hanging mangroves of a large key, where we had observed the Herons
retiring to roost the previous evening. There we lay quietly until daybreak.
But the mosquitoes and sandflies ! Reader, if you have not been
in such a place, you cannot easily conceive the torments we endured for a
whole hour, when it was absolutely necessary for us to remain perfectly
motionless. At length day dawned, and the boats parted, to meet on the
other side of the key. Slowly and silently each advanced. A Heron
sprung from its perch almost directly over our heads. Three barrels were
discharged,—in vain; the bird flew on unscathed; the pilot and I had
probably been too anxious. As the bird sped away, it croaked loudly,
and the noise, together with the report of our guns, roused some hundreds
of these Herons, which flew from the mangroves, and in the grey
light appeared to sail over and around us like so many spectres. I almost
despaired of procuring any more. The tide was now rising, and when we
met with the other boat we were told, that if we had waited until we
.could have shot at them while perched, we might have killed several; but
that now we must remain until full tide, for the birds had gone to their
feeding grounds.
The boats parted again, and it was now arranged that whenever a
Heron was killed, another shot should be fired exactly one minute after, by
which each party would be made aware of the success of the other. Mr
EGAN, pointing to a nest on which stood two small young birds, desired
to be landed near it. I proceeded into a narrow bayou, where we remained
quiet for about half an hour, when a Heron flew over us and was
shot. It was a very fine old male. Before firing my signal shot, I heard
a report from afar, and a little after mine was discharged I heard another
shot, so I felt assured that two birds had been killed. When I reached
the Captain's boat I found that he had in fact obtained two ; but Mr EGAN
had waited two hours in vain near the nest, for none of the old birds came
up. We took him from his hiding place, and brought the Herons along
with us. It was now nearly high water. About a mile from us, more
than a hundred Herons stood on a mud-bar up to their bellies. The pilot
said that now was our best chance, as the tide would soon force them to
fly, when they would come to rest on the trees. So we divided, each
choosing his own place, and I went to the lowest end of the key, where it
was separated from another by a channel. I soon had the pleasure of observing
all the Herons take to wing, one after another, in quick succession.
I then heard my companions1 guns, but no signal of success. Obplaces
beyond Key West where I certainly should obtain several, were
we to spend a day and a night there for the purpose. Dr BENJAMIN
STROBEL afterwards gave me a similarassurance. In the course of a week
after reaching Key West, I in fact procured more than a dozen birds of
different ages, as well as nests and eggs, and their habits were carefully
examined by several of my party.
At three o'clock one morning, you might have seen Mr EG AN and
myself, about eight miles from our harbour, paddling as silently as possible
over some narrow and tortuous inlets, formed by the tides through a
large flat and partially submersed key. There we expected to find many
White Herons; but our labour was for a long time almost hopeless, for,
although other birds occurred, we had determined to shoot nothing but
the Great White Heron, and none of that species came near us. At length,
after six or seven hours of hard labour, a Heron flew right over our heads,
and to make sure of it, we both fired at once. The bird came down dead.
.It proved to be a female, which had either been sitting on her eggs or
had lately hatched her young, her belly being bare, and her plumage
considerably worn. We now rested a while, and breakfasted on some biscuit
soaked in molasses and water, reposing under the shade of the mangroves,
where the mosquitoes had a good opportunity of breaking their
fast also. We went about from one key to another, saw a great number
of White Herons, and at length, towards night, reached the Marion,
rather exhausted, and having a solitary bird. Mr EG AN and I had been
most of the time devising schemes for procuring others with less trouble,
a task which might easily have been accomplished a month before, when,
as he said, the birds were " sitting hard.11 He asked if I would return
that night at twelve o'clock to the last key which we had visited. I mentioned
the proposal to our worthy Captain, who, ever willing to do all
in his power to oblige me, when the service did not require constant
attendance on board, said that if I would go, he would accompany us in
the gig. Our guns were soon cleaned, provisions and ammunition placed
in the boats, and after supping we talked and laughed until the appointed
time.
" Eight Bells11 made us bound on our feet, and off we pushed for the
islands. The moon shone bright in the clear sky ; but as the breeze had
died away, we betook ourselves to our oars. The state of the tide was
against us, and we had to drag our boats several miles over the soapv
shallows ; but at last we found ourselves in a deep channel beneath the