218 THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. 



There are many sportsmen who condemn fire-fishing as a 

 species of butchery, and in fact I have always hitherto 

 regarded it in that light myself, but since this experience I must 

 admit that I rather like it. I should not want to indulge in 

 it often even now, but for an occasional evening, with pleas- 

 ant companions, as we had on this occasion, and in waters 

 teeming with fish, as do those of the Gulf coast of Florida, I 

 must accord to it the blue ribbon for vigorous, exciting manly 

 sport. 



Jack and I held a consultation before retiring that night, 

 and decided to start early the next morning for a camp hunt 

 of four or five days on the Myakka river, ten miles distant, 

 where turkeys, deer and other large game are always 

 plentiful. 



