THE City of Tallahassee, the capital of the State of
Florida, is situated in Leon county, about thirty miles
north of the Gulf of Mexico, and half-way between the
eastern and western limits of the State. Tallahassee is an
Indian word, and signifies "old fields." The present site
of the city was perhaps long ago the cornfields of the
savages. It is situated upon the broad, flat top of a hill,
and is about a mile in length, by three eighths in breadth.
Its people are hospitable, refined, polite, and very
sociable; and the stranger visiting there will receive more
attention than at any other city in the South. It is a very
paradise for bachelors, on account of the number, the
beauty, and the charming manners of the ladies. The climate
is very pleasant, and the number of soft, warm "Indian
summer" days during the winter, is very great-and, though a
fire is necessary in the evenings, yet, during the day the
visitor can remain almost entirely in the open air with
comfort and pleasure.

To the sportsman, the prospect is admirable. In every
direction, for miles from the town, are wide fields, which
swarm with quail. A fair day's shlooting-allowing the
sportsman to take his breakfast at a reasonable for a good
shot, and with a good dog, is not less than from sixty to
one hundred and forty birds. The coveys are all large, and
often two or more are found in one field. In the
neighborhood of the town are many small lakes, in which
duck and other wild fowl are plentiful, while at Lakes
Lafayette and Jackson, six miles distant, and some miles in
extent, there is good fishing as well as good shooting.
About two miles from town, and on a high hill, which lies
between several small lakes, is a favorite resort for duck-
shooters-as the birds are continually passing and repassing
from lake to lake. There is abundance of accommodation in
the city, and the young gentlemen take pleasure in giving
the sportsman all necessary information and assistance.
Horses and vehicles are readily obtained. Deer are often
killed within a few miles of the town, as well as wild
turkeys.

St. Mark's, but an hour's ride from the city by rail, is on
the Gulf; and the fishing and wild fowl shooting is of the
best. Boats and assistants are easily had.

One of the pleasantest trips, is a visit to the famous
Wakulla Spring-which lies about sixteen miles from
Tallahassee, almost due south-and out of which flows the
Wakulla river, a stream a hundred feet wide, and three feet
deep, with a two-mile current where it leaves the spring.
The route, with the exception of a few miles near
Tallahassee, is through the pine woods, which extend to the
very edge of the spring; though, as the ground begins to
fall, there is a considerable intermixture of other
varieties of timber, and a heavy undergrowth. The Wakulla
Spring is about fifty yards long, by seventy-five broad,
and is famous for the transparency of its waters. Floating
in a boat on its surface, one seems suspended in mid air-
and, when the day is perfectly calm, the water smooth and
the sun bright, the illusion is perfect. The ordinary depth
of the spring is eighty-five feet, and objects on its
bottom can be seen almost as plainly as if held in the
hand. Visitors usually take with them small, round, bright
pieces of tin, which appear like tiny mirrors lying on the
bottom, which is smooth and covered with a fine white sand.
On the western side is a broad ledge or cliff of rock, the
top of which is sixty-five feet below the surface. At the
edge of this cliff the water is black, and I found bottom
at a little over one hundred and twenty-five feet. Out of
this Gulf the stream seems to gush, and one can see the
fish floating over in front of it, steadily maintaining
their position-though the somewhat quick motion of the fins
and tail show the resistance they are obliged to overcome.

The water is impregnated with limestone, and is icy cold.
One or two persons who have experimented in swimming in
this spring, after a few seconds' immersion, became so
benumbed as to require assistance to get back into the
boat. The sides of the spring are very steep; being almost
perpendicular for some distance below the surface. The
river leading from the spring is full of grass, and among
this lie the fish. Fishing with a line is out of the
question-but many are caught with a " gig."

There is a legend connected with the spring, which goes on
to say that many years ago, long before the white man trod
the shores of America, this spring was a little fountain,
and was the favorite resort of a pair of mastodons. One day
while standing at the spring, cooling themselves by
throwing over their backs "trunkfuls" of the icy water, the
ground suddenly gave way beneath their feet-and the ill-
fated pair found themselves swimming in a lake of ice-cold
water. Terrifically they "trumpeted," and frantically they
strove to clamber out upon the bank-but the steep sides
afforded no foot-hold-until benumbed and overcome with the
cold, and feebly struggling, they sank, with their trunks
lovingly entwined, to rise no more. As my fair informant
remarked: "lovingly they had spent their lives together,
and in death they were not divided." The bones of the ill-
fated pair remained long at the bottom of the spring -a
memento of their fidelity and their fate. Some years ago,
some enterprising individuals succeeded in getting out
their skeletons, which were large and perfect, and shipped
them to New York. The vessel was wrecked during the voyage
and they were lost.*

The country around Tallahassee is attractive and
beautifully undulating. There are many fine views, and
pleasant drives in almost any direction. All the varieties
of forest vegetation peculiar to the country are abundant.
The superb magnolia, with its glossy deep-green leaves and
large cream-white flowers, the bay-tree, the live-oak, so
famed for ship timber, the scarlet oak, the sweet gum, the
sycamore, the long-leaved pine, the catalpa, the hickory,
the beech, the wild plum and crabapple, of size almost
incredible until seen; the dogwood, whose large white
flowers, and berries of vivid scarlet, far exceed in size
those of its northern compeer; grape; and other vines of
every variety and size; the yellow jessamine, which climbs
the trees and overspreads their tops with its clusters, and
hangs in graceful festoons from every branch, in a wealth
of floral profusion which illumines its surroundings, and
covers its forest supporters with a crown of glory. Along
the fences and hedges the Cherokee rose-I may tell you its
legend some day-clambers in wild luxuriance, its fair snow-
white blossoms shining like stars in the dusk of the
evening, as you ride along. The oleander, the Cape
jessamine and the crepe-myrtle, puny shrubs and hot-house
plants at the North, here are trees, that grow to the
height of twenty feet. The camellia, too, reaches the
height of ten feet or more, and living in the open air,
blossoms with a luxuriance unknown to its sisters of the
northern conservatory.

But why say more. The lover of the rod and gun keenly
appreciates all of nature's loveliness-and where is the
beauty and delicacy of God's handiwork more manifest than
in the "Land of Flowers"?

     *Chas. Lanman, Esq., in his "Wilds of America," says
     that the bones referred to were sent to Philadelphia
     by Geo. S. King, of Florida, and deposited in the
     museum there.-ED.
     

AUG. R. EGBERT.