294 AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



ocean by a narrow peninsula of sand hills, and navigable for 

 small craft in its whole length. Another river or bay, com- 

 ing from the south, enters the ocean at the same inlet; this 

 is called the Hillsboro' River, and is some twenty-five miles 

 long, being connected at its southern end with the Indian 

 River by a canal. On the Hillsboro', is the town of New 

 Smyrna, one of the oldest in Florida, having been founded 

 during the English occupation in 1769. Its interesting and 

 painful history may be found in a work called "Old St. 

 Augustine," published in New York in 1885, by Chas. B. Rey- 

 nolds. It was destroyed during the Seminole war, and after- 

 ward in the War of Secession, and has but lately begun to 

 grow to the position which its situation and rich lands will 

 ultimately give it. 



Our host comes of the Minorcan race, which settled New 

 Smyrna, one hundred and twenty years ago, and is a fine, 

 vigorous looking man of fifty years. 



We cross the Halifax River to the mouth of Spruce Creek, 

 about one hundred yards wide, flowing through a labyrinth 

 of islands and creeks reaching many miles south and west. 

 Here P. stops at a sandy shoal to catch mullets for bait. 

 This is done with a cast-net, in the use of which Florida 

 fishermen are expert. A circular net, about ten feet in diam- 

 eter, loaded at the edges with lead, and so arranged as to draw 

 up into a bag, with pockets at the sides to retain the fish. 

 P. takes the net in both hands, with the drawing cord in his 

 mouth; he wades along the shoal, looking for Mullet; with a 

 circular sweep the net falls on the water, and sinks to the 

 bottom. He hauls it in slowly, and we see the glittering 

 Mullet within the meshes. He comes to the boat with half 

 a dozen fish, eight or ten inches long, bright and silvery. 

 In the course of a few casts he gets twenty more, which will 

 suffice for a day's fishing. The cast-net is absolutely neces- 

 sary to the Florida fisherman, as the Mullet is used for bait 

 for all the best fishes, except Drum and Shceps-head. Besides 



