error. It was not until 1883, when Major A. P. Williams led what was
called the "New Orleans Times-Democrat Expedition" from Shark river to
Lake Okeechobee, that the 'Glades were really crossed. The route was
south to north-but only the Seminole knew the trails to the east.

Between Sprague's report and the Williams expedition, there
were various attempts to crack the hard nut of the wilderness but all of
them ended in failure. Lieutenant Marchand's expedition in 1842 did
little more than skirt the edges, and the hardships of wading through
miles of sawgrass six to 10 feet high, proved too great for the men. The
attempts made in the same year by Commander Rogers, and five years
later by Lieutenant Martin, were also unsuccessful.


-- Reclaiming the 'Glades --

Buckingham Smith was commissioned in 1847 to procure
authentic information of the Everglades for the purpose of ascertaining
the practicability of draining them. His report was vivid, highly
optimistic, and his descriptions are quoted to this day.

The water trails east of Major Williams' route, traversed in
1883, remained unknown save to the Seminoles, until nine years later,
1892, when J. E. Ingraham led a party from west to east, directly
across the 'Glades from Fort Myers to Miami. In the interests of the
Plant railroad system, Ingraham was trying to find a shorter