SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 27 



man or a Parsee engaged in his devotions. But it was no use, 

 for just as another ten yards would have brought the bird in 

 shot, he wheeled off, and I was left lamenting. 



Meanwhile, R. and S. fired several times each and, feeling 

 curious to know the results, I hastened to the river side, when 

 R. told me to look for his bird. I did so, and found it all right. 

 It was a young curlew. 



Soon after S. came along with three birds. We then got in the 

 canoe and boarded the big boat. After eating a few biscuits, 

 we again prepared for action. As I was standing in the cockpit 

 with R. a couple of sea swallows (I wanted them for stuffing) flew 

 over in nice range, and I got them both by a right and left. 

 S., who was in the canoe, picked them up. Not long after, both 

 he and R. got a couple each of the same species. I could not 

 understand there being many, as terns are not very plentiful in 

 this neighbourhood. 



The tide now making, and S. and self having to go back, I 

 joined the latter in the canoe, and prepared to depart. R. having 

 expressed a desire to stay in the big boat alone, he arranged 

 with S. to join him with the canoe on the following morning. 

 Before we started we were visited by a couple of acquaintances 

 who had come down in a small boat. They had done rather more 

 than us, but I now forget what they had got. Like us, they in- 

 tended to go back with the tide, and finally went in such a hurry 

 that they left a packet of luncheon behind. As the wind was 

 still blowing from the west, we had a fair breeze up the river, 

 and with the small jib of the big boat we rigged up a sail for 

 the canoe (having forgot to bring her own), and came back in 

 grand style, getting a few shots, but doing no bagging, on the 

 way. 



The following morning I walked a few miles down the river 

 bank, and whilst standing behind a post I saw S. coming down 

 in the canoe to join R. He was rather astonished when I stepped 

 forth and pulled to the side to ask for a few matches. He had 

 got some coal, but was without firewood. I helped him to 

 pick up a few dry pieces, and then he proceeded on his way. 

 I could just see the boat in the distance, and wondered how R. 

 was getting on. 



I shot only a couple of purres, the last of which, however, is 

 worth noting. It stood by the edge of a small pool, and it was 

 so tame that it allowed me to walk within half-a-dozen yards of 

 it, and then I had to put it up. After I had pocketed it, I took 

 another look at the place it rose from, and found it was tenanted 

 by a fresh-killed specimen of its own species, evidently its mate. 



The next day R. and S. came back. They had had very in- 

 different sport, R. only bagging one bird during the day and 

 night he was alone on the boat. He dropped some birds, which 



