SWANS AND GEESE. 381 



proceeds until he has gotten a sufficient load. Having 

 procured his quantity he slowly moves off again. All 

 ihis the Chinese fowlers perform with such dexterity 

 by keeping their bedies Always concealed in the wa- 

 ter, that they never alarm the flock, and the ducks, 

 ignorant of what is transacting among them, neither 

 suspect the unseen danger, nor notice the instan- 

 taneous disappearance of their companions. By the 

 ingenuity of this method, and their dexterity in prac- 

 tising it, the Chinese obtain great quantities of the 

 excellent food w^hich the flesh of the duck is known 

 to afford. 



The duck, in a state of domestication, is extremely 

 beneficial to mankind; and ajs it subsists on waste 

 corn, worms, snails, and other insects, or reptiles, it 

 is maintained with little expence. Tame ducks lay 

 a great number of eggs every year, produce many 

 young, and are easily and expeditiously fatted for 

 the table. 



Perhaps, my dear Sir, } r ou have not reflected on a 

 subject of more extraordinary importance than 'the 

 history of these tribes of the feathered race which I 

 have been presenting to your view. One of our prin- 

 cipal luxuries, a luxury indeed, which may reason- 

 ably be reckoned a conveniency, and which refine- 

 ment and habit has rendered an absolute necessary of 

 life, is derived from the duck and the goose. The 

 beds on which we so comfortably repose are filled 

 with their feathers, arid if these were wanting it woulci 

 be difficult to find any thing that could be conve- 

 niently substituted in their place. The quill of the 

 goose* is also an article of inestimable value, to the 

 use of which we are in a great measure indebted for 

 those literary and scientific compositions, from which 

 the mind derive improvement, and indeed, without 

 this important instrument business would be carried 

 n with great difficulty. 



From these various considerations we cannot but 

 rank the goose among those creatures which are most 

 useful to mankind. 



Having finished this sketch of the feathered tribe** 



