Departure 



that chilled us on the hills. In memory which 

 dwells on the agreeable and dismisses the un- 

 pleasant, in hope which anticipates as good or 

 better days to come, are to be found two chief 

 ingredients of happiness. It is wiser to forget 

 than to repent, whatever the preachers may say ; 

 better to be confident of heaven than apprehen- 

 sive of hell. 



The months of our sojourning have hurried 

 by too quickly ; and no public or private 

 calamity has marred their passage. Disappoint- 

 ments there have been, cherished projects of 

 mountain excursions and " north-side " explora- 

 tions have had, for one reason or another, to 

 be deferred. I had nourished a hope of being 

 able to fish with rod and line for the gigantic 

 tunny which visit the coast in spring. The 

 professional fishermen catch them with coarse 

 hand-lines ; the more sporting method of rod 

 and fine line has never as far as I am aware 

 been tried with success in these waters ; but 

 I have no doubt it can be done. These fish 

 sometimes weigh several hundred pounds ; 

 they are reported to fight with great dash and 

 endurance, and they have the inestimable 

 advantage over the tarpon of being useful as 



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