Paddling under Palmettos — page 247: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

240 Paddling Under Palmettos. a nice dry spot under some palmetto trees, and here, then, the camp was pitched. Never did cruisers enjoy rest more than the four who gathered around the fire on that evening. They had no ambition to do anything but lie around after supper was over and smoke as they compared experiences. During the evening they were visited by a couple of settlers who had seen the fleet, and knew where their camp was pitched. These gentlemen kindly brought some yams, cocoanuts, and fruit. Ned showed Archie how to cook a green cocoa- nut so that when sweetened in its shell it was a de- licious blanc mange. That night all slept so soundly that they knew not of the presence of an unwelcome visitor until morn- ing, when a haunch of venison was found missing, and they discovered the tracks of a wildcat. Oysters were struck nearby—great fellows in shells five inches and more in length, and clinging to bushes at low tide. Upon these they feasted. Crabs were plenty, and in half an hour, with a landing-net and a piece of meat tied to the end of Gomicbooks:co