yet palpable to touch?_

"Little Sprite Lake is the jumping-off place; beyond lie the
Everglades, the outskirts of which are haunted by the
Seminoles, the interior of which have never been visited by
man, as far as we know.

"As you are aware, no general survey of Florida has yet been
made; there exist no maps of the Everglades south of
Okeechobee; even Little Sprite Lake is but a vague blot on our
maps. We know, of course, that south of the eleven thousand
square miles of fresh water which is called Lake Okeechobee
the Everglades form a vast, delta-like projection of thousands
and thousands of square miles. Darkest Africa is no longer a
mystery; but the Everglades to-day remain the sombre secret of
our continent. And, to-day, this unknown expanse of swamps,
barrens, forests, and lagoons is greater than in the days of
De Soto, because the entire region has been slowly rising.

"All this, my dear sir, you already know, and I ask your
indulgence for recalling the facts to your memory. I do it for
this reason--the search for _what I am seeking_ may lead us to
utter destruction; and therefore my formal orders to you
should be modified to this extent:--do you volunteer? If you
volunteer, my orders remain; if not, turn this letter over to
Mr. Kingsley, who will find for me the companion I require.

"In the event of your coming, you must break your journey at
False Cape and ask for an old man named Slunk. He will give
you a packet; you will give him a dollar, and drive on to Cape