CONTENTS. Xlll 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE GULF OF MEXICO. 



Off for Sarasota Bay A royal kingfish landed on deck A white 

 cloth bait A heron rookery Mr. Moore a real deer-slayer 

 Varieties of fish Tampa Dr. J. P. Wall Five hundred and 

 fifty acres of orange trees A grand chance for settlers 8,000,000 

 oranges a year Grand resort for invalids 182 



CHAPTER XXI. 

 SNEAD'S ISLAND. 



Great schools of mullet Solid acres of fish Snead's Island a grand 

 fishery "There's millions in it" We "smole" audibly 

 On board the " Skylark " The mangrove Mr. Webb A 

 paradise for botanists Century plants in bloom Fishing 

 Mackerel sixteen inches long, weighing three pounds. . . .190 



CHAPTER XXII. 



ON BOARD THE "SKY-LARK." 



"Shall Auld Acquaintance be Forget?" Capt. O. C. Squyer Sea 

 trout Thirsting for the blood of a "'gator" Our desire thor- 

 oughly satisfied We begin to hanker after shark Sharks and 

 sand-flies A Jew-fish caught weighing one hundred and fifty- 

 three pounds Preparing for a fire-hunt My first fire-hunt. . . 200 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



DEER-STALKING AND FIRE-FISHING. 



The mule element strong in me "Walking by faith, not by sight " 

 In search of alligators A fight between an eagle and a fish- 

 hawk A two-year-old doe starts from the thicket I fire, Rover 

 starts on the chase I carry home my prize Fire - fishing 

 Sheepshead Needle-fish mullet A hundred pounds of fish in 

 three hours We catch an inquisitive shark 210 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



FOUR DAYS ON THE MYAKKA RIVER. 



The camping ground of Coughpennslough The " Palmeeter cab- 

 bage" The sportman's paradise I become pious Satan to the 

 front A mossy bed Ta-whoo-oo-oo-ah "Gobble, gobble, 

 gobble" The woods alive with squirrels The bounding buck 

 A flock of turkeys Roseate spoonbills The sad words " good- 

 bye." 219 



