12 



THE CAPE SABLE REGION OF FLORIDA 



States. This palm grows in small and large clumps or 

 colonies. Sometimes between one hundred and two hun- 

 dred stems stand closely together. The older stems, re- 

 sembling stout fishing-poles, reach a height of over thirty 

 feet, and around each clump of these, starting as suckers 

 from their bases, arise new and shorter stems. 



After securing as many palms and orchids as we could 

 carry in our small boats through the creeks and lakes we 

 started on the way back to the " Barbee." Darkness fell 

 just as we emerged from the mangroves into the Bay of 

 Florida and before we were half way to our destination. 

 After proceeding a short distance both of our engines 

 began to show signs of breaking down. Consequently 

 we tied the three boats together so that we would not lose 

 each other in the darkness and so that we could at least 

 be sociable in case we should have to spend the night on 

 the open sea in our leaky boats. The salt-spray on the 

 exposed iron-work short-circuited the spark of the en- 

 gines. Sometimes neither engine would work, sometimes 

 one or the other would work for a while. The night was 

 partly cloudy, but occasional glimpses of the stars enabled 

 us to keep an approximate westerly course. We made 

 haste slowly, however, arid after considerable specula- 

 tion and search we located before midnight a boat at 

 anchor. 



Urged to quick action by the chillness occasioned by 

 the hours of the cold ride in wet clothes, every one 

 boarded the craft, only to find that we had taken posses- 

 sion of the wrong boat ! 



On discovering our mistake we disembarked with 

 unanimous spontaneity. The occupants of the boat were 



