 In 1897 , an explorer named Hugh Willoughby spent eight days canoeing with a party from the mouth of the Harney River to the Miami River . He wrote about his observations and sent them back to the New Orleans Times @-@ Democrat . Willoughby described the water as healthy and wholesome , with numerous springs , and 10 @,@ 000 alligators " more or less " in Lake Okeechobee . The party encountered thousands of birds near the Shark River , " killing hundreds , but they continued to return " . Willoughby pointed out that much of the rest of the country had been mapped and explored except for this part of Florida , writing , " ( w ) e have a tract of land one hundred and thirty miles long and seventy miles wide that is as much unknown to the white man as the heart of Africa . " 
 In 1897 , an explorer named Hugh Willoughby spent eight days canoeing with a party from the mouth of the Harney River to the Miami River . He wrote about his observations and sent them back to the New Orleans Times @-@ Democrat . Willoughby described the water as healthy and wholesome , with numerous springs , and 10 @,@ 000 alligators " more or less " in Lake Okeechobee . The party encountered thousands of birds near the Shark River , " killing hundreds , but they continued to return " . Willoughby pointed out that much of the rest of the country <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> been mapped and explored except for this part of Florida , writing , " ( w ) e <a href='got' title='2'><mark>have</mark></a> a tract of land one hundred and thirty miles long and seventy miles wide <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>as much unknown to the white man as the heart of Africa . " 
In 1897 , an explorer named Hugh Willoughby spent eight days canoeing with a party from the mouth of da Harney River to tdaMiami River . He wrote bou his observations and sent em bacc to thdaew Orleans Times @-@ Democrat . Willoughby described the water as healthy and wholesome , wid numerous springs , and 10 @,@ 000 alligators " more or less " in Lake Okeechobee . Thedarty encountered thousands of birds near the Shark River , " killing hundreds , but they continued to return " . Willoughby pointed out dat much of the rest of the country done been mapped and explored except for dis part of Florida , writing , " ( wid ) e got a tract of land one hundred and thirty miles long and seventy miles wide as much unknown to the date man as the heart of Africa . "