WITH BOAT AND GUN IN THE YANGTZE VALLEY. 



for their week's end holiday a trip up the Soochow Creek with its opportunities for a swim 

 in clear water. Still, as a snipe spot in the early spring, and as a good place for pheasants 

 in the early autumn, it is rather above the average of the usual "resorts," as also are the 

 well known Powkaong and Dongkeu Creeks. 



8.— Cholin (fg ?Hi)- "Grove of wild Mulberries." 



Cholin is a walled town on the Hangchow Bay. The easiest way to get to it is to 

 take the Tucksing Creek, opposite Minghong. It is lOO // from Shanghai, and rather too far 

 away for the usual weekly trip. Inside the town and close round the walls there used to be 

 a good deal of that thick brambly cover so liked by pheasants. On the foreshore at low 

 water, especially towards sundown, the pheasants may be seen scratching on the saltings, 

 and even drinking from the brackish pools left by the ebbing tide. A strong Southerly or 

 Easterly blow usually drives a fair show of wildfowl into the sheltered ponds and creeks. 

 The country all round is too highly cultivated and there are too many bridgeless creeks to 

 tempt the sportsman ; but the place is worth a visit, if only to get a sniff of the sea breeze. 



Five brace of pheasants in one day by one gun were bagged here in the autumn of 

 1894, and a fair number of large spring snipes in May of the same year, but even now some 

 sport is to be bad. 



9.-K1NSHAN (^ 111). "Golden Hill." 



Kinshan is another of the walled cities situate on the Hangchow Bay. The nearest 

 route to it is by the large creek which leaves the river opposite Soongkong (^K il). Its 

 characteristics are very much those of Cholin, and the nature of the shooting is the same. 

 It is 120 // from Shanghai. 



10.— Chapoo (-^ if ). "Abrupt Bank." 



This is a favourite place for picnic parties, when three or four days can be spent on 

 the outing, but a steam-launch is indispensable if that time cannot be afforded. Chapoo is a 

 walled city on the Hangchow Bay, 234 // from Shanghai, and is usually approached by 

 Tunglimiaou and Bingwoo (^ Jii). A small, water gate at the North wall will admit a 

 sampan and its passengers into the city, and put the shooter on some capital sporting- 

 looking ground at once. The bank on the inside of the Western wall is covered with big 

 copses of high bamboos. On the East side of the city is a series of low well-grassed hills 

 from which capital views of the bay can be obtained. To the West again, large stretches 

 of cotton and bean fields afford good cover for pheasants, while some fair bags of snipes 

 are occasionally heard of. In cold weather wildfowl frequent the city moat and good 

 management when after them is often well rewarded. At Chapoo there is a really 

 first-class fish market. 



BiNGoo (^ Ji) "The Smooth Lake." 



Bingoo is 40 // due North of Chapoo. There is capital cover on both sides of the 

 Creek between the two places, and at times a goodly show of pheasants. This remark 

 applies also to the long stretch of 70 // from Bingoo to Tunglimiaou {W. M M). This Creek 

 wants thoroughly working, as well as the numerous small creeks which run into it all 

 along its length. 



