SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 19 



The following" day Renshaw went out alone in the boat at 

 half-past six in the morning-. I met him at dusk. He was quite 

 tired, and had only got two birds. On the Saturday we were out 

 for a short time, when he obtained another bird, but I got 

 nothing. On taking his departure he said he had enjoyed him- 

 self very much, and promised to visit me again next season, if 

 not before. 



A few weeks after, very early in the morning, I launched the 

 canoe, and, taking- the dog, proceeded to pull down the river to 

 meet the tide. Before long- I dropped a ring- dotterel or ring 

 plover, which was successfully bagged. Then I landed, and 

 beat a sluice very carefully. I was rewarded by seeing- a lapwing 1 

 rise from behind a patch of mud, where it had evidently been 

 quietly feeding. Though rather far off, I managed to drop it, 

 but not quite dead. The dog, however, although only a young- 

 one (a present from my friend), retrieved it very nicely, and I 

 turned back and deposited it in a box, which I used as a seat in 

 the canoe. Dash watched me very narrowly. I went on, but 

 suddenly missed the dog 1 , and, looking round, saw him in the 

 distance racing after me with the bird in his mouth. I put it 

 in my pocket that time. 



He must have contracted a great liking for lapwings on this 

 occasion, as a few weeks subsequently, near the same spot, he 

 set off in pursuit of a large congregation of them, barking and 

 running until he was tired, and then lying down panting, whilst 

 the birds shrieked and swooped over him. After awhile he was 

 off again, and the performance repeated. I was both amused and 

 disgusted, for he would not come away when called, and I had 

 to leave him. I had seen a somewhat similar affair several 

 years before, but it did not last so long. The tide soon after 

 making, I was obliged to return, after bagging another bird, 

 and got back in nice time for a second breakfast. 



I do not believe in going out on an empty stomach in the early 

 morning. A dry crust, with some warm milk without any spirits 

 suits me best. In the afternoon I was again in the canoe, along 

 with my eldest boy. There was no scarcity of birds, and, by 

 keeping the sail up as a screen, I caught them as they passed 

 the edge of it, dropping eight in all. I used all my ammunition, 

 with the exception of one cartridge, which I kept in reserve 

 in case any rare bird turned up. As there was no wind, I had 

 to pull all the way back, arriving home at nine o'clock, being 

 very tired with the two outs in one day. 



Whilst down the river I found that I had by some means or 

 other opened the muzzle of one of my barrels for about half an 

 inch. Probably done by jobbing the gun into the sand when 

 jumping ashore. Should anyone consider that the shooting of 

 seafowl other than the orthodox ducks be not the thing, I can 



