YACHTIXG OH THE ST. JOHNS. 155 



These piers are often carried a long way into the 

 broad river before reaching water of sufficient depth for 

 a steamboat, so shallow are many of the bays, and they 

 do not endure long in a climate where heat and moisture 

 expedite deca} r , and where, under water, various borers are 

 ever at work running their galleries through and through 

 even the gummy pitch-pine logs. 



&quot;With some ingenuity very comfortable beds were 

 improvised from cushions, rugs, etc., and despite the hot 

 breath and loud respirations of the furnace and boiler, 

 very near our heads, we made out a comfortable night on 

 our steam tug. At daybreak a fog hung over the stream, 

 and we were forced to await its clearing. It did not 

 delay long, but rolled away like a curtain, and opened a 

 morning view of the scenes that we were so reluctant to 

 have overshadowed the night before. Our cook was 

 busy in a caboose a little smaller than a watch-box, from 

 which drifted a fragrant odor of Java as we came on 

 deck and freshened up in pails of clear water, and ate 

 our fruit before breakfast. We were drifting along, with 

 summer all around air, water, and sky all full of 

 warmth. Our will our law, to go, to stop, hasten or 

 linger as we fancied at the moment, and in unison with 

 the soothing influences of the scene we gave ourselves up 

 to vigorous idleness. After our meal, as our crew was 

 small, your correspondent took the wheel while the cap 

 tain enjoyed his breakfast. The pilot-house was low 

 and open. Just in front, in easy camp-chairs, sat the 

 rest of our little party smoking, with their guns on a 

 cable box in front, all of us feeling little interest in get 

 ting anywhere, the one fact of gliding along amid slowly 

 varied scenes being sufficient. It was indeed luxurious. 

 Our black imp was at hand to respond to every wish and 



