OVER THE OOZES. 315 



order to empty out the water, and proceed for a fresh 

 attack. Thus, by undergoing misery of this kind, the 

 Hampshire launcher may be filling his bag, while a 

 man who could only shoot afloat would be obliged to 

 stay at home. Thus the mud, and the mud only, affords 

 the chance for his sport. 



But when the water flows over the ground, and 

 " knocks up" a sea that would make his little craft 

 totter like a walnut shell, then his reign is at an end ; 

 and the proper gunner, with a long decked punt, would 

 be killing half a sack full, where the launcher " dare 

 not show his nose," by being able to work against a 

 head sea, that would swallow him up ; or, if going to 

 leeward, to ship twelve yards of canvas, and go by 

 him, as a frigate would pass a sand-barge. 



Launching is perhaps the most laborious, and the 

 most filthy work in all the department of wildfowl 

 shooting ; and not only that, but it so ruins the country, 

 that in a very short time it entirely " breaks the haunt 

 of the birds," without having yielded any material ad- 

 vantage to those who adopt the system. As some cor- 

 roboration of this, I need only observe, that a family, 

 who were the leaders in this way, and who (except 

 Read) are by far the best launchers in Hampshire, 

 have of late been reduced to absolute distress for a 

 livelihood ! 



Till about ten years ago, off Lymington was one of 

 the best gunning coasts in England, for this reason 



In THESE PARTS the VERY NORTH-EASTER WHICH 

 BRINGS THE FOWL " CUTS THE TIDES," SO much 



that even at the "full and change" they most fre- 

 quently do not " make over the ground;" and the birds 

 thereby formerly got such a " strong haunt" that, 



