EPISODES 353 



ear. The neatness of the crew equalled the cleanliness of 

 the white planks of the deck; the sails were in perfect 

 condition ; and, built as the " Spark " was, for swift sailing, 

 on she went, gambolling from wave to wave. 



I thought that, while thus sailing, no feeling but that of 

 pleasure could exist in our breasts ; but, alas ! how fleet- 

 ing are our enjoyments. When we were almost at the 

 entrance of the river, the wind changed, the sky became 

 clouded, and, before many minutes had elapsed, the little 

 bark was lying to " like a Duck," as her commander ex- 

 pressed himself It blew a hurricane — let it blow, 

 reader. At break of day we were again at anchor within 

 the bar of St. Augustine. 



Our next attempt was successful. Not many hours 

 after we had crossed the bar, we perceived the star-like 

 glimmer of the light in the great lantern at the entrance 

 of the St. John's River. This was before daylight; and, 

 as the crossing of the sand-banks or bars, which occur at 

 the mouths of all the streams of this peninsula is difficult, 

 and can be accomplished only when the tide is up, one of 

 the guns was fired as a signal for the government pilot. 

 The good man, it seemed, was unwilling to leave his 

 couch, but a second gun brought him in his canoe along- 

 side. The depth of the channel was barely sufficient. 

 My eyes, however, were not directed towards the waters, 

 but on high, where flew some thousands of snowy Peli- 

 cans, which had fled affrighted from their resting-grounds. 

 How beautifully they performed their broad gyrations, and 

 how matchless, after a while, was the marshalling of their 

 files, as they flew past us. 



On the tide we proceeded apace. Myriads of Cormo- 

 rants covered the face of the waters, and over it Fish- 

 Crows innumerable were already arriving from their dis- 

 tant roosts. We landed at one place to search for the 

 birds whose charming melodies had engaged our atten- 

 tion, and here and there some young Eagles we shot, to 

 VOL. II — 23 



