SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 51 



I fixed a stone on the top of the wall opposite where the duck 

 dropped, and then going back to the boat, hoisted the sail, and 

 had got nearly opposite my " monument " when my boat 

 grounded. But I was not going to be done, so off went boots, 

 socks, and nether garments, and dropping the anchor, away I 

 splashed over the side. When nearly at the place the bird got up 

 and began running towards the river. Forgetting I was in a fit 

 costume for following it, I let fly and smashed the bird. 



Getting to the boat again, I took up the anchor, pushed her 

 into deep water, jumped aboard, dropped the sail, resumed my 

 garments, and proceeded on my way rejoicing. I was awfully 

 thirsty, but as the drainage of the good town of Preston falls in 

 the Kibble I could not drink of the water. I once did taste it, 

 but I'll stand a deal before I repeat my experiment. 



At this juncture I fortunately came across a couple of friends, 

 who had journeyed down before me. They had got about a score 

 of purres, godwits, and ring dotterels, &c., and what interested me 

 more just then, a large bottle of beer. Of this I had a couple 

 of glasses, and it is needless to say it was highly appreciated. 

 I hitched my boat alongside theirs, whilst we had something to 

 eat, and the flood making soon after, we waited a short time for 

 water, and then set sail. 



I had several good shots on the way, altogether getting 33 birds, 

 viz., i teal, i rook, 2 kittiwakes, 3 gulls, 2 curlew sandpipers, 5 

 little stints, 4 ring dotterels, 14 purres, and a bird which I made 

 out to be a ruff in winter plumage, but which my stuffer has 

 since written to say was a reeve. It is not very often one can 

 make as mixed a bag as the above. 



The following Monday my friends, Buckley and Berry made 

 their appearance by the first train from Manchester, and after 

 partaking of some refreshment we set off. I pulled down to the 

 Naze, and we had very fair sport. 



It was a very showery day, and with the exception of Buckley, 

 we had no waterproofs. However, he had on a very good one, 

 and as each shower came on we dropped the anchor and all three 

 crouched under the macintosh. 



The water being low, we grounded many a time, and it was all 

 that Buckley and I could do to get the boat afloat, though we were 

 up to the knees in the water (minus foot gear, of course) pulling 

 and shoving as hard as we could. 



However, we managed to land at Guides, where a substantial 

 meal made us forget our hard work. 



At tide time we set off back with a fair wind, and had again 

 good sport. About the last shots we fired we dropped a couple of 

 young herring gulls, one of which fell a long way inland, but I 

 meant having it, and splashing through a rather wide stream of 



