Taking the mail-bag, we walked up a steep sand-bluff on which the fort was situated, and across the parade-ground to the officers' quarters.

These were six or seven log-houses, thatched with palmetto-leaves, built on high posts, with a porch in front, facing the water.

The men's quarters were also of logs forming the two sides of a rectangle, open toward the water; the intervals and flanks were closed with log stockades.

I was assigned to one of these rooms, and at once began service with my company, A, then commanded by Lieutenant Taylor.
The season was hardly yet come for active operations against the Indians, so that the officers were naturally attracted to Ashlock, who was the best fisherman I ever saw.

He soon initiated us into the mysteries of shark-spearing, trolling for red-fish, and taking the sheep's-head and mullet.