WILDFOWL SHOOTING. 301 



but of this I did not make a trial.) When the oil is 

 quite cold, take a clean paint-brusii, and well work it 

 into the out aide of the whole apparel, and it will soon 

 find its way to the inside. Let the apparel then be 

 put out in the air every dry day, for a fortnight or 

 three weeks; and, at the expiration of that time, 

 provided the oil on it be thoroughly dry, take the 

 remainder of your prepared oil, and give it the second 

 coat, which will dry much quicker than the first. 



I was told that one^coat of oil would do, as the 

 dressing could be renewed at pleasure. The differ- 

 ence, however, was this : The first coat would barely 

 stand a hard day's rain ; but after the second coat 

 was on, this garment, if held up, would hold gallons 

 of water as ti'ht as the pail from which I poured 

 them. 



N. B. Tell the person who does it to beware of 

 getting burnt in boiling oil ; and let him do it out of 

 doors, or he might run a risk of setting your house 

 on fire. Add to this, the smell of it, when boiling, is 

 a great nuisance ; although the dress, after being 

 thoroughly dry, will retain scarcely so much of it as 

 common oil-skin. 



This garment, if made double-breasted, with but- 

 tons only on the right side, and none on the sleeves, 

 which should be sewn close, is, without exception, the 

 best I ever used for throwing a casting-net. In ad- 

 dition to the covering^ herein named, I find that a 

 very large old umbrella, fitted up with brown holland 

 (and thus oiled, if you like), is the greatest possible 



