66 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



Proceeding now northward along the coast, we next encounter 

 the four following decoys lying round the inlet known as Hamford 

 Water. 



(23.) Old Moze Hall Decoy was in Beaumont-cum-Moze 

 parish near the N.W. extremity of Hamford Water. The pond was 

 nearly circular, 100 yards across, and had six pipes (now obliterated). 

 It was last worked in 1841. The case of Carrington v. Taylor, 

 already mentioned, had reference to this decoy. 



(24.) Great Oakley Hall Decoy lay at the head of Oakley 

 Creek, in Great Oakley parish, about 300 yards N. from the last-named. 

 The pool was rectangular, and about one acre in extent. There were 

 six pipes. It has now been disused many years, but James Smith, 

 who acted as the last decoyman some fifty years ago, still lives (or 

 lately did so) at Harwich, though over eighty years old. Sir Ralph 

 Payne Gallwey describes him as the last of the old race of Essex decoy- 

 men, and he prints an interesting interview which Col. Leathes had 

 with him. Smith describes the enormous takes of fowl made by him- 

 self and his father (whose father before him had also acted as decoy- 

 man at this decoy) many years ago. He began work at the age of 

 fourteen. The largest take he ever remembers in one season was 

 700 dozen whole fowl — an enormous take for the size of the pond. 

 Supposing 300 dozen to have been half-fowl {i.e., Teal, Wigeon, Divers, 

 &c.), we have the following as the result of one season's catch on a 

 single acre of water : — 



400 dozen whole fowl . 4,800 Ducks. 



600 dozen half-fowl . . 7,200 Teal, Wigeon, &c. 



Total . 12,000 birds. 



Mr. Smith never remembers more than 18 dozen ducks {i.e., 212 

 birds) being taken in one drive. The rivalry between the Smiths and 

 the decoyman at Old Moze Hall was so keen that both decoys 

 eventually had to be given up. 



(25.) Horsey Island Decoy, of which the pool and six pipes 

 may still be seen, is in the S.E. of Horsey Island, between the 

 Wade and Stand Creek, close to Walton Creek. It is in Kirby-le- 

 Soken parish and was worked by a man named Abraham Annis 

 up to about fifty years ago, when it was discontinued, owing to 

 the difficulty of supplying it with fresh water. On the 25-inch 

 ordnance map it is called " New Decoy Pond." 



