July, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM 
335 
cultivation. The syrup that he makes 
is a delight to the palate. Our adven- 
turers bought a gallon jug of it for sixty 
^nts — think of that — and can bear wit- 
ness to my statement. 
In a whisper, we may confide, that 
the sugar cane yields one other product. 
When fishermen need bait of a slightly 
different kind, it may be suggested that 
perhaps aguadente can be had in this 
neighborhood. It is a most excellent 
quality of rum, and certainly warms the 
cockles of the heart when a chap has 
been out in a driz- 
zling night rain after 
gunning for ’gators — 
or “shinin’ dem eyes,” 
as local vernacular 
puts it. 
The man on shore 
disappeared after his 
opening salutation, 
and with things put in 
good order for the 
night, John and the 
two newcomers took 
boats for some fishing 
on the river, as there 
was still a half hour 
of daylight. It proved 
a successful venture. 
Mullet was used as 
bait and John alone 
caught a fine mess of 
pan fish — salt water 
perch and sun fish. 
Hendry was for more 
interesting game. 
Armed with a fish 
grain, he stood aft, on 
the Mae and speared 
three as handsome 
mullets as ever a 
sportsman wants to 
see. 
It was a case of 
early to bed and early 
to rise, for all hands 
were fatigued. Nor 
was there any incli- 
nation, when morning 
came, to stir up the 
Old Watson place. 
That would come on 
the return trip. 
The Mae was going 
nicely now and as 
they ascended the 
river, John and the 
newcomers trolled. It 
was a worth - while 
chance, for a number 
of red and black man- 
grove snappers were 
secured. This was 
facilitated by the zig- 
zag course of the boat. 
Whitton himself had doubtless staked 
the river, over its bad places, and the 
Mae went from one bank to the other in 
a series of slow manoeuvers. 
T he anchor was dropped at noon at 
the south easternmost end of Chev- 
elier Bay, a companion body of 
water to Chokoloskee and bred of the 
same stuff. A five-foot draft can be 
carried almost the entire way through 
except where the oyster bars hold forth 
— and right here let it be said that Chev- 
elier Bay has no equal anywhere for the 
quality of oysters found there and the 
incalculable number of them. These bars 
overlap, criss-cross and intersect in be- 
wildering quantity, their strange pin- 
nacles and heads plainly visible through 
the clear water. One of the small boats 
was filled with them — marvelously fiav- 
ored oysters, plump and snowy. Too 
much cannot be said of Chevelier Bay 
bivalves. If you ever venture into this 
weird country, you will bear out our 
statement. 
The Mae was left under the friendly 
shade of the mangroves and John, his 
father and Hendry, taking the small 
power boat, went on a reconnoitering 
expedition. It was a privilege to glide 
around the tropic shores with mangroves 
bowing above and floating masses of lily 
pads nosed to either side. There is a 
very large mangrove clump at the mouth 
of the river and a. series of smaller ones 
at frequent intervals, making it a veri- 
table puzzle for the navigator. An eight- 
pound red mangrove snapper was caught 
by John, while trolling in this fashion. 
Now they were entering a channel, be- 
tween shore and island: now they were 
intending up a dim water trail that 
seemed to end nowhere in particular. 
Occasionally Mr. King bade them stop, 
that he might make notations and 
sketches in his book, for they were now 
in a portion of the Chevelier property 
which was to be charted. 
They did not return to their new 
found traveling companions until almost 
six o’clock. John was wet from head 
to foot, for he could not resist the temp- 
tation to go overboard after those oyster 
heads. Their prodigi- 
ous size quite won him 
to a roast for supper. 
“And there is fresh 
water back behind 
that mangrove 
clump,” he said, “to- 
morrow I’m for fur- 
ther exploration and 
a real fishing trip. 
Hendry says that we 
will get tarpon there 
and black bass.” 
Indeed, it was “tar- 
pon country” and Mr. 
King himself looked 
over the lines upon 
their return, in prep- 
aration for the treat 
that was to come. 
There had been so 
much coming and go- 
ing during these busy, 
weeks, that they had 
not gone in seriously 
for tarpon. And now 
the opportunity was 
presented in a super 
de luxe way. 
Hendry was custo- 
dian of the fire pot 
that night. No sports- 
man should be with- 
out one. They supply 
a flavor and a conve- 
nience that is invalu- 
able to the boat-ad- 
venturer. The Mae’s 
fire pot was a big one 
— 12 inches in diam- 
eter and eight inches 
high. It was lined 
with fire clay. 
The beauty of this 
handy cooker is its 
adaptability. You can 
put it anywhere, 
above or below deck, 
on land or on sea. 
A moon was shining 
— a full moon, and 
Chevelier Bay was 
looking its prettiest. 
Still it was, stag- 
nantly still, save for the occasional 
calls of birds in the hammocks — owls, 
herons, water turkeys and snake-birds. 
The pot was placed right out on deck 
and buttonwood chips and branches 
placed in it. A hot fire was soon 
crackling merrily. Then on went John’s 
prize oysters — great clumps of them, 
until they popped and sizzled and 
sent forth appetizing odors that were 
irresistible. Never did an oyster roast 
taste better. It would have been a 
sacrilege to put any flavoring on them. 
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 372) 
EX. C0. OFFICIAL 
PLEADSCUILIYTO 
HAVING AIGREITES 
J. G. Treitt, Former Covnty Com- 
missioner, and a Seminole In- 
dian Arrested By Feder- 
<al-)A|[cntft 
"*• Former County Commissioaer J. G. 
flPrnitt last evening pleaded guilty to vio- 
lation of fhe federal law against having 
egret plumes in one's possession, after 
several thousand dollars’ worth had been 
‘found in his room in the Watson building 
in a raid by federal oflScials. Willie 
Willie, the well-known Seminole Indian, 
pleaded not guilty to the same charge 
after about an equal amount of plumes 
had been found in his room in the Sun 
Dial apartments. 
The raids were conducted late yester- 
day afternoon by Deputy Louis A. Allen 
and United States Game Wardens B. J. 
Pacetti of Ponce Park and P. S. Farn- 
ham of Oswego, N. Y.. and the plumes 
taken were valued at $7,000. Following 
the hearing before United States Court 
Commissioner Graham both men put up 
■ bail, Truitt furnishing a cash bond of 
$300 while Jerry Gallatis and John W. 
Buck went on the Indian’s bond. 
Willie Willie first asked for William 
Burdine, but when informed that Mr. 
Burdine could not be found, he said, “I 
take Jerry Gallatis alleesame, think so.” 
He could not understand why the officers 
dared enter his locked room in his ab- 
SfflCe. — 
From the Miami Herald of May zoth. 
that the King party were 
Plumes Cleverly Hidden 
The Truitt collection was found in an 
old suit case, cleverly hung up behind a 
bureau in his room. It comprised 14 
aigrettes, valued at $150 sath, and four 
roseate spoonbill (pink curlew) plumes, 
valued at $100 each. He declared that 
he did not own the plumes, but finally 
pleaded guilty when arraigned before the 
commissioner. 
In the Indian’s collection were one 
great white heron plume, valued at over 
$500, one wood duck plume, va.lued at 
$300, 17 snowy heron f cross egret) 
plumes, valued at $125 each; two small 
blue herons, plumes valued at $20 each ; 
one golden crown night heron, pliynes 
valued at $50, and 10 American egret 
plumes, values at $150 each. 
Both collebtions are being displayed in 
Douglas’s window today, and the officials 
are anxious that Miami women shall see 
them so that they will be able to recog- 
nize the various kinds of aigrettes and 
co-operate with the government in appre- 
hending store keepers who keep such 
plumes and wqmen who wear them. Mr. 
Pacetti said bday thht ha would arrest 
any woman wearing them,~no matter how 
prominent socially she might be. 
Heavy PenaOdea Provided 
The law- provides that any person found 
with an aigrette in his or her possession 
shall be liable to a fine of $500 or six 
months’ imprisonment or both. 
As is well known, plumes can be found 
on herons only during the period when 
they are laking their eggs and rearing 
their young. Consequently, the killing of 
one of t^ese birds at this period means 
that the;young will be left to die, or that 
eggs in the nest will never be hatched. 
Since these birds are exceedingly rare 
now, protection must be afforded them or 
they will become extinct. 
Mr. Pacetti recently created quite a 
stir when he arrested and brought to trial 
a number of wealthy residents of Leon 
county and secured ‘ their conviction on 
the charge of killing migratory birds out 
of season. 
The plumage obtained in the raid will 
likely be either burned or placed in somg 
museum. 
This looks like pretty good evidence 
right in their deductions 
