BASS FISHING. 137 



had very good sport, determined to resume our 

 drop on the afternoon tide. Now, it almost ex- 

 ceeds belief to state what is nevertheless abso- 

 lutely true that the drop was resumed with such 

 extreme accuracy, that my son, sitting again on my 

 left hand, fastened his line a second time to the 

 same obstruction below ; and drew up on his hook, 

 the self-same hook which he had lost in the morn- 

 ing identified beyond all question, T)y the strap 

 attached to it ! ! The chances were a million to 

 one against such precision in taking the drop ; yet, 

 as there are three living witnesses to these facts, I 

 shall not hesitate to record them, however impro- 

 bable they may appear. 



Three or four miles to the south and east of these 

 rocks lies Joyner's Bank; separated from the Gaskin 

 by a swash of five fathoms water. "Not more than a 

 fathom and a half is found on the crown, of the 

 ridge, which subsides rapidly on the north into the 

 deep channel. The ebb-tide rushes over this bank 

 with great force, and makes a very distinct ripple, 

 which marks its location. The shrimps and smaller 

 fry are pursued, when passing this ridge, by the 

 skip-jacks ; and they, in turn, by the bass and 

 sharks ; while the sea-gulls hover screaming above, 

 and dip into the water, whenever their prey, driven 

 from below by hosts of enemies, approaches near 



