THE FLORIDA KEYS 51 



Florida can furnish as much laceration and as 

 many annoyances to the square inch as any place 

 I have ever seen. When one has been at work on 

 the keys or parts of the mainland for a week his 

 body and limbs are filled with thorns of every 

 description, and there is scarcely a spot on him 

 that is not bitten by insects. A man who can 

 endure all this and never lose his temper is fit to be 

 a king; he can govern himself and he should be 

 able to govern others. 



On one occasion I undertook a trip alone, going 

 by rail to Big Pine Key and tramping back from 

 station to station, the most of these being mere 

 flag stops. I searched the big island for the nearly 

 extinct arboreal snail {Liguus soUdus) with poor 

 results, and then tried to get over to No Name 

 Key, a mile away. I was told that a negro had a 

 s kiff and might carry me over if I hunted him up. 

 His name is Joseph Sears, a powerful man in the 

 prime of life. His shirt and trousers were full of 

 holes but such a magnificent physique was a 

 goodly sight to behold. When I asked him if he 

 could take me to No Name he looked doubtfully 

 at the weather and shook his head. A very 

 strong wind had been blowing from the north- 



