rth　Carolinian；　is　the　principal　keeper；　and　a　most　efficient　one　he　is。
  The　temperature　was　falling　rapidly　when　I　crawled　into　the　high　rushes　of　the　wet　marsh　near　the　light…house　to　seek　shelter　from　the　strong　wind　that　was　blowing。　　As　this　treeless　beach　was　destitute　of　fire…wood；　or　natural　　shelter　of　any　kind；　necessity　compelled　me　to　have　recourse　to　other　means　for　procuring　them。　　I　carried　in　my　pocket　a　talisman　which　must　open　any　light…keeper's　door；　from　Maine　to　the　Rio　Grande；　from　Southern　California　to　Alaska；　even　to　the　vicinity　of　the　Arctic　Circle；　the　　Lighthouse　Establishment　of　the　United　States　has　planted　a　tower　or　erected　a　light。　　While　　shivering　in　wet　clothes　on　this　desolate　beach；　most　thankfully　did　I　remember　that　kind　and　thoughtful　　friend；　who　through　his　potent　influence　had　supplied　me　with　this　open　sesame　to　　lightkeepers。
  There　resides　in　Washington；　when　not　　engaged　elsewhere　in　the　important　duties　of　the　Commission　of　Fisheries；　a　genial　gentleman；　an　ardent　naturalist；　a　great　scientist。　　To　him　the　young　naturalists　of　America　turn　for　information　and　advice；　and　to　the　humblest　applicant　　Professor　Spencer　F。　Baird　never　turns　a　deaf　ear。　How　this　distinguished　author　can　attend　to　so　many　and　such　varied　duties　with　his　laborious　investigations；　and　can　so　successfully　keep　up　a　large　correspondence　with　perhaps　one　thousand　scientific　associations　of　nearly　every　nation　of　the　universe；　is　a　difficult　thing　to　imagine；　but　the　popular　and　much　beloved　Assistant　　Secretary　of　the　Smithsonian　Institution；　seemingly　ubiquitous　in　his　busy　life；　does　all　this　and　much　more。　　America　may　well　feel　proud　of　this　man　of　noble　nature；　shedding　light　and　truth　　wheresoever　he　moves；　encouraging　alike　old　and　young　with　his　kindly　sympathy；　　now　taking　his　precious　moments　to　answer　with　his　own　busy　hand　the　question　in　the　letter　of　some　boy　naturalist　about　beasts；　birds；　reptiles；　or　fishes；　with　which　epistles　his　desk　is　always　covered；　now　stimulating　to　further　effort　the　old　man　of　science　as　he　struggles　with　the　cares　of　this　world；　striving；　sometimes　vainly；　save　for　this　ever　ready　aid；　to　work　out　patiently　theories　which　are　soon　to　blaze　forth　as　substantial　facts。　The　young　generation　of　naturalists；　which　is　soon　to　fill　the　place　of　their　predecessors；　have　in　this　man　the　type　of　all　they　need　ever　strive　to　attain。　　How　many；　alas；　will　fall　far　short　of　it！
  Since　boyhood　the　counsels　of　this　friend　had　guided　me　on　many　a　journey　of　exploration。　He　had　not　deserted　me　even　in　this　experiment；　which　my　friends　called　〃your　wildest　and　most　foolish　undertaking。〃　　He　had　obtained　from　the　Light　House　Board　a　general　letter　to　the　　lightkeepers　of　the　United　States；　signed　by　the　naval　secretary；　Mr。　Walker；　in　which　the　　keepers　were　authorized　to　grant　me　shelter；　&c。；　when　necessary。　　I　did　not　have　occasion　to　use　this　letter　more　than　twice　during　my　journey。　Having　secreted　my　canoe　in　the　coarse　grass　of　the　lowland；　I　trudged；　with　my　letter　in　hand；　over　the　sands　to　the　house　of　the　light…keeper；　Captain　Hatzel；　who　received　me　cordially；　and　after　recording　in　his　log…book　the　circumstances　and　date　of　my　arrival；　conducted　me　into　a　comfortable　room；　which　was　warmed　by　a　cheerful　fire；　and　lighted　up　by　the　smiles　of　his　most　orderly　wife。　　Everything　showed　　discipline　and　neatness；　both　in　the　house　and　the　light…tower。　　The　whitest　of　cloths　was　spread　upon　the　table；　and　covered　with　a　well…cooked　meal；　then　the　father；　mother；　and　two　sons；　with　the　stranger　within　their　gates；　thanked　the　Giver　of　good　gifts　for　his　mercies。
  Joining　the　night…watch　of　the　chief　　lightkeeper；　I　also　joined　in　the　good　man's　　enthusiasm　for　his　wonderful　〃fixed　white　light；〃　the　bright　beams　of　which　poured　out　upon　the　　surrounding　waters　a　flood　if　brilliancy；　gladdening　hearts　far　out　at　sea；　even　though　twenty　miles　away；　and　plainly　saying；　〃This　is　Body　Island　Beach：　keep　off！〃　　How　grand　it　was　to　walk　out　on　this　gallery　in　the　sky！　　Looking　　eastward；　a　limitless　expanse　of　ocean；　gazing　　westward；　the　waters　of　the　great　sound；　the　shores　of　which　were　low　marshes　miles　away。　　Below　me　could　be　heard　the　soft　cackle　of　the　　snow…goose　（Anser　hyperboreus）；　which　had　left　its　nesting…place　on　the　barren　grounds　of　arctic　America；　and　was　now　feeding　contentedly　in　its　winter　home　in　the　shallow　salt…ponds；　which　the　gentle　shur…r…r…　of　the　waves　softly　broke　on　the　strand。　Above；　the　star…lit　heavens；　whose　tender　beauty　seemed　almost　within　my　grasp。　Perched　thus　upon　a　single　shaft；　on　a　narrow　strip　of　sand　far　out　in　the　great　water；　the　many　thoughts　born　of　solitude　crowded　my　mind；　when　my　reverie　was　abruptly　broken　by　an　exclamation　from　Captain　Hatzel；　who　threw　open　the　door；　and　exclaimed；　with　beaming　eyes　peering　into　the　darkness　as　he　spoke；　〃I　see　it！　　Yes；　it　is！　　Hatteras　Light；　thirty…five　miles　away。　　This　night；　December　13th；　is　the　first　time　I　have　caught　its　flash。　　Tell　it　to　the　Hatteras　keeper　when　you　visit　the　cape。〃
  From　Captain　Hatzel　I　gleaned　some　facts　of　deep　interest　in　regard　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　sound。　　Some　of　them；　he　told　me；　had　Indian　blood　in　their　veins；　and　to　prove　the　truth　of　his　assertion　he　handed　me　a　well…worn　copy　of　the　〃History　of　North　Carolina；〃　by　Dr。　Francis　L。　Hawks；　D。　D。　　From　this　I　obtained　facts　which　might　serve　for　the　intricate　mazes　of　a　romance。　It　had　been　a　pet　scheme　with　Sir　Walter　　Raleigh　to　colonize　the　coast　of　North　Carolina；　then　known　as　Virginia；　and　though　several　　expeditions　had　been　sent　out　for　that　object；　each　had　failed　of　successful　issue。　　One　of　these　expeditions　sent　by　Sir　Walter　to　Roanoke　　Island　consisted　of　one　hundred　and　twenty…one　persons；　of　whom　seventeen　were　women　and　six　children。　　Of　all　these　souls　only　two　men　returned　to　the　old　country；　the　fate　of　the　　remainder　being　unknown；　and　shrouded　in　the　gloom　which　always　attends　mystery。　　England　did　not；　however；　leave　her　children　to　perish　on　a　barren　shore　in　the　new　land　without　at　least　an　effort　to　succor　them。
  On　March　20；　in　the　year　1590；　there　sailed　from　Plymouth　three　ships；　the　Hopewell；　John　Evangelist；　and　Little　John；　taking　in　tow　two　shallops　which　were　afterwards　lost　at　sea。　　In　these　days　the　largest　vessels　of　a　fleet　did　not　exceed　one　hundred　to　one　hundred　and　forty　tons　burden。　　This　expedition　was　under　the　charge　of　Admiral　John　White；　governor　of　the　colony　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh　on　Roanoke　Island；　and　who　had　left　the　feeble　band　on　the　island　in　1587。　In　thirty…six　days　and　eight　hours　these　small　vessels　arrived　off　〃Hatorask〃　　Hatteras　Beach。　　The　fleet　dropped　anchor　three　leagues　off　the　beach；　and　sent　a　well…manned　boat　through　an　inlet　to　Pamplico　Sound。
  There　existed　in　those　days　passages　from　the　ocean　through　the　beaches　into　the　sounds；　which　have　since　been　filled　up　by　the　action　of　the　sea。　　Old　Roanoke　Inlet；　now　closed；　which　was　about　four　miles　north　of　the　　modern　Oregon　Inlet；　is　supposed　to　be　the　one　used　by　Sir　Walter　Raleigh's　expeditions。　　It　is　only　four　miles　from　the　site　of　this　closed　inlet　to　Shallowbag　Bay；　on　Roanoke　Island。　　At　the　southern　entrance　of　the　bay；　near　Ballast　Point；　some　vessel　evidently　grounded　and　threw　　overboard　her　stone　ballast；　hence　the　name　of　the　point。　　Captain　Hatzel　has　examined　this　stone；　and　gives　his　opinion；　as　an　old　pilot；　that　it　is　foreign　in　character。　He　never　met　with　similar　stones；　and　believes　that　this　ballast　was　　deposited　at　Shallowbag　Bay　by　some　of　the　vessels　of　Sir　Walter's　expeditions。
  As　the　boat's　crew　above　mentioned　rowed　northward　to　Roanoke　Island　　made　famous　two　hundred　and　seventy…two　years　later　by　the　National　and　Confederate　struggles　　they　sounded　their　trumpets　and　sang　familiar　songs；　which　they　hoped　might　be　borne　to　their　　countrymen　on　the　shore；　but　the　marshes　and　　upland　wilderness　returned　no　answering　voice。
  At　daybreak　the　explorers　landed　upon　　Roanoke　Island；　which　is　twelve　miles　long　by　two　and　a　half　wide；　and　found　the　spot　where　　Admiral　White　had　left　the　colony　in　1587。　　Eagerly　searching　for　any　tokens　of　the　lost　ones；　they　soon　traced　in　the　light　soil　of　the　island　the　imprint　of　the　moccasin　of　the　savage；　but　looked　in　vain　for　any　footprint　of　civilized　man。　　What　had　become　of　their　countrymen？
  At　last　some　one　spied　a　conspicuous　tree；　far　up　on　a　sandy　bank；　blazed　and　carved。　There　were　but　three　letters　cut　upon　it；　C。R。O。；　but　these　simple　symbols　possessed　a　world　of　meaning。　　Three　years　before；　when　the　sad　farewells　were　being　spoken；　and　the　ships　were　ready　to　set　sail　for　England；　this　feeble　band；　left　to　struggle　in　the　wilds　of　the　new　land　with　sad　forebodings　of　their　possible　fate；　had　agreed　upon　a　signal；　and　had　promised　Admiral　White　that　if　driven　to　starvation　upon　the　island；　they　would　plant　their　colony　fifty　miles　inland；　near　a　tribe　of　friendly　Indians。　　Indeed；　before　the　ships　sailed　for　England；　they　were　making　　preparations　for　this　move。　Admiral　White　requested　them　to　carve　upon　a　tree　the　name　of　the　　locality　to　which　they　should　remove；　and　if　distress　had　overtaken　them　th