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EXTRACT
Fromm
A True Story of Some Eventful Years in,
Granpals Life
By
Henry E. Perrino
Land was granted by Congress in 1838 to Dr. Henry
Perrin. (a native of New Brunswick, No J., and later, in 1827,
Consul at Campeche, Yucatan) for a township, with a view of en-
couragement in his enterprise; the introduction of useful tropi-
cal plants and seeds into the Territory of Florida, including
the tea plant* His choice had been Cape Florida, but awing to
the Seminole War he and his family (his wife, two daughters and
a son of thirteen years) were established at Indian Kg)", s sup-
posed place of safety.
Indian Key was a small island about twenty miles
south of Cape Sable and four or five miles inside from the so
°ailed Florida Reef.
THE The island comprised only twelve acres. Captain House
ISLAND
man was the proprietor of the various cottages; shops,
stores; hotel and warehouses, while Mr. Charles Howe was the Post
Master and Deputy Inspector of Customs. Three large wharfs stretch-
ed out from the northeastern side of the island*
The foundation of the Perrine house was built in the
water, thus the cellar was useful, during high tide, as a bathing
pool into which the family descended through a trap door, with
steps leading down.
9
c- 61 2 o'
(2)
WATERY Between the house and the wharf in front there was
rOUNDA-
TION a connecting dark passageway so built as to appear
from without as being built of solid masonry. In the early
days of the Seminole war a small boat had been kept in this
place of concealment, providing means of escape in the event
of a night attack from the Indians.
During the Seminole war the government establish-
ed a station at. Tea Table Key (a diminutive island, one and one-
half mile away toward the northeast and near the lower end of
another island, Upper Matacumbe) for invalid soldiers. This
FANCIED fact gave to the inhabitants of Indian Key a false
SECURITY
sense of protection, and despite the intelligence
received at one time from Colonel Harney, who landed at Indi-
an Key from a turtle schooner, that he had just escaped from
the terrible massacre of his soldiers by the Indians at Caloo-
sahatchie, on the river of that name on the west coast of
Florida, they still felt security as no one believed that the
savages would dare to venture twenty miles from the mainland
to attack a settlement apparently under the protection of U.
S. soldiers.
Small palmetto piles had been driven down into
the marl all around the npool" under the house, which were
spiked to the upper timbers, thus obstructing all passages
TURTLE from the wpool le to the open sea, but leaving suf-
CRAWL
ficient space. for the ingress and egress of the
tide. This space was called a turtle crawl in which the green,
or loggerhead turtle, when captured, would be kept for
further disposal.
The house was three -storied, with a cupola and
having an upper and lower piazza across the front. Entrance
to the cupola was made through a trap door. There was no
TYPE lath nor plaster, the rooms being all celled and
OF
HOUSE lined with yellow pine.
Henry, Dr. Perriness son, and also author of this
book, early learned to row and skull a boat, which skill short-
ly was to be of inestimable value to many individuals.
Henry, in company with Mr. Howe, in his boat which
was handled by negro slaves, takes an excursion to an island
about seven miles away, a great nesting place for sea fowl. Ap-
proaching their destination they beheld throngs of cormorants
and pelicans, also cranes, which rose filling the air with their
SEA discordant cries. The negroes captured a number of
FOC.
young cormorants (which had not learned to fly) while
Henry carried home a crane, which was easily tamed and became
an interesting pet.
Quite a number of men were engaged in the capture
of green turtles, etc., for the northern markets. This was their
principal source of livelihood. In latter years the procuring of
LUCRA- sponges superseded the turtle industry, as being more
TIVE
INDUS- profitable. Men the surface of the water is rough the
TRY
spongers are able to examine the bottom as their boat
glides slowly along, by using a small Iss or box, in the bottom
of which a pane, of glass, is securely fixed. litt pressing this
into the water below the ripples, they can see the bottom almost
well as on a calisAg.." (a glass -bottom boat):
The collecting of rain water in cisterns built above
ground, and in casks was their only means of obtaining water to
drink, or for laundry purposes. During the dry season they fre-
quently had to procure water from the neighboring island, Lower
Mataoumbe, where they filled barrels from a sink hole, about
thirty yards back from the beach. The water had to be strained
previous to drinking to rid it of embryo mosquitoes.
For the purpose of developing a nursery for useful
tropical plants, Mr. Howe had his slaves prepare the soil near
a sink hole, or natural well of fresh water, on Lower Mataoumbe.
The labor was peculiarly difficult inasmuch as the ground was
permeated and -interlaced in all directions with the roots of the
gumbo limbo trees and the various vines which had to be out an
every hand with the grub hoe. "The gumbo limbo tree has wonderful
vitality; the posts cut from it will take root and throw out
branches, so that for fencing purposes there is no danger of decay.
It is said that a log of this tree, laying upon the ground, will
throw out roots into the ground and branches will grow from above."
In the channel, near Tea Table Key, Henry sees a slave
catch a murray (accent on last syllable). This is a salt water eel.
Its bite is, like the rattlesnake's poisonous. Its body is of mot-
tled green, and hideous. Whenever one is caught the fishing is
THE spoiled in that locality for the time being. Negroes (ton-
MURRAY
eider this eel edible.
Henry beholds a fish -hawk suddenly drop into the water,
and as he rose into the air carrying a large fish in his claws, a
(54)
large bald eagle came flying swiftly from above. The hawk gave
A an angry scream, dropped the fish and sped away, while
WINGED
BATTLE the eagle with nearly lightning speed swooped down and
carried off his prey.
Peculiar to this region is the water spout, which Henry
sees during a rain storm, high up in the heavens; beginning with a
WATER cloud from which descended to the mean a long, sinuous
SPOUT
body like a snake, twisted and bent by the wind as it
sped along the surface of the water. After traveling about a mile
it struck Matacumbe when most of the body suddenly disappeared,
although the cloud preserved its oone-like appearance for a mile
longer. A perfect water spout:
On a water trip in search of oysters, Henry and party
anchored at Sand Key, a then nearly barren island about a mile
from Cape Sable. He describes the scene as one of rare beauty and
UNUSUAL interest, where, in the water, an land and in flight,
SCENE
were multitudes of birds: pelicans, cranes, flamingoes,
gulls, frigate birds, cormorants and killdeers.
Dr. Perrino plants a few seeds here', at Sand Key;
among others, date seeds and "it is possible that some of the
palm trees later grown there were the offspring of his thought-
fulness."
After passing westward along the capes they shaped
their course northwardly, casting anchor off the mouth of a
small stream, lined with mangrove trees.
The bottom of the bay
seemed covered with oysters and the tide being at holt ebb, an
oyster bank stood uncovered. They landed and enjoyed a feast.
In the small hours of August 7th, 1840, the fami-
ly were awakened by the Indian warwhoop, the discharge of guns
and the falling of window glass. Mrs. Perrino and the throe
THE children, in their night garments, hastily went
MASSACRE
through the trap door, down into the water beneath
their house, secreting themselves in the turtle crawl, where
the water was *cold and even with their necks.* Dr. Perrino
would not follow them thinking that by his remaining behind,
in the house, he could pacify the savages by speaking to them
in Spanish (as their grievance seemed to be only against Ameri-
cans) and telling them that he was a physician. This he did,
from the upper piazza, but of no avail. Their yelling ceased
temporarily however, and they went away. In the meantime Dr.
Perrino drew a chest of seed across the trap, door concealing
his family in the cellar from the savage eyes, and ascended
into the cupola, only to be found, later, by the bloodthirsty
Indians, who forced their way to him and finished their work
with horrible howls of satisfaction, heard by the trembling,
fearful, grieving family below.
Very soon afterward the smoke and terrible heat
in the watery cellar, acquainted the refugees of their burn-
ing home, which would cave in upon them. They kept their
faces to the water, plastered their heads with marl and threw
the water over them constantly to keep the air in motion, and
to cool it, in order that they might breathe, at the same time
throwing marl upon the burning planks above their heads.
Henry decided that he would rather be killed by the
(7)
Indians than to be burned to death, following his decision
with his marvel -min esoape by forcing aside a palmetto post,
which made an opening only large enough for him to barely
go through. With a sorrowful glance backward toward his
mother and sisters, he passed through the turtle crawl out
into the open space. As though inspired, Mrs. Perrino than
delved into the marl with her fingers finally drawing out
g few posts from the bottom, which enabled all to pass from
their prison into the water near the wharf. Emerging from
the hole at the end of the wharf they discovered a launch,
its bow resting on the shore, The boat belonged to six
Indians who were (at that moment) in a store near by prepar-
ing to bring their loot to this launch.
Henry, his mother and sisters were quick to enter
the boat, and although only thirteen, skillfully handled the
craft, with his sister's aid, until they were out of rifle
shot distance. From this boat they were taken to the schoon-
er, Medium, where they found Mr. Howe and his family, also
Captain Houseman. Intelligence of the 'Massacre was sent to
Cape Florida, about seventy miles up the coast, by a small
boat, and shortly there came to assist them, the U. S. S.,
Flirt, commanded by Lieut. McLaughlin. From the Flirt they
boarded the government steamer, Santee, which took them to
St. Augustine, where they were supplied with adequate ne-
cessities; the citizens calling upon them and offering gener-
ous assistance.
From St. Augustine, the Perrino family (trusting
(8)
that by some happy miracle Dr. Perrino was still alive) secured,
through the kindness of Dr. Edward Worrell, U. S. A., free pas-
sage on the water and an the railroad to Auburn, N. Y., from
which place they rode for "half -fare" in a carriage to Palmyra,
New York, their former home.
Many of the inhabitants of. Indian Key, like the
Perrines, effected marvelous escape from the Indians, but the
island was reduced to dust. Many were brutally slain. Among
those who escaped were "Mr. Henry Goodyear, of the Goodyear
Rubber Company."
The interior of the lighthouse at Cape Florida was
burned while the keeper was upon the summit of the highwall.
He was rescued by flying a kite and dropping the line where he
could reach it, by which means he was able to draw up a oorct
sufficiently strong to bear his weight. By fastening it at the
top he let himself down, hand over hand, until he reached the
ground.
While in New York Henry studies law and is admitted
to the Bar. He later concludes he should have chosen the study
of medicine, instead, becomes discouraged, and after trying vari-
outc odd jobs and positions is induced by uncle and cousins to
join the procession of 1849 to California.'
He sails in the Bustin G. Owens, around Cape Horn.
Full complement of the ship was 169 passengers; passage faro in
the cabin was $250 each. Before entering the tropics they saw
TRIP large schools of porpoises, which were different from
TO THE
WEST the "unwieldy monsters" seen near the Florida Keys.
These were only four or five feet long, leaping their entire
length out of the water. There were also visible Portugese
Men -of -War, beautiful red, purple and blue curiosities of
the sea. They have "upon their backs a sort of sail by means
of which they are wafted over the waves. As the rays- of light
strike them they are radiant at times, with rosy hues changing
from pink and violet to the deepest blue. (Here the author
compares the scene to that of Indian Key).
June 1st "A number of passengers rowed over to
the barque, Simlar, bound for London, to send letters home.
EXCERPTS June 2nd "Running along now about four knots an
FROM
DIARY- hour. Spoke with Norwegian barque, Antelope, con
SEA
ing from California, bound for°Gottenburg. Monotony
of the voyage again broken by a word with the French barque,
Sophie Cesar, from the Mozambique, bound for the Harve -deo-Grace.
During a heavy shower caught several casks of "delicious" drink-
ing water."
June 3rd "A shark, four and a half feet long, was
caught during the night and served for breakfast." Henry com-
pares the vessel and the sea to that mentioned in, *The Ancient
Mariner." It is the Sabbath and Henry retires to the quarter
deck during the religious service, preferring solitude and his
thoughts to a "Service read by a grey-haired sinner who deals out
liquor during the week to the passengers, and who "took a horn
before service."
June 13th "Saw many fish called Albicares, around
the bow. They were in pursuit of the flying fish which were con-
stantly starting by thousands from the water, and skimming
over the surface like swallows."
June 14th *Crossed the Equator. A speciet
of shark called the dog -fish was caught today."
June 16th,- "We will pass the dreaded Cape St.
Roque today. We now feel the full force of the southeast
trade winds and hope to reach Rio by a week from tomorrow."
June 24th "Instead of reaching Rie we are now
becalmed about 30 miles from Cape Frio, whose lighthouse is
visible. Saw a bird called the marline spike. It resembles
the frigate bird of Florida."
June 25th *I am really gazing upon the coast
of South America, and right before me is Brazil. As we near
the entrance to the harbor we behold a scene of grandeur and
beauty. On the left is a peak about 900 feet high, called
the Sugar Loaf. One can imagine a loaf of sugar which had had
its base partially melted."
June 25th "We enter this wondrously beautiful
harbor and drop anchor. The city of Rio Janeiro is about three
miles farther in. The passengers hired a boat to take them in.
to the city. Boats are moving in every direction, rowed by
negro slaves. The roofs of all the buildings are tiled, re-
sembling long rows of flower -pots cut in half. Lengthwise,
and laid side -by -side and fitted into each other in reverse
order. In the markets are varieties of fruits, vegetables,
fish, poultry, birds and monkeys.*
"Crowds of half -naked negro women are washing clothes
at the open square. Across the bay is a small steamer,
the San Domingo. I saw men wearing iron collars and
chained to each other (a chain gang). Had to submit to
the imposition of 20 percent reduotion on both gold and
silver coin, in exchange for bulky copper "dumps and half
dumps."
The emperor complimented their behavior while
they were in the city. "Mr. Wise, of Virginia, is the
consul at Brazil. NOTE: Probably Henry A. Wise, afterwards
Governor of Virginia when John Brown was hanged." The
streets were very narrow; the Portugese were 'distinguished
from the Negroes only by their straight hair. The majority
of the soldiers were Negroes. In the churches there the
candles burned in solid silver candlestieks. The music was
noteworthy. He remarks upon the brass bands. "The loveli-
ness of the feather flowers made here aro indescribable."
There was marvelous diamond jewelry in the jewelry shops.
Henry mentions the sloop -of -war, Falmouth, from
Boston, bound for California. National salute of thirteen
guns is answered by the Brandywine. Sight of the American
flag stirs his emotions. He visits a picturesque plantation,
located between two mountain cliffs, where "grew in boundless
profusion tropical fruits and flowers." The Fourth of July
was celebrated in Rio Janeiro. An extemporized military
company paraded under command of Lieut. Wheeler, "an officer
lately returned from Mexico." National airs were sung and
the Declaration of Independence was read; guns were fired
and an impromptu oration was delivered by a Mr. Moreland,
of Cincinnati.
July 6th,- "We are one-third the distance
from Rio to the Horn. There is a great change in the weath-
er as we go farther South. It is nearly mid -winter here.
An overcoat feels comfortable. Cape pigeons and Cape hens
are flying around the ship, indicating severe weather at the
Cape,
as the captain says they seldom ever come so far north."
August 7th "South Pacific Ocean off the Pata-
gonian Coast: The waves towered far above the bulwarks. be-
fore passing Cape Horn, we were followed by a school of whales,'
several of which came within two hundred yards of the ship.
For a number of days the sun rose at about 8:30 and sot corre-
spondingly early. Hours of darkness and damp, chilly weather,
dead of winter here, and a snow storm."
Henry is disappointed in the Southern Cross as the
four stars, of which the constellation is composed, "are not,
says he, "at all suggestive of a cross, nor do they equal in
-brilliancy many of those seen in northern skies." He was im-
pressed with the so-called Magellan clouds seen in Southern
heavens on any clear and star -lit night. "Upon the Milky Way
are some apparently black oiouds. The phenomenon is caused by
a total absence of stars or nebulas in those vast depths, and
the resulting darkness is made more apparent by the light from
the innumerable stars surrounding the spaces thus left vacant."
Sept. 3rd, The Chilian Coast is not, Henry thinks,
comparable to the Brazilian Coast, the harbor is "a miserable one.
The city lies in scattered directions. It is spring weather;
peach trees are in bloom and children sell flowers an the
streets." The absence of the slave population is noticeable
as compared to Rio. The streets are wider, cleaner and more
beautiful. The men, both of mixed and pure blood, have straight
features and are handsome.
October 12th "Today we arrived at the San Fran-
cisco Harbor. The gun squad fired a national salute of thir-
teen guns, just outside the entrance." Large flocks of pelicans
and cormorants hovering, aroused in Henry memories of Florida.
"The passengers eagerly scanned the scenes before them as we
slowly sailed through the Golden Gate."
Few of the buildings in San Francis** had architec-
tural beauty, and the majority of them were only tents. Henry
sees a few adobe buildings with tile roofs, "relics of Mexican
SAN occupation." In every direction wooden buildings
FRANCIS-
CO were in progress of erection. There were signs of
business activity everywhere. The streets were unpaved and
muddy.
Carpenters were receiving $12 a'day; they struck,
asking for $16, but were given 1114, with promise of an increase.
PRICES Skilled mechanics received from $12 to $20 per day.
IR 1849
Ordinary laborers earned $1 an hour. Lumber was $500
per thousand. From eight to fifteen percent a month was paid i in
advance for the use of money with real security. Board was $30
a weak or $8 per day, eta., etc.
Quoted from "Annals of San Francisco", compiled and
5
:edited by Frank Soule, and others:
"Nearly 40,000 immigrants landed in San Francis
cc) in 1849. Three or four thousand deserted from the many
;hundred ships lying in the bay. About thirty thousand came
etcross the plains. There were few women and children at the
close of that year. No such thing as a home could be found;
scarcely even a proper house could be seen. Only the great
gambling saloons, the hotels, restaurants and a few publio
buildings and stores, had any pretensions to size, comfort or
elegance. Horses, mules and oxen forced a way through, across,:
and over every obstruction in the streets and men waded, and
toiled after them. Gambling was carried an in the most public
4manner in the hundreds of saloons which were thronged day and
With companions from Trenton, N. J., Henry takes
7passage an a schooner for Sacramento, to locate somewhere Ia
the mountains, near the place where gold had first been die
covered, for the purpose of finding his share. After passing
18ACRA-
3MENTO
ing wind
-.ets their
aike San
The town
the straggling settlement of Benicia they encoun-
tered darkness and a dense fog, driven on by a chill
which enveloped them, dampening their spirits as well
clothes. Henry finds Sacramento, in many respects,
Francisco, except "there were no hills to surmount."
was situated in the midst of a live oak grove., hand-
somely laid out with wide streets running at rigkt angles with
one another. With other gold seekers, they pitched their tents
there, in the grove, for the night, and the following day starts.
ed for Culloma, the place where gold was first discovered at
Sutter's Mill. The country was covered with "oak openings
succession of beautiful oak groves; destitute of underbrush
and although there were no fences, there was such an appear-
ance of regularity (as in orchards) that at each turn in the
road they expected to see a farm house. *Cooper describes
such scenery in 'The Bee Hunters'."
Henry meets an acquaintaince from Buffalo, on horse-
back, roughly garbed, who tells him that he has dug $3,000
worth of the "golden dust* and is returning home.
The party passes several Digger Indians, *a miser-
ably degraded race whose food, according to report, consists
of acorns, worms and insects. These Indians had just thrown
INDIANS one of their old men into the fire, merely because
they were weary of taking care of him.,
At Culloma was a deeply out road and a settlement
containing forty or fifty buildings. The situation was upon
the South Fork of the American River. Woods rose on every
CULLOMA hand. The river was spanned by a tall bridge, one
hundred or two hundred yards above the famed Butter's Mill.
"It was where the tailrace of this mill was dug and the water
let through, that Marshall discovered the yellow particles,
which were to be the means of revolutionizing the trade and
commerce of the world."
While walking along the edge of a shallow stream
Henry mistook the yellow, glittering scales of mica on the
bottom for gold, but learned that gold seeks a lower level and
"modestly hides its face deep in the bosom of the earth."
Members of the party built a log hut, similar to the others
there, and to this hut they walked seven miles up the moun-
tain.
About a quarter of a mile from the cabin was an
Indian village, "a collection of rude wigwams made of bark.
The men were nearly all away but the squaws were frequently
seen as they wandered around with large conical baskets upon
their backs. A few of the men and women were wearing 'mourn-
ing', a material composed of tar and charcoal, smeared upon
the middle of their noses, on each cheek, and upon their fore-
heads. Their beauty is not enhanced by the frescoing."
Henry is not successful as a gold digger, and de-.
cides to go to his uncle's ranch below San Jose, where he is
developing a cinnabar mine. While there he was placed in
charge of a mule -team "engaged in hauling the ore from mine to
CIMMABAR Embarcadero, eight or nine miles." His uncle's
MINE
house was situated four miles south of San Jose (the
Capitol) near the San Juan Bautista hills, in which the cinna-
bar leads had been found. A hundred yards west of the house
was the small range of hills, and from their tops, looking
still towards the west, across another beautiful valley, was
the "lofty coast of range mountains, in which was the cele-
brated New Alamaden and Guada lupe cinnabar, or quicksilver
mines, said to be the most valuable in the world. The plains
were luxuriant with grass and carpeted with flowers. The mus-
tard plant, growing near the Townsend ranch, reached nearly the
height of the branches in which the 'fowls of the air' could
easily have rested." A red, rich ore was obtained but not a
twentieth part sufficient to pay the expenses, as over $10,000
had been invested in the enterprise.
Mr. Townsend's (Henry's uncle) enterprise is &fail-
ure, apparently. In later years Henry reads in a California pa-
per "An account of certain holes that had been discovered in those
very hills, supposed to have been worked by Mexicans many years
previous, and parties who followed up the traces of cinnabar found
therein had already gotten out several hundred tons of the valuable
ore from the same holes which our men had opened up in 1850."
Henry returns to the gold mine. He agreed to work his
friend's share in the Tuolumne River, in exchange for two-thirds'
of the amount he might receive. (He emerged through worse than
pioneer difficulties) to find that the company had obtained between
$34,000 and $35,000 worth of fine scale gold, of which his share
was only one 108th. He returns to San Francisco to find "many
brick buildings had been erected and the city had begun to extend
far into the bay. On the plaza was a row of saloons, such as no
city in the United States could produce or equal in splendor. At
many of the gambling tables were female gamblers.
Henry expresses gratitude for his early training which
imbues him with wise judgment, protecting him from the "gambling
places, etc., attractively presented."
Mail steamers arrived twice a month; postage per letter
was forty cents.
On the evening of May 23rd, 1851, a fire started, pre-
sumably in a paint shop. Fed by a fiercely blowing wind, with.
in a few hours the whole business section was an entire mass of
flames and in a brief period the "whole region glowed, crackled
SAN FRAN- and blazed, one immense fiery field. The reflection
CISCO FIRE
from the sky of this conflagration was said to have
been visible at Monterey, nearly one hundred miles am. On all
sides in the doomed city was heard the fierce roar as of many
storms that drowned the shouts of men and the shrieks of women.
The damage was moderately estimated at $10,000,000 to $12,000,000.
Seven weeks afterward a second fire occurred, which loss was esti-
mated at $3,000,000. "The veriest haunts of crime and lurking
places of wicked, black -hearted villains were visited by this
scourge."
Henry, with a partner, is established in the grocery
business. He selects Stockton, California for this work as Stock-
ton was a shipping point for the Southern mines and a team and
packtrain center. He begins to enjoy a measure of success, when
he decides to return to the East on a visit.
Leaving San Francisco on the side -wheel steamer,
Golden Gate, he sails via Panama. "Panama" he writes: "is walled
in, abounding in churches and cathedrals, with extensive ruins in
the heart of the city."
Henry rides a mule across the Isthmus, passing a
Treasure Train, guarded by dirty, barefoot soldiers, wearing soiled
Panama hats and scant, dirty clothing. He sees many boxes of "gold
MULE -BACK dust" protected only by two, "half -naked apologies for
RIDE ACROSS
THE ISTHMUS soldiers." He meets the celebrated Texas Ranger, Col.
(19)
Jack Hayes, on a mule holding a child in his arms. He is
robbed of his trunk during the night, while a guest in the
."so-called American hotel, at Cruces, on.the Chagres river"
but discovers it "after a thorough search in the bushes,
eto.„" under the house, or "hotels, hidden there by the
landlord, who probably thought it contained lumps of gold.
Henry arrives in New York, and on March 2nd,
1853 he is married to Miss Cornelia S. Hall, of Byron, New
York. He returns to California, with his bride, to primi-
tive quarters, where "real happiness was experienced."
HIS They remain in California until their daughter is
MARRIAGE
about a year old when Henry decides to again return
to the eastern states. He finally becomes established in
business in Buffalo, New York, but suffers from the panic of
1875, when he again turns his face toward southern Florida,
where he goes, with his two sons, to try to settle the town
FLORIDA ship of land, granted to his family by Congress.
AGAIN
He was encouraged by the glowing accounts that he
read of the beauty, healthfulness, and productive soil of
the country. He reaches south Florida in October, 1876.
Among the changes since his residence at Indian
Key, was a lighthouse on Alligator Reef, five miles distant.
They saw evidences of a recent hurricane near Key West.
Shortly before reaching the channel through the Reef, they
saw a hammer -head shark (a rare species) glide over the rook-
y bottom. While at Key West Henry renews old acquaintances:
Charles and Edward Howe, formerly of Indian Key, were living
there, also, Col. Maloney, who had been a clerk in the House-
man store before the Indian massacre. Col. Maloney exhibits
to him beautiful specimens of large masses of "snow-white fin-
ger coral, which had been procured from Carysfoot Reef.
Henry and sons are invited to visit Col. Maloney's
home. The grounds were surrounded by a barrel stave fence; no
grass but an abundance of calcareous rook. The "garden present-
ed an untidy appearance." Growing there were many kinds of
KEY fruit trees: sugar apple, Sour -sop, sapadilla, guava,
IncaT
HOME, shaddook, alligator pear, pineapple, orange, lemon,
1876
lime, date -palm and banana. The hurricane had strip-
ped nearly every tree of its fruit. There were two handsome
tame deer on this place. The entire city had a shiftless appear-
ance.
While trolling in the water, enroute to Indian Key,
one day, they caught a scaleless fish which was only three inches
in width; shole like "burnished silver", and 42 inches long. Pro-
TRICHI- fessor Charles Linden pronounced it to be the "silvery,
URUS
LEPTU- hair -tailed or scabbard fish or the trichiurua lepturus."
RUS
While on a visit at Indian Key, Henry observes an epi-
taph. In front of the spot where once stood Capt.- Houseman's house,
OLD lay a marble slab with these words inscribed thereon:
EPITAPH
HERE
Liath The Body of
Captain Jacob Houseman,
Formerly of Staten Island, State of New York
Proprietor of the Island
Who Died By an Accident
May let, 1841
Aged 41 years and Eleven Months.
To His Friends He Was Sincere,
To His Enemies He Was Kind
To All Men Faithful.
This Monument Is Erected By His Most Disconsolate Though
Affectionate Wife,
Elizabeth Ann Houseman
Sic transit gloria mind/.
Henry and his sons find the "Bleeding -Tooth" shells
clinging to the rooks on the southern portion of the Key. They
also find a few Sisal Hemp plants on the island, offsprings of
the plants brought from Yucatan by Dr. Perrino.
While wandering over this memorable island, Henry
discovers the cistern in which the sailor, Beiglett, and young
Sturdy were concealed when the Indians fired the warehouse above
them. A dwelling house was erected over it. Leaving there and
-passing Upper Mataoumbe they saw a number of buildings washed off
their foundations by the hurricane.
November 5th, 1876, Off Caesar's Creek, An Open-
ing Into Biscayne, Between the Upper End of Key Largo and
Elliott's Key. "Set sail about three o'clock a.m. Nearing the
opening between the Keys we pass a sponge corral in which sponges
EXCERPT are placed after they are dead, to be washed clean by
FROM
LETTER the ebb and flow of the tide. Now we are fairly upon
the magnificent Biscayne Bay. Slowly nearing the long looked
for landing place. We can just catch a glimpse of the roof of
Addison's house through the trees. Anchor is dropped nearly
half a mile from shore and a sail boat is on the way to us..
"Mr. Addison, who has lived here for the past fif7
teen years, met us cordially. His house consists of a very ordi-
nary log kitchen, about 15 feet square., with a verandah on the
north side of it and a rough board building about the same size,
containing one room, about ten feet in front between the kitohen
and the bay. His wife is tall, thin, with a kindly face, showing
evidence of culture and refinement."
Henry remarks upon the balmy Florida, air and luxuriant,
semi -tropical growth, but is disheartened to find rook near the.
surface of the soil everywhere, and scrub palmetto in every direc-
tion, leaving no "place for a plow." He is encouraged, however,
by the discovery of a road cut through a part of the hammock, at
the end of which was an open space of about two acres, whioh had
been cleared (he learned) by the expenditure of a vast amount of
toil, and which showed a dark and apparently rich loam. The lime
trees were in bloom, but some of them had been injured by the
hurricane. Morning-glory vines were prolific. They came upon a
large banana field, and upon growing sweet potatoes. An explora-
tion through the hammock brought them to the open pines facing the
bay. Between the woods and the bay lay a space of salt marsh,
about 120 yards wide; the line of the shore making a curve inward
from the point in front of the hammock. From the point in front
of the hammock issue two streams of fresh water from among the
(23)
mangroves. At one of these, the spongers who frec&ent the bay,
in search of sponges, often obtain their supply of drinking wa-
ter. At various places near "our first place of landing",
springs of fresh water well up through the salt water', so that
"it is possible by placing an open cask in the sand, with the
top above the surface of the bay, to obtain the best of all
-beverages, uncontaminated by the surrounding brine. This water
comes through underground crevices in the rock from the Ever-
glades."
In their attempt to erect a tent they found it dif-
ficult to get holding ground for their wooden tent pins, owing
to the oolitic rock strewn everywhere.
Henry plants corn, which is destroyed by the "bud
worm." Peach pits prove a failure. He discovers a bear track
(resembling a human foot) on his melon beds, and panther tracks
FIRST on his citrus seed beds. Within a short period they
CROP
had plenty of vegetables, but potatoes had been at-
tacked by ants.
During three or four months of the year, Henry found
that they could reach; "dry -shod", through the beautiful prairie
back of Addison's house, a sink hole filled with clear water,
FISH "margined with lily pads" and teeming with fish of dif-
ABUNDANT
ferent variety; numerous bream, black bass (called
trout) which were easily caught. And near Henry's garden spot,
in the edge of the dense hammock, were deep rock holes in which
"swarmed" bullheads and bream, and "many more black bass inhabit-
ed a larger depression beyond."
(24)
Over the smooth surface of the bay they see quanti-
ties of bubbles, after which they watch Mr. Addison oast his net
and catch, with "one thrown, fifty fine mullets (an excellent
pan fish) and "probably the most abundant of any kind in them
waters." The mullet's dreaded enemy, the barraoouta, seems
constantly lying in wait for it. On one occasion, "so great
was the number and so great the attacks of their enemies, that
the sound caused by their leaping was like the rush of waves
upon the beach,, and its appearance was similar to a crest of an
incoming wave."
The barraoouta is a beautiful fish. having a long
and nearly round body, a long, sharp -pointed head and sharp
teeth, which enables it to out through an ordinary seine and
also to cut a heavy fish line when attached directly to the
hook. They lie apparently motionless near the bottom, but al-
most instantaneously dart away like an arrow from a bow when
disturbed. The flesh is white and is excellent food.
They practiced catching large fish at night; two
men would go in a boat at the beginning of high tide; one
would stand in the bow with a long pole, the end of which was
inserted in the socket of a fish spear, called the grains. To
NIGHT this spear is attached a long, stout line having the
FISHING
other end fastened to the boat. Just behind the man
in the bow is a short pole, placed in the mast hole, on the
upper end of which is an arm extending beyond the side of the
boat and upon which an iron grating rests, filled with bits of
burning pitchpine. The light from the fire attracts the atten-
(25)
tion of the fish, as the boat is slowly pushed by the aid of
the pole, by the man in the stern, and. while the fish are gaz-
ing at the blaze they are more easily captured than by daylight,
"Although we were in a region below 26 degrees N.
there were heavy frosts. The thermometer showed 33
The suffering from cold was keen. Hundreds of fish
were killed in the bay." The banana plants were dam-
aged. The beneficial results were relief from mos-
latitude,
degrees.
FROST
IN
1NOVEMBER
quitoea and the destruction of the morning-glory vines.
In late November they bought venison from Jumping
Johnny and Cypress Tom, who came from the north trail. The
Indians' appearances were villainous; each wore a plaid, wool
INDIAN en shawl, turban effect, around his head. One wore
TRADERS
no trousers, only a long shirt. They carried powder
horns, shot and other pouches. Knives suspended from their
waists and shoulders. Jumping Johnny had been banished from
Dade County for stealing. Old Tigertail, and others, paid to
keep him out of prison. These Indians pretended to understand
but little English.
Henry's young son, Harry, in company with "Will
Rogers", mistake the puffing sound of the porpoise, and the
barking, or hoarse cry of a crane, for bear cubs.
A fresh breeze in January washes ashore thousands
of Portugese Men -of -War, also a large number of small blue nau-
tilus shells. "It is probable that the ancients procured from
these shells the celebrated Tyrian purple; for the occupant of
the shell secretes a liquid of a deep purple color. After
(26)
such a breeze there was nearly always found a few sea beans
upon the bead). These so-called beans are not
the sea. They are said to be growing on some
India islands and are washed down by mountain
a product of
of the West
torrents to
the sea, and then by the force of the winds and ocean cur-
rents finally reach the Florida Keys and the beach of the
mainland as far north as Georgia. The bean is nearly round,
about three -fourth
of an inch thick.
color from a light
and nearly black.
to a high polish.
and sold for watch
of an inch in diameter and three -eighth
The sides have a rough surface varying in
to a very dark brown, the rim being smooth
The shell is very hard and is susceptible
These are often fitted with a gold band
charms..
Henry goes to Soldiers' Key, a small island di-
rectly opposite his place, to secure crawfish and conchs
for bait, and to find mioramock shells. South of Soldiers'
Key are three small islands called Ragged Keys, one about
SOLDIERS' a mile long, named Sander's Key, which is sopa-
KEY
rated from Elliott's Key by a space of about fif-
ty yards, termed Sander's Cut, through which the tide swiftly
passes at its ebb or flow. Each side of the cut is densely
lined with mangrove bushes.
Sighting the smoke of a steamer at Cape Florida,
they visit the Cape, and find the steamer to be the govern-
ment Lighthouse Inspecting and Supply Boat. While at Cape
CAPE Florida they caught a large snapper and a heavy
FLORIDA
striped sheepshead. A guide takes the party up,to
the lantern in the lighthouse and upon the narrow balcony
surrounding it. He tolls them that a great number of
birds are killed at night by flying against the thick
glass surrounding the light. Mr. Prow was the lighthouse
keeper.
They are towed to Henry's place, the "Hunting
Grounds". Enroute, they reach Bahia Honda channel (called
there, Bay of Hundy) said to be a treacherous place in the
event of storms.
Henry Discovers an Indian mound a short distance
back in the hammock, near his place. The mound consisted of
a pile of the rough oolitic rooks and soil, about ten or fif-
INDIAN
MOUND
teen feet in diameter and about four feet in height.
A gumbo limbo tree, two and one-half feet in diame-
ter, was growing upon the top. Pick and spade were utilized,
uncovering skulls and bones of both children and adults, buried
with their faces downward and with the tops toward the center
of the mound. Henry secures two good specimens of skulls, in-
tending to present them to the academy of Natural Science, in
Buffalo, but forgot to pack them when leaving.
Coming through a banana field they sea
seven foot rattlesnake, almost "as large around as
and kill a
a boa con-
strictor." They out off tan rattles. The snake was stretched
RATTLE- his full length and "lazily lifted his head" when they
.SNAKE
UNRESIST- came toward him but offered no resistance.
ING
The only market at Key West was uncertain as all
produce was sold at auction upon arrival, and good and bad prices
(28)
played at see -saw. Henry realizes that it would require many
PRODUCE years there of "semi -savage life" ere he could hope
AUCTIONED
to profit from his labors. This, together with the
fact that he could obtain no cooperation from others in supply--
ing the necessary means for developing the property, precipi-
tated his decision to return to the northeastern states, and
finally to Palmyra, New York.
They boarded the sloop yacht belonging to Mr.
Brickel, of ",Mama"; spent the night on Indian Key; saw a
watermelon patch on the island of Vitae Key, where, "in the
HOME- end of every one was a small hole, perhaps an inch
WARD
and a half in diameter and the interior of each had
been cleanly scooped out by racpcooms." During this trip they
also saw a curious denizen of the seat the sea -pigeon. So
called on account of its resemblance, both in color and shape,
to a wild pigeon with outspread wings, as it floated 'upon or
near the surface of the water.
Henry Perrino was compelled to share his state-
room with a young man, of nice appearance, but who drank
constantly from a "flask of liquor" and finally, becoming in-
sane, suddenly died (probably from fright, as the captain had
threatened to throw him overboard) and was buried, with prop-
er service,at sea. Before passing on, he became sane again
and gave his grandfather's address, (in New York) to Henry
Perrino, who notified the grandparent of the tragedy.
Upon hearing of the death of his mother, Henry
Perrino remarks: "Her children knew of her sterling worth,
her untiring industry and struggles to give us a fair edu-
cation. She earnestly desired our spiritual as well as
TRIBUTE our temporal well-being, and it was the thought
TO HIS
MOTHER of her, and of my sister far away, which made me
firm in my endeavor to do right when I was a young man upon
the distant Pacific Coast."
Extract made by
Elizabeth 010. Ledbetter