The Old Country
1774
William Bartram in Florida
The Alachua Savana by Bartram
The points B-Cuscowilla Chief, C-Large Lake and E-Store in
the upper right should properly be in the lower right. C is now Tuscawilla
Lake. B is about a quarter mile from the present Micanopy. The road F shown
below the Savana is now the Wacahoota Road. E is the store on the edge of
the Savana about a half mile west of Chacala Pond. On the legend F reads
“Road from Store on Little St Wane [Juane] River to St Mark and W Florida.”
Little St Juane River is the present Swannee River flowing from the
Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia but was then thought to be the outlet of the
Alachua Sink. The Old Country is shown with trees and the label “Land” below
the lower “A”.
William Bartram engaged, “At the request of Dr. Fothergill, of London, to search the Florida...for the discovery of rare and useful productions of nature, chiefly the vegetable kingdom.” embarking from Philadelphia, in April of 1773, William by sail to Charleston where his adventure really beings.[2] Although not pertinent to my story here, Bartram’s travel through the Carolinas and Georgia makes interesting reading. After reaching Savanna Georgia, in March of 1774, he charted passage on a “small vessel” on which, after stopping briefly at Amelia Island in norther Florida, continued on to Cow-Ford (now Jacksonville) on the St. Johns River where Bartram procured a small sailboat and continued on alone. Stopping one night at a plantation, he heard news of a meeting of the governor of East Florida and the Indian Chiefs concerning raids made by young warriors. The Chiefs described the warriors as being a few vagrant young Seminoles who had being ill-treated by their dealings with the traders. The Chiefs promised to return or repay the traders for their loss of goods. The incident reflected the general situation at the time, the Native Indians and British cooperated, but there was unrest between them.
After his short stay at the plantation, Bartram continued his journey southward up the St. Johns to a trading house which he used for several months as a base for further excursions, one of which is of interest to this story is his excursion to Alachua.
After about a month, William joined four men employed by the owner of the trading house to establish trade with the Indian chief Cowkeeper at the Seminole village of Cuscowilla. With Cuscowilla being in the center of the territory, this would be Bartram’s first venture inland. Along their journey, Bartram took copious notes, collected specimens, and described the route they took. It is a wonder the traders put up with him as he likely slowed their progress. I wonder if he wrote as he was riding his horse. William describing his travels…
After passing over this extensive, level, hard, wet savanna, we crossed a fine brook or rivulet; the water cool and pleasant; its banks adorned with varieties of trees and shrubs, particularly the delicate Cyrilla racemifiora, Chionanthus, Clethra, Nyssa sylvatica, Andromeda nitida, Andromeda formosissima: and here were great quantities of a very large and beautiful Filix osmunda, growing in great tufts or clumps.
As the group continued westward, they passed through old growth pine forests, crossed sand hills, and camped at night alongside lakes with Bartram recording everything in detail, verdant meadows, grassy lawns, and dark promontories of woodlands. The animals, fish, amphibians, and the crocodile or alligator, terms he used interchangeably. He took note of various types of fish including the great brown spotted gar fish six feet in length and mud fish two feet in length, and taking the time to make a detail drawing of the Great Soft-shelled Tortoise[image] which he described as, “extremely fat and delicious”. I remembering my grandparents having one for dinner when I was a boy.
Approaching the Seminole village of Cuscowilla he describes the area:
...we entered a noble forest, the land level, and the soil fertile… the forests were orange groves, overtoped by grand Magnolias, Palms, Live Oaks… We were cheerfully received in this hospitable shade, by various tribes of birds; their sprightly songs seemed a prelude to the vicinity of human habitations. This magnificent grove was a wing of the vast forests lying upon the coast of the great and beautiful lake of Cuscowilla, at no great distance from us. Continuing eight or nine miles through this sublime forest, we entered on an open forest of lofty pines and oaks, on gently swelling sand hills, and presently saw the lake, its waters sparkling through the open groves... After riding near a mile farther, we arrived at Cuscowilla, near the banks: a pretty brook of water ran through the town, and entered the lake just by.
Sounds wonderful, like Rivendell in The Hobbit.
Bartram and the traders were welcomed into the village
and led by young maidens to the chief’s house where they met Cowkeeper and
other elders of the village and shook arms as was custom to the Indians.
Bartram described the town of Cuscowilla consisting of about forty houses
spaced around a large open square in the center there being a larger Counsel
house.
Bartram describes the chief Cowkeeper…
The chief is a tall well made man, very affable and cheerful, about sixty years of age, his eyes lively and full of fire, his countenance manly and placid, yet ferocious, or what we call savage, his nose aquiline, his dress extremely simple, but his head trimmed and ornamented in the true Creek mode.
Upon entering the counsel house, they sat in a circle and a ceremonial pipe was passed around as well as a large bowl of drink which each took their fill using a wooden ladle before passing the bowl to the next person.
When it came time for business, the traders expressed
they desired to establish trade and explained that Bartram was there to
collect specimens and document nature. The chief expressed his approval of
Bartram, giving him unlimited permission to travel over the country for such
purposes with the protection of his people, and given the honorary name of
Puc Puggy, “The Flower Hunter”.
The campground in the now Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is named Puc Puggy after William Bartram and where William and the traders likely would have camped.
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After telling
the Chief their intentions for trade, arrangements were made to hold a
council on the subject a few days. The traders informed the Chief they
wanted to camp on the borders of the Great Alachua Savana to await the time
of the council, which the Chief allowed. With the conclusion of business, a
meal consisting of venison, stewed with bear’s oil, fresh corn cakes, milk,
hominy, and a drink of honey and water. After the meal the traders departed
for the great savanna.
After traveling about three miles from Cuscowilla, passing through a dark hammock of trees the vista Bartram wrote that the hammock “at once opens to view the most sudden transition from darkness to light, that can possibly be exhibited in a natural landscape.” It was the Alachua Savana, which Bartram describes…
The extensive Alachua savanna is a level green plain, above fifteen miles over, fifty miles in circumference, and scarcely a tree or bush of any kind to be seen on it. It is encircled with high, sloping hills, covered with waving forests and fragrant Orange groves, rising from an exuberantly fertile soil. The towering Magnolia grandiflora and transcendent Palm, stand conspicuous amongst them. At the same time are seen innumerable droves of cattle; the lordly bull, lowing cow, and sleek capricious heifer. The hills and groves re-echo their cheerful, social voices. Herds of sprightly deer, squadrons of the beautiful fleet Siminole horse, flocks of turkeys, civilized communities of the sonorous watchful crane, mix together, appearing happy and contented in the enjoyment of peace, till disturbed and affrighted by the warrior man.