io8 IN LOfVER FLORIDA WILDS 



I visited Madeira Bay, one of the small gulfs on 

 the south coast about twenty miles east of Fla- 

 mingo. On account of shallow water we anchored 

 our launch outside the narrow neck and attempted 

 an entrance with a skiff, but we were soon aground 

 and had to get overboard and push, — as usual. 

 At every step we sank deep in the soft mud but 

 after about a mile of it we found deeper water and 

 pulled to the opposite shore, where we found the 

 Cuban palm {Accelorraphe wrightii) in considerable 

 numbers. We then poled up a creek near the 

 east end of the gulf and entered a large lagoon, 

 and beyond that a second smaller one. Turning 

 back towards evening we started for the launch. 

 Soar thought that by hugging the shore we would 

 find deeper water, but soon it shoaled to an inch. 

 We had been all day without food or water and 

 were so thoroughly exhausted that after pushing 

 the boat but two or three rods we had to rest on 

 the gunwale, — "all in." Finally in the night we 

 reached the launch, threw ourselves upon the 

 bottom, and supperless slept until the sun was 

 well up in the sky. 



On still another occasion I went with a party 

 to obtain specimens of the Cuban palm for plant- 



