26o AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



Hither, in the middle summer of 18S7, a party of four, of 

 which I had the privilege of being one, hastened in the 

 schooner yacht Argo, anxious to make trial of the sport. 

 After enduring the customary trials of the yachtman's life, 

 including the unavoidable "splicing of the main brace," which 

 seemed for some unexplained reason to be in a very unstable 

 condition, and to require unusual care, we reached at 

 last one afternoon our destination. Everything was favorable. 

 The sky promised a quiet night, a gentle breeze just ruffled 

 the water, and served to render visible the grizzly terrors of 

 the reef. We visited the lighthouse, of course. In fact that 

 was the first thing we did, "going ashore" up the side of the 

 lighthouse foundation, a good fifty feet above the water. It 

 almost took our land-lubber's breath away, and if we had 

 reckoned on the return, some of us would certainly have 

 stayed at home on board our little vessel. With the utmost 

 courtesy the keeper and his assistants showed us over the 

 house, which was as bright as a new pin, and as clean as if 

 an army of housekeepers had just put it in order. They 

 promised on the morrow to come off early and "stake off our 

 claim" for us, a thing which it would have been quite impos- 

 sible for us to do. They also promised us a quiet night, and 

 the prospect of a good day. But, "landy!",asl heard agood 

 angler vociferate the other day, do you suppose we were con- 

 tent to wait until "to-morrow," when opportunity still waited 

 on to-day? Nay, verily, as soon as politeness let us leave 

 the tower, we set to work, and when darkness and hunger 

 both warned us to quit the sport, we had already a fair store 

 of sightly fish to grace our vessel's "counter." We had the 

 quiet night that was promised us, and shortly after sun-up 

 our friends came off, and planted can-buoys at each end of 

 the fishing ground and let us set to work. Every boat we 

 could command was impressed into the service, and every 

 hand that was not engaged in pulling an oar, or tending the 

 wheel, was yanking and pulling here and there with the con- 



