336 FLOCKS OF GEESE. 



taken for a lake. It was bordered on either 

 side by a low sandy district, studded with a few 

 inconsiderable rocky hills, mostly detached, and 

 a mile or two from each other. Even these soon 

 disappeared, giving place to an alluvial deposit, 

 so flat as scarcely to rise beyond the general 

 horizontal line, and to raise our hopes of being 

 near the sea; a notion rendered more probable 

 by the great resemblance of the country to the 

 western mouth of the M c Kenzie. Once, indeed, 

 some of the party imagined that they saw tents ; 

 but these, as we advanced, proved to be nothing 

 but a solitary and luxuriant border of fine wil- 

 lows, the secure retreat of hundreds of geese, 

 which having lately cast their large quill feathers, 

 were unable to fly; though, aided by instinct and 

 good legs for running, they frequently eluded 

 our most active hunters. If in the water — which, 

 however, they took all pains to avoid — they had 

 recourse to diving; and on rising to breathe, 

 merely exposed their heads and a small part of 

 the back, so that often they were not seen, and 

 still oftener missed when fired at. On land, 

 they either had a fair run for it, or plunged into 

 any cover that happened to be near; through 

 which, however thick, they waddled sufficiently 

 quick to double on their pursuers, and lead them 

 into many ludicrous situations which called forth 

 the merriment of the rest. 



