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Coccoloa norfera--
The wind being brisk, and dead ahead for us to go up the Bay, we crossed over to Shaws Point to await a change; landed at an old cattle wharf -; the palmetto posts alone standing in the water -- An immense school of mullett were circling around in the cove -- A shark occasionally rushing through, and creating great commotion-; most of the party went ashore to gather prickly pears -- Mrs Branch wanted some-; a quantity were brought in-; they were cleaned of their prickles by stirring them round in a bucket with a palmetto leaf--
I remained in the boat, and fished; we were getting out of provisoions and I considered it a necessity-; there were such quantities of splendid fish circling in full sight, around the palmetto posts, that I could not stand trying to get some any how -;most of them were the Sailor's choice-; like the sheephead somewhat -- I found a line in the boat & caught some fiddlers --(little crabs) from the beach, & went to work -- I had several beauties on the beach, and was a little shy of the Dr (Branch) as to whether he would approve of fishing on the Sabbath or not-; but when he came back with his buckets of prickly pears-; & saw my fish, he said "Bless me -- bless me -- where did these come from? -- When I informed him, he hustled about and found another line himself, and was soon hauling them in with the zest of a boy-; we caught 14 fish-; but they all spoiled before we ate them -- About the middle of the afternoon we left Shaw's Point -- & sailed over and went up the River for the Terrasea cut off --
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we had to get out in the water, and push the boat over the shallows into the cut off -- We thus went through to Terrasea Bay -- Camped for the night on a point not far from the mouth of the cut off, which Dr Feay called Urchin Point -- from some live sea urchins which we picked up on the beach -- It was a blustering, cloudy unpleasant evening -- Dr Branch too was complaining, when we laid down, of feeling very unwell -- We camped under the shelter of some mangrove bushes, which broke the force of the wind -- our fire got out in the rank grass, and swept the point --
Monday -- Oct. 30th --
The wind was dead ahead -- We beat up Tampa Bay --, tediously, the whole day; our provisions gave out entirely by night -- I crawled under the deck after dark; curled up and went to sleep -- was awakened about ten or eleven o'clock by our landing at "Little Bird Key"; at the mouth of Little Manatee River-; our boat was tied right under the mangrove bushes and we camped in a snug retreat -- (cut out for a camp by the fishermen) in the thick growth; canopied with palmetto, mangrove and sea bean (cana valia altissima)-; the prickly pears were abundant -- We went to bed without anything to eat -- had nothing all day but such crumbs as we could pick out of our box -- and some of the parched coffee got from the Barrack supplies-; there was something besides coffee in it, that was sustainable when chewed --
We amused ourselves today by shooting at pelicans
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with my pistol -- but we failed to hit any --
Tuesday -- Oct. 31st --
We rose Breakfastless -- We ate oranges -- and drank water -- of which our pig yet contained a little -- I found a small banana in the box which was a treasure; & some crumbs of hard tack-; and I chewed ground coffee largely -- We had head wind & very light; & we beat tediously up the Bay; at about one o'clock P.M. we came up with an oyster boat-, in which were a man and a lad fishing them up with tongs -- We had a bushel or two thrown upon our deck-; for which we paid 20 cts -- We devoured them from the shell most voraciously; seasoning them with lime juice -- We certainly enjoyed that bait of oysters --
As we neared Tampa we poled the last few miles-; taking turns at the pole-; the phosphorescence of the water after dark, was beautiful -- We reached the wharf at 7 o'clock-; very thankful to end our journey -- We enjoyed a delicious supper at Dr Branches, and went to bed in fine condition to enjoy nicley the rest afforded by our splendid beds --
I paid Andrea $21.00 for his and Canning's services, and the boat-; six days at $3.50 per day --
Wednesday -- Nov 1st --
Very warm day -- oppressively so -- bright and sunny-; we started on our homeward journey -- Left Dr Branch's at about 2 P. M.; got over the river about 2-30 -- Travelled
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about 12 miles and camped near a pond called our resting place Camp Mosquito for we were woefully tormented by those pests Our horses were worsted by their sojourn in Tampa they had nothing but shelled corn to eat and water they were in a lot with barren white sand under their feet they looked gaunt and rough & hollow to a miserable degree I paid for the corn used by our horses (5 bus bot of Mikay) $10.00 1/4 lb tea at Mobleys Drug Store 5 cts washing $1.00 paper for Dr Feays herbarium 75 ferriage $5
Thursday Nov 2d We bought 6 bundles of fodder from some negro wagoners who camped near us left Camp Mosquito at 6.60 A M I killed a fox squirrel just as we started During the day we started 5 deer close to the road one a noble buck saw a beautiful red eagle with a white head & tail bald Eagle feeding on some carrion with a lot of buzzards he looked like a gentleman in low bad company We stopped at Higginbothams and got some fodder & Hayti potatoes at Mrs Whitfields and got 12 bdles fodder We reached Mr McGealeys at night snd got our frying pan which we forgot there going down struck Camp near his house Bought some fresh beef and some butter from him had a fine supper Paid to negro at Camp Mosuito for fodder .25 to Mrs Higginbotham for fodder & potatoes .50 to Mrs Whitfield for 12 bundles fodder .50 to Mr Mc Gealey for beef and butter .75
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Friday Nov 3rd We left Camp McGealy at 7 oclock reached Brookville at 9.30 stopped there and bought some articles at a store 2 lbs cheese $1.00 1 lb crackers .38 tobacco for Jas Evans .75 Saw Dr Cary at the store Got 3 pcks of corn for 95 cts from a Mrs Howell little distance above town Roads ex ceedingly heavy rolling sandy we dined by the house of a Mr Allen six miles above Brookville he used to live in Gadsden Co near Concord We saw many deer in the afternoon at a distance Got 22 miles above Brookville & struck camp on the banks of Lake Charley a Popka Rain came up We cooked and ate our supper in it under discouragement the weather being very threatening we took refuge for night in the house of a very poor but seemingly a very worthy man by the name of Morris whose house was up on the hill We slept on his floor he had a hunch back wife all were barefooted and poor
Saturday Nov 4th Camp Charley Popka We left Mr Morris house at about 7.15 and continued our journey due north up the Western shore of the Lake of which we got frequent fine views We passed many ponds with ducks on them at one of them I killed a fine duck with the rifle cutting its head off and Jim got a teal duck cutting its throat it was swimming on the water & rose at the shot and flew round the pond before it fell when we found its throat just cut & my duck just had its neck neatly cut too We