$42 ISLES OF SUMMHR. 
to the surface, leaving the deeper and cooler waters as the sun 
approached his setting, and like a dog before a flying horse, they 
raced with our ship. Directly ahead of and close to its sharp 
iron prow, with unmistakable evidences of pride and joy, they 
led the way, and seemed to challenge us to overtake them if we 
could. It was exceedingly interesting and somewhat exciting 
to observe them at such times. They frequently leaped bodily 
out of the water, and seemed to indulge in a competitive race 
with each other while testing their locomotive powers with those 
of the strange, man-made monster that had invaded their watery 
realm. The sport was continued for many a mile, but like the 
great golden god of day, they retired to depths we could not see, 
and to realms we had no capacity fully to explore. 
We were told by an eye witness in Florida, of sanguinary fights 
between the porpoises and the-sharks. Our lady informant on 
one occasion saw three or four of the former mercilessly attack 
one of the latter at the mouth of the St. John’s, and the contest 
was continued until the surrounding water was colored with their 
blood. ; 
In the Florida Gulf we soon parted company with the sea-birds. 
Not a single gull looked to us for supplies. The river St. John’s 
probably teems with a larger quantity of food suited to their. 
taste and adapted to their wants. 
. We missed them much. The ocean was more lonely. It had 
been exceedingly pleasant to watch them while they followed our 
ship, and as some of the more venturesome hovered over us, the 
undulations of their white wide-spread wings seemed like silent 
benedictions. The persistent waving of the unspotted feathery 
arms we gladly welcomed as favorable omens. We were not dis- 
posed to disregard the favorable augury of the beautiful birds 
who so persistently followed us over such wide spaces of ocean 
solitudes.. Certain it is that clear skies, smooth seas and fair 
