The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-04-17

sugar apple, sapadil!a and Abacarda
pears. These three latter fruits were
not ripe SO We could not Judge o
their flavor. There we bought lovely
pineapples for ten cents apiece. We
| spent the next forenoon fishing and
gathering cocoanuts. Sailed out oil
Marco Pass At one o'clock. wind &c
the eastward and flood tide. Sailed
down to Caxambas Pass and soon
found ourselves among the Ter
Thousand Islands. My pen fails me
to describe how very beautiful it is.
| One island was much higher than the
others. Here WAS a large house and
acres of pineapples. Finding wind
| and tide ahead we anchored in Cax-
| ambas river for the night.
Next morning coffee was served al
| five thirty and we got under way with
ed down Caxambas river and out on
the Gulf by Ten Thousand Islands
and against head wind to Gomez
Point on Panther Island. On this
point there was u little clearing with
cocoanut palms, large fig tree and
lines. We were told that a POrtu-
guese named Gomez had come to
Florida in 1880 and had made his
home at this place, living to be 12O
years old, and that he was caught in
turtle net which he had set and was
drowned. We anchored for the night
behind Panther Key. Next morning
with light wind to the eastward We
sailed around the Keys to Chatham
river, a most beautiful body of water.
The channel is very narrow and in
passing one of the islands flaw
struck the sails and the boat went
into the large mangrOves which over
hang the water and rent our mainsail.
We spent the day mending sail and
rowing up the river hunting oysters.
After supper. the wind being fair and
a lovely moonlight night, we sailed
until midnight and anchored in the
mouth of Shark river.
Next morning coffee was served
later than usual and we then sailed
up Shark river short distance. The
river is not wide but very deep and
the scenery is very beautiful. We
passed Cape Sable at ten o'clock with
fair wind and reached Key West, II
distance of sixty-five miles, at six
o'clock. The harbor presented a very
beautiful sight with the many sailing
vessels anchored there and the lovely
blue water. Nowhere il seems could
the water be quite so blue as at Key
West.
The next two days were spent in
sight seeing. Key West is not large
city. 1t claims a population of TWEEN
ty thousand and is most interesting
place. Que feels that it is Il foreign
country, SO many Cubahs and ne
groes, and the architecture is quite
different from that seen anywhere else
in the United States. Sponge fishing
seems to be the principal industry.
There were many interesting places to
visit. the old Spanish fort, govern
ment docks, where the survey boat
photographer and the torpedo boat
destroyer Wilkes lay, the turtle pens
where the sea turtle is kept until ready
to kill for market. and not the least
interesting were the ships. at noon
on our third day at Key West we
sailed to BOca Chica where we were
told the tarpon fishing was fine We
anchored for the night and spent next
day fishing. Two sharks were the re-
suit of the days fishing. The cook
caught eight large crawtish which
were very nice, much like lobster.
We sailed back to Key West the
next morning. arriving there at noon
The harbor was filled with boats. As
we sat on deck waiting for dinner we
noticed a number of boats sail away
to the south. In few minutes the
whole harbOr WAS filled with excite
ment. ROwbOats loaded with sailors
were leaving the shore and going to
the different schooners and in short
time fifty boats had sailed away, all
going in the same direction. a pass
ing bOatnan was called who informed
wrecked on the reefs and these boats
were going out to work for the sal
wage. BY the time dinner was finish
ed the boats all came sailing back
The steamer had just anchored to re-
pair broken machinery.
The next day Captain Lewis in
formed the party that orders read
Miami. Stiff breeze southeast. We
left the red buoy at $50, laying our
course with sheets started little
We had fine view of Fort Taylor
and Key West and delightful sail
to Bahia Honda. This was one of the
finest passes and prettiest bays we
found. Our party went ashore for
two hours. We then got under way
and anchored for the night at Key
Va'cas. We sailed about noon the
next day, going inside the keys, and
came out between Long Key and
Upper Metacumbe. We ran down
outside the keys and anchored at In
dian Key. We were under way again
next morning about eight o'clock with
a light wind to the eastward. We
stopped At noon to fish. A rain storm
sent all to the cabin except Captain
Lewis and crew. The keys on the
north and the long line of Florida
reefs on the south left fine smooth
channel. We anchored at Point
Charles for the night
The next day We sailed to Caesar
Creek. reaching Miami the following
day ut noon. The first thing to meet
our eyes as we neared Miami was the
beautiful gounds and hotel Royal
Palms. The hotel is built on a point,
the river On one side and the bay on
the other. We entered the river and
anchored in front of the hotel and
Seminole Vaoht C1uh Tbrnurh Tho