FLORIDA WRECKERS. 211 



accompanied me to a small key called Booby Island, about ten 

 miles distant from tbe lighthouse. Their boats were well 

 manned, and rowed with long and steady strokes, such as 

 whalers and men-of-war's men are wont to draw. The captain 

 sang, and at times, by way of frolic, ran a race with our own 

 beautiful bark. The Booby Isle was soon reached, and our 

 sport there was equal to any we had elsewhere. They were 

 capital shots, had excellent guns, and knew more about boobies 

 and noddies than nine-tenths of the best naturalists in the 

 world. 



" But what will you say when I tell you that the ' Florida 

 wreckers' are excellent at a deer hunt, and that at certain 

 seasons, 'when business is slack,' they are wont to land on 

 some extensive key, and in a few hours procure a supply of 

 delicious venison. Some days after the same party took me on 

 an expedition in quest -of sea shells. There we were all in the 

 water at times to the waist, and now and then much deeper. 

 Now they would dip like ducks, and on emerging would hold 

 up a beautiful shell. This occupation they seemed to enjoy 

 above all others. The duties of the Marion having been per- 

 formed, intimation of our intended departures reached the 

 wreckers. An invitation was sent me to go and see them on 

 board their vessel, which I accepted. Their object on this 

 occasion was to present me with some superb corals, shells, live 

 turtles of the hawk-billed species, and a great quantity of eggs. 

 Not a picayune would they receive in return, but putting some 

 letters in my hands, requested me to be so good as to put them 

 in the mail at Charleston, adding that they were for their 

 wives down east. So anxious did they appear to be to do all 

 they could for me, that they proposed to sail before the 

 Marion, and meet her under weigh, to give me some birds that 

 were rare on the coast, and of which they knew the haunts. 

 Circumstances connected with the service prevented this how- 

 ever, and with sincere regret, and a good portion of friendship, 

 I bade these excellent fellows adieu. How different, thought I, 

 is often the knowledge of things acquired from personal obser- 

 vation, from that obtained by report. I had never before seen 

 Florida wreckers, nor has it since been my fortune to fall in 

 with any ; but my good friend Dr. Benjamin Strobel, having 



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