CHAPTER XXIV. 



Shooting in the " Skargilrd." Eider Duck Shooting. The Author'* IWt. 

 The Bivouac. Touch and Go. A disagreeable Swim. Tli> \\Vtt.-ir. 

 Diving Powers of Water Fowl. The Foyrl-Niit, Its Origin. 

 How to use it. Its Destructiveness. The lliitlines. Und.Twat.T 

 Shamble?. Duck or Die. Bird Clouds. The Eagi 



THE usual plan of shooting water fowl in the Gothen- 

 burg and neighbouring " Skiirgiinlar " 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 sport 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 Eidcr-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 should alwa\s 

 endeavour to obtain the weather gauge, as on taking win"; 

 it almost invariably (lies .to windward; and the harder it 

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



