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Camping And Cruising In Florida
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
294 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2010
About the author
James A. Henshall
50 booksJames Alexander Henshall (February 29, 1836 - April 4, 1925) was an author on fishing.[1] He was known as the "apostle of the black bass".[2] His book Bass, Pike, Perch and other Game Fishes of America (1903) is part of the American Sportsman's Library.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 13, 2024
James Henshall made two extended visits to Florida in the early months of 1879 and 1882. At the time he was a doctor in northern Kentucky. (See The Autobiography of Dr. James Alexander Henshall The Father of for more about his life.)
On the first trip, Henshall brought a half dozen of his patients, all men with maladies the doctor thought would improved by a trip to Florida. Rather than hire a local captain as most tourists did at the the time, Henshall purchased a sailboat and captained it himself on a multi-month adventure down the Indian River and its tributaries. The group also visited Lake Worth and Biscayne Bay. On the second trip, Henshall brought his ill wife for a visit to the Indian River, then she returned north and he hired a boat for a longer cruise from Titusville to Key West then up the Gulf Coast to Cedar Key.
Henshall is a keen observer. He is sometimes witty and even a bit mischievous, and and poetic). Well aware of the scarcity of information about South Florida at the time, this travelogue is deliberately written as part memoir, part guidebook. Henshall talks much about the wildlife with the eye of naturalist. He fishes and hunts, but most of what is killed by the party is eaten by them, and he deplores most of the wasteful slaughter by other tourists. A visit to a Seminole village comes off as mostly respectful. Curiously, Mrs. Henshall gets very little mention.
This is a short book of only 158 pages, with short chapters of 6-10 pages. It's a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. Illustrations of wildlife, places, and events are scattered throughout - mostly drawn by George W. Potter, a Lake Worth pioneer - along with the chapter initials.
Those interested in the pre-Flagler history of South Florida, especially the Indian River region, will find this book an invaluable resource. At the same time, the book can be a little frustrating to the historian. Henshall comments on all the "Life Saving Stations" (actually Houses of Refuge) and lighthouses he passes, but only stops to visit Jupiter's. Some of he people Henshall meets he probably didn't recall their full names when writing this book, but others he seems to have deliberately obfuscated. On the second trip, Henshall gives his companions pseudonyms. It's only from research in the Florida Star newspaper that I can identify "Skipper" as Capt. F. S. Strohbar, and "Squire" and "Jack" as M. P. Norton and J. E. Ward of Bristol, CT ("Buck" of Texas isn't mentioned). As much as I like this book, I think it would be well-served by an annotated edition.
I give this the highest recommendation to anyone who interested in Florida history and/or who enjoys travelogues.
On the first trip, Henshall brought a half dozen of his patients, all men with maladies the doctor thought would improved by a trip to Florida. Rather than hire a local captain as most tourists did at the the time, Henshall purchased a sailboat and captained it himself on a multi-month adventure down the Indian River and its tributaries. The group also visited Lake Worth and Biscayne Bay. On the second trip, Henshall brought his ill wife for a visit to the Indian River, then she returned north and he hired a boat for a longer cruise from Titusville to Key West then up the Gulf Coast to Cedar Key.
Henshall is a keen observer. He is sometimes witty and even a bit mischievous, and and poetic). Well aware of the scarcity of information about South Florida at the time, this travelogue is deliberately written as part memoir, part guidebook. Henshall talks much about the wildlife with the eye of naturalist. He fishes and hunts, but most of what is killed by the party is eaten by them, and he deplores most of the wasteful slaughter by other tourists. A visit to a Seminole village comes off as mostly respectful. Curiously, Mrs. Henshall gets very little mention.
This is a short book of only 158 pages, with short chapters of 6-10 pages. It's a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. Illustrations of wildlife, places, and events are scattered throughout - mostly drawn by George W. Potter, a Lake Worth pioneer - along with the chapter initials.
Those interested in the pre-Flagler history of South Florida, especially the Indian River region, will find this book an invaluable resource. At the same time, the book can be a little frustrating to the historian. Henshall comments on all the "Life Saving Stations" (actually Houses of Refuge) and lighthouses he passes, but only stops to visit Jupiter's. Some of he people Henshall meets he probably didn't recall their full names when writing this book, but others he seems to have deliberately obfuscated. On the second trip, Henshall gives his companions pseudonyms. It's only from research in the Florida Star newspaper that I can identify "Skipper" as Capt. F. S. Strohbar, and "Squire" and "Jack" as M. P. Norton and J. E. Ward of Bristol, CT ("Buck" of Texas isn't mentioned). As much as I like this book, I think it would be well-served by an annotated edition.
I give this the highest recommendation to anyone who interested in Florida history and/or who enjoys travelogues.
November 21, 2013
I found this book online and read a good part of it on my old NOOK. Despite the eye strain on that old reader, I enjoyed it immensely. Written by Doctor Henshall in 1884, it provides amusing contrasts in what is the same and what is different now about health, camping, hunting, fishing, sailing small craft, and life in Florida.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews