SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 63 



SEAFOWL SHOOTING ON THE RIBBLE (1896). 



My brother Edwin and I had been down the river, along- with 

 his wife and daughter, on the last day of August, when we only 

 shot ten birds, and got a thorough good wetting. His wife de- 

 clared she would never go again. However, on the following 

 Wednesday, about 630 a.m., she again accompanied us, along 

 with another sister-in-law of mine. There is courage for you ! 

 and it was attended with better luck than on the first occasion. 



We proceeded to launch the ^boat a most unpleasant task, 

 as we had to shove her over a few yards of very soft mud, which 

 was knee deep, and not remarkable for its ambrosial odour. 

 Taking our passengers aboard, I pulled down the river, care- 

 fully looking out for birds. Before long a couple of stock doves 

 flew over, one of which I dropped on the bank. It was soon re- 

 trieved, and again we got under weigh. Not long after my 

 brother dropped a turnstone, which, falling in the water, was 

 picked up without trouble. We landed several times, getting a 

 few birds by this means. 



We passed the wreck of a Norwegian barque, and it looked very 

 lonesome lying on the south side of the river. I never pass this 

 derelict without wondering what scenes the figurehead has over- 

 looked before the final catastrophe which finished the vessel's 

 career. Arrived at the Naze, we put our passengers ashore, and 

 then pulled across for another shot on the south side near the 

 mouth of the Douglas. I made a very bad shot here at a red- 

 shank, which I missed with both barrels. Very little was to be 

 seen, so we crossed the river, pulled a little lower down, and 

 landed, leaving the boat so that she would keep afloat. We had 

 a good breakfast at the inn, and after resting awhile, all the lot 

 again embarked. 



Drifting along the north wall, we quietly looked out for birds, 

 and landed several times, generally increasing the bag on each 

 occasion by at least a couple, mostly dunlin. We saw several 

 curlews, but, as usual, they kept well out of reach. At length, 

 the tide making, we turned about ; and the wind being favour- 

 able, hoisted an overcoat for a sail, using one oar for a mast and 

 steering with the other. We had now again a fair bit of sport 

 among the dunlin. My brother landed and picked up a few, 

 others being washed away by the tide. Whilst he was ashore, I 

 dropped half a dozen from a small lot, getting four of them. 



Being all aboard again, it wasn't long before we saw about a 

 dozen birds of a larger species feeding on the north side. When 



