THE JERSEY COAST. 223 



yond belief, and, following their prey relentlessly, 

 compelled us to fight them off with bushes of bay- 

 berry for our lives. 



Mosquitoes are found plentifully at our summer 

 watering-places, and still more numerously in the 

 wild w^oods, groAV abundantly in Canada, and arc 

 over-plentiful at Lake Superior ; but nowhere are 

 they so merciless, fierce, and numerous, as, on occa- 

 sions, at the Xew Jersey beach. They are a beauti- 

 ful little creature, delicate, graceful, and elegant, 

 but obtrusive in their attentions; although the 

 ardent lover was anxious to be bitten by the same 

 mosquito that had bitten his lady-love, that their 

 blood might mingle in the same body. 



One good effect they had, however, was to com- 

 pel the driver to urge on his weary team, and leave 

 him no time to gossip at Jakey's Tavern, over the 

 beach party that was to be held there next day. A 

 beach party is another delightful institution of the 

 Jerseyites, and consists of a congregation of the 

 youths of both sexes, especially the female, collected 

 from the main shore, and meeting on the beach for 

 a frolic, a dance, and a bath. As it rarely breaks 

 up till daylight, the pleasantest intimacies are some- 

 ,times formed, and soft words uttered that could not 

 be wrung from blushing beauty in broad day. 



The establishment of the " old man"— the sporting 

 " old man," not the political one— since he has been 

 gathered to his forefathers, is kept up by his son-in- 

 law, usually known by the abbreviation — Bill. It 

 is not an elegant place ; sportsmen do not demand 



