SOUTHAMPTON RIVEll. 377 



men, go sailing about all day, firing random shots, 

 and so disturb the coast, that iliey spoil the sport of 

 those few who really understand, and would assist 

 their families by the pursuit of wildfowl. Farther 

 up this river, towards Millbrook, before it was so 

 incessantly bombarded, they had formerly a more 

 sensible plan ; but this was chiefly for getting the 

 curres. It was to set, at low water, lines, with horse- 

 hair loops, in which these birds were caught and 

 drowned, when diving to bite the weeds, and were 

 thus left on the mud by the ebbing tide. 



On other parts of the coast of England, I have ob- 

 served the boats are more or less on the construction 

 of those already mentioned. But when in Scotland, 

 I could procure nothing small enough to answer the 

 purpose in any way. This, however, was some years 

 ago. Here (on the Clyde, below Dumbarton), the 

 sport would have been excellent, and particularly at 

 the barnacles. 



