316 SOUTH-WEST FLORIDA. 



sport exhausted and demoralized. Some of our readers 

 will say that this was unnecessary slaughter, and not 

 sport. I am prepared to admit the soft impeachment, 

 but in extenuation enter the plea that we followed 

 up the amusement in order that our readers could 

 form an opinion regarding the kind of sport obtain 

 able on the south-west coast. Some will probably say 

 that &quot; this was equal to pot hunting, and that 

 the piscator would only capture fish in an artistic 

 manner, with rod and reel.&quot; To such we will simply 

 say, Hook and play a ten or fifteen-pound red fish for 

 a few minutes, and then secure an addition of from 

 eight to twelve lineal feet of shark, and one such catch, 

 and rods, lines, and reels would &quot;go up.&quot; Inside the 

 inner point, shecpsheading is excellent, the fish ran 

 ging from one to live pounds. With a stout nine-foot 

 rod and three hooks baited with fiddlers, from one to 

 three sheepshead can be captured at almost every cast. 

 The water is very clear, and the bottom a white shell 

 bank, and the fish arc visible in dozens, slowly swimming 

 along in search of food. Fiddlers of large size can be 

 secured in quantity for bait on most of the sandy keys. 

 To obtain them easily nothing more is necessary than to 

 dig them out of the sand, where their holes are visible. 

 If placed in an ordinary wooden pail they will live for 

 many days, lied and other fish will readily take cut-fish 

 bait, but seem to prefer minnows. 



I noticed numerous deer tracks on the island, and 

 suggested to Frank and Harry that they should kill one. 

 After their departure for the central portion of the 

 island, I seated myself on an empty pail and engaged in 

 catching sheepshead and throwing them in again, unless 

 BO badly hooked as to render them unfit for anything but 



