The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-07-23
Notes from Matanzas.

Editor PALATKA NEWS:
Our journey from Palatka to the Mat
tanzas Island Hotel, on the Atlantic
coast, was pleasant and agreeable. We
arrived here at 6 o'clock p. m. on the
same day we left Palatka. Up to the
time Of this writing nothing has trans
pired to mar the pleasures one enjoys
on a trip of this kind. Our chief sports
are fishing, bathing and shooting sharks.
Tn last Sunday afternoon while we were
dinner, a report came that a very
sc shark was coming up the bay and
this announcement we all left the t.
Die and repaired to the wharf with guns
md hooks and lines prepared to have
some fun, Mr.-Jackeon baitcd very
"ong hook and with plenty Of rope
,1rew it out near whore the shark Was
feeding. The shark lost no time in ta-
ing hold, although to his sorrow, for as
soon as he had swallowed the hook, Mr.,
jackson began to pull in; but he soon
found that he had more than he could
handle and by the timely assistance of
the ladies, we succeeded in landing him
upon terra firma, but not until Mr.. Mer-
ryday had seized his rifle and put two
bullets through the sharks head. | tell
you, ne was a whopper. We had nc
scales to ascertain his weight, but, we
judge him to weigh fully three or -four
hundred pounds.
The mosquitoes are pretty worrisomc
here at night. 1t would have made you
laugh to have seen us fighting mOsqui
toes during our first two nights here
while at the supper table. Since thcI
we have learned how to avoid the miser
able creatures by having tea before night
sets in.
The Matauzas hotel is a very COM
Portable three story building situated
upon an island overlooking the ocean
Just twenty miles south of St.AUgustine
Sail boats ply between the two place
almost laily and on Sunday more or les
excursion parties come down here anl
spend the day promiscuously upon tn,
beach in search of shells, etc. 1t would
without a doubt, tickle you to see on
crowd robed in bathing suits at the din
ner table.
Mr.. Grooms and the rest of the mel
folks of our crowd went out early on
morning and returned in about two hour
with fully cart load of fish of every de
scription.
Within two or three hundred yards Q
the hotel stands an old Spanish fort
built ofstone and oyster shells. We Vi.
tied the fort in a solid body taking pain
to carry along our guns, knives, etc, nc
with the aim to use them, but as nee
essary precaution. We entered the fol
by means of a small hole in the wal
which lead to the second floor. The frs
thing that drew our attention was tw
old cannOns of ancient design. Furthe
on we discovered that large trees of c,
dar and myrtle had sprouted in tn
ground floor and had tore up the secon
floor in making their way upwards. TIL
stone walls are four feet thick an
100Xl00 feet long and about the same
height. One cannot visit this 70
without feeling a sense of awe steal owe
him when he looks upon such stron
masonry and remembersthat it was dor
more than three hundred years ago.
Our crowd is certainly having a goo
;ime and only regret that our friends
alatka and elsewhere are not here
Ike part with US. We brought alor
it'll us the necessary groceries and
cook and we are proud tosay he is a goo
one, too, for it would make your mout
water before meal time to look upon Il
rice pies, puddings, and cakes which
lecves us to. The ocean breeze is C
tainly delightful and our appetites a
becoming as keen as a razor.
ONE OF THE PARTY.
Senator Brown, of Georgia, folloy
A a