FLORIDA AND THE WEST INDIES 119 



who earn their living in this way all the season. 

 The guides cut up the mullet on the way down to 

 the Pass as they are towed behind the launch, four 

 baits from each fish. This brings the bait bill up to 

 a sovereign for every eight days' fishing, which in 

 England would be reckoned exorbitant for any- 

 thing but live bait, but which in America is paid 

 without a murmur. If I remember my school text- 

 books of political economy right, this is known as a 

 "high standard of living." It may be admirable 

 for those who are paid on the same scale, but to 

 earn your income in Europe and spend it in 

 America is not humorous. 



In Texas I believe that a whole mullet is used 

 for bait, but this does not answer in Boca Grande. 

 On the other hand, some sportsman with original 

 ideas now and then tries a different bait. One 

 American of the party occasioned a good deal of 

 amusement last season, to everyone but himself, by 

 insisting on usinsf small earfish, which his coloured 

 guide caught for the purpose from the beach. For 

 several days he caught nothing but kingfish, which 

 have a passion for "gars." Then he threw his 

 originality and his garfish overboard, and used 

 mullet as successfully as the rest of us. 



Mullet bait answers best when perfectly fresh, 

 and in all but the worst weather the Spaniards 

 supplied it with unfailing regularity. Now and 

 again it happened that they could not shoot their 

 nets, and then we had to use stale bait, on one 

 occasion three days old. There was, I remember, 

 some hurry to get it out of the boat, but it caught 

 tarpon as well, or almost as well, as the fresh, and, 

 so my guide told me, would continue to do so as 



