Favorite Fish and Fishing 



of this, and once I tried it, but caught only a 

 loggerhead turtle of twenty pounds. The 

 strain on the remora, however, was so de- 

 moralizing to its physical economy that I 

 was fain to kill it. 



Phosphate And while on the subject of queer fishing 



I recall another instance. Commander 

 Robert Platt, formerly of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission steamer Fish Hawk, and I 

 were once seining in Peace Creek, above 

 Punta Gorda, Florida. The crew hauling 

 the long seine were much bothered and hin- 

 dered by quantities of ragged rock getting 

 entangled in the seine. This afterward 

 proved to be phosphate rock of a valuable 

 grade, which was mined from the creek, 

 the land on each shore having been pur- 

 chased for a song by some enterprising 

 party. When in Washington a year or two 

 later I met Captain Platt, who, holding up 

 his hands, exclaimed: 



" Do you know what that ragged rock 

 in Peace Creek was? " 



" Yes, phosphate rock of a high quality." 

 " Well, do you know what precious 

 162 



