232 KRIDER'S SPORTING ANECDOTES. 



fowl, and serves also to break the force of the 

 seas, which roll in from the lower bay, is especi- 

 ally suited for the operations of the floating 

 batteries. 



It was our good fortune to be accompanied on 

 this excursion by an old friend from the city, 

 whom we encountered at Port Deposit, and after 

 seeing the mainsail set, and the craft fairly under 

 way, steering for Havre de Grace light, we 

 retired to the cabin, to while away the time by 

 listening to the sporting experience of the owner 

 of the scow, or by chatting over adventures of 

 the past. Passing Havre de Grace, we found 

 the duck shooters of that place already on the 

 stir, and were successively hailed by Baird, 

 Holly and other famous shots, who were prepar- 

 ing to drop down to their respective anchoring 

 grounds. 



Coming to, at last, just as the moon rose, we 

 dropped anchor on the shoal, and waited impa- 

 tiently until within a half an hour of daybreak, 

 when, all things else being in readiness, we 

 went to work transferring the decoys into the 

 boats, and launching the battery over the side. 

 This last was done by our united strength as 

 carefully as possible, so as to avoid shipping 

 water into the box, McCullough then stepped 



