i8 SEAFOVVL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 



about the same size, they afford very nice sport at times. I have 

 seem them dive and either run or swim under water when 

 wounded. They are fair eating. 



It was now getting- dark, so we anchored the boat and walked 

 nearly a mile to Lea Gate Inn, where we had some food. We took 

 the precaution to obtain an additional supply of rum, and then, 

 lighting a cigar each, cheerfully " paved our way " down to 

 the boat. It was quite dark, so we naturally soon made a mess 

 of ourselves in crossing the marsh. There was no fear we should 

 get lost ; we had only to keep the brook on the right hand. But 

 as there are at least three tributary sluices to be crossed, no 

 wonder we were awfully dirty about the legs ere we reached the 

 canoe. We boarded her, and resolved to get lower down before 

 turning in. There was no moon, and R.'s cigar shone out to me 

 like a railway signal. By and bye, he became musical, and gave 

 me a song. I never even suspected before that he had such 

 talent. Then I responded, but as rowing and singing do not 

 go very well together (at least with self) my pronunciation was 

 rather disjointed. 



We were about anchoring for the night when it began to blow 

 a little, so I pulled to the weather side of the river. I happened 

 to be sitting on the deck (being too careless to get in the cock- 

 pit for that short distance) when a small wave washed over, 

 rendering me very wet and uncomfortable astern. We anchored, 

 had another cigar, and a final pull at the rum bottle, and then lay 

 down head to feet in the cockpit. 



We were certainly " cribbed and confined," though by no means 

 cabined, in that 4ft. by 2ft. hole, and we could not get our 

 shoulders under the deck consequently but it is really useless, 

 the situation can be better imagined than described, and yet, as 

 Captain Lacy says, "better described than felt," so I will leave 

 it, merely stating that it began to rain, and the sail (our " bed 

 cover ") not being quite long enough, there was a continual 

 pulling at each end as one or the other became uncovered. R. 

 said we should remember it as being jolly in future years. I 

 confess it does not seem so bad now. Unable to endure it any 

 longer, we arose at twenty minutes to two on the Thursday 

 morning, and pulled to the end of the bank. 



When the day broke, we saw a lot of birds, and, landing, we 

 beat several creeks, but in vain. Returning to the boat, I shot 

 a large gull with the 8-bore, and a purre and sandpiper with my 

 i2-bore. We set off back as soon as ever the tide made, mopped 

 the boat out, and got home to breakfast at half-past seven a.m. 

 We both felt as if we had been the recipients of a sound thrash- 

 ing, but it passed off during the day, and we experienced no 

 further ill-effects. 



