AUDUBON AND BOONE. 135 



I liad letters from the Secretaries of the Navy and Treasury 

 of the United States, to the commanding officers of vessels 

 of war of the revenue service, directing them to afford me 

 any assistance in their power ; and the schooner Spark having 

 come to St. Augustine, on her way to the St. John's River, 

 I presented my credentials to her commander. Lieutenant 

 Piercy, who readily and with politeness, received me and my 

 assistants on board. We soon after set sail, with a fair 

 breeze. The strict attention to duty on board even this small 

 vessel of war, afforded matter of surprise to me. Everything 

 went on with the regularity of a chronometer ; orders were 

 given, answered to and accomplished, before they ceased to 

 vibrate on the ear. The neatness of the crew equalled the 

 cleanliness of the white planks of the deck ; the sails were in 

 perfect condition ; and, built as the Spark was, for swift sail- 

 ing, on she went gambolling from wave to wave. 



I thought that, while thus sailing, no feeling but that of 

 pleasure could exist in our breasts ; but, alas ! how fleeting 

 are our enjoyments. When we were almost at the entrance 

 of the river, the wind changed, the sky became clouded, and, 

 before many minutes had elapsed, the little bark was lying-to 

 "like a duck," as her commander expressed himself. It blew 

 a hurricane : — let it blow, reader. At the break of day we 

 were again at anchor within the bar of St. Augustine. 



Our next attempt was successful. Not many hours after 

 we had crossed the bar, we perceived the star-like glimmer 

 of the light in the great lantern at the entrance of the St. 

 John's River. This was before day-light ; and, as the cross- 

 ing of the sand-banks or bars, which occur at the mouths of 

 all the streams of this peninsula is difficult, and can be accom- 

 plished only when the tide is up, one of the guns was fired 

 as a signal for the government pilot. The good man, it 

 seemed, was unwilling to leave his couch, but a second gun 

 brought him in his canoe alongside. The depth of the chan- 

 nel was barely sufficient. My eyes, however, were not di- 



