MEMORABILIA. 231 



couple of feet high there was no cover, but I made myself as small as possible behind 

 it as the animals approached. I was so excited that I was literally running down 

 with perspiration, and I thought they must have heard me blowing as on they came 

 in single file. I quite remember shutting my eyes for fear they should see me. They 

 must have been about 30 yards off when I stood up and bang, bang, bang, bang. 

 Three pig tumbled into the creek, one lay dying, and the fifth rushed past me. And 

 there was I, two miles from the boat, with no cartridges. 



"In about 10 minutes I was surrounded by about a hundred natives who seemed 

 to come from everywhere. The fourth pig, after several attempts to scramble up the 

 creek bank, at last succeeded, and ran off as if he had not been touched, — I after him. 

 How I crossed the creek I don't quite know. On coming to a lagoon the poor beast, 

 frightened by the unearthly yelling, took to the water without hesitation, but he could 

 not swim across it on account of the ice. There he was, a fine big boar, swimming 

 round and round, unable to proceed. 



" My fellows were so excited that although they knew I wanted a cartridge they 

 did nothing but yell to each other to get some from the boat. At last, to my relief, I 

 saw my houseboy coming across country with my Winchester, loaded (which he 

 presented by the way straight at my middle), and with it I gave the poor pig a bullet 

 in the head. But the nasty part was to come. The natives claimed the dead pig ! 

 and there were about 200 of them — natives not pig. Things were looking nasty when 

 an old man took me aside and offered for five dollars to take all the spoil to the 

 boat. Of course I closed with the offer at once, and then sat down on the snow to cool. 

 A welcome sight now caught my eye, my wife running to me from the boat with a 

 parcel which I fondly imagined to be whisky, but which when unfolded turned out 

 to be — what do think ? a pair of breeks ! ! ! The natives stole one pig as it was being 

 carried back to the boat. The other three I took down to Shanghai." 



Four pigs in five shots is a circumstance worth recording. 



Right and Left. — In an interesting communication Mr. Drummond Hay gives me the follow- 

 ing account of a pig adventure : — 



"I made a trip to Maychee, beyond Hoochow, in 1871, in company with three 

 others, and we were making mixed bags, but owing to an accident that had recently 

 happened to my eyesight I preferred to potter about by myself instead of going out 

 with my compagnoiis de voyage and a crowd of beaters. I had a cocker spaniel which 

 was a very close worker, and I shot bamboo partridges and woodcock over him. 

 Walking up the left bank of the creek one morning, I was picking up a good bag 

 of pheasants from the strip of land lying between the creek and the high road, 

 which ran on the top of an embankment, when I saw on the opposite bank a drove 

 of pigs take to the water, and swim over in my direction, but supposed at first 

 that they were the ordinary domestic porkers, until I caught the gleam of a tusk. I 

 then hurried on to intercept their landing, exchanging my small shot for a No. 5 

 wire cartridge in the right barrel and a bullet (inside a cartridge case) in the left. 

 On sighting the pigs my old dog got very excited, rushed into the water, and 

 attempted to seize the leading boar by the ear. I expected every moment to see him 



