BEASTS and BIRDS. 313 



of the water and dry them ; becaufe they will 

 fometimes recover : but they frequently die of 

 fuch convulfions if they get wet again. When 

 the tide goes off, fome little crawfifhes and 

 crabs are gathered, boiled,, and cut to pieces, 

 and given to the young ducks by themfelves 

 at firft, but afterwards mixed with fome 

 boiled rice, and minced with herbs. When 

 they are older they are fliifted into a larger 

 fampane, which has a broad bottom of bamboo, 

 with a gallery round, above the river, and 

 a bridge declining towards the water. The 

 young ducks get an old ftep-mother, who leads 

 them when they are let down to graze by 

 means of the bridge. The old duck is fo ufed 

 to the fignal from the fampane in which they 

 are afTembled at night, that me haflens, half 

 fwimming, half flying, to her lodgings. The 

 Cbincfe, as occafion ferves, removes his fam- 

 pane to another place, where he finds more 

 food for his ducks, and lets them out daily on 

 the fliores among the rice-fields. One cannot 

 fee without altonifhment many fuch fampanes 

 furrounded with greater and fmaller ducks : 

 and it is very peculiar that when many fam- 

 panes feed their ducks in the fame place, and 

 call them home at night, each knows how to 

 find the right fampane. The Chinefs are al- 

 ways 



