The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-04-12
cious sideboard, and Scotland and
the state of Kentucky were drawn
unon for q mild contribution.

/ the STATE Oh ntutuChy WCAC Va a. -
| upon for a mild contribution.
| The Tuna carries two engines OF
IRISH. D., and is supplied with 1900
gallons of gasolene. 1t has dynamo
and storage battery, and is capable
of being brilliantly Illuminated. Her
crew consists of captain, an engi-
neer, a steward, chef and deck
hand, whose pay continues whether the
boat is in or out of commission. They
are urbane and polite, and always sa-
lutte with military precision before
asking or answering question, and
respond to a summons with the rush
of a fireman They are foreigners
and are born to the sea.
The Tuna is the name of very
gamey fish of the Pacific coast, and
fishermen say that it is worth trip
across the continent to hook one OF
them.
The Tuna has the Union Jack, the
flag of the New York Yacht Club,
Capt. Inglis' private flag and the
Stars and Stripes all floating from
her masts, but the place of honor is
given to Old Glory.
The Tuna" in a word, is an imita-
ton in miniature of an ocean liner,
and is kept as spic and span in all
particulars as one of those leviathians
of the sea.
AS soon as we boarded the Tuna
we were decorated with a pair of
canvas rubber-soled shoes and a white
naval cap, and the ship and all of its
belongings were put at our service.
Capt. Inglis is a princely host, and
has the exquisite tact of pruning away
the awkwardness of his guests and
making them feel perfectly at home,
and he is careful that this feeling
shall continue.
| We Immediately made out to sea,
and in few hours cast anchor off
Cedar Key. Its history is but a mem
DRY. Immediately after the civil war
it was the busiest and most promis-
ing town in Florida. 1t was, perhaps
as large as Jacksonville, and much
larger than Tampa.
Capt Inglis was one of it's pioneer
citizens. He erected three large saw
mills there, and told an interesting
tale of how the town waxed and wan
ed
1t was literally strangled to death
by the short-sighted policy pursued
by those who owned the land, the
same as Fernandina was, on the At
lantic side, whose destiny happened
to lay in the same hands. The own
ers would only lease-refusing to sell
on any terms. Though having well
the start, and both possessing better
harbors, the two cities saw Jackson
vile and Tampa steal trade away
from them so completely that Cedar
Key, at least, remains but a relic of
| former times.
We soon raised anchor and again
steamed away, and spent the first
night at the mouth of the historic
Suwannee river. Bright and early the
following morning we got an array
of fishing tackle, lowered the launches
and started out to interview the den
liens of the deep.
We had not been guilty of a real
fish" in forty years, so we knew that
we would WELD but clumsily the mod
ern fishing tackle, and called for the
old fashioned line and pole, and, as
the boat was. like a cornucopia-
supplied with everything-the outnt
was soon forthcoming. AS soon as
we cast anchor at a favorite fishing
place We succeeded in landing two
before any of t e others were quick
ened with even a sensation but
this distinction was of short duration.
Soon Capt. Inglis, Judge Bullock and
Mr.. Alfred began toying with real
gamey fellows, and the sport was on
in earnest. In about two hours we
had landed forty and some of the big
gest ones failed to get away, and we
desisted not because the sport grew
tame, but because we thought that
enough was sufficiency
The next morning the captain of
the Tuna got up early and brought
back any quantity of stone crabs, and
we had fish in all forms and va
rieties.
We had broiled fish, fried fish stewed
fish, baked fish, fish chowder, stone
crabs, etc. 1t was certainly a deli
cious treat for land-lubber, especial
ly as the fish were fresh from the wa
ter into the pan, and were prepared
under the direction of one who has
j achieved reputation in that line
equal to that of the famed and la