158 YACHTIXQ OX THE ST. JOHNS. 



dining tables. We were not at the mercy of negro 

 stewardesses, nor to be snubbed by magnificent waiters ; 

 we were as independent as chimney-sweeps in a crowd. 

 Your correspondent was admiral of the licet (steamer 

 and two skiffs), sailing-master, &quot; bo sun tight and mid- 

 shipmite,&quot; and chief of ordnance (one Scott and one 

 Remington), while Madame was in command of our cabin 

 passengers (maid and one child), and reigned supreme 

 over a culinary department consisting of two spirit-lamps 

 at night and a fire on shore in the day time. 



Just at the time we tied up, hot tea was singing on 

 one lamp, hot soup (thanks to Liebig), on the other ; 

 and with rolls, devilled meat, and canned luxuries, there 

 was a good supper laid away, and the events of the day 

 came in pleasant retrospect through the cheering medium 

 of sparkling wine. 



At dawn we clambered on to the old wharf. A wood 

 road ran back from it through the forest to a settler s 

 home. Birds were singing gayly, among them our 

 familiar summer friends ; but many strange notes came 

 from the low growth. Following what seenued to be the 

 sound of an axe, a woodpecker was found, an earlier work 

 man than the lazy &quot;crackers.&quot; It was one of the large 

 fellows that are sometimes seen on southern trees ; as 

 large as a teal duck, a gay, handsome bird, with a bill 

 like iron and a head that enables them to exercise the 

 feat, long considered impossible, of sawing wood with a 

 hammer. Ducks, herons, water turkeys, ospreys, and 

 other birds followed the narrow water in their ilight, shy 

 ing above the tree tops as they found us occupying their 

 solitude, and saying hard things of us in their own way, 

 while high up on a venerable cypress limb sat several 

 ducks, rather an unusual sight, and there they sat while 



