KEY WEST.

189

on a sandbank within a hundred yards of the lighthouse. Iwas amused at the manner in which one of the passengersmade the best of a nickname by cordially appropriatingit, and thereby adding to his dignity. He signed himselfJudge. On questioning him how he came by that title,“ Why,” said he, “ I got it at first as a sort of nickname,and I feel that I am now entitled to it, and I always signmy name so at the hotels just as I have now done.”

The sea is shallow around the Florida reefs. When welay upon the bank at Sand Key, the colour of the watervaried much. When shallow, it was of a whitish green,becoming darker as it deepened, till the unfathomable water ofthe Gulf Stream appeared in the distance as blue as indigo.

The town of Key West has a population of 2000. Vege-tation here is tropical in its character; for the cocoa nut wasgrowing in the gardens, with its long graceful leaves wavingin the breeze. The houses were well sheltered by ever-greens, and, in spite of the somewhat unfavourable state ofthe weather, the scene was agreeable and refreshing, afterhaving been so long accustomed to the sombre aspect of theforests of Georgia and the Carolinas. The soil at Key Westis sandy, rising only a few feet above the sea.

Early this morning the wind changed to the north-west,and the sky was cloudy. At two p.m. the temperature hadfallen to 63°, with loose clouds floating from the north-west;but the upper clouds were drifting from due west by thecompass. An old sea captain, who had been long familiarwith this part of the ocean, called this the north-west tradewind, which at last satisfied me that the term “trade wind”is applied here to every wind that blows. Setting sail againat 8 p.m., we were soon crossing the Gulf Stream. A violent“norther” blew during the night, and drove us so rapidly onour course, that we had to ride off the coast of Cuba in aheavy sea in sight of the light on Moro Castle, which guardsthe entrance to the harbour of Havannah. At daybreak thewaves were seen dashing with tremendous force on the rocksbelow the fortifications, and throwing up the spray to a greatheight.

At length the signal for entering the harbour was hoisted,