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Sandy Key
and Audubon
Audubon
travels to Sandy Key from Indian Key and back over
several days - end of April 1832
April
Morning
In
Audubon's "The Florida Keys I " section of the
Ornithological Biography Volume II, Audubon writes
about reaching Sandy Key. A part of which appears
below:
"The
next morning was delightful. The gentle sea-breeze
over the flowery isle, the horizon was clear and all
was silent save the long breakers that rushed over the
distant reefs. As we proceeded toward some Keys,
seldom visited by man, the sun rose from the bosom of
the waters with a burst of glory that flashed on my
soul the idea that power which called into existence
so magnificent an object. The moon, thin and pale, as
if ashamed to shew (show) her feeble light, concealed
herself in the dim west. The surface of the waters
shone in its tremulous smoothness, and the deep blue
of the clear heavens was pure as the world that lies
beyond them. . . . "
"Twenty
miles our men had to row before we reached "Sandy
Island," and as on its level shores we all leaped, we
plainly saw the Southernmost Cape of the Floridas
(Cape Sable). The flocks of birds that covered the
shelly beaches , and those hovering overhead, so
astonished us that we could scarcely believe our eyes.
The first volley procured a supply of food sufficient
for two days' consumption. . . . our first fire among
a crowd of the Great Godwits laid prostrate sixty-five
of these birds. Rose-coloured Curlews stalked
gracefully beneath the mangroves; Purple Herons rose
at almost every step we took, and each cactus
supported the nest of a White Ibis. The air was
darkened by whistling wings, while, on the waters,
floated Gallinules and other interesting birds. We
formed a kinds of shed with sticks and grass, the
sailor cook commenced his labours, and were long we
supplied the deficiencies of our fatigued frames. The
business of the day over, we secured ourselves from
insects by means of musquito-nets, and were lulled to
rest by the cracklings of the beautiful Purple
Gallinules!
In
the morning we rose from our sandy beds,
and-"
Next
Morning - April 1832 - Sandy Key
Audubon
continues writing about his Sandy Key experience in " The
Florida Keys II " section of his Ornithological
Biography, Volume II. A portion of what he writes is
below:
"I
left you abruptly, perhaps uncivilly, reader, at the
dawn of day, on the Sandy Island, which lies just six
miles from the extreme point of South Florida. I did
so because I was amazed at the appearance of things
around me, which in fact looked so different then from
what they seemed at night, that it took some minutes'
reflection to account for the change. When we laid
ourselves down in the sand to sleep, the waters almost
bathed our feet; when we opened our eyes in the
morning, they were at an immense distance. Our boat
lay on her side, looking not unlike a whale reposing
on a mud-bank. The birds in myriads were probing their
exposed pasture-ground. The great flocks of Ibises fed
apart from equally large collections of Godwits, and
thousands of Herons gracefully paced along, ever and
anon thrusting their javelin bills into the body of
some unfortunate fish confined in a small pool of
water. Of Fish-Crows, I could not estimate the number,
but from the havoc they made among the crabs, I
conjecture that these animals must have been scarce by
the time of the next ebb. frigate Pelicans chased
Jagger, which himself had just robbed a poor Gull of
its prize, and all the gallinules ran with spread
wings from the mud-banks to the thickets of the
island, so timorous had they become when they
perceived us.
Surrounded
as we were by so many objects that allured us, not one
could we attain, so dangerous would it have been to
venture on the mud; our pilot . . . spoke of our
eating, and on that hint told us that he would take us
to a part of the island where "our breakfast would be
abundant although uncooked." Off we went some of the
sailors carrying baskets, others large tin pans and
wooden vessels, such as those used for eating their
meals in. Entering a thicket of about an acre in
extent, we found on every bush several nests, and all
hands fell to gathering . The birds gave way to us,
and ere long we had a heap of eggs that promised
delicious food. Nor did we stand long in expectation,
for kindling a fire, we soon prepared, in one way or
another, enough to satisfy the cravings of our hungry
maws. Breakfast ended, the pilot looking at the
gorgeous sunrise, said: "Gentlemen, prepare yourselves
for fun, the tide is acoming."
"Over
the enormous mud-flats, a foot or two of water is
quite sufficient to drive all birds ashore, even the
tallest Heron or Flamingo, and the tides seem to flow
at once over the whole expanse. Each of us provided
with a gun, posted himself behind a bush, and no
sooner had the water forced the winged creatures to
approach the shore, than the work of destruction
commenced. When it at length ceased, the collected
mass of birds of different kinds looked unlike a small
haycock. . . . "
While
Audubon and his band skin the birds, the pilot goes
fishing and brings back a 100 pound "dewfish . . .
(jewfish) and a few balacoudas" and later in the day the
group leaves at full tide to return to Indian Key with
stops along the way at various Keys looking for rare
birds, their nests, and eggs. On the way back they
encounter a hurricane.
Next
Day - April 1832 into May
Audubon
returns to Indian Key and writes,
"Next
day the Marion proceeded on her cruise, and in a few
more days, having anchored in another safe harbour, we
visited other Keys, of which I will, with your leave,
give you a short account."
".
. . We were a hundred miles or so farther to the
south. gay May like a playful babe gamboled on the
bosom of his mother nature, and every thing was
replete with life and joy.
Audubon
then provides an account of traveling to a mangrove
island by pushing and hauling several boats over the mud
flats upwards of nine miles in a quest for certain birds
specimens. He also writes about an unprofitable trip to
the Mule Keys.
In Volume
III of Ornithological Biography, Audubon
describes the White Ibis and gives an account of Sandy
Key. That description is part of the White Ibis web
page.
Sandy
Key Today
The shape
of Sandy Key has changed since the days of Audubon's
visit to the Florida Keys. The shape changed as a result
of several hurricanes: Hurricane Donna in 1960 and an
earlier hurricane in 1925. Sandy Key is now smaller in
size and the old western end of the island is now named
Carl Ross Key. For a time a few families lived on Carl
Ross Key after having to leave the Everglades, but Sandy
Key and Carl Ross Key are now protected by the National
Park Service. Carl Ross is accessible to visitors and
serves as a camp site.
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