NOTES BY AN OLD SPORTSMAN 289 



We estimated that we saw at least fifty 

 animals thus treated. The pelts were taken 

 into the city whence with thousands more 

 they were shipped down to be cured in 

 Shanghai. There is no doubt but that 

 these M'easels cause sad havoc in the native 

 farmyard, and that these trappers make a 

 good livelihood. 



I was shooting with my friend Simpson 

 of the Old Dock on the Grand Canal about 

 15 miles S. W. of Kashing. The morn- 

 ing was all that could be desired by 

 the ardent sport, and the country which 

 already looked inviting looked doubly 

 so when a brace of woodcocks gave us 

 a sample of their quality. I dropped 

 one as he was disappearing behind the 

 angle of a copse, when suddenly I heard a 

 cry of anguish far away to my right. On 

 proceeding to the spot whence came the cry 

 a native came towards me with his face 

 w^ell smirched with blood. On examination 

 I found that a spent shot had cut the skin 

 on the bridge of his nose. After staunch- 

 ing the blood-flow with a bit of cotton wool 

 I offered him some small silver which to 

 my surprise he refused as the affair, so he 

 said, was pure accident. Considering the 



