122                 
                    Off the Tortugas.
West by 10 P.M. for the Tortugas.
   7.  Thursday.  See page 103.  Lying off
the Fort; a visit to it; a pleasant day, and
a proposition to go turtle-hunting on one of
the coral islands.
   8.  Friday.  Our five prisoners sent to the
Fort.  A race with a steamboat chronicled
in my Tribune letter, and a great champagne
carousal in honor of our success in getting
papers.  From one of them, the N.Y. Sun I
clipped the following item.
about an acquaintance.
nothing came of it as it

[newspaper clipping]
   Mr. Cahill, widely and favorable known as an
able attache of the New York Times, has been ap-
pointed First Lieutenant in Captain Lloyd�s Com-
pany of the Pope Rifles � the Fifth Senatorial Dis-
trict Regiment � and is recruiting at No. 7 Broad-
way.

[Gunn�s diary continued]
proved afterwards, though Lloyd did raise
enough recruits to get appointed Captain and
Cahill talked about or intended becoming a
lieutenant.  He didn�t do it, however, till
nearly two years afterwards.  An immense
shark played round the vessel for some
hours this day; one could see his every move-
ment in the transparent water.  I never
saw such a terrible combination of strength
celerity and ferocity.  Blas� and tired
during the evening.
   9.  Saturday.  Still lying off: Chasing
a vessel from New Orleans � the �Trade
Wind.� Talk of �a prize ! � Only got papers,