ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA. 53 



Key, and part of the time were fishing for these fishes, of which 

 there was a school running at the time. One of the Sail-fishes 

 jumped out of the water, some ten feet or more, almost perpendic- 

 ularly, and very near where Mrs. Moore was sitting in the boat. 

 She, almost instantly, jumped to the other side of the boat, and in a 

 second or two the fish made another jump coming through between 

 the deck stanchions, just where Mrs. Moore had been sitting, struck 

 the iron door of the engine casing, smashing it in, and fell on the 

 bottom of the boat, where he was killed with wrenches and hammers 

 by Mr. Thompson and the engineer. As his spear was some eighteen 

 inches, or more, long, Mrs. Moore had a very narrow escape. The 

 fish was exhibited at the Hotel Royal Palm the evening of the day 

 he was taken, measured 7 feet 2 inches from tip of spear to 

 tail ; weighed 87 pounds, and I think it was given to the hotel 

 to be mounted. Two or three years before the above time, Mr. 

 Armes, with Mr. Cameron as guide, caught one with rod and reel of 

 about same size and weight. I have photograph of that fish. This 

 fish is supposed to be non-edible, and of no value except the sport 

 of catching, and as a curiosity. 



After writing the above account of the Sail-fish jumping into the 

 launch, not desiring to use the names of any parties without their 

 consent, I wrote to Mr. George D. Huling of Kansas City, Mo., ask- 

 ing if it was agreeable to himself and the other parties on the launch 

 to use their names, and also asking if I had given a correct account of 

 the adventure. I received reply from which I quote as follows, viz : 

 "I have seen all the people connected with that fish story, and they 

 are agreeable to your publication of their names. Your story is 

 mainly correct, with the exception that six of those fishes were jump- 

 ing in the air when one landed in the boat. 



"The boat was a forty-foot steam launch, owned by Mr. Moore. 

 The parties in the boat were Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Moore, Mr. and 

 Mrs. W. M. Reid, Miss Reid, Miss La Forge, G. D. Huling, Charles 

 Thompson, captain, and one servant." 



