192 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



from the lakes and the surrounding country 

 are covered with small boats, loaded with 

 vegetables, and bound for the city markets. 

 Another industry is the granite quarries, 

 which are worked by a large number of the 

 natives, and the rock slabs which are there 

 prepared find ready sale in the markets 

 wherever offered. 



When the shooter arrives at the lakes, he 

 engages a small boat large enough to move 

 about steadily with himself and another 

 man on board. He will have no trouble in 

 engaging such a boat, for as soon as his 

 houseboat is anchored there will be several 

 around it for employment. But he should 

 be careful to get a boat whose owner knows 

 something of the habits of wildfowl and 

 how to approach them. In the early part 

 of the season the lower end of the lakes is 

 covered with rush grass which grows three 

 or five feet high above the water, and in 

 this grass the mallards mostly feed. At 

 times it is difficult to push the boat through 

 the tall and thick grass, but if the native 

 owner knows his business he will be 

 familiar with the many little openings 

 through which he can quietly propel his 

 boat. He sits in the stern with a bamboo 



