72 IK FLORIDA. 



ed. The paper was soon consumed, but the powder 

 remained intact, in fact it preserved that part of the 

 paper, which was directly under it. Then I added 

 some chips, and laying the whole on an old plate, 

 tried it again; failure number two, the powder was 

 still unconsumed, and the gnats, who had not neg- 

 lected these opportunities, while I was busy, to pay 

 their respects to me, were as happy and lively as ever. 

 Determined not be foiled, I then built a fire in the 

 stove, and leaving the stove holes open, poured the 

 powder on the flame. In vain, it only put out the 

 fire. After that I lost faith in the virtues of insect 

 powder, and had to endure as well as I could, lamen- 

 tations coming faintly through the doors of the 

 state-rooms '"'Oh what are these strange things that 

 are biting us so." Patience seems to be the only 

 cure for gnat bites, and we did not carry that article 

 with us. 



" Doctor," said Mr. Green one morning, after 

 we had spent a couple of weeks in the delightful 

 laziness of sight seeing and curiosity buying, " how 

 much longer do you think the skipper intends to 

 keep us idling here ?" He had devoted his attention 

 lately to dragging the Doctor with him on his inter- 

 viewing expeditions, and they had just returned 

 from their tenth call upon the northern shad fisher- 

 men, who, having brought their nets from their 

 homes to try and catch the earliest run of shad, 

 were camping in the woods beyond the town. 



^'1 am afraid,'' replied our medical associate with 

 base dishonesty, for he was fully as fond of the dolce 



