284 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



of about twelve pounds each. As the yacht was 

 going at a spanking rate with a beam wind, the 

 strain on the line was tremendous, and in each 

 case the vessel had to be luffed up into the wind 

 to enable me to land them. As one fish was 

 more than enough for the crew, and as I had 

 occasion to land at Fort Jefferson, on Garden 

 Key, I resolved to donate the others to the garri- 

 son of the fortress. On going ashore I found 

 the " garrison " to consist of one man, the corporal 

 in charge of the property. He said he did not 

 think he alone could get away with the fish, but 

 as the lighthouse keeper of the fort would return 

 from Loggerhead Key in the afternoon, he thought 

 that they, together with his dog, might manage 

 to dispose of them. Afterward he informed me 

 that he and the light-keeper had finished one 

 bonito, and the dog, whose name was Bonaparte, 

 had made way with the others, or as he expressed 

 it : " Bone eet two," and said this without any 

 intent to pun on bon-i-to ; he thought that I was 

 amused at the capacity of Bonaparte as an ichthy- 

 ophagist, being unconscious of his play on the 

 words which caused my merriment. 



