ANSER ANSER 81 



way than if the unspread shot had taken them on the ground. 

 Hume also mentions stalking them under a blanket, and beguiling 

 the geese into a belief that you are an inoiiensive native just out 

 for a prowl ; where, however, the natives have a gun, the geese will 

 undoubtedly " wink the other eye," and, blanket or no blanket, 

 leave long before that article is brought within shooting distance. 

 A bullock is more useful than a blanket under such circumstances, 

 and from behind the shelter of one, much slaughter may be done 

 if the animal is properly worked. 



Hume says that they are easily killed daring the daytime on all 

 the large rivers. I have not found this to be the case myself, but 

 as his experience is fully ten times what mine is the sportsman had 

 better follow his advice and not mine. He says : — 



" During the hotter parts of the day they are, as already men- 

 tioned, generally found in larger or smaller parties dozing in the sun 

 on some sandbank at the water's edge. Directly such a party is 

 sighted you take a small boat, and, with the aid of a couple of 

 experienced men, row or punt noiselessly down to within two or 

 three hundred yards of the birds, when, if the water is shallow enough 

 to allow it (and the boatmen seem to know this by instinct), one man 

 gets quietly out of the boat behind, and, while you and your com- 

 panion in the boat lie down out of sight, he, stooping so as to be 

 entirely concealed by the boat, pushes it down gently and noiselessly, 

 aided by the stream, towards the Hock. In this way you may approach , 

 if all is well managed, to within twenty yards of even cranes. You 

 make some arrangement at the bows (I had a false gunwale with 

 suitable holes pierced in it) so as to admit of peeping and shooting 

 without raising your head into view, and, when you get to what you 

 consider the right distance, knock over as many as you can sitting, 

 with the first shot, and as many more as you have time for, before 

 they get out of shot, after they rise. Everything depends on judging 

 rightly the distance for the first shot, with reference to your bore 

 and charge. A little too far you would perhaps hit a score without 

 bagging one ; a little too near and you kill one or two outright, and 

 though you perhaps get one or two more as they rise, that is all ; 

 but if you have a good heavy duck-gun, say No. 8 bore, with two 

 ounces of A. A., and fire at about 50 yards, you will rarely get less 

 than eight out of a good large flock of geese (and I have got as many 

 as sixteen) with the first shot, besides a brace or so more, with green 

 cartridge, as they rise." 



On the Brahmapootra, the only river on which I have made 

 6 



