three o'clock
We reached the boat an hour before dinner-time , and Gopher had red snapper and spotted bass in a variety of styles for the meal . In the afternoon the gentlemen took to the woods with their sporting gear , but I remained to escort the ladies and protect them from rattlesnakes and moccasins , which they seemed to fear every time they set foot on shore . But we did not see a snake of any kind during the whole time we were on the waters of the upper St. Johns . At three o'clock I had the mules harnessed to one of the wagons , and drove the ladies several miles into the forest ; they were delighted with the excursion . On my return , when the ladies had gone up into the saloon , I went aft on the main deck to take a look at the water . The steamer was moored with her head to the shore , so that her stern was out in the river . I was afraid , as we had had no rain for some days , not even a shower , that the river would fall so as to endanger our getting over the shoal , two miles below , where we had not had more than an inch to spare in coming up .