XXIII. 



SHOOTING AT SALT LAKE. 



~XT~OMINALLY three miles in length by two in 

 JL1 breadth, this little lake is reduced to half that area 

 in the low stages of water, thus accounting for the land 

 ing of the steamer in a creek a mile or more away. A 

 vast plain of waving reeds and salt grass surrounds the 

 lake on three sides ; on the eastern, the pine woods come 

 down to the shore, offering the only landing. Having 

 boats of our own we succeeded in evading the extortion 

 ate charges of the lightermen, and pitched our tent in 

 the pine barrens, a mile from the lake. 



The morning after our arrival I sailed out to taste 

 the pleasures my observations the day previous had pre 

 pared me for. The breezy freshness of that morning 

 comes to me now as I write, laden with the odor of 

 flowers and the songs of birds. The quail called from 

 an old field in the hammock ; the woodpecker rattled 

 joyously over the pines, and that odd bird, the fish-crow, 

 &quot;haw-hawed** from the broad limbed, moss-draped live- 

 oaks. As I reached the shore, I caused a flutter in the vast 

 swarm of the tringince feeding there, and provoked the 

 &quot;killdee,&quot; that pest of the shore, to send forth a warn 

 ing cry. Overhead, the graceful seamews winged their 

 way, anon dipping into the water for food. The fish- 

 hawk drew from the lake a mighty bass, but hushed his 

 10 



