314 FLORIDA KEYS. 



mind them on the wing, for those black rascals don't mind a little firing 

 — now, boys, lay her close under the nests." And there we were, with 

 four hundred cormorants'" nests over our heads. The birds were sitting, 

 and when we fired, the number that dropped as if dead and plunged into 

 the water was such, that I thought by some unaccountable means or other 

 we had killed the whole colony. You would have smiled at the loud 

 laugh and curious gestures of the pilot. " Gentlemen,"" said he, " almost 

 a blank shot !" And so it was, for, on following the birds as one after 

 another peeped up from the water, we found only a few unable to take 

 to wing. " Now,"" said the pilot, " had you waited until / had spoken to 

 the black villains, you might have killed a score or more of them."" On 

 inspection, we found that our shots had lodged in the tough dry twigs of 

 which these birds form their nests, and that we had lost the more favour- 

 able opportunity^of hitting them, by not waiting until they rose. " Never 

 mind," said the pilot, " if you wish it, you may load the Lady of the 

 Green Mantle * with them in less than a week. Stand still, my lads ; and 

 now, gentlemen, in ten minutes you and I will bring down a score of 

 them." And so we did. As we rounded the island, a beautiful bird of 

 the species called Peale's Egret, came up and was shot. We now landed, 

 took in the rest of our party, and returned to Indian Key, where we ar- 

 rived three hours before sunset. 



The sailors and other individuals to whom my name and pursuits had 

 become known, carried our birds to the pilot's house. His good wife had 

 a room ready for me to draw in, and ray assistant might have been seen 

 busily engaged in skinning, while Geokge Lehman was making a sketch 

 of the lovely isle. 



Time is ever precious to the student of nature. I placed several 

 birds in their natural attitudes, and began to outline them. A dance 

 had been prepared also, and no sooner was the sun lost to our eye, 

 than males and females, including our captain and others from the ves- 

 sel, were seen advancing gaily towards the house in full apparel. The 

 birds were skinned, the sketch was on paper, and I told my young men 

 to amuse themselves. As to myself, I could not join in the merriment, 

 for, full of the remembrance of you, readei', and of the patrons of my 

 work both in America and in Europe, I went on " grinding" — not on an 

 organ, like the Lady of Bras d'Or, but on paper, to the finishing, not 

 merely of my outlines, but of my notes respecting the objects seen this day. 

 • The name given by the wreckers and smugglers to tlie Marion. 



