper chambers its keel can be brought five feet out of water and cleaned — a process which it has once undergone. You ascend a ladder or steps on the outside, and get a fine view, having your head nearly blown off while doing it. People whose heads are of no consequence invariably ascend, while the more severely intellectual remain at the foot of the ladder. There is the usual number of machine-shops, officers, and mag azines, with vast quantities of powder — much more than a quiet little place like Bermuda would seem to require. Places have been tunneled out here and there, and filled with munitions of war. Everything is arranged in the most deliberate and scientific manner to injure the feelings of other people. There is no suggestion of peace or its congresses, unless the maiden-hair fern which grows on the rocks wherever there is sufficient moisture may be considered one. Among so many sug gestions of disaster and death the hospital and cemetery are harmonious accompani ments. The former is commodious and well managed. The latter has more in mates, and is a pleasant place to go to when one cannot go elsewhere, and is ren dered attractive by flowers and trees — a fact deserving mention, since most ceme teries here are the lonesomsst kind of places, though they are not particularly gay in any country. " If the moon, tide, and party, are just right, Fairy-Land presents as great a con trast to Ireland Island as can well be imagined. Five or six hours are needed for the expedition. You row into little coves, then into what seem to be lakes, so per fectly inclosed is the water ; hard by the shore, looking up through dells in which you can almost see the fairies dancing under the trees ; under great rocks which threaten to send you down among the fishes; around islands, into inlets, where the mangroves, every leaf glistening in the moonlight, throw out their branches in the most welcoming way. All this, and much more, is in store for him who goes to Fairy-Land, the enchanted spot of Bermuda. "Bermuda having suffered several times from yellow fever, grave errors have aris3n in regard to the healthfulness of the climate. The fever seems to have been due rather to imperfect drainage and defective quarantine regulations than to any predisposing causes in the climate. Several years since there was a convict estab lishment here, which was the means of introducing a very low class physically — man predisposed to disease, and who succumbed at once to attacks of fever. All this has subjected Bermuda to unfavorable criticisms respecting the healthiness of its climate; but any country might suffer under like sanitary conditions. The con vict establishment has recently been broken up, thereby removing a fruitful source of disease; and the enactment of strict quarantine laws, which are rigidly enforced upon all vessels, goes far toward preventing the introduction of epidemics from other places. So admirably are the islands situated that there is no excuse for defective drainage or quarantine. Strangers usually resort here in the winter, and generally speak highly of the agreeability of the climate. Rains are quite prevalent at this season, and most houses are not sufficiently protected from dampness, as the native B irmudian thinks fires unhealthy, and sits on his veranda throughout the year. But grates and stoves are gaining in favor, and are being used more and more. A few people have learned that Bermuda is a pleasant summer resort, and act accordingly. There is almost invariably a good breeze from some quarter, and the nights and mornings are cool and delightful. Sunstroke is unknown. August and September are the hottest and most disagreeable months, owing to the enervating southerly winds. The mercury seldom rises above 85° or falls below 40°, while the average is about 70°. There seem to be no diseases peculiar to the climate, but there are ail ments enough to keep several excellent physicians actively employed. Consumptives often resort here, but seldom derive that benefit which they experience in a dry climate, though they often improve, and in some cases are nearly cured. The cli mate seems to be especially beneficial to those afflicted with rheumatism and certain nervous diseases. Bronchial affections are generally relieved, and not unfrequentlv cured. THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 127 " ' What shall we wear? ' may be answered by saying that in summer ladies find muslins and thin wash materials most desirable, and they are worn quite late in the fall. White dresses are very much worn. At other seasons what is suitable for autumn in New York is worn here. The dress is usually very simple in material as well as style." THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. How to reach. — The elegant steamships of the Pacific Mail Company make the trip twice a month from San Francisco to Honolulu. Fare $75. " The voyage down to the islands," says Mr. Nordhoff', "lasts from 8 to 9 days, and even to per sons subject to sea-sickness is likely to be an enjoyable sea-journey, because after the second day the weather is charmingly warm, the breezes usually mild, and the skies sunny and clear. In 48 hours after you leave the Golden Gate, shawls, over coats, and wraps, are discarded. You put on thinner clothing. After breakfast you will like to spread rugs on the deck and lie in the sun, fanned by deliriously soft winds; and before you see Honolulu you will, even in winter, like to have an awn ing spread over you to keep off the sun. On the way you see flying-fish, and, if you are lucky, an occasional whale or a school of porpoises, but no ships. It is one of the loneliest of ocean-tracks, for sailing-vessels usually steer farther north to catch stronger gales. But you sail over the lovely blue of the Pacific Ocean, which has not only softer gales but even a different shade of color than the fierce Atlantic." Strictly speaking the Sandwich Islands cannot he called an American resort, yet as they are chiefly under American influence and as American invalids are almost the only ones that are found there, our little hook would be incomplete without some mention of them. The Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands are the most northerly cluster of the Polynesian Archipelago, and lie in the North Pacific between Mexico and China, extending in a curve about 360 miles from N.W. to S. E., between lat. 18° 55' and 22° 20' N. and long. 154° 55' and 160° 15' W. There are 12 islands in the group, and their names and areas, in order from S. E., are : Hawaii, 4,040 square miles; Maui, 603 square miles ; Molokini, islet; Kahoolawe, 80 square miles; Lauai, 150 square miles; Molokai, 169 square miles ; Oahu, 522 square miles; Kauai, 527 square miles ; Lehua, islet ; Niihau, 70 square miles ; Kaula and Bird, islets : total about 6,100 square^miles, of which two thirds are included in the principal island which gives its name to the group. The islands are of volcanic formation and mountainous, the fertile lands being mostly confined to the valleys and to a belt of alluvial soil at the shore. The uplands are better adapted to grazing than to tillage. The mountains, covered with dense forests, are not cultivable. The windward coasts, which receive the northeast trade-winds, intercept the rains and are fertile, while the leeward side of the same island may be almost rainless. On the wind ward side the mountains are densely wooded. Here are the largest active and also the largest extinct craters in the world, and in no part of the islands can one journey far without seeing extinct craters, which are generally overgrown with a luxuriant vegetation. Many hundred square miles are covered with recent and barren lavas. Near the shore the natives cultivate sWeet potatoes upon lavas that are hardly cooled, pulverizing the scoria and mixing with it a little vegetable mould. The chief productions of the islands are sugar, rice, coffee, cotton, sandal-wood, tobacco, wheat, maize, arrow-root, oranges, lemons, bananas, tamarinds, bread-fruit, guavas, potatoes, yams, kalo, and ornamental woods. Neat-cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs, are raised; and hides, tallow, and wool, figure largely in the exportations. The climate of the islands is healthful and remarkably equable, so much so that the Hawaiian lan guage has no word to express the general idea of weather. Extreme heat is never known ; the mean temperature of the year at Honolulu is 75° Fahr., and the daily variation seldom exceeds 15°. On the windward side the variation is greater and the weather rougher, but even there it is seldom either so cold or so hot as to cause discomfort. The islands being mountainous, almost any kind of climate can be 128 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. found, the temperature becoming more bracing as the elevation increases. June is the hottest month of the year, January the coolest and most rainy. There is no special rainy season, though rain is more abundant in winter than during the sum mer months. The trade-wind, which is also the rain-wind, greatly controls the rain fall ; and visitors should bear in mind that on the windward side of every one of the islands rains are frequent, while on the lee side the rainfall is much less, and in some places there is scarcely any. At Hilo, for example, on the weather-side of Hawaii, the rainfall is about 17 feet in the year, while at Kowa, on the other side of the island, it is only 45 inches, and water has to be carried in barrels for the or dinary uses of the inhabitants. Thus an invalid may secure at will either a dry or a moist climate, and this often by moving but a few miles. The climate in the more favored localities has the reputation of being an excellent one for consumptives, and many remarkable cures have been effected; but Mr. Nordhoff thinks it cannot be recommended for all cases. He says : " If a patient has the disease fully developed, and if it has been caused by lack of nutrition, the island air is likely to be insuffi ciently bracing. For persons who have ' weak lungs ' merely, but no actual disease, it is probably a good and perfectly safe climate; and if sea-bathing is part of your physician's prescription, it can be enjoyed in perfection here by the tenderest body all the year round." Honolulu. Honolulu, the capital of the Hawaiian kingdom, is situated on the south side of the island of Oahu, in lat. 21° 18' 12" north and long. 157° 55' west. It covers the lower portion of Nuuanu Valley, and extends over the raised coral-reef at the base of the lofty mountains for several miles, having a population of about 15,000, con sisting largely of foreigners. The houses are usually of wood, seldom more than two stories high, with spacious verandas, and mostly surrounded by trees; but on the commercial streets are large brick and stone warehouses. The aspect of the place is surprisingly like that of a thriving New England town, and Americans in particular soon feel quite at home. American gold and silver coins are the standard currency; there are two American churches; and the American colony is numerous and influential. The Hawaiian Hotel is a large stone building, erected and owned by the Government, and affording all the conveniences of a first-class hotel in any part of the world. It has roomy, shaded court -yards, broad piazzas, wide halls, and large rooms, baths and gas, and a billiard-room. "You might imagine your self in San Francisco were it not that you drive in under the shade of cocoanut, tamarind, guava, and algeroha trees, and find all the doors and windows open in mid-winter, and ladies and children in white sitting on the piazzas." Hono lulu, being the seat of government and Farhament-House. ¦ -i .... , . residence of the king, contains, of course, a number of public buildings. The Parliament-House is a sub stantial edifice, built of a concrete stone. made on the spot, and contains most of HONOLULU. 129 the public offices. The royal or Iolani Palace is a spacious one-story edifice, built of coral from the reef in the harbor, and standing in the midst of ample grounds. It is unpretentious-looking from the outside ; but is richly furnished, and contains a number of rare curiosities. Other important public buildings are the Supreme Court, the Treasury, and the general Post-Office, and there are a theatre and a bank. The charitable and penal institutions are admirably administered, and the Queen's Hospital and the Reform School are well worth the attention of the stranger. The Prison not only deserves a visit for itself, but from its roof is obtained one of the finest views of Honolulu and the adjacent country and ocean. Besides the Ameri can churches, there are a Catholic cathedral, an Anglican church, and two native churches; numerous schools for native and foreign children; an academy called Oahu College, attended mainly by foreign youths; and three weekly and two monthly publications. There is a pleasant foreign society in Honolulu, principally American and English. The people are extremely hospitable and kind, and do their utmost to make the stranger feel at home. There is a certain old-fashioned formal ity, but no striving after effect, no petty cliques or coteries, and no effort at exclu- siveness. The average of intelligence is very high ; both men and women are well-read; and the ladies are lively and well-dressed. An excellent band plays in public places several times a week; and the monotony of life is agreeably broken by parties, dinners, and social entertainments. The climate of Honolulu is remarkably mild and uniform; the extreme range of the thermometer is between 60° and 87°. In the winter months the range is be tween 68° and 81°, and during the summer between 75° and 87°. The hottest part of the day is shortly before noon. The mornings are often a little overcast until about half-past nine, when it clears away bright; the nights are cool enough for sound rest, but never cold ; blankets are seldom or never required. The rainfall is irregular, but averages about 41 inches. The porous soil absorbs the water quickly, and miasmatic complaints are rare. Many invalids find it pleasant to reside in Honolulu all the year round ; but for consumptives it is better to go higher up the mountains from the middle of May till the end of September. The scenery around Honolulu is of the most charming tropical character, and a number of pleasant excursions can be made from the town. The usual way of making these excursions is on horseback ; but carriages are easily procured, and several of the roads are good. A horse, with saddle and bridle, may be hired for $1 a day ; but for a prolonged stay it is better to buy one, as it can be had for from $12 to $25, and costs only 50 cents a day to keep. The valley of Nuuanu, at the end of which Honolulu lies, offers some delightful rides and drives. It is the most fertile spot on the island, and contains many lovely gardens and villas, including that of Queen Emma. About 6 miles from the town is the Pali, or precipice of Nuuanu, 1,100 feet above the plain, with cliffs on each side rising nearly 1,600 feet higher still. The view from the precipice is grand and beautiful beyond descrip tion. Another favorite excursion is to Waikiki, the Long Branch of the Hawaiians, beautifully situated amid groves of cocoanut-trees. "When you have seen Hono lulu and the Nuuanu Valley," says Mr. Nordhoff, " and bathed and drunk cocoanut- milk at Waikiki, you will be ready for a charming excursion— the ride around the island of Oahu. For this, you should take several days. It is most pleasantly made by a party of three or four persons, and ladies, if they can sit in the saddle at all, can very well do it. You should provide yourself with a pack-mule, which will carry not only spare clothing, but some provisions; and your guide ought to take care of your horses, and be able, if necessary, to cook you a lunch. _ The ride is easily done in four days, and you will sleep every night at a plantation or farm. The roads are excellent for riding, and carriages have made the journey. It is best to set out by way of Pearl River and return by the Pali, as thus you have the trade- wind in your face all the way. If you are accustomed to ride, and can do 30 miles a day, you should sleep the first night at or near Waialua, the next at or near what is called the Mormon Settlement, and on the third day ride into Honolulu. If ladies are of your party, and the stages must be shorter, you can ride the first day to Ewa, which is hut 10 miles; the next to Waialua, 18 miles farther; the third to the neigh- 130 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. borhood of Kahuku, 12 miles; thence to Kahana, 15 miles; thence to Kaalea, 12 miles; and the next day carries you, by an easy ride of 13 miles, into Honolulu. Any one who can sit on a horse at all will enjoy this excursion, and derive benefit from it ; the different stages of it are so short that each day's work is only a pleasure. On the way you will see, near Ewa, the Pearl Lochs, which it has recently been proposed to cede as a naval station to the United States ; and near Waialua an inter esting boarding-school for Hawaiian girls, in which they are taught not only in the usual studies but in sewing and the various arts of the housewife. If you are curi ous to see the high valley in which the famous Waialua oranges are grown, you must take a day for that purpose. Between Kahuku and Kahana it is worth while to make a detour into the mountains to see the Kaliawa Falls, which are a very pictu resque sight. The rock, at a height of several hundred feet, has been curiously worn by the water into the shape of a canoe. Here also the precipitous walls are cov ered with masses of fine ferns. At Kahana, and also at Koloa, you will see rice- fields, which are cultivated by Chinese. You pass also on your road several sugar- plantations ; and if it is the season of sugar-boiling you will be interested in this process. For miles you ride along the sea-shore, and your guide will lead you to proper places for a mid-day bath, preliminary to your lunch. After leaving the Mormon Settlement, the scenery becomes very grand — it is, indeed, as fine as any on the islands, and compares well with any scenery in the world. That it can be seen without severe toil gives it, for such people as myself, no slight advantage over some other scenery in these islands and elsewhere, access to which can be gained only by toilsome and disagreeable journeys. There is a blending of sea and moun tain which will dwell in your memory as not oppressively grand, and yet fine enough to make you thankful that Providence has made the world so lovely and fair. " As you approach the Pali the mountain becomes a sheer precipice for some miles, broken only by the gorge of the Pali, up which, if you are prudent, you will walk, letting your horses follow with the guide — though Hawaiian horsemen ride both up and down, and have been known to gallop down the stone-paved and slip pery steep. As you look up at these tall, gloomy precipices, you see one of the pe culiarities of a Sandwich Island landscape. The rocks are not bare, but covered from base to crown with moss and ferns; and these cling so closely to the surface that to your eye they seem to be but a short, close-textured green fuzz. In fact, these great rocks, thus adorned, reminded me constantly of the rock-scenery in such operas as 'FraDiavolo,' the dark green being of a shade which I do not remember to have seen before in Nature, though it is not uncommon in theatrical scenery. . . . You will sleep each night in a native house, unless, as is very likely to be the case, you have invitations to stop at plantation-houses on your way. At the native houses they will kill a chicken for you, and cook taro ; hut they have no other supplies. You can usually get cocoanuts, whose milk is very wholesome and refreshing. The journey is like a somewhat prolonged picnic ; the air is mild and pure ; and you need no heavy clothing, for you are sure of bright, sunny weather." A guide for such a journey costs $1 a day, which includes his horse; for a night's accommodation at a native house, 50 cents for each person is considered abundant. Maui and Lahaina. Maui, the second island of the group in size, contains 603 square miles and con sists of two mountainous peninsulas connected by a low isthmus. It is the seat of the largest sugar -plantations, and yields more of this product than any of the other islands. It is notable also for possessing Mauna-Haleakala, an extinct volcano 10,200 feet high, which has the largest crater in the world — a monstrous pit 27 miles in circumference and 2,000 feet deep. Lahaina, the capital of Maui, lies on the south west side of the island, and is reached from Honolulu by steamer or schooner once a week and sometimes oftener. It is a pretty little town, nestling along the shore at the foot of rugged mountains, and like Honolulu is sheltered from the violent trade-winds and rain-storms. The climate is rather milder than that of Honolulu, HILO AND THE VOLCANOES. 131 the range being between 54° and 86°. Above Lahaina, at an elevation of 3,000 feet, the thermometer ranges between 40° and 75°. The rainfall is about 39 inches, and the soil quickly absorbs it. There are fewer visitors to Lahaina than to Hono lulu, and consequently the accommodations are much inferior, but private board may he obtained with certain resident families. An excursion often made from Lahaina is to the summit of Mauna-Haleakala. It is neither dangerous nor difficult, but it is tedious, involving as it does a ride of about 12 miles mostly over lava and up-hill. It is advisable to go up during the day, and sleep in one of the lava-caves, so as to get the view of the crater at sun rise. For this a guide is necessary, with provisions and blankets, and water-proof clothing is likely to prove useful. Almost all the islands are visible from the sum mit of the crater, but the crater itself is the most impressive spectacle. It is 10 miles in diameter, and the vast irregular floor lies 2,000 feet below its crest. From this floor rise more than a dozen subsidiary craters or cones, some of them 750 feet high. From the summit the eye readily takes in the whole crater ; not a tree, shrub, or even tuft of grass, obstructs the view. It is possible to ride down into the crater, and the natives have a trail, not much used, by which they pass ; but it is very difficult to follow and must not be attempted without an experienced guide. HUo and the Volcanoes. Hilo lies on the eastern or windward side of the great island of Hawaii, and after Honolulu is the largest town in the kingdom, having a population of about 5,000. It is reached from Honolulu by a little inland steamer which makes a weekly tour of nearly all the islands of the group. The time required for the journey from Hono lulu to Hilo is three days, and the fare is $15, or $25 for the round trip. The town and district of Hilo are among the most beautiful regions of the tropics ; the town consisting of shops and stores along the beach, and white houses hidden in umbra geous groves of cocoanut, bread-fruit, pandanus, and other southern trees, many of them bearing brilliant flowers. There are four churches in the town, but no hotel, though good accommodations may be had at the large house of Mr. Severance, Sheriff of Hawaii, or, if that is full, at other houses. There is a considerable population of Americans in the place, who are always ready to extend a welcome to anybody from " home." The climate of Hilo is warm and extraordinarily wet, the rainfall amount ing, as we have already said, to 11 feet per annum. As much as 10 inches has been known to fall in a single day, and it rains nearly every day. Nevertheless the town is quite healthy, and some invalids seem to derive especial benefit from its moist atmosphere. The district of Hilo is cut up by the deep channels of no less than 50 large streams, which fall into the sea within a length of coast about 25 miles in extent, discharging the rains that are poured by the trade-winds upon the northeast flanks of Mauna-Kea. The freshets in these streams often come on so suddenly as to resemble the deluge produced by the sudden breaking of a mill-dam. The cocoa- nut and the banana are found in perfection at Hilo, and other characteristic tropical products are abundant. Hilo is the most convenient point of departure for a visit to the great volcano of Kilanea, the largest active crater in the world. The distance to the crater is about 40 miles over a rough trail through forests and over immense fields of lava, and the entire journey can be made on horseback with no difficulty except what comes from the inevitable fatigue. Mr. Nordhoff made the ascent with a party of ladies and children in 1873, and gives some details which the traveler will find useful. The charge at Hilo for horses for the journey is $10 each, with $1 a day for the guide. At the Volcano House (at the crater) the charge for horse and man is $5 a day, with half-price for the guide. For a special guide into the crater there is an addi tional charge of $1. It is useless to wait for a fine day, as it will probably rain at any rate before the Volcano House is reached, and if you have started in a heavy rain the sun is likely to be out within two or three hours. Each traveler should take water-proof clothing upon his own saddle, and the pack-mule should carry some spare clothing, well covered with India-rubber blankets, and a lunch to be eaten at 132 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. the Half-way House. The ascent is made in from 6 to 10 hours; the night may be comfortably spent at the Volcano House, and the next day should be given to the crater. Kilauea is situated on the eastern side of Mauna-Loa, at an elevation of 3,970 feet, and is a stupendous pit 8 miles in circumference and 1,000 feet in depth. It is of irregular shape, with almost perpendicular walls of a kind of limestone. The inside is rimmed with cooled lava, called the " black ledge," from 300 to 2,000 feet wide and about 800 feet deep. The descent into the crater is effected by a series of steps and a scramble over lava and rock debris. The greater part of the floor is a mass of dead though not cold lava, and at the farthest extremity of the pit, 3 miles from the Volcano House, are (or were in 1873, for the features of the place are constantly changing) two large caldrons or lakes about -J- mile long and 500 feet wide, filled with "a red, molten, fiery, sulphurous, raging, roaring, restless mass of matter," incessantly agitated, heaving to and fro in long, heavy waves, and occasion ally shooting up a fiery tongue 30 feet or more into the air. The surface of this boiling lava is about 80 feet below the margin of the lakes, but the heat is so great that it will sometimes blister the feet through thick shoes, and it is impossible to ap proach save on the windward side. On the bank of the lake are several cones or orifices opening down into the fiery gulf below. "Into these holes we looked, and saw a very wonderful and terrible sight. Below us was a stream of lava, rolling and surging and beating against huge, precipitous, red hot cliffs ; and higher up, suspended from other also red or white hot cliffs, depended huge stalactites, like masses of fiercely glowing fern-leaves waving about in the subterraneous wind ; and here we saw how thiu was in some such places the crust over which we walked, and how near the melting-point must be its under-surface. For. as far as we could judge, these little craters or cones rested upon a crust not thicker than 12 or 14 inches, and one fierce blast from below seemed sufficient to melt away the whole place. Fortu nately, one cannot stay very long near these openings, for they exhale a very poison ous breath: and so we were drawn back to the more fascinating but less perilous spactacle of the lakes ; and then back over the rough lava, our minds filled with mem ories of a spectacle which is certainly one of the most remarkable our planet af fords." At the Volcano House guides, provisions, and animals, may be procured for the ascent of Miuna-Loa (14,000 feet high), but the ride is not easy, and one who undertakes it must be well prepared in the way of clothing. The crater at the sum mit is a pit about 3 miles in circumference, with precipitous walls about 2,000 feet deep. At the bottom is a burning lake which throws up a jet. more or less con stant, to the height of 400 or 503 feet from the surface of the lake. The return to Hilo should be by way of the Puna coast. This involves a ride of nearly 70 mile3 over a very desolate country, but it will afford some very wonderful and novel sights, and give one such a conception as can be obtained in no other way of the prodigious activity of the forces which have found periodical vents in the eruptions from Kilauea and Mauna-Loa. Another journey which Mr. Nordhoff recommends is a ride from Hilo along the northeastern coast, through the Hamakua and Kohala districts, to Kealakeakua Bay, where Captain Cook was killed. There a schooner may be taken for Honolulu, or the ride may be prolonged through Kau and Puna back to Hilo. In the Hamakua district, in the interior of the island, is the little town of Waimea, which is noted for its even and comparatively low temperature. Observations ex tending over many years show the average to be 65° Fahr., and the place may be fairly called the sanitarium of Hawaii, for to it yearly flock those whose consti tutions have become enervated by too long a residence near the coast. Kauai. Kauai is the most uniformly tropical in character of the entire group of islands, is fertile and abundantly watered, and contains much beautiful scenery. It lies farthest to seaward of the main islands, and as the steamer usually visits it but once a month, it is comparatively little visited by strangers. Nevertheless an excursion thither from Honolulu will prove a very enjoyable episode. The best method of mak- KAUAI. 133 bag it without unnecessary waste of time is to take passage in a schooner, so timing your visit as to secure a week or ten days on the island before the steamer arrives to carry you hack. Mr. Nordhoff made such an excursion, and thus describes it : " We took passage on a little sugar-schooner, the Fairy Queen, of about 75 tuns, commanded by a smart native captain, and sailing one afternoon about two o'clock, and sleeping comfortably on deck wrapped in rugs, were landed at Waimea [not the Waimea already mentioned as being on Hawaii] the following morning at day break. When you travel on one of these little native schooners you must provide food for yourself, for poi and a little beef or fish make up the sea-ration as well as the land-food of the Hawaiians. In all other respects you may expect to he treated with the most distinguished consideration, and the most ready and thoughtful kind ness, by captain and crew ; and the picturesque mountain-scenery of Oahu, which you have in sight so long as daylight lasts, and the lovely starlit night, with its soft gales and warm air, combine to make the voyage a delightful adventure. " As usual in these islands, a church was the first and most conspicuous land mark that greeted our eyes in the morning. Abundant groves of cocoanuts, lor which the place is famous, assured us of a refreshing morning draught. The lit tle vessel was anchored off the shore, and our party, jumping into a whale-boat, were quickly and skillfully steered through the slight surf which pours upon the beach. The boat was pulled upon the black sand ; and the lady who was of my party found herself carried to the land in the stout arms of the captain ; 'while the rest of us watched our chance, and, as the waves receded, leaped ashore, and man aged to escape with dry feet. The sun had not yet risen ; the early morning was a little overcast. A few natives, living on the beach, gathered around and watched curiously the landing of our saddles and saddle-bags from the beat; presently that pushed off, and our little company sat down upon an old spar, and watched the schooner as she hoisted sails and bore away for her proper port, while we waited for the appearance of a native person of seme authority to whom a letter had been directed, requesting him to provide us with horses and a guide to the house of a friend with whom we intended to breakfast. Pres ently three or four men came galloping along the beach, one of whom, a burly Hawaiian, a silver shield on whose breast announced him a local officer of police, reported that he was at our service with as. many horses as we needed. It is one of the embarrassing incidents of travel on these isknds that there are no hotels or inns outside of Honolulu and Hilo. Whether he will or not, the trav eler must accept the hospitality of the residents, and this is so general and so boundless that it would impose a burdensome obligation were it not offered in such a kindly and graceful way as to beguile you into the belief that you are conferring as well as receiving a favor. Nor is the foreigner alone generous; for a native, too, if you come with a letter from his friend at a distance, places himself and all he has at your service. When we had reached our friend's house, I asked my conductor, the policeman, what I should pay him for the use of three horses and his own services. He replied that he was hut too happy to have been of use to me, as I was the friend of his friend. I managed to force upon him a proper reward for his attention, but I am persuaded that he would have been content without. " Kauai is probably the oldest of the Hawaiian group ; according to the geol ogists, it was first thrown up ; the bottom of the ocean began to crack up there to the northwest, and the rent gradually extended in the southeasterly direction necessary to produce the other islands. It would seem that Kauai must be a good deal older than Hawaii ; for, whereas the latter is covered with undecayed lava and has two active volcanoes, the former has a rich and deep covering of soil and except in a few places, there are no very plain or conspicuous cones or craters. Of course, the whole island bears the clearest traces of its volcanic origin ¦ and near Koloa there are three small craters in a very good state of preservation. Having thus more soil than the other islands, Kauai has also more grass • being older, not only are its valleys somewhat richer, but its mountains are also more picturesque than those of Maui and Hawaii, as also they are much 134 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. lower. The roads are excellent for horsemen, and for the most part practicable for carriages, of which, however, there are none to be hired. "The best way to see the island is to land, as we did, at Waimea; ride to a singular spot called the ' barking sands ' — a huge sand-hill, sliding down which you hear a dull rumble like distant thunder, probably the result of electricity. On the way you meet with a mirage, remarkable for this that it is a constant phenomenon — that is to say, it is to be seen daily at certain hours, and is the apparition of a great lake, having sometimes high waves which seem to submerge the cattle which stand about, apparently, in the wrater. From the sands you return to Waimea, and can ride thence next day to Koloa in the forenoon, and to Na- Wili- wili in the afternoon. The following day's ride will bring you to Hanalei, a highly-picturesque valley which lies on the rainy side of the island, Waimea be ing on the dry side. At Hanalei you should take the steamer, and sail in her around the Palis of Kauai, a stretch of precipitous cliff 25 miles long, the whole of which is inaccessible from the sea, except by the native people in canoes ; and many parts of which are very lovely and grand. Thus voyaging, you will circum navigate the island, returning to Na-Wiliwili, and thence in a night to Honolulu. " It is easy and pleasant to see Kauai, taking a store of provisions with you, and lodging in native houses. But if you have some acquaintances in Honolulu, you will be provided with letters of introduction to some of the hospitable for eign families on this island ; and thus the pleasure of your visit will be greatly in creased. . . . Kauai has many German residents, mostly persons of education and culture, who have brought their libraries with them, and on whose tables and shelves you may see the best of the recent literature as well as the best of the old. A New-Yorker who imigines, cookney-like, that civilization does not reach be yond the sound of Trinity-chimes, is startled out of this foolish fancy when he finds among the planters and missionaries here, as in other parts of these islands, men and women of genuine culture, maintaining all the essential forms as well as the realities of civilization; yet living so free and untrammeled a life that he who comes from the high-pres3ure social atmosphere of New York cannot help but envy these happy mortals, who seem to have the good without the worry of civilization, and who have caught the secret of how to live simply and yet gently." The raising of cattle is the chief industry of Kauai, and a large part of the island is given up to them. In the mountains they have gone wild, and parties are often made up to hunt and shoot them. Rice is also an important product, and is raised in increasing quantities on Kauai as on all the islands. There are four or five large sugar-plantations ; and coffee grows wild in many of the valleys and on the hills. All the tropical fruits produce abundantly, and the coacoanuts of Kauai are par ticularly fine.1 1 The visitor to the Sindwicb. Islands who desires more particulars than we could find space for should provide himself with Mr. Charles Nordhoff's " Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands," and with Brigham's '¦ Memoir on the Hawaiian Volcanoes." TABLE OF RAILWAY FARES. 135 TABLE OF RAILWAY FARES Feom New York to the Leading Cities and Places of Interest in the United States and Canada. §3^" The Railroad named is that by which the traveler leaves New York. Jggp" The rates given are those which obtain at the time of going to press, hut are liable to change at any moment. Special tickets are sold for all points West at an average reduction of $i from regular rates. NEW YORK TO Albany, N. Y a u Atlanta, Ga , Atlantic City, X. J Augusta, Ga Baltimore, Md Bangor, Me , Berkeley Springs, V i. . . . Boston, Mass Bridgeport, Conn Buffalo, N. Y Burlington, Iowa Burlington, Vt Cape May, N. J Charleston, S. C Chattanooga, Teun Chicago, 111 Cincinnati, Ohio Cleveland, " Clifton Springs, N. Y Colorado Springs, Col. . . . Columbus, Ohio Concord, N. H Cooperstown, N. Y Delaware Water-Gap, Pa Denver, Col Detroit, Mich Frankfort, Ky Galveston, Texas Halifax, Can Hartford, Conn Houst m, Texas Indianapolis, Ind Jacksonville, Fla Kansas City, Mo Kingston, Can Little Rock, Ark Long Branch, N. J Louisville, Ky Lynchburg, Va Macon, Ga Madison, Wis Maucb Chunk, Pa Memphis, Tenn Milwaukee, Wis VIA Hudson River R. R Steamer Pennsylvania R. R New Jersey Southern R. R Pennsylvania R. R New York & New Haven R. R Pennsylvania R. R New York & New Haven R. R Fall River Steamboats or " Stonington Line ". . . . New York & New Haven R. R New York Central or Erie_R. R New York Central & Hudson River R. R New Jersey Southern R. R Pennsylvania R. R ii a New York Central, Erie, or Pennsylvania R. R. . . Erie, Pennsylvania, or New York Central R. R. . . Erie, New York Central, or Pennsylvania R. R. . . New York Central & Hudson River R. R Pennsylvania, Erie, or New York Central R. R. . . " or Erie R. R New York & New Haven R. R New York Central & Hudson River R. R Morris & Essex R. R Pennsylvania, Erie, or New York Central R. R. . . New York Central or Erie R. R New York Central, Erie, or Pennsylvania R. R. . . , Pennsylvania or Erie R. R New York & New Haven R. R New York & New Haven R. R Pennsylvania or Erie R. R Erie, New York Central, or Pennsylvania R. R. . . . Pennsvlvania R. R Erie, Pennsylvania, or New York Central R. R. . . . New York Central & Hudson River R. R Erie, Pennsylvania, or New York Central R. R. ... New Jersey Central (or steamboat from Pier 8, North River) Erie, Pennsylvania, or New York Central R. R. . . Pennsylvania R. R * d d New York Central, Erie, or Pennsylvania R. R. . . Morris & Essex or New Jersey Central R. R Pennsylvania or Erie R. R New York Central, Erie, or Pennsylvania R. R. . Price of through- Tickets. P 10 2 00 . 27 50 3 00 26 00 6 20 12 50 11 95 6 00 4 00 1 50 9 25 29 25 8 65 4 50 25 00 27 00 22 00 20 00 14 25 7 34 83 75 17 50 7 50 6 15 2 55 73 00 16 25 24 60 55 25 22 00 3 00 59 75 21 00 36 05 38 00 9 20 41 40 1 00 24 00 15 00 29 35 26 90 3 60 35 00 25 00 136 HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN WINTER RESORTS. TABLE OF RAILWAY FARES.— (Continued.) NEW YORK TO Mobile, Ala Montgomery, Ala. Montpelier, Vt.. . . Montreal, Can. . . . Nashville, Tenn.. . New Haven, Conn. New Orleans, La.. Newport, R. I. . . . Niagara Falls .... Northampton, Mas Oil City, Pa Omaha, Neb Ottawa, Can Philadelphia, Pa. . Pittsburg, Pa Pittsfield, Mass. . . Plattsburg, N. Y. . Portland, Me Portsmouth, N. H. Providence, R. I. . Quebec, Can Richmond, Va Rochester, N. Y Rutland, Vt Sacramento, Cal St. Augustine, Fla St. John, N. B St. Joseph, Mo St. Louis, Mo St. Paul, Minn Salt Lake City, Utah. . . San Francisco, Cal Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Savannah, Ga Sharon Springs, N. Y... Springfield, 111 Springfield, Mass Staunton, Va Toledo, Ohio Toronto, Can Trenton Falls, N. Y Vicksburg, Miss Washington, D. C Watkins Glen, N. Y White Mountains, N. H. White Sui. Springs, Va . Wilkesbarre, Pa Wilmington, N. C Yosemite Valley, Cal. . . Price of through- Tickets. New York Central & Hudson River R. R Hudson River R. R Pennsylvania or Erie R. R New York & New Haven R. R Pennsylvania or Erie R. R New York & New Haven R. R. (or Fall River steam ers. Erie or New York Central R. R New York & New Haven R. R, Erie R. R New York Central, Erie, or Pennsylvania R. R . . . New York Central R. R Pennsylvania or NewJersey Central R. R Pennsylvania or New Jersey Central R. R New York & New Haven R. R Hudson River R. R New York & New Haven R. R. (or steamer to Fall River or Stonington) New York & New Haven R. R New York & New Haven R. R. (or steamer of " Providence Line," $3) New York & New Haven R. R Pennsylvania R. R New York Central or Erie R. R New York Central & Hudson River R. R New Tork Central, Erie, or Pennsylvania R. R. . . Pennsylvania R. R New York & New Haven R. R New York Central, Erie, or Pennsylvania R. R. . . Hudson River R. R Pennsylvania R. R New York Central & Hudson River R. R Pennsylvania or Erie R. R New York & New Haven R. R Pennsylvania R. R Erie or Pennsylvania R. R Erie or New York Cental R. R New York Central and Hudson River R. R Pennsylvania or Erie R. R Pennsylvania R. R New York Central or Erie R. R New York & New Haven R. R. (or steamer route to Boston) Pennsylvania R. R Morris & Essex or New Jersey Central R. R Pennsylvania R. R Pennsylvania, Erie, or New York Central R. R. . . $45 00 36 50 10 30 12 00 31 45 2 00 47 50 9 50 8 20 5 00 14 50 12 85 7 68 6 15 138 00 40 75 16 50 38 00 27 00 36 00 117 50 138 00 4 65 28 80 5 15 26 50 3 75 14 20 17 60 12 25 5 72 43 80 7 50 7 90 11 25 18 05 5 00 22 00 190 00 t'-Sr* Tickets to all points West and South are also sold via Baltimore Sc Obio R. R., including Washington City en route. IN DEX. Aguadilla, Porto Rico, 116. Aiken, S. C, 49. Alachua Sink, Fla., 14. Alalia, Fla., 20. Alameda, Cat, 84. Algiers, La.. 103 Ahnaden Quicksilver Mines, Cal., sit. Amicalolah Falls, Ga., 41. Annuttelaga Hammock, Fla., 24. Appaiaehieola, Fla., 26. Arecibo, Porto Rico, 1 1 6. Arkansas Canon, CoL, 77. Asheville, N. C, 59. Auelote Eiver, Fla., 26. Augusta, Ga., 86. Bahama Islands, 109. Bald Eagle Lake, Minn., 63 Baldwin, Fla., 14. Balsam Mountains, N. C. 64. ¦ Barbadoes, West Indie*. 117. Butabano, Cuba, 199. Baton Rouge. La., 96. Bayamon, Porto Rico, 116. Bayport, Fla., 26. Bermuda Islands, 121. Biscayne Bay, Fla., i7. Blue Spring, Fla,, IS. Boiling Springs, Col., 77. Bradford Lake, Fla.. 25. Breckenridge, Col., 79. Brevard, N. C, 64. Bridal- Veil Falls, Minn.. 69. Bridgetown, Barbadoes. Us. Cesar's Head, S. C, 54. Cairo, Ky., 93. Calhoun Lake, Minn., 69. Calistoga, Cat, 91. Canon City, Col., 77. Cape Haytien, Hayti. 115. Carrollton, La., 1(13. Cashier's Vallev. N". C„ 60. Cataracts of Tallulah. Ga., 40. Catoosa Springs, Ga.. 89. Cedar Keys, Fla., 14. Cedar Lake. Minn., 69. Chalybeate Springs. Ga, 39. Charleston. S. C. 42. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, 116. Charlotte Harbor, Fla.. 27. Cheyenne Canon. Cul . 76. Chicago Lakes, Col . 77. Chick's Springs, S. O., 58. Chimney Rock. Minn., G9. Chimney-Top, N. C, 61. Christiansted. West Indies, 117. Clarksville, Ga., 89. Clayton. Ga., 39. Clear- Water Harhor. Fla.._2fi. Clingman's Dome, N C, 58. Cold Mountain. S.C.. 59. Colorado Springs. Col., 75. Columbus, Kv.. 93. Como Lake, Minn.. 68. Conestee Falls, N. O.. 6*. Congress Mineral Springs, Cal., 90. Crystal River, Fla.. 26. Curacoa, West Indies, 118 Dahlonega. Ga., 39. Dancv's Wharf, Fla., 17. Daytona, Fla.. 24. Denver, Col.. 75. Dominica, West Indies, 120. Drayton Island. Fla.. 18. Dry Tortugas, Fla., 29. Eastatoia Falls, Ga., 41. 10 Enterprise, Fla., is. Ewa, Sandwich Islands, 130. Fairplay, Col., 79. Falls : Amicalolah, Ga., 41. Bridal Veil, Minn., 6 '. Conestee, N. C, (54. Eastatoia, Ga., 41. Hiawassee, Ga., 41. Minnehaha, Minn , 68. Slicking, S. C, 55. St. Anthony, Minn., 6.'. Tallulah, Ga., 41. Toccoa, Ga., 39. Tovvaligo, Ga., 89. Faribault, Minn , 70. Federal Point, Fla., 16. Fernandina. Fla, 13. Flat Rock, S. C, 60. Fort Capron. Fla., 28. Fort Pillow, Ky.. 94. Frederickstadt, West Indies, 117. French Broad River, N. C, 62. Frontenac, Minn , 70. Gainesville, Fia., 14, 24. Garden of the Gods, Col., 76. George Lake, Fla., 18. Georgetown, Col., 77. Geyser Springs, Cal . 91. Glen Cannon Falls. N C, 64. (lien Eyrie, Col., 76. Glenn Springs. S C , 53. Gonaives, Hayti, 115. Gordon's SpriDgs, Ga.. 89. Grandfather Mountain, N. C, 59. Grand Gulf, Miss , 95. Grand Lake, Col., 79. Gray's Peak, Col., 78 Great Yuma Desert Cal., &7. Green Cove Springs, Fla., 16. Green Spring, Fla., 19. Greenville. S. C, 04. Grenada, West Indies, 120. Gretna, I a., 108. Guadaloupe, West Indies, 120. Guanabacao, Cuba. 107. Guayama, l'orto Kico, 116. Gulf Hammcck, Fla.. 24. Halifax City, Fla., 24. Hamburg, S. C, 87. Hamilton, Bermudas, 122. Hamilton, Col., 79. Hamosassa. Fla., 26. Hanah i. Sandwich Islands, 134 Harbin's Springs, Cal., 91. Harbor Island, 110. Harney Lake, Fla., 19. Harriet Lake, Minn., 09. Harris Lake, Fla., 23. Havana, Cuba, 105. Hawkinsviile, Fla., 18. Hawk's Bill, N. C, 60. Hayti, WeBt Indies, 112. He'aldsburg. Cal., 91. Hiawassee Falls, Ga., 41. Hibernia, Fla., 1 6. Hickory-Nut Gap. S. C. 60. Hilo. Sandwich Islands, 131. Hogarth's Landing. Fla.. 16. Honolulu, Sandwich Islands. 128. Hot Springs, Ark., 71. Hot Sulphur Springs, Cal., 85. Hot Sulphur Springs, Col., 7s. Idaho Springs, Col., 77. Indian River, Fla , 28. Indian Springs, Ga., 89. Iron Banks, Ky., 94. Island No. 10, 94. Jackson Lake, Fla., 25. Jacksonville. Ha., 6. Jacmel, Hayti, 116. Jamaica, West Indies, 110. James Island, S. C , 48. Jereinie, Hayti, 115. Jessup Lake, Fla., 19. Jocasse Valley, S. C, 65. Jorobado, Isle of Pines, 109. Kaalea, Sandwich Islands, 130. Kahaua, Sandwich Islands, J 80. Kahuku, Sandwich Islands, 130. Kauai. Sandwich Islands, 182. Kealakeakua Bay, Sandwich Isl ands, 182. Keowee River, 8. C, 1:5. Key Biscayne. I la., 27. Key West, Fla., 27. Kilauea, Sandwich Islands, 181. Kingston, Isle St. Vincent, 117 Kingston, Jamaica, 112. Koloa, Sandwich Islands, 139, 134. Lafayette Lake, P la., 25. Lahaina, Sandwich Islands, 181. Lake City, Fla., 24. Lakes : Bald Eagle, Minn., 68. Bradfoid, Fla., Lfi. Calhoun, Minn., 69. Cedar, Minn., 69. Cherry, Fla., 25. Chicago. Col., 77. Como, Minn., 68. Francis, 1 la., '. 5. George. Fla., 18. Grand, Col., 79. Harney. I la . 19. Harriet, Minn., 69. Harris, Fla., '-3. Jackson, Fla., 25. Jessup, Ha.. 19. Lafayette, Fla , 25. Little Lake George, Fla., 18. Mary, Ha,, 25. Miccosukie, Fla., 25. Minnetonka, Minn., 69. Monroe, Fla., 18. Pepin. Minn., (9. Pontchartrain. La , 103. Rachel, Fla., 25. Salt Lake, Fla., 19. San Luis, Col., 79. Santa Fe, Fla.. 14. White Bear, Minn., 08. Las Animas. Col., 77. Leesburg, Fla., 29. Limestone Springs, S. C, 53. Linnville Gorge. N. C, 00. Little Lake George, Fla., 18. Little Manatee. Fla., 27. Looking-Glass Falls, N. O, 64. Los Angeles. Cal., 86. Madison Springs. Ga., 89. Magnolia, Fla., 16. Manatee, Fla., 27. Mandarin, Fla., 16. Manitou Springs, Col., 75. Marianao, Cuba, 107. Martinique, West Indies, 120. Matanzas, Cuba, 108. Matanzas, Fla., 18. Mauna-Haleakela, Sandwich Isl ands, 131. Mauna-Kea, Sandwich Islands, 181. 138 INDEX. Mauna-Loa, Sandwich Islands, 132. Mayaguez, Porto Rico, 116. Mellonville, Fla., 18. Memphis, Tenn., 94. Miccosukie Lake, Fla., 25. Middlehurg, Fla., 16. Middle Park, Col., 78. Million Springs, N. C, 59. Millview, Fla., 26. '. Milot, Hayti, 115. Mineral Springs : Boiling, Col., 77. Blue, Fla., 18. Catoosa, Ga., 89. Chalybeate, Ga,, 39. Chick's, S. C, 53. Congress. Cal., 90. I Geyser, Cal., 91. Glenn, S. C , 53. Gordon's, Ga., 39. Green, Fla., 19. Green Cove, Fla., 16. Harbin's, Cal., 91. Hot Ark., 71. Hot Sulphur, Cal.. 85. Hot Sulphur, Col., 78. Idaho, Col., 77. Indian, Ga., 89. Limestone, S. C, 53. Madison, Ga , 89. Manitou, Col., 75. Million. N. C, 59. Moncrief 's, Fla., 7. Napa Soda, Cal., 91. Paso Robles, Cal., 87. Piedmont, N. C, 60. Powder, Ga., 39. Red Sulphur, Ga., 39. Rowland's, Ga., 89. Silver, Fla., 22. Sulphur, Fla., 18. Suwanee White Sulphur, Fla , 24. Thundering, Ga., 89. Wakulla, Fla., 25. Warm, Ga., 38. Warm, N. C, 62. White Sulphur, Cal., 91. Williamston, S. C, 64. Wilson's, N. C, 60. Minneapolis, Minn., 63. Minnehaha Falls, Minn., OS. Minnetonka Lake, Minn., 69. Miragoane, Hayti, 115. Mississippi River, 92. Moncrief 's Spring, Fla., 7. Monroe Lake, Fla., 18. Montecito, Cal., 85. Monterey, Cal., 90. Monticello, Fla., 25. Monument Park, Col., 76. Morganton, N. C, 60. Mosquito Inlet, Fla., 29. Mountain Island, N. 0.. 68. Mount Currahee, Ga., 41. Mount Lincoln, Col., 79. Mount Mitchell, N. C, 58, 63. Mount Pleasant, S. C, 48. Mount Pisgah, N. 0., 59. Mount Tamaulipas, Cal., 90. Mount Vonah, Ga., 40. Nacoochee Valley, Ga., 40. Napa City, Cal., 90. Napa Soda Springs, Cal., 91. Napoleon, Ark., 95. Nassau, Bahama Islands, 110. Natchez, Miss., 95. Na-Wiliwili, Sandwich Islands, 184. New Britain, Fla., 24. New Madrid, Mo., 94. New Orleans, La , 97. New Smyrna, Fla., 19. Nickojack Cave, Ga., 41. North Park, Col , 78. Nueva Gerona, Isle of Pines, 109. Nuevitas, Cuba, 109. Oakland. Cal., 84. Ocklawaha River, Fla., 19. Okahumkee, Fla., 28. Olustee, Fla., 24. Orange Grove, Fla , 18. Orange Mills, Fla., 17. Painted Rocks, N. C, 63. Paso Robles Springs, Cal., 87. Pensacola, Fla., 26. Pepin Lake, Minn., 69. Pescadero, Cal., 90. Petrified Forest, Cal., 91. Philippi's Grove, Fla., 20. Picolata, Fla., 16. Piedmont Springs. N. C, 60 Pike's Peak, Col., 76. Pilatka, Fla., 17. Pilot Mountain, Ga., 41. Pines. Isle of, 109. Pisgah Mountain, N. C, 59. Point Penales, Fla., 26. Ponce, Porto Rico, 116. Pontchartrain Lake, La., 103. Port-au-Prince, Hayti, 115 Port de la Paix, Hayti, 115. Port Orange, Fla., 24. Porto Rico, West Indies, 115. Powder Springs, Ga., 39. Pueblo, Col, 77. Puentes Grandes, Cuba, 107. Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, 114. Puerto Principe, Cuba, 109. Punta Rassa, Fla., 27 Queen's Caiion, Col., 76. Quincy, Fla., 25. Red Sulphur Springs, Ga., 89. Red Wing, Minn., 69. Riverside, Cal , 87. Roan Mountain, N. C. , 59. Rowland's Springs, Ga, , 39. Saba, West Indies, 119. Sacramento, Cal.. 87. Saint Marc, Hayti. 115. Salt Lake, Fla., 19. Saluda Gap, 8. C, 60. Saluda Mountain, S. C, 55. Samana Bay, West Indies, 114 San Bernardino, Cal., 86. Sand Point, Fla., 23. Sandwich Islands, 127, San Diego, Cal., 85. Sandford, Fla., 18. San Francisco, Cal., 83. San German, Porto Rico, 116. San Gorgonio Pass, Cal., 87. San Jacinto Mines, Cal., 87, San Jose, Cal., 89. San Juan de Porto Rico, 116. San Luis Lake, Col., 79. San Luis Park, Col., 79. San Mateo, Fla., Is. San Rafael, Cal., 90. Santa Barbara, Cal., 84. Santa Barbara, West Indies, 114. Santa Clara, Cal. , 89. Santa Clara Valley, Cal., 89. Santa Cruz, Cal, 90. Santa Cruz, West Indies, 117. Santa Fe, Isle of Pines, 109. Santa Fe Lake, Fla , 14 Santiago de Cuba, 109. Santo Domingo City, 114. Sarrasota, Fla., 27. Saucelito, Cal., 84. Savannah, Ga , 32 Savana la Mar, West Indies, 114. Silver Cascade, Minn., 69. Silver Spring, Fla., 22. Slicking Falls, S. C, 55. South Park, Col., 79. Spanish Town, Jamaica, 112. Spartanburg, S. C, 58. St. Anthony, Minn., 68. St. Augustine, Fla., 7. St. Croix, West Indies, 117. St. Eustatius, Isle of, West Indies. 119. St, George, Bermudas, 122. St. John's River, Fla., 14. St. Kitts, West Indies, 120. St. Louis, Mo., 98. St. Lucia, West Indies, 120. St. Paul, Minn., 67. St. Thomas, West Indies, 116. St. Vincent, West Indies, 117. Stockton, Cal, 88. Stool Mountain, S. C, 54. Sullivan's Island, S. 0., 49. Sulphur Spring, Fla., 18. Summerville, Ga., 37. Summerville, 8. C, 49. Suwanee White Sulphur Springs, Fla., 24. Swannanoa Gap, N. C. , 69. Table Rock, N. C, 60. Table Mountain, S. O., 54. Tallahassee, Fla., 24. Tampa, Fla , 27. Terrasea Bay, Fla , 27. Thomasville, Ga., 88. Thunderbolt, Ga, 36. Thundering Springs, Ga., 39. Titusville, Fla., 23. Toccoa FallB, Ga., 39. Tocoi, Fla.. 16. Towaligo Falls, Ga., 89. Trempeleau Island, Minn., 69. Trinidad. Col., 77. Turkey Creek Cation, Col., 79. Turk's Island, 110. Ute Falls, Col., 75. Ute Pass, Col., 75. Vallejo, Cal , 90. Vicksburg, Miss., 95. Visalia, Cal., 88. Volusia, Fla., 18. Waialua, Sandwich Islands, 180. Waimea, Sandwich Islands, 132. Wakulla Spring, Fla., 25. i Waldo, Fla., 14. i Warm Springs, Ga., 38. Warm Springs, N. C., 02. Warrington, Fla., 26. Welaka, Fla., 18, Wellborn, Fla., 24. White Bear Lake, Minn., 68. White Bluff, Ga , 36. Whiteside Mountain, N. <"!., 61. White Sulphur Springs, Cal., 91. White Water Cataracts, B.C., 55. Willemsted, Curacoa, 118. Williamston Springs, S. C, 54. Wilson's Springs, N. C, 60. Winona, Minn., 69. Woolsey, Fla., 26. Yonah Mountain, Ga., 40. SOME USEFUL HINTS. There are certain things with which every traveler must supply himself before starting on his journey, and certain facts, a knowledge of which will be useful to him while on his way. For this reason, a little time devoted to an examination of our advertising pages will doubtless be profitably spent. The safest and most convenient shape, for instance, into which the traveler can put his money is that of letters of credit, or circular notes, and by turning to the advertisements he will find there the card of Morton, Bliss & Co., 3 Broad St., New York. This eminent bank ing-house issues " circular notes " and " circular letters of credit," payable in any Southern city, and in fact available anywhere in the world. None but first-class Hotels are invited to advertise in the Hand-Book, and the fact that they appear there is a guarantee of their character. The Hoffman House is a fine hotel, in the heart of the city. It is conducted on the "European plan," and, in addition to its elegantly-furnished rooms, in suite and singly, has an excellent restaurant, where meals may be obtained at all hours. It offers its guests all the modern conveniences and improvements. The Windsor is magnificent and commodious, and contains all the real comforts that can be had in any other hotel in America. Its location is delightful, being surrounded by the most fashionable residences in New York ; it is also near the famous Central Park, and within three minutes' walk of the Grand Central Railway station. The rooms, five hundred in number, with all the modern improvements, are especially adapted for travelers ; this hotel also has elegant apartments in suite, for families, permanent or transient. The light, ventila- tien, and sanitary qualities are perfect, and are not excelled by any hotel on either continent. The Charleston Hotel is the leading house in Charleston, S. C, and is fully described in the body of the work. It has just been newly furnished and embellished throughout, and every thing that could add to the comfort, convenience, and pleasure of its guests has been provided for. The Htoeia Hotel, Fort Monroe, is a delightful resort, commanding a water-view not surpassed on the Atlantic coast. The house contains every convenience and comfort ; un usual facilities for fishing, boating, and bathing. American House, Boston. — This is not only one of the oldest but one of the very best houses in New England. Its whole character and management is the same as its furnishing — solid, not veneered. All who visit Boston will find a pleasant home, with every convenience and comfort, at the American. The various lines of passenger-steamships running from New York afford a pleasant and agreeable method of reaching the various places of destination. The following are the best lines now in operation : Pacific Mail Steamship Co.'s Line between New York and San Francisco. California has become a regular " Winter Resort," and each year increases the number of visitors ; nor can a more healthful or pleasurable trip be taken than in the fine steamships of this line. We refer the reader to their advertisement, which will be found on page 9. The Williams & Gcion Line, for Liverpool, via Queenstown, have earned a well-deserved reputation for promptness, seaworthiness, and safety, and are very popular with our people. These steamers are built of iron, in water-tight compartments, and are furnished with every requisite for comfort and convenience. (See their advt., on page 13.) The Great Southern Frkight or Passenger Route, via New York & Savannah Steam ship Line, sends a steamer tri-weekly to Savannah, connecting there with all points South and Southwest by the Central Railroad of Georgia, and to Florida by the Georgia & Florida Inland Steamboat Co., or by the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad. The steamers of this line will be found first class, an! every attention paid to passengers, and the car-service fitted with all the improvements that make railroad-travel now a pleasure. George Yonge, Agent. (See advt., page 10.) For Nassau, N. P., Bahama Islands, Havana, Cuba, etc., the Regular Mail Steamship Line runs during the winter between Savannah and Nassau, via St. Augustine, Fla., every ten days, making close connections at Savannah with first-class steamers to and from New York. This is a most delightful winter excursion. Murray, Ferris & Co., Agents. (See advt., p. 11.) The Atlas Steamship Co. afford unsurpassed facilities for reaching the ports of Port-au- Prince, Savanilla, Aspinwall, Hayti, Kingston, Jamaica, etc. These vessels — first-class British- built iron steamships — carry the United States and British Colonial mails. Pim, Forwood & Co , Agents. (See their advt., on page 12.) The " New York Belting and Packing Co." represent one of the most curious of American industries. In their ware-rooms may be seen the multitude of uses to which India-rubber is put in modern manufacture. The New York Life Insurance Co. will be found one of the safest and best in this coun try. It has no superior, and but few, if any, equals. It has gone through the closest examination and most searching scrutiny, but not a blemish or fault could be found in its management. Indeed, it offers every advantage that age, success, approved methods, and prudent management, can give. Tarrant & Co.'s Seltzer Aperient is one of the best articles to be found in reference to those troubles for which it is recommended. It is prescribed by the medical faculty, and its use has become almost universal throughout the whole world. The Wilson Patent Adjustable Chair is undoubtedly one of the best inventions of the kind ever put before the public, especially the invalid portion of it. With its thirty different changes it can be adapted to any desired position of the body. T. Kingsford & Co.'s Oswego Starch (both laundry and edible). This article is now found in almost every household in our land, and we believe no purer or better can be found than " Kingsford's Oswego Starch." Their success has been wonderful : the manufacture commenced in 1843, on a very limited scale, but has gradually increased, till now the buildings occupied in its manufacture cover about twenty acres, and employ hundreds of hands. Fire-Bricks, Blocks, and Tiles, and all other materials for Rolling-Mills, Gas-Works, etc., can be procured from Mr. Henry Maurer, who has had a long, practical experience in his business, and whose character is the best voucher for his work. (See his adv., on page 15.) OCEAN-VOYAGES HEALTH AND PLEASURE. Pacific Mail Steamship Co.'s Line, NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA is rapidly growing in popularity as the Winter Resort of America. Its mild, dry climate has proved highly beneficial to many invalids, and the great influx of these has led to the establishment of numerous hotels and sanitariums where every luxury is provided, and arrangements made for the agreeable sojourn of all classes of guests. These resorts are connected by railroads, and the visitor can, therefore, journey among them at will, finding enjoy ment and health in the charming scenery spread over two hundred miles of the garden-like slope lying between the Coast Range and the Pacific Ocean. This desirable region for a winter residence can be reached, after a delightful ocean-voyage of twenty four days, by the splendid iron steamships of the Pacific Mail Company, sailing from New York the middle and end of each month. Thirty hours after leaving New York these steamers carry the voyager beyond the icy blasts of the North, and from Cape Hatteras to Aspinwall the journey is through the balmy air of the West Indies. At the last-named port the passengers disem bark in the heart of the tropics. Three hours' ride by rail carries them across the Isthmus; and about ten hours more transfers them to awaiting steamer in the historic Bay of Panama. The monotony of the trip is thus broken, and, on a clean, well-ventilated ship, freshly provisioned with a profusion of tropical fruits, the journey is continued over the Pacific Ocean, often in sight of bold and beautiful shores, and sometimes pausing at quaint old Spanish cities, until the " Golden Gate " is entered, and the end of the voyage is reached in San Francisco. Circulars, giving all particulars of this voyage, will be mailed free on applica tion to the PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY, 6 Bowling Green, New York. 10 For Florida, and all Points South and Southwest. THE GREAT SOUTHERN ATI^ New York and Savannah Steamship Line. One of the following first-class Steamships will sail from New York as follows, punctually, at 3 o'clock p. m. : EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY, and SATURDAY, Steamship H. LIVINGSTON, Steamship BAN SALVADOR, " GENERAL BARNES, " SAN JACINTO, And the new and elegant Steamships CITY OF MACON and CITY OF SAVANNAH, 3,250 tons burden each, will take their place on the Line as Saturday's Boats, on 27th October and 17th November. The above Steamships will connect at Savannah with CENTRAL RAILROAD OF GEORGIA, Two Trains daily for all points in Middle, North and Southwest Georgia, Alabama, Missis sippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana, and with the ATLANTIC & GULF RAILROAD, To all points in Florida, Southern and Middle Georgia, and with Steamers in the Chattahoo chee River. Two Trains daily between Savannah and Jacksonville, Fla. Pullman's Palace Sleeping-Cars and Parlor Coaches attached to both trains. Also with the Georgia & Florida Inlaid Steamboat Co.'s Steamers city of Bridgeton and David Clark. These boats will make close connection with the New York and Savannah Steamships. Their route will be through the Inland Passage formed by the Sea Islands and Coast Rivers between Savannah and the St. John's River. These fine Steamers, on this favorite line of travel to the South, are newly and hand somely fitted up for the comfort and convenience of passengers. Families en route for Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and even as far as New Orleans, will find the Savannah route the most enjoyable for comfort, as well as saving in expense. The Florida Steamers leave Savannah three days in the week, for all points od the Coast. Through Bills of Lading given for Freights to all points in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Rates and Classifications will be furnished by the undersigned. Shippers may feel assured of no delay to their goods in being forwarded. Goods forwarded through New York and Savannah FREE OF COMMISSION. Freight received daily at the Covered Pier 43, North River, and Jfler 16, East Miver. Bills of Lading furnished and signed on the pier. For Freight or Passage by Ships sailing on Thursdays, from Pier 16, East River, apply to MURRAY, FiiRRJS & CO., Agents, 62 South St. For Freight or Passage by Ships sailing from Pier 43, North River, on Tuesdays and Sat urdays, apply to GEORGE YONGE, Agent, 409 Broadway, And at the Office, od Pier 43, N. E. C D. OWENS, Gen. Frt. & Pass. Agt. A, & G. R. R., 315 Broadway, New York, October 1, 1877. State-Rooms will be secured on application as above. 11 FOR NASSAU, N. P., BAHAMA ISLANDS. HAVANA, CUBA, Via St. Augustine, Fla. GREAT WINTER EXCURSION ROUTE. FIRST-CLASS MAIL PASSENGER STEAMSHIPS WILL BE DISPATCHED FEOM SAVANNAH, G.I., EVERY TEN DAYS FOR THE ABOVE PORTS, THUS FORMING THE MOST DELIGHTFUL " WINTER EXCURSION " EVER OFFERED IN AMERICAN WATERS: COMBINING FLORIDA, NASSAU, and HAVANA, with Mr Varied Pnases of Tropical Life. NASSAU has long been most favorably known as a place of winter resort, not only for invalids, who rarely fail to improve under a climate where the temperature never falls be low 64° Fahrenheit, nor rises above 82°, but also to tourists, to whom the varied scenery of New Providence and the surrounding islands is a source of constant enjoyment. The Royal Victoria Hotel, at Nassau, is beautifully situated and well kept. It is favor ably known the world over by tourists and travelers. Apply to MURRAY, FERRIS & CO., No. 62 South. Street, New York. APPLETONS' GUIDE-BOOKS. APPLBTONS' ILLUSTRATED HAND-BOOK OF AMERICAN CITIES. With Through- Routes of Travel, and Railway Maps. 1 vol. Paper cover, price, 50 cents; cloth, 75 cents. APPLETONS' ILLUSTRATED HAND-BOOK OF SUMMER RESORTS. Uniform with "Hand-Book of Cities." With Maps. 1vol. Paper, 50 cents. APPLETONS' ILLUSTRATED HAND-BOOK OF WINTER RESORTS. Uniform with "Hand-Book of Summer Resorts." Paper cover, 50 cents. NEW YORK ILLUSTRATED. Containing numerous Views of Street-scenes, Public Buildings, Parks, Suburbs, etc., of the Empire City. The most fully-illustrated and elegant brochure of the city ever published ; contains Maps, and a Stranger's Guide to Public Places ; valuable as a guide, and choice as a memorial of the city. Printed on toned paper, 8vo. Price, paper cover, 50 cents ; cloth, $1.00. THE HUDSON RIVER. A Guide for Tourists. With 60 Illustrations by J. D. Woodward. 8vo. Paper cover. Price, 50 cents. Uniform in size with "New York Illustrated." Mr. Woodward's drawings have been remarkably successful, and make the volume one of the handsomest guide-books ever issued. APPLETONS' EUROPEAN GUIDE, niustrated. Price, $6.00. HAND-BOOKS r NORTHERN AND EASTERN TOUR. l2mo. Cloth. Price, $2. OF ? WESTERN TOUR. lSmo. Cloth. Price, $2.00. AMERICAN TRAVEL. ( SOUTHERN TOUR. i2mo. Cloth. Price, $2.00. D. APPLETON & CO., Publishers, 549 & 551 Broadway, N. Y. The above are peculiarly adapted to advertisements of Hotels, routes of travel, and general business, and are worthy of the consideration of all interested in such. For full information in reference to advertisements, Address HENRY W. QTJIN, Advertising Department. 12 ATLAS STEAMSHIP COMPANY, CARRYING THE UNITED STATES AND BRITISH COLONIAL MAILS. First clais British-built Iron Steamships. SAILING TWICE A MONTH TO PORT AU PRINCE, SA VANILLA, and ASPINWALL, AND CALLING 0XC3 A MONTH AT Cane Hayti, Gonaives, & St. Marc in Hayti; and Santa Martlia & Cartlagena in ColoniDia. SAILING ONCE EVERT THREE WEEKS FOR KINGSTON (Jamaica), AUX CAYES and JACMEL (Hayti). FARES TO KINGSTON, SINGLE, $50 Gold ; RETURN, $90, Gold. HAYTI, $70 and $90, Gold. COLOMBIAN PORTS, SINGLE, $90, Go!d ; RETURN, $150, Gold. ANDES 1,800tons. ETNA 1,400 " AIL.SA (new) 2,200 " C. L. BARTLETT & CO., 16 Broad Street, Boston. At- PS 1,800 tons. ATLAS 1,400 " CLARIBEL 1,200 " PIM, FORWOOD & CO., Agents, 56 Walt Street, New York. JOSEPH GILLOTT'S CELEBRATED STEEL PENS. SOLD BY ALL DEALERS THROUGHOUT THE "WORLD. Every Packet bears the fac simile Signature, l:j FOR LIVERPOOL, Via QUEENSTOWN, CARRYING THE UNITED STATES MAILS, mBk.&'p^-j'L. i~jjy»,. - mm i From Pier 53, North River, New York, EVERY TUESDAY. WYOMING 3,716 Tons. IDAHO 3,132 Tons NEVADA - 3,125 " MONTANA 4,320 " "WISCONSIN - 3,720 " ARIZONA 4,500 " These Steamers are built of Iron, in water-tight compartments, and are furnished with every requisite to make the passage across the Atlantic both safe and agreeable. The State-rooms are all on Deck, thus insuring those greatest of all luxuries at sea, perfect ventilation and light. RATES FOR PASSENGERS REDUCED. STEERAGE - - $26 00 I CABIN - $65 00 to $80 00 INTERMEDIATE 40 00 [ (according to State-room). OFFICES, No. 29 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. WILLIAMS & CUION. 14 V A N I T Y FA I R, For Meerschaum and Cigarettes. tap- DOES NOT BITE THE TONGUE. _^| Our Cigarettes are as fine as can be produced. Only the best French Cigarette paper is used, which is free from mineral and other injurious substances. L' AMERIQTJJE— A delicious Cigarette, of Perique and Vanity Fair. Most conveniently and elegantly gotten up. Unlike all others. Sam ples, 15 cents. Highest Award, Vienna, 1873, and Centennial, 1876. Our Peerless and Plain Pine-Cut Chewing are unsurpassed — the only brands receiving the Vienna Award. Always uniform and reliable. WM. S. KIMBALL & CO., (5 PRIZE MEDALS.) Peerless Tobacco Works, Rochester, N. Y. THE ART JOURNAL. AN INTERNATIONAL GALLERY OF ENGRAVINGS, By Distinguished Artists of Europe and America. WITH ILLUSTRATED PAPERS IN THE VARIOUS BRANCHES OF ART. The Art Journal contains the Steel Plates and Illustrations of the London Art Jour nal (the exclusive right of which, for Canada and the United States, has been purchased by the publishers), with extensive additions relating to American Art and American topics. It is speciallv devoted to the world of Art— Painting, Scalpture, Architecture, Decoration, Engraving, Etching, Enameling, and Designing in all its branches— having in view the double purpose of supplying a complete illustrated record of progress in the Arts, and of affording a means- for the cultivation of Art-taste among the people. Each number contains three steel plates, with many articles on Art-subjects richly and copiously illustrated with wood engravings. In many instances a single steel plate is worth much more than the entire price of the number. The subjects in some cases are derived from the old masters, but more commonly from the paintings of the modern school, includ ing views of subjects in Sculpture. Nothing- is left undone to sustain the reputation of this publication as the most valuable and beautiful of Art periodicals in the world. Printing, paper, and general get-up, are of the best character, and such as to win the com mendation of all critics. Published Monthly. Sold only by Subscription. PRICE, 75 CENTS PER NUMBER, PAYABLE ON DELIVERY BY THE CARRIER, D. APPLETON & CO., Publishers, 549 & 551 Broadway, N. Y. Agencies: 22 Hawley St., Boston; 922 Chestnut St., Philadelphia ; 22 Post-Office Ave., Baltimore; 53 Ninth St., Pittsburg ; 100 State St., Albany : 42 State St., Rochester; 103 State St., Chicago; 51 W. 4th St., Cincinnati ; 305 Locust St., St. Louis; 20 St. Charles St., New Orleaus ; 230 Sutter St., San Francisco. 15 HENRY MAURER, proprietor of the EXCELSIOR FIRE-BRICK at CLAY RETORT WORKS, WORKS: PERTH AMBOY, X. J., Office and Depot, 418, 420, and 422 E. 23d St., bet. First Ave. and Ave. A, N. Y., MANUFACTURER Or FIRE-BRICK, BLOCKS, AND TILES, For Rollbig-Mills, Gas- Works, Blast-Fur- nares, Foundries, Lime-Kilns, Glass- Works Grate-Fiztvrei, etc. Blocks and Tiles, of aDy size or shape, made to Order, at the shortest notice, and of superior quality. SOLE MANUFACTURER OF HOLLOW BRICK, FOE FIRE-PROOF BUILDINGS. Superior Fire-Clay by the Ton or Cargo. _ My factory (formerlv owned by Joseph Forbes, Esq.) is located at Perth Amboy, N. J., within a few hundred feet of tide-water, affording unequaled facilities for shipping, and is in the immediate vicinity of the finest clay-beds in the country. ^~ Send for FHce-List. READING POSITION. Tie Wilson Patent Adjustable Clair, WITH THIRTY CHANGES OF POSITIONS. Parlor, Library, Invalid Chair, Child's Crib, Bed or Lounge, com bining beauty, lightness, strength, simplicity, and comfort. Every thing- to an exact science. Orders by mail promptly attended to. Goods shipped to any address, C. O. D Send for Illustrated Cir cular; quote Appletons' Winter Resorts. Address The Wilson Adjustable Chair Manufacturing Co*, 66i Broadway, New York, THE POPULAR SCIENCE I0NTHLY SUPPLEMENT, containing the Very Best Articles puulisned in the Foreim Scientific Journals and Reviews. Price, 25 cents ; or, $3.00 per annum. D. APPLETON & CO., Pnblisbers, 549 & 551 Broadway, N. T. 16 The Handsomest Illustrated Work ever produced in this country. Picturesque America OR, THE LAND WE LIVE IN. EDITED BY WILLIAM CULLEN BKYANT. A Pictorial Delineation of the Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Forests, Water-falls, Shores, Canyons, Valleys, Cities, and other Picturesque Features of our Country. The publishers claim that no publication of the kind has ever been attempted in the country on a scale so large, with design so liberal, and with results so really magnificent. They offer it to the American public as not only the greatest and fullest exposition of our country that has yet been made, but as a monument of na tive art worthy the genius and reputation of our people. The engravings consist of steel and wood. The steel plates are printed on heavy, toned plate-paper ; the wood illustrations are of the finest character, and abundant ly interspersed through the text, which are printed on heavy, extra-calendered, toned paper. CONDITIONS OF PUBLICATION. This work is published in serai-monthly parts, at Fifty cents each, payable on delivery. Each part contains one highly-finished engraving on steel, and a large number of finely-executed woodcuts. The work is complete in Forty-eight parts ; the size imperial quarto. Subscriptions received only for the entire work. / D. APPLETON & CO., Publishers, 549 & 551 Broadway, New York. 17 The most complete and elegantly Illustrated Work on Europe ever produced. PICTURESQUE EUEOPE: A DELINEATION BY PEN AND PENCIL OF The Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Shores, Forests, and other Natural Features, and the Anoient Ruins, Cathedrals, Castles, Palaces, Old Structures, and other Picturesque and Historical Places of GREAT BRITAIN AND THE CONTINENT. Edited by BAYARD TAYLOR. This truly superb work, which has now been for several yearp in active preparation, will consist of a complete description and elaborate pictorial illustration of the greater part of the Earopean Continent. It will portray the great mountain-ranges, the superb lakes, the beautiful valleys, the grand forests, the cascades, the great rivers, with their fascinating historical associations, and with these the temples and ruins of ancient Greece and Rome, the grand Gothic cathedrals, the quaint old churches, the splendid palaces, the grim old castles, the strange towns, and other places and objects of note, it being the purpose of the publishers to illustrate the varied picturesque and historic scenes in that storied land with a fullness and artistic effect beyond anything hitherto attempted. THE ENGRAVINGS OF THIS WORK ARE ALL NiSW, having been executed from sketches by American and English artists, who for two years past have been traveling over every part of Europe, in order to secure accurate and the latest views of picturesque places. No labor and no cost have been spared to render the illustrations in every particular not only entirely trustworthy but valuable for their artistic excellence. To those who have visited Europe it will be a lasting pleasure, as a souvenir of the places they have seen ; to others it will, In its minute and thorough delineation by artist and writer, afford an idea of the great historic ground of the Old World, scarcely less vivid than that of actual personal observation. The engravingB will consist of steel and wood. The steel plates will be printed on heavy, toned, plate-paper; the wood illustrations will be of the finest character, and abundantly in terspersed through the text, which will be printed on heavy, extra-calendered, toned paper. In all particulars of manufacture, care will he taken to secure a truly elegant and sumptuous work. PiCTUBESQtra Europe is uniform with and is designed to form a companion work to PICTURESQUE AMERICA. CONDITIONS OF PUBLICATION. This work will be published by subscription, In parts, at Fifty Cents each, payable on delivery ; the carrier not being allowed to receive money in advance, or to give credit. Each part will contain one highly-finished engraving on steel, and a large number of finely-executed woodcuts. The work will probably be completed In Sixty Parts; it will positively not exceed Sixty- six Parts; the size imperial quarto. It will be printed on heavy, toned, highly-calendered paper, made expressly for this work, in the best manner known to the art Subscriptions received only for the entire work. D. APPLETON & 00,, Publishers, 549 & 551 Broadway, N. T. 18 AFFLETOWS* American Cyclopedia. NEW REVISED EDITION Entirely rewritten by the ablest writers on every subject. Printed from new type, and illustrated with Several Thousand Engravings and Maps. The work originally published under the title of The New American Cyclopedia was completed in 1863, since which time the wide circulation which it has attained in all parts of the United States, and the signal developments which have taken place in every branch of science, literature, and art, have induced the editors and publishers to submit it to an exact and thorough revision, and to issue a new edition entitled The American Cyclopedia. In preparing the present edition for the press, it has accordingly been the aim of the editors to bring down the information to the latest possible dates, and to fur nish an accurate account of the most recent discoveries in science, of every fresh production in literature, and of the newest inventions in the practical arts, as well as to give a succinct and original record of the progress of political and historical events. The illustrations, which are introduced for the first time in the present edition, have been added not for the sake of pictorial effect, but to give greater lucidity and force to the explanations in the text. They embrace all branches of science and of natural history, and depict the most famous and remarkable features of scenery, architecture, and art, as well as the various processes of mechanics and manufact ures. Although intended for instruction rather than embellishment, no pains have been spared to insure their artistic excellence ; the cost of their execution is enor mous, and it is believed they will find a welcome reception as an admirable feature of the Cyclopedia, and worthy of its high character. This work is sold to Subscribers only, payable on delivery of each volume. It is now completed in sixteen large octavo volumes, each containing about eight hun dred pages, fully illustrated with several thousand Wood Engravings, and with numerous colored Lithographic Maps. PRICE AND STYLE OF BINDING. In Extra Cloth, - - - per vol., $5 00 Id Library Leather, - - 6 00 Id Half Turkey Morocco, - " 7 00 In Half Russia, extra gilt, - per vol., $8 00 In Full Morocco, antique, gilt edges, " 10 00 In Full Russia, - 10 00 *** Specimen pages of The American Cyclopedia, showing type, illustrations, etc., will be sent gratis, on application. D. APPLETON k CO., Publishers, 549 & 551 Broadway, New York. 19 »M»» SELTZER THE GREAT SALINE APERIENT. ^^k SELTZER TARRANT'S jjtattttyttt 1§t\tut For THIRTY TEARS has received the favorable recom mendation of the Public, and been Used and Prescribed by the First Physicians in the Land BEST REMEDY KNOWN toe Sick Headache, Nervous Headache, Dyspepsia, Soar Stomach, Billons Headache, Dizziness, Costiveness, Loss of Appetite, Gont, Indigestion, Torpidity of the Liver, Gravel, Rheumatic Affections, Piles, Heartburn, Sea- Sickness, Bilious Attacks, Fevers, &c, &c. For Travelers by Sea and Land, for Females in Delicate Health, for Persons of Sedentary Habits, for Physicians in charge of Hospitals, for Soldiers, for Sailors, for Masters of Vessels, especially all going to Hot Climates, the SELTZER APERIENT ' IS AN INVALUABLE COMPANION. SUFFERERS FROM LATE SUPPERS, SUFFERERS FROM ABUSE OF LIQUORS, SUFFERERS FROM EXCESSES OF ANY KIND, WILL FIND IN THE SELTZER APERIENT A COOLING, REFRESHING, AND INVIGORATING DRAUGHT. It Is in the form of a Powder, carefully put up in bottles, to keep In any climate, and merely requires water poured upon it to produce a delightful effervescent beverage. S5*A» SELTZER 2BSS MANUFACTURED ONLY BY TARSAHT & CO., 278 GREENWICH ST., Cor. Warren, New York, And For Sale by Druggist* Generally. $mm SELTZER ^*\t^ 3 9002 01445 2172 BEJ»Iill2!,@iUffJ@)M®) & SQ53HT« MANUFACTURERS The Largest Starch ^Factory in the World. mnmmmwmmwm tswiit PURE AND SILVER GLOSS STARCH FOR THE LAUNDRY/ lias been used for more than .90 years by the best/iamilies in America and in Europe, and is pronounced the strongest, purestjkad best ever used. IinriMVOl&ll'S fiwiw CORN STARCH ob PREPARED CORN FOR THE TABLE i Is a most delicate and nutritious article of food. Ask for KINGSFORD'S, and to avoid imposition see that T. Kinqsford & Son is on the boxes and on each pack age. mwrnmmmmm*immMm«mewmm*wmmririrts 1845. wmm. n mm Mil NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, *4« Jfc 348 Broadway, New York, *»wji»»iamtiW»» PURKtY M0TUAt. Mo STOCKHOLDK^ 'If iimww*lw*«M HwM»**»<« DIVIDENDS ANNUALLY. Surplusj 6,000,000 Dotes* lacomej joearly 8,000,000 Dollr.j Yearly. Assets, 34,000,000 Dollars, OKIGIHATED HOK-FORFBITtTRE POLICIES .ADVANTAGES OFFERED ARE. tW3. .2PASSFJT). MORRIS FRANKLIN. Fre^.U:.;. WILLIAM h. beers v