The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-30

waters below, smoked, and listened long to the
indescribabe concert of night voices that reached
US from the palm crowned shore half mile away.
Sweet bells tangled out of tune quoted the
captain. as he shook The reefs out of his blanket
and prepared to turn in We slept well; and all
the better that, on the previous night, while
anchored at Big Pass, the villainous little black
mosquito of the Keys had found US out, and one
Of US, at least, had not slept minute from sun
down to sun-up OF all the mosquito tribe, he is
the most spiteful, persistent vicious and nu-
merous He is also the blacklist. Every one
you slap leaves inky spot on the Skin, and he
is quick to dodge blow. A judicous use OF
mosquito netting. or heavy coating of ''punkie
dope Will beat him; but we had neither. We
would have lifted the anchor and stood out for
the open water, but there was no wind and the
tide set all wrong. Reader if you ever anchor
among the Keys of the gulf coast, and the black
mosquito sends in reconnoitering party of
hfteen millions so, get out, if there is wind
enough to take you; if not call up your acquired
or inherited philosophy, light your blacklist
pipe and prepare to make night of it. Ii,
through the cranky prejudices of your ances-
tors, you have failed to acquire liking for the
soothing pipe, you will find it an excellent time
to learn
In the early gray of a clear tropical morning
left the captain sleeping like log. went for
ward and made pot of strong. black coffee at
placed on the fore hatch. When we are richer
the sharpe is to have kerosene oil stove, q
coat of paut-and new broom.
When the skipper mad placed himself outside
of some strong coffee Everybody does that in
the early morning here), he proceeded to hoist
the mainsail and jib, set the lug and walk up
the anchor, while took the wheel represent
ed by crooked liveoak stick. | thought the
sharpe rather pretty adjunct of the semi
tropical lay out, with her three white sails draw
ing smoothly and evenly, her sharp stem gliding
swiftly over the light waves with scarcely a
ripple. and her white sides leaning gently to the
sea breeze. l was also good deal interested IN
a large, flock of wlet and plover that allowed us
to sail within fifty yards of them. But our
shells were all gone and did not need the
birds any how. So we stood on to Yellow Bluff,
rounded into the little BAY and came to anchor
within hundred yards of the white, sandy
beach, going ashore as we usually do, IN the
canoes. And here let me say that these canoes
are most pleasant and useful accessories to
cruising in a yacht or yawl They
are cinker built, of white edar. and
very light The largest, which is the
captains gig" weighs twenty-four pounds and
trims we'll with two hundred pounds on board
The other-the baby canoe, as the captain calls
1t, weighs trifie less than ten pounds, and her
crew ought not to weigh more than ll5 pounds
And he don't. They draw very little water, but
large crowds, where there are any. But there
was no crowd at Yellow Bluff. 1t is little
quiet, tropcal-looking gulf village. with one
store and no hotel We were Hospitality enter
tanned by Mr.. Tutreli. the proprietor of the one
store, who, finding / anxious for informa-
ton on all matters connected with uit-growing
and gardening in Florida. was at pains to take
me through his orange grove of six hundred
trees: giving me many useful hints on the cult
ure of the entire citrus family, with his expe-
rlence IN growing grapes, which were succeeding
admirably his grounds. In return, was
able to name grapevine, which was growing
and bearing vigorously, but of variety new to
him. The grapes were cooring finely, and l
saw at glance that it was the old Clinton, va
riety so very frosty and so decidedly Northern
that was rather surprised to see it growing SO
rampantly here We spent most of the long
hot day drowsly loafng and visiting about the
sleepy little hamlet, for the captain seemed to
know everybody there.
But the tide made, the breeze freshened. and
we once more set SAIL sheeted home and walked
up the anchor. Our five days trial trip with the
sharpe ended by tying her to the wharf at
Anclote