BASS FISII1XG 0^&quot; SPRUCE CREEK. 125 



We swung our hammocks between two trees by the 

 fire, and after a supper of bass, with bread and coffee, 

 should have slept sweetly but for a band of hungry 

 mosquitoes which, lighted by the moonbeams, found us 

 out and sung in our ears their detestable song. Next 

 morning we started at sunrise, and trolled up the creek 

 with hand line and rod and reel, both having spoons 

 attached. On the hand line BuePs propeller, in white 

 metal ; and on the reel line two brass fliers revolving 

 round a brass wire ; the latter seemed to be the favorite, 

 and took more and larger fish. Got back to camp at 

 8 A. M., with twenty-five black bass and four red-fish. 

 The former were from one to three pounds weight, and 

 the latter of about the same size ; we lost three bass by 

 shaking loose the hook. As the weather looked threat 

 ening, we broke camp and returned down the river, tak 

 ing four more bass by the way. We got entangled 

 among the oyster banks at low tide, and lost an hour, 

 the rain falling heavily. When we got out of these shal 

 lows, we set our sail to the breeze, and went down the 

 river flying, almost running over a large alligator which 

 lay on the mud, as we rounded a point. As we emerged 

 into the broad Halifax, we saw two objects on the further 

 bank which looked, at the distance of half a mile, like 

 bears, but being quite near a house, Lewis thought they 

 must be black hogs feeding along the beach, though they 

 looked too large for hogs of this region. We learned 

 afterward that bears had repeatedly been seen on this 

 very spot, and had carried off hogs from the man who 

 lived there. So that if we had sailed down upon them, 

 my guide having his rifle and hound in the boat, might 

 probably have killed one or both. 



Having caught these black bass (Grystes salmoides) in 



