r 175 ] 



CHAPTEE XXll— Continued. 



YANGTZE NOTES. 



From CHINKIANG to WUHU. 



By H. E. Heabson. 



npHE distance by river between Chinkiang and Wuhu is exactly lOO miles, and I cannot 

 hope to do more than point out a few of the more likely shooting districts of which 

 I have made trial. 



Owing to the variable conditions of the Yangtze from year to year, and the ever 

 spreading area under cultivation, it is impossible to give precise information as to where 

 good shooting may be obtained at any given time. And a further difficulty lies in the fact 

 that the pheasant is prone to shift his quarters, which if only for a distance of a very few 

 miles is at least far enough to put him beyond what may be called "houseboat radius." 

 Again shooting often proves disappointing from the fact that the houseboat, not built for 

 the navigation of the river except under the most favourable conditions, may often be 

 weather-bound for days, and compelled to seek shelter in a creek situated in a perfectly 

 hopeless shooting district, besides being helplessly blocked in by a crowd of native craft to 

 whom the loss of a day or two on their voyage is a matter of little moment. 



However, attraction lies in the possibilities. Both fat and lean days may be happened 

 upon. As an instance of the former a single gun on Grosse Island in January 1902, with no 

 beaters and only one dog, an English pointer, made a bag of 49 pheasants, i deer and quail 

 ad lib. With fresh dogs and a couple of beaters, some such average could have been 

 maintained for a month. The cover consisted of tall reeds, and heavy, reedy grass in the 

 open. Pigs are often found in these reed beds, and they abound on the ranges of high hills 

 on the South side of the river, while an occasional wolf, fox, wild cat or porcupine add 

 both interest and excitement. 



The quantity of game, except in the immediate neighbourhood of the treaty ports, 

 does not appear to be diminishing. The reason possibly is that finding more remunerative 

 fields elsewhere, the native shooting for the Shanghai markets is not so much in evidence, 

 and game traps are not come across with the frequency of former years. 



After the beginning of December it may be taken as a general axiom that the greatest 

 number of pheasants will be found in the reed beds near the river and creek banks and on 

 the island. Good beaters are, of course, better than dogs for working this kind of cover. 



