324 SOUTH-WEST FLORIDA. 



hunting and fishing outfit. He stated his intention of 

 building, during the ensuing summer, a boat suitable for 

 the coast, and that he would be prepared to fit out and 

 accompany sporting parties on reasonable terms. In this 

 connection we may remark that several parties residing 

 at Manatee can supply boats adapted to the wants of 

 coasting parties ; and to ascertain names and prices, tour 

 ists might address Edmund E. Lee, Esq., Manatee. 

 Being acquainted with this gentleman, we feel assured 

 that he would aid tourists and others in any way. 



We cleaned boat, aired clothing, and purchased a 

 barrel of &quot;new and first-class pilot bread, 7 and left 

 Tampa, with its hospitable inhabitants, behind. We 

 reached the oyster bar at 8 p. M., and came to anchor. 

 In the morning we laid in a stock of oysters, and pro 

 ceeded to the wreck of the II. M. Cool, to the south of 

 Gadsdcn s Point. Wo tested the fishing about the reef, 

 but, to our surprise, failed to capture fish enough for our 

 dinner. Onward and northward being our motto, we 

 steered for Big Bayou, where we found a safe anchorage 

 for the night. 



But to the biscuit business. I have reason to believe 

 that my readers will conclude that the crew of the Spray 

 had an attack of biscuits on the brain, but when it 

 becomes necessary to keep the teeth going and the staff 

 of life cannot be obtained, the biscuit business becomes 

 an important subject. We purchased our barrel of 

 &quot;fresh and first-class pilot bread&quot; from a firm whose 

 names we shall not mention ; for it is possible that the 

 clerk may have made a mistake and delivered the wrong 

 barrel. We opened the barrel, and the first thing that 

 met our gaze were hundreds of well-developed cock 

 roaches. We carefully separated biscuits from roaches, 



