WITH A STANCHION GUN. 377 



the tide flows high enough to bear an enemy ; and then 

 they go off to sea, and feed on the drifting weeds. But 

 when it blows so fresh, that they cannot weather it 

 long enough to feed outside of the harbour, they then 

 continue inside the whole day ; though they most fre- 

 quently take especial care to weather almost any thing, 

 rather than trust themselves there at night; except 

 when they are very short of food. If therefore you have 

 water over the mud for your punt, you may often make 

 a tolerable shot by setting, or sailing, even in mild 

 weather, particularly when the tide has kept up high, 

 and the geese, having become hungry, are just getting 

 their legs, at the first ebb ; and still more so if this 

 happens towards sunset, when they feed greedily pre- 

 vious to leaving the harbour for the night. 



In mild weather prefer following a small flock to a 

 large one. Recollect ', the more pairs of eyes, the wilder 

 the birds. A single goose is termed a "pricked" bird ; 

 that is, turned out of his company, for having a slight 

 wound, which is invariably the case. 



Taking it for granted that my young reader now 

 understands me, as to presenting the gun, I have only 

 to give a few directions on the last, though not the 

 least, thing, to be observed; his getting the geese 

 which he may have shot. They take such a hard blow, 

 that he will, generally, find the greater part of them, 

 that are stopped by the shot, well enough to swim and 

 dive with the greatest agility, and they will all inva- 

 riably make for the heaviest sea that is near. The 

 boat, which follows, therefore, should always keep well 

 on the outside of the birds; and, if armed with some 

 " cripple stoppers" (old muskets, or any small arms), 

 so much the better ; as, while you are rowing after one 



