page_0004

4

it -- comfortable surroundings -- old Joe is a genuine
specimen of a typical-; Dutchman with a huge pipe, and
blue blouse-; Madam Joe is the boss of the place -- A
large woman, with a good natured fine, honest face -- She
is famous for her good fare-; a daughter of hers -- Mrs
Dickens -- a fat -- dumpy, black eyed, pleasant little frau, was
there -- also a very ugle old Dutch woman who was dock and
servant generally -- We had an excellent supper --

It was a magnificent moonlight night -- Being out of
meat, and not being able to get any from Madam Joe, Andrea
& Canning, & I & Dr Feay went out in old Joe's yard after
supper, to fish-; Andrea used old Joe's cast net; which was
too small; he caught, however, in about 1/2 an hour, some
25 splendid fish-; mostly mullett -- one red fish-; some
snappers & sheephead -- Would have cought more -- but un-
fortunately he threw it over a shock, which made such sad
havoc with the net, that our sport was cut short -- We came
in and cleaned the fish-; it took Andrea till very late to
mend the net -- We enjoyed the lovely moonlight from the
piazza and retired -- There are no bedbugs on the sea coast
in Fla they had never seen them here-; and when we lived on
Indian River later we never saw them there -- I thought that
it was probably due to the fact that the cockroaches ate the
eggs up -- & the young bugs too -- There were no mosquito
bars at Madame Joe's-; and no fire place in the house-; no
place for fire but the kitchen cook stove -- An oleander
tree nearly as big around as my body, and 30 odd feet high
stands in the yard -- Frost does no harm here -- Madam Joe