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EPISODES 



367 



" Long Tom " and his fishing-tackle, he marched off quietly 

 along the shores. About an hour afterwards we saw him 

 returning, when he looked quite exhausted, and on our 

 inquiring the cause said, " There is a dewfish yonder, and 

 a few balacotidas, but I am not able to bring them, or even 

 to haul them here; please send the sailors after them." 

 The fishes were accordingly brought, and as I had never 

 seen a dewfish, I examined it closely, and took an outline 

 of its form, which some days hence you may perhaps see. 

 It exceeded a himdred pounds in weight, and afforded ex- 

 cellent eating. The balacouda is also a good fish, but at 

 times a dangerous one, for, according to the pilot, on more 

 than one occasion " some of these gentry " had followed 

 him when waist-deep in the water, in pursuit of a more 

 valuable prize, until in self-defence, he had to spear them, 

 fearing that " the gentlemen " might at one dart cut off his 

 legs, or some other nice bit, with which he was unwilling 

 to part. 



Having filled our cask from a fine well, long since dug 

 in the sand of Cape Sable, either by Seminole Indians or 

 pirates, no matter which, we left Sandy Ihie about full 

 tide, and proceeded homeward, giving a call here and there 

 at different Keys, with the view of procuring rare birds, 

 and also their nests and eggs. We had twenty miles to 

 go, " as the birds fly," but the tortuosity of the channels 

 rendered our course fully a third longer. The sun was 

 descending fast, when a black cloud suddenly obscured 

 the majestic orb. Our sails swelled by a breeze that was 

 scarcely felt by us ; and the pilot, requesting us to sit on 

 the weather gunwale, told us that we were " going to get 

 it." One sail was hauled in and secured, and the other was 

 reefed, although the wind had not increased. A low 

 murmuring noise was heard, and across the cloud that now 

 rolled along in tumultuous masses shot vivid flashes of 

 lightning. Our experienced guide steered directly across 

 a flat towards the nearest land. The sailors passed their 



