One Season's Game-Bag with Camera 399 



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MAN-O'-WAR BIRDS SOARING IOO YARDS OVERHEAD ON MOTIONLESS WINGS 



of the deep" is a most misleading phrase. 

 It is the peril of the shallows, of the 

 reefs, of the fog-bedimmed coast, that 

 makes navigation sometimes dangerous 

 and uncertain. Not too much wind, how- 

 ever great, but too little water, is the 

 cause of nearly every disaster upon the 

 sea. 



The loss of all the gasoline except a 

 few gallons remaining in the bottom of 

 the ruptured tank delayed the expedition 

 many days, and instead of a return to 

 Nassau within a week, nearly a month 

 elapsed before the trip was over. 



The following week, a hundred miles 

 farther south, we spent several days at 

 Ragged Island awaiting favorable con- 

 ditions for visiting Cay Verde, more than 

 thirty miles out of sight of land to the 

 east and upon which a landing could only 



be made when a light wind prevailed, for 

 calm days were now unavailable, with 

 the gasoline practically gone, and heavy 

 winds meant insurmountable breakers 

 rolling in upon the small sand beach at 

 Cay Verde. 



Finally, on April 8, with a light head 

 wind, the Physalia slowly tacked its way 

 toward our goal, and late in the after- 

 noon, when within three miles of this 

 little island, the wind died out and it be- 

 came necessary to use several gallons of 

 the remaining gasoline in order to make 

 a landing before dark ; and a fortunate 

 move it was, for the next day a heavy 

 wind prevailed and would have prevented 

 landing upon or departure from the reef. 



But miles away and long before the 

 boats were launched and loaded we had 

 been anxiously eying the reef for signs 



