222 BAHAMA BIRD-LIFE 



through an opening in the line of keys to the east, carried us 

 from our course and at half-past eleven, after a warning 

 bump or two, we brought up on a bar and were pounded by 

 the sea under a freshening breeze for the rest of the night. 

 Daylight showed that we were on the Cistern Key Shoals 

 and a mile and a half too far to the east. 



We had gone ashore at high tide, and the succeeding high 

 tide, at noon, on the 17th, lacked at least a foot of floating 

 us. We did, however, after great exertion, succeed in turn- 

 ing the boat 's head so far around that there was some pros- 

 pect of getting her off the shoals at high water near 

 midnight. In the meantime, cable chains, spare anchors and 

 ballast were thrown overboard on the shoals and buoyed, 

 and our boxes of canned provisions were landed on the near- 

 est key, distant a mile and a half, where, to protect them 

 from negro spongers, I was given the enviable post of 

 guard. The quiet waters of the bay on which I was camped, 

 were dotted with numerous attractive little keys ; Mocking- 

 birds were cheerily singing, Doves cooing softly, and the 

 glowing sun sank balloon-shaped into the sea, leaving a 

 sense of restfulness sadly at variance with the anxiety and 

 activit} r of the day and night just passed. 



From the key, the "Physalia" appeared to be afloat and 

 in order that I might determine whether she had moved, I 

 arranged, before retiring, a sight of two conch-shells and a 

 broken limb which, viewed in line, led to the boat. She was 

 not visible from my camp and when at dawn on the following 

 morning I picked my way over the pointed and pitted lime- 

 stone, and found that the "Physalia" was missing from her 

 position at the end of the line connecting the couchs and 

 branch, I held a little celebration which, from all accounts, 

 was not a bad imitation of the one occurring on the boat, 

 when during the night, with unexpected ease, she went off 

 the shoals. A step or two further showed her riding to the 

 wind, in the deeper waters toward the south. 



Cargo and ballast were now reloaded with a will and, at 



