380 SHOOTING WILDFOWL IN FRANCE. 



rising of birds, and very soon after was nearly send- 

 ing us to the bottom of it, by the rapidity with which 

 it leaked. In spite of all, however, our sport, with 

 common guns, was most admirably good, and I have 

 little doubt, but that, with proper equipment and 

 apparatus, we might have done wonders. 



We afterwards agreed for the exclusive right of 

 the shooting there, and protected it, according to the 

 custom of this country, by an armed garde-chasse, 

 which part was most ably performed by one of the 

 commissary's gens d'armes, who, in addition to his 

 military fusee, had provided himself with the terrific 

 appendages of a cutlass and a set of handcuffs. 



We found the French peasants extremely useful 

 to assist in shooting ; and, although quite ignorant 

 of following birds on the water (in comparison with 

 Englishmen), yet they were pretty well up to the 

 making of bastions, huts, and every other trick for 

 getting shots on, and from the shore. 



The French coast is plentifully supplied with wild- 

 fowl ; which there are far more easy of access than in 

 our country. Taking from between Cherburg and 

 Neville to Carentan, there is, I believe, no better 

 place within the same distance, from the south of 

 England, than this would be, for an enthusiast in 

 the diversion. Here the birds are still more nu- 

 merous than on the coast of England ; and the very 

 few shots that are worth taking with the wretched 

 guns and powder, which are used by the few people 

 who here follow wildfowl, render their sporting but 



