THE GULF CQA^t OF FLORIDA. 101 



I am astonished that some one has not established a com- 

 mercial fishery on this island, long ago. Thousands of barrels 

 of this most delicious fish could be packed here every winter, 

 at a merely nominal expense, and they always find a ready 

 market and command a fair price in the northern and eastern 

 cities. Some enterprising party, with a taste for such a 

 pursuit, should secure this opportunity without delay. In the 

 language of Mulberry Sellers, "There's millions in it." 



Soon after leaving Snead's Island we entered the mouth 

 of the Manatee river, up which we made a run of eight miles, 

 when we arrived at the village of Manatee, a lively little town 

 of some two or three hundred inhabitants. We stopped over 

 night at the Turner House, a comfortable hotel, and early in 

 the morning Captain Harlee, a merchant of the place, sent his 

 team to take us to Mr. Whitaker's plantation, on Sarasota Bay, 

 twelve miles below. 



The road runs through a belt of pine-woods, dotted thickly 

 with ponds, covering from one to twenty acres each, the 

 margins thickly grown with saw-grass, and in the center a 

 pool of clear water. We came upon the first of these ponds, 

 within half a mile of town, and saw in it a dozen or more of 

 the large water birds which are so numerous in this state. I 

 brought out my rifle and bagged a beautiful white ibis. A mile 

 farther on we came to another pond. A large white egret sat 

 near the center of it, about two hundred and fifty yards away. 

 I drew a bead on him, let go, and he immediately sat down. 



The driver, a good-natured negro, got out, rolled up his 

 pants, and waded in to get the game. The bird proved to be 

 only winged, and showed fight. He struck out vigorously 

 several times, but the plucky negro finally secured him, took 

 him by the head and started for shore with him. Reader, you 

 would have smiled to see that darky teaching that bird to 

 follow. It was a most ridiculous sight. We " smole " 



