To Naivasha after Duck and Snipe 



a duck getting up just in front. We naturally 

 had to proceed very slowly to allow of the guns 

 in the water keeping proper touch with those on 

 terra firma ; but still the sport went on. The 

 air was full of duck, circling and wheeling round 

 in big flocks, little flocks, and by twos and threes. 

 On we went, with the birds settling, some in front 

 and others behind, waiting to be shot at again. 

 Now and again a fusillade opened on the right, 

 on land, and on the question being passed down 

 the line as to what they were shooting at, the 

 answer came back, " snipe." The marshy, grassy 

 bays reaching into the lake were swarming with 

 them, and we took toll accordingly. 



After some two miles of walking, during which 

 the popping was fast and furious, we reached the 

 big mimosa belt which ran down into the lake, 

 and having safely negotiated the tree-trunk which 

 did duty for a bridge, found luncheon-time had 

 arrived. 



The bag was counted, and the different species 

 of duck duly admired at intervals between the 

 beer and sandwiches. Spur-winged geese, Egyp- 

 tian geese, pintail, pochard, a kind of wood-duck 

 (apparently), mallard, a monster species of teal, 

 as well as the ordinary kind, and a duck new to 

 me, which had pinky feathers in the wing, and 

 which was by far the commonest, were there, 

 together with snipe that had been gathered, and 

 we were correspondingly pleased. 



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