114 ^^^^^~ BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



Where Ducks by scores travers'd the Fens, 

 Coots, Didappers, Rails, Water-hens, 

 Combin'd with eggs, to charge our pot. 

 Two furlongs circle round the spot.* 

 Fowl, fish, all kinds the table grac'd. 

 All caught within the self same space ; 

 As time revolv'd, in season fed. 

 The surplus found us salt and bread ; 

 Your humble servant, now your penman, 

 Liv'd thus a simple, full-bred Fen-man.' 



" With regard to his imperfect education, he begs the reader's indul- 

 gence, the first twenty years of his Hfe having been passed five miles from 

 church or school, amid conversation of the 'lowest, vulgar kind,' with only 

 six months' schooling : — 



" ' Pray, sirs, consider, had you been 



Bred where whole winters nothing's seen 

 But naked floods for miles and miles, 

 Except a boat the eye beguiles ; 

 Or Coots, in clouds, by Buzzards teaz'd. 

 Your ear with seeming thunder seiz'd 

 From rais'd decoy,— there Ducks on flight. 

 By tens of thousands darken light ; 



***** 

 Who liv'd for months on stage of planks, 

 'Midst Captain Flood's most swelling pranks, 

 Five miles from any food to have. 

 Yea often risk'd a watery grave.' 



" In a foot-note at page 6 he thus explains the line, ' From rais'd 

 decoy,' &c. : — ' This was the six hundred Decoy ; the pond, about three 

 acres of water, well sheltered and distant from disturbance, became so great 

 an asylum, that I have heard divers decoymen say it was apparently impos- 

 sible for an egg to be dropped without hitting one.f Our house was a full 

 mile parallel distance ; and when they were disturbed, any stranger would 

 suppose it distant thunder. It is the author's intention to devote a part of 

 the work under the life of a loiv Fen-man, where he will descant more 



* " Referring to Willow Booth, the place of his birth, Hall appends the following note : 

 — 'Then an island of but few perches. The author was the last person living who was born 

 upon it.' " 



t This was the one in South Kyme F'en, hereinafter mentioned under Lincolnshire 

 Decoys. 



