CHAPTER XXIV. 



Shooting in the " SkiirgSrd." — Eidei'Duck Shooting. — The Author's Boat. 

 — The Bi\ouac. — Touch and Go. — A disagreeable Swim. — The VVettar. 

 — Diving Powers of Water Fowl. — The Fogel-Niit. — Its Origin. — 

 How to use it. — Its Destiiictiveness. — The Ratlines. — Underwater 

 Shamble^. — Duck or Die. — Bird Clouds.— The Eagles' Feast. 



T 



HE usual plan of shooting water fowl in the Gothen- 

 burg and neighbouring " Skiirgardar " — one often 

 adopted by ourselves — is out of a small sailing boat. 

 Should it be calm, or the wind adverse, little, it is true, is 

 to be done ; but if, on the contrary, the breeze is fresh 

 and fair, so that without losing time in tacking, you can 

 bear down directly on the birds — several species of which 

 are generally in view — tolerable sjiort is always obtain- 

 able; and were a man to fire at all birds within range, 

 the powder-horn would soon be emptied. But even if 

 you confine yourself to such as are of some value, a pretty 

 good bag is always to be calculated on. 



With us, as said, the Eider-Duck was a favourite 

 object of pursuit, for not only are its feathers valuable, 

 but from its large size it proves, in every sense of the 

 word, "a valuable acquisition to the larder." When 

 chasing this bird in a sailing boat, one shovild always 

 endeavour to obtain the weather gauge, as on taking wing 

 it almost invariably flies to windward ; and the harder it 

 blows the greater the chance one has of a shot ; but then, 



