119
                   Off  St. Augustine.
comrades whose bony remains should be
here yet, under the sand and weeds.  Back
by the boat, our purser and engineer having
with them a bird-cage and old flint-lock pistol,
of English make, which they had stolen from
the empty house.  (The proprietor visited the Dela-
ware next day to complain of the theft, when
they made it all right with him.)  Firing at a
shark and a bald eagle who had perched
himself on the mast of the sunken British Em-
pire, the blockade-runner, looking no bad
emblem of desolation.  Neither shark nor bird
was hit, I think, though the latter presented
a fair work and didn�t hurry himself to
fly away.  A rainstorm came on and
pretty well ducked us by the time we reached
the Delaware.
   3.  Saturday.  Ashore early, after break-
fast, finding Buffington occupied as usual,
sitting in an arm-chair under the cool piaza,
with his legs elevated against one of its sup-
ports.  Nobody up as yet.  Presently the young
officers made their appearance, looking none
the better for an over night�s debauch.  Talk
and smoke.  I got a palmetto-hat, ordered
of a women who made such articles; also
my washing � A stroll to the mayor�s house;