178 THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. 



was afraid to risk his strength to hold Mr. Fish so he took a 

 hitch around a convenient pile to let him play. When 

 slightly tamed the Doctor and his friend doubled on the line 

 and hauled in their prize, hand over hand. When landed he 

 proved to be an alligator gar six feet long, and weighing a 

 hundred and sixty pounds. The Doctor said that thereafter 

 whenever he lost a hook he at once baited his iron-clad tackle 

 with a large mullet, and brought the intruder to speedy 

 justice. By the time the Doctor had finished his story we 

 were at Focoi, where we stopped off and took the train on 

 the St. John's railway, of Florida, for St. Augustine, where 

 we arrived an hour later. 



This is the oldest city in the United States, and a brief 

 description of it here may prove of interest to those who have 

 never strolled through its dark, narrow streets and viewed its 

 antique, strange looking walls. It is bounded on the north 

 by the mainland, and on the east by the North river, the 

 harbor entrance and the Mantanzas river, with Anastasia 

 island forming the breakwater, and on the south and west by 

 the St. Sebastian river. The city is built upon the point that 

 was occupied by Menendez, who gave it the name of St. 

 Augustine, as he arrived there on the day dedicated to that 

 saint. 



Its present population is about 2,200. It has four churches, 

 one of which was built in 1830 and another in 1832. There 

 are four first-class hotels here and several second-class. There 

 are four principal streets, extending the entire length of the 

 city. These are named Tolomato, St. George, Charlotte and 

 Bay. Other and less important streets are called Spanish, 

 Marine, Orange, Redout, Cuna, Hipolata, Treasury, King, 

 Artillery, Green, Bravois, Bridge and St. Francis. These 

 vary in width from twelve to thirty feet. The old Spanish 

 residences are built of coquina, a species of shell-rock, that is 



