THE TURTLES OF SAND -KEY ISLAND. 203 



nanaSj and other delicious fruits. A glass of old 

 rum and an excellent Cabana cigar completed this 

 repast, the recollection of which still dwells upon my 

 memory, proving the truth of d'Aigrefeuille's maxim, 

 that the stomach is the most grateful of organs. 



As we smoked our tobacco and sipped the old 

 rum, I asked Downing once more about the turtle- 

 fishing. 



" Well, sir, for that matter you may start in half- 

 an-hour if you like, or you may wait till to-morrow. 

 In my opinion, the latter course would be the more 

 prudent one.^' 



" I am quite at your service, my good friend," I 

 replied. " I have a week to spare, and I devote it 

 entirely to the pleasure which you promised me." 



" Then this is what I propose. To-morrow morn- 

 ing, I will take you to a pond about two leagues 

 hence, which is full of fresh-water turtles, of a qua- 

 lity highly reputed throughout Louisiana. We will 

 stay there for one day, and the next go on to Hetera. 

 Never fear ; we shall find very comfortable lodgings 

 there, and you^ll be with some of the boldest sailors 

 in the States.'^ 



I left Downing at his own door and returned to 

 my hotel, where I very speedily sought my bed, 

 having it in view that we were to start with the 



made of it is so good, and it pi'opagates so rapidly, that it is uot too 

 much to anticipate that, at no very remote period, America will be 

 independent of Europe for a large proportion of its wine supply. 



