V 



OUR LIFE ASHORE AND AFLOAT 



While entry by Diary has its advantages when it is written 

 from a lady's point of view, and should therefore not be 

 tampered with (as the foregoing has not been), there are 

 drawbacks. For example, the Diary states that I lost five fish, 

 " which was unlucky." In truth it was due to the hooks 

 hanging loose (I afterwards rectified this) from the Phantom 

 minnow, and the snags. That day I saw numbers of ospreys, 

 darters, buzzards, coots, and other birds. As to Punta Gorda, 

 when I came on deck in the morning previous to our start I 

 found a white mist veiling all the prospect, mullet splashing 

 all around, and flocks of duck (scaup) sitting in happy con- 

 fidence on the smooth water. 



At Fort Myers Inn my first impression was that it was 

 all verandahs ; and one evening (it must have been the 9th) 



