“Everything Carried the Face of Spring”
Biscayne Bay in 1772
Introduction.
Governor James Grant repeatedly described Britain’s newly acquired East Florida colony as a “New World in a State of Nature” after he arrived in St. Augustine in 1764. At that time, only a handful of settlements had been established outside the small garrison town that served as the provincial capital. Other than a few cattle ranches and farms in distant locations in north Florida, Spanish colonists from 1565 to 1763 had done little to alter the natural setting. Brush laden “old fields” where Native Americans had once harvested corn and other crops could be found near shell middens and ceremonial mounds beside the St. Johns River, but they were small tracts and widely scattered over a vast terrain. The daily entries in a travel journal recorded by John Bartram in 1765-1766 while he and his son William Bartram explored the shores of the St. Johns River document the vast wilderness that existed in East Florida when the British arrived.
The classic description of East Florida as a “New World in a State of Nature” was penned in May 1772, not by James Grant, but by Frederick George Mulcaster, the Surveyor General of East Forida, and a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers. Early in 1772 Mulcaster traveled to what is today Dade County to survey several 20,000-acre tracts along Biscayne Bay that had been granted to Lord Dartmouth and other British absentee landowners. After returning to St. Augustine, Mulcaster wrote a lengthy letter to James Grant describing the pristine conditions he observed at Biscayne Bay and the harrowing experiences he survived while on his wilderness journey.
“Everything carried the face of spring”
Frederick George Mulcaster to James Grant
St. Augustine, May 6, 1772
“I wrote from Smyrna telling Your Excellency I was that far on my way to the southward to look for land. I left it the following day and after experiencing a variety of weather both by sea and land laying sometimes upon oyster banks and others upon mangrove islands frequently without fresh water for forty hours together I reached the bay of Biscayn on the 13th of March with both boats, having left my horses upon the Point of St. Lucie about a hundred miles to the northward of this bay and about a hundred and forty miles to the southward of Capt. Ross’s plantations.
“The entrance of this bay is at the northward end of Key Biscayn a channel of above a quarter of a mile wide with above 13 ft. of water without a breaker and the water so clear that you might see to pick a sixpence at the bottom. The main land is about three miles from the inlet, it consists of large fresh marshes, and rich open savannahs, the soil of them dove coloured and blue clay in other parts varied by a rich greasy marl. The hammock land is a brown mould in some places entirely without sand, in others with a very small mixture, it runs from 10, to 14 or 15 inches deep upon a rock foundation. The swamp resembles the hammock land, only has sometimes a different foundation, which is marl. The timber growing on them are live oak, red bay, mastick, gum elm, mulberry, grape tree, elder, cocoplumb, papa, button wood, cypress, yellow plumb, laurel, Black, red and yellow mangrove, persimmon, willows, cabbage, maple, ivey, pear granneti, and several others which I am quite a stranger too. The papa which was killed by the frost at the head of Indian River had here ripe and green fruit on it, everything carried the face of spring and a fine verdure. The pine land nearest to the bay is very rocky and the pine not very good, but farther back the pine land is cut by savannahs and the timber is straight, tall, and exceeding good, the back part of these lands form back marshes of great extent with small hammocks here and there dispersed among them.
“The sound which forms the head of the bay has four large fresh water creeks or rather small rivers which empty themselves into it on the west side. Three of these rivers I am confident no man has been up these fifty or sixty years. Probably much longer as I was obliged to make my way up them by cutting away large branches of trees which from each side hang across. These rivers are deep, clear and full of fine fish, the bottom rock and the water as sweet and good as any I ever tasted. On the banks of these rivers are the same kind of land as I have already described, and upon one of them a remarkable natural curiosity, being a bridge of solid rock forming a more regular arch than you can well conceive where it is certain no human hand has ever given it assistance. The width of the arch at the surface of the water is 25ft, the perpendicular height from the water four feet, and the rock itself in the center 6 ft. The breadth of the bridge is 33 ft covered with trees and makes a most romantic appearance. I passed under it in the four oar’d boat only by holding my head down. The water being about 7 ft deep this bridge is about a mile and a half in a direct line from the mouth of the river, but by the winding about three miles upon some of these rivers may be seen the remains of old Indian fields which I suppose must have been the Yemasees.
“Upon these rivers and on the bay of Biscayn I ran tracts to the amount of a hundred thousand acres, which I am certain will produce either rice, indigo, sugar, or any other produce of the west Indies. The mangrove swamps are higher and differ greatly from any I have before seen in this province. The trees are large straight and tall with large spreading tops and carry more the face of an open forest than of the mangrove we see a little farther to the northward. The roots of the trees are in general entirely covered with the earth and not growing out in suckers as is commonly seen.
“The head of the sound seems to end in a small lake, but upon a strict examination I found it was not so, as after some trouble I got into a small river which takes about a S. W. and afterward a N. W. course and heads in several branches in a large marsh in the same manner as the others all do. From this lake I chain’d across to New River, now called New Hillsborough, and sent the schooner and boat round by sea to meet me. This river empties itself into the sea. It is about 15 miles from Key Biscayn, and 6 from the lake where a communication might be easily had by land to the Bay and Sound of Biscayn.
“This river for about 5 miles runs due North and parted form the sea by a beach of 40 or 50 yards wide. It then takes a west course and branches and seems to head in large marshes. Upon the banks of it are many old fields and exceeding good land resembling that I have already described to you. The fresh marshes run from this river all the way to Biscayn. How far they reach to the Northward I had not time this excursion to examine, being so short of provisions as to depend chiefly on the hunters, fortunately game is very plenty and the rivers abound with fish. On this river I ran only small tracts which it is most adapted for, and capable of making pretty settlements which with the lands adjoining if once settled would make a valuable country.
“The entrance of this river is but shallow but then the beach is almost constantly smooth as a river, and in the offing is fine anchoring ground. It is the sea winds only that ruffles these and even then not in any manner like the northern parts being depended by the force of the Gulph Stream and the Bahama Banks, besides there is shelter for shipping within Key Biscayn, and the run from New Hillsborough to that place is only a fifteen or sixteen miles. Upon the north beach of this river I expect to find more good land for it is far from being yet properly searched.
“The 10h of April at 10 at night I passed the barr, the schooner following me the day after and having a fair wind I got into Jupiter’s Inlet at the mouth of Hosé [Hobe?] River the next afternoon. This river divides itself in three branches. The south river I had examined in my way to the Southward. It runs almost parallel to the sea has fine fresh water and plenty of fish, but no good land. The middle branch I could not now examine, having been from my people and horses fifty days, which was longer than I expected. I was therefore anxious to get to them for fear they might suffer for want of provisions.
“The north branch is rather an arm of the sea, with banks and shoals which leads to the south head of Indian River. I therefore ordered the schooner to the Indian Inlett & come by that way up to St. [or Pt.] Lucie to meet me, which place I arrived at the 13th at 11 at night, but the horses and people gone. I found their kettle burnt thro’ in the bottom and the hole stop’d with a piece of a check’d shirt in order to prevent their provision from running out in the boiling, and near it some leaves of the cabbage tree whereon Rob’t scratched with a penknife their distress[,] mentioning their having staid forty two days, that the Indians would go, that their provisions, powder and shot was all gone and that they had set off for Capt. Ross’s where he trusted in God they should safely arrive. There was more writing which I could not make out, and as I saw only the trac[e] of two horses I was alarm’d for fear the Indian had left them and if so that they would perish as Rob’t was no woodsman, and [old Case?] only a boy equally as ignorant.
“I therefore gave up all thoughts of looking at St. Lucie which I had all along determined to strictly search and make the best of my way along the bands of the river to look for them. I therefore set off at one-o-clock in the morning and the same day met the schooner and directed her to go to the Musqueto and wait my arrival. I proceed[ed] myself up the Indian River and about 50 miles south of the plantation of Capt. Ross’s saw a blue flag on the shore. Upon going nearer I perceived it as an Indian blanket and saw the Indians beckoning to me. I immediately went to them and found it was Hecoffi and Sehaiki with a gang of Indians hunting they told me they had made the sign to let me know that the people were all safe with the horses and were gone to Ross’s, that Indian Tom was with them, that they had staid 42 days and the last 12 had nothing to eat but cabbage tree leaf, mention’d the circumstances of the kettle and ask’d me if I did not get the book that the white men had wrote with his knife.
“They were exceeding civil, gave me plenty of venison, honey, and bears oil, being near night and satisfied about the people I camp’d with them and the day after went to Fishing Point to run the two five thousand acre tracts for the Mr. Herries’s, but the lake which was said to run about three or four miles back from the river was not to be found, tho’ John Ross had seen it and Moncrief had waded into it. The former’s mistake was owing to hazy day and therefore mistook marsh for water and the others was only a grass pond which I rode thro’ as I was going to the Southward. Running up the Indian River as I did I could see but little of it the banks indeed are a true resemblance of its savage name, however in running the two tracts I just mentioned I came upon good back swamps and from appearance of those I’m inclined to think the front of them occasions the river to have a worse carracter [sic] than it really deserves, for as to its having been examined by any one is all idea. I have seen more of it than any one else and I look upon myself as very little acquainted with it indeed. The country anywhere that I have been is totally unknown.
“As to Mr. DeBraham, his age rendered him incapable of the hardship for it requires the constitution of a horse to go through the business. A large schooner with conveniences to make it comfortable is useless. Boats of little draught of water is what is most wanted consequently to make just surveys and give the country a proper inspection a man must not think much of being exposed to all kinds of weather. Sun, wind, and rain he must be proof against and sleeping in an open boat, the sea, beach, or an oyster bank are circumstances he must teach himself to laugh at. DeBraham deserves rather to be pitied than blamed for as to himself it was impossible and his deputies, some wanted skill, some industry, for those who knew their business idled there time away at a heavy expence to him, and those who were ignorant could do no good if they were inclined and they had no character to lose, which give me leave to assure your Excellency if a man has not that at heart more than the profit, the hardship will always render the undertaking of no effect. The expenses also are enormous, if I had not had several large tracts to survey I could not have afforded to have staid so long as I did, as upon settling my expenses on my return after an absence of three months, I have disbursed one hundred and fifty guineas and had (notwithstanding the greatest care of provisions) to live the last five weeks on the chance of powder and ball, no bread, rice, flower, biscuit, or any of bread kind, however thank God (tho’ as they tell me a little less thorn scarred as it is vulgarly called) I am in perfect health.
“The 25th of April I reached Capt. Ross’s plantation, where I learn’t they had nothing but high winds and frosts since I left them, the former I had sometimes seen to the southward, but not the least appearance of frost. The weather in general being exceeding pleasant neither too hot or too cold and what was very remarkable, very few Musquetos, tho’ in the summer no doubt there is plenty, yet I believe not in any degree to equal the Indian River which was the only place I found them at all troublesome.
“Ross’s cane is coming on. It certainly could not have had a worse season to begin with. The rattoons are very healthy, the young plants I think backward but no wonder, yet they are green and look well. The frame of the mill is up and the main trial will be in the making as the cane certainly will not be fit to cut till the season for frost is sett in. If a moderate one he may certainly succeed if like this last winter. I think it very hazardous, however he is resolved to try and the mill is getting on as fast as the people can work it, from the little I have seen of it. I can perceive there is some difference between the expense of an indigo vat and a sugar mill, however if Your Excellency has a mind to erect one at Grant’s Villa I’ll send you an estimate of the Expense, it will not be much. I suppose the first cost of your gang of Negroes (I mean the whole gang) may probably pay the expense? Flora at 8 pence perhaps you may think will suit better, as I am no planter, I’ll not presume to differ in opinion.
“Grant’s Villa is not just now the only place exempt from rain; the whole country is perishing with thirst. It has been so for this three months past and a deluge is almost wanting to prevent all kinds of plants from ruin. It must come very soon, or else no, 3000 this year. Dr. Turnbull , Mr. Oswald, Bisset McDougal, Moncrief, Moultrie, etc., no indigo for want of rain. The Lieut. Gov. confronts himself with the prospect of a fine fall, but then he is a philosopher. Drayton quite tired of planting, can make nothing of his Negroes, wishes he could sell the land and them together, the country will never do. He spends more than he makes in Carolina the people make £50 sterling a hand all growing rich. I replied that Carolina had been settled this hundred years, that the people having made fortunes last year had turned their heads, that they forgot it was the first year they had ever made so much and did not recollect but then might this season be as great a famine as there was the last a glut, that he had not time to experience the profits of his own as the first expence in necessary buildings & etc. had been too heavy for a plantation like his so soon to recover that when that was once done he could begin to find the sweets of his crops like other people. Unluckily, Mrs. D. wanted a rabbit house, which of course was made, a little garden in the back yard, and suppose Polly was to have a little hen house to keep a few chickens and also a square pigeon house in the center, with these & etc. a bill would amount and as Humburt lived only next door, it was only do this and do that, but unluckily when the bill was presented instead of 10 or 12£ it was upwards of a hundred. No wonder East Florida was expensive and by way of economy he has got a white groom and a white housekeeper.
“Wooldridge is busy getting in the Quit rents he has put up an advertisement desiring all persons to pay what is due by the 15th of this month or otherwise he shall seize. His advertisers are Collins and Edward Gray. Gordon and Wooldridge are quite out the former really behaves exceedingly well on all occasions. Jerry says he positively goes home next month and is every day selling off his furniture and Miss Gardner, the lady who came out with Mrs. Wooldridge, is to be married on Sunday to Dr. Barréé. Blackwell and L. Winter have paid their addresses to Miss Moultrie, but both refused. Hamilton of the 31st is dying for Miss Cunningham; Hetty and her mother are turn’d poets or rather poetesses. A copy of verses made their appearance yesterday handed about by Miss Cunningham as the joynt performance of her mother, if the poor Doctor was alive I fancy he would find them other employment.
Mr. Winter was with me this morning and says he intends to apply to a Mr. Pitt, a Brother of Lord Chatham’s, who is a friend of his to see if he cannot get appointed fort major of this place. The appointment is common where there is an established fort and as this is almost the only one in America, he thinks he might succeed without much difficulty, only has desired me to acquaint you with it, as he would not on any account take such a step without your knowledge, and if it does not interfere with any views your Excellency may have otherwise he flatters himself you will not object to it. He wishes much to be fix’d here and also thinks if he was to succeed in this matter, it might be a means of forwarding his wishes of connecting himself with the Lieut. Gov’s family. Moultrie’s answer is that she is too young.
“Collins is no longer Clerk of the Crown. Mr. Man appointed in his room, but this you will undoubtedly hear from Moultrie. I am but a very few days in town and therefore know no news having been absent 12 weeks exactly.”
I am with great Truth and Esteem
Your. Excellency’s very obliged and obed.
Servant
Fred. Geo. Mulcaster
P.S. The Padre [Reverend Forbes] has got the fever.
James Grant Papers
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