40 Tarpon Fishing in Florida. 



After a journey of some fifty hours, we arrived at Punta 

 Gorda at ten in the morning. Here we were met by the 

 gentleman who catered for the houseboat in which we had 

 arranged to stay. We asked him how much and to whom we 

 were expected to pay for our accommodation, but we could gather 

 no information on either of these points, and it was not long 

 before we discovered that a tarpon fisherman in Florida is looked 

 upon as a sort of walking gold mine, from whose pockets as much 

 of the precious metal as possible should be extracted on all 

 occasions. 



Numerous darkies soon recognised their lawful prey, and lost 

 no time in introducing themselves and producing all sorts of 

 recommendations from other sportsmen, testifying to their 

 excellent qualities as " guide," which is the v^ernacular for boatman. 

 We at once set about securing a motor boat to take us to our 

 destination, which was some twenty miles further south in the 

 direction of the Boca Grande Pass, where we intended to try our 

 luck. While one of these was being prepared, we took a stroll 

 on one of the jetties and watched the tactics of a porpoise who 

 was busily drawing the shallow water in the vicinity. Without 

 any apparent effort he sometimes doubled or trebled his speed 

 after his terrified victims. We saw a oood deal of him as he rose 

 to breathe every twenty or thirty yards, and soon he kindly came 

 within 30 feet of where we were standing, and neatly caught 

 in the air a fish over a pound in weight which had left its element 

 to avoid him. This last do7i bouche finished his meal and off he 

 went to the deep water. 



We were then told that there was some slight temporary 



