While his adventurous career affords us little hope that any of us will
ever, like him, discover shipwrecked wealth, it gives us a fine example
of what perseverance combined with intelligence, courage and honesty
can accomplish in the face of great difficulties; for it was a union of
all these qualities which enabled Sir William Phips to wrest fortune
and honors from the ocean depths.
[Illustration]
SOME FISHING-BIRDS OF FLORIDA.
BY MRS. MARY TREAT.
All along the St. John's River, during the winter, may be seen birds
catching fish for a living. They are more numerous here in winter than
in summer, because, upon the freezing of the waters at the North, they
flock to Florida to carry on their fishing in the St. John's, which,
never freezing, contains an abundance of fish.
The belted kingfisher comes close to the house, where I can watch him
fishing as I sit at the window. The river is five miles across here,
and for several yards from the shore it is quite shallow, so that a
wharf two hundred and fifty feet long was necessary to make it easy to
launch our small rowboats. A railing extends along the side of the
wharf, and upon this railing the kingfisher perches, watching for his
prey.
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