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'Way down 'pon de Suwanee Ribber,
Far, far away--
Dare's wha' my heart is turnin' ebber--
Dare's wha' de ole folks stay.

This river, as we have seen, forms the western boundary of Eastern
Florida. It is a very romantic stream, running through a country of
surpassing beauty, with tropical trees and undergrowth coming right to
the water's edge. It enters Florida from Southern Georgia, and runs
through a country which varies from forest to plain and from upland to
valley. Along its banks there are a number of little Southern homes, few
of them boasting of the magnificence of which we often read, but all of
them peaceful and attractive. Of one of these we give an illustration.
At first glance they may not appear to be anything very remarkable about
the little house and its surroundings, but on second thoughts and
glances something more than poetical will be discovered. The old negro
ballad from which we have quoted above gives in its lines a charming
idea of the river and of the memories and thoughts which cling to it.
Excursion parties are very frequent along the river. Some indulge in
hunting, and take advantage of the profusion of game on every hand.
Others prefer to indulge in peaceful reverie and to think only of the
quaint old folks, who, as we are told in the song, still stay in the
vicinity.

The Ocklawaha River resembles the Suwanee in many respects. Steamboats
run along it for a considerable distance, and there is seldom difficulty
in securing passengers. It is said that there are more alligators to a
hundred square feet of water, in sections of this river, than can be
found in any other water in the world. From the deck of a passenger
steamer it is quite interesting to watch the peculiar proceedings of
these dangerous creatures, and many conjectures are exchanged as to what
would happen in the event of any one of the watchers falling overboard.
On the banks of the river, cedar groves are frequently seen. Florida
supplies the world with the wood required for lead pencils, and the
inroads made into her cedar forests for this purpose threaten to
eventually rob the State of one of its most unique features. Cypress, a
wood which is just beginning to be appreciated at its true worth, is
also abundant in this vicinity, and many of the much talked-of cypress
swamps are passed. Pineapples are also seen growing vigorously, and also
the vanilla plant, which resembles tobacco in its leaf. Vanilla leaf is
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