SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 57 



SEAFOVVL SHOOTING ON THE RIBBLE (1891). 



Early on the morning- of September 24th, accompanied by my 

 son John, I proceeded to launch the boat over the mud. This 

 most disagreeable work took about a quarter of an hour, and when 

 we finally got afloat it was some minutes before I had breath to 

 row. 



It was a cold morning, with a strong wind blowing ; so when the 

 rowing had warmed us up a bit I hoisted the sail, and we went 

 on at a good rate. We saw plenty of birds, mostly gulls, and at 

 last landed for the sake of a little exercise on the north side. Here 

 I dropped a young lesser black-backed gull and a mature common 

 gull, which with a little difficulty, having to cross a small sluice, 

 we retrieved. 



The sun having now a little more power, we again embarked, 

 and proceeded down the river. Flocks of lapwings kept flying 

 across, and I marked down a great number of these birds on the 

 south bank. Thereupon we quietly dropped the sail, and with an 

 oar astern gently sculled lower down close under the bank. At 

 last, taking a peep over, there the birds were, and very thickly 

 congregated, but out of range almost. Farther down they ap- 

 peared nearer to the wall, but much more dispersed. 



However, we decided to try for them, and gently sculled on. 

 Having arrived at the spot, I quietly sat up with the gun cocked 

 and a couple of No. 5 cartridges all right. The birds rose in- 

 stantly, and rather far off. Firing both barrels almost together, 

 however, a couple dropped. Then there was a hurried jump 

 ashore and an exhilarating chase, as one of the birds was en- 

 deavouring to cross a rather wide patch of water. But it was soon 

 caught, and just at this moment another batch of lapwings passed, 

 but rather wide. There was just time for one shot, and another 

 bird stopped behind. Taking to the boaf again, we got opposite 

 the Naze, when still another lapwing flying overhead collapsed 

 very neatly to our barrel. 



Going on, we got a couple of black-headed gulls, a ring plover, 

 and a starling. 



Of course, there were many misses between. In fact, after 

 August, there are far more misses than hits. 



The rain now began to descend very freely, and as the wind was 

 fair we determinecf to hoist the sail, and try to get back without 

 waiting for the flood. My son took the tiller, and I sat forward. 

 We made pretty fair headway against the stream. Here, however, 

 I am ashamed to say, I managed to let the hammer slip from my 



