426 HISTORY OF 



purpose of shading it on every side. On the 

 south and north sides of this pool are two, three, 

 or four ditches or channels, made broad towards 

 the pool, and growing narrower till they end in a 

 point. These channels are to be covered over 

 with nets, supported by hooped sticks bending 

 from one side to the other ; so that they form a 

 vault or arch, growing narrower and narrower to 

 the point, where it is terminated by a funnel-net, 

 like that in which fish are caught in weirs. Along 

 the banks of these channels so netted over, which 

 are called pipes, many hedges are made of reeds 

 slanting to the edge of the channel, the acute 

 angles to the side next the pool. The whole ap- 

 paratus also is to be hidden from the pool by a 

 hedge of reeds along the margin, behind which 

 the fowler manages his operations. The place 

 being fitted in this manner, the fowler is to pro- 

 vide himself with a number of wild ducks made 

 tame, which are called decoys. These are always 

 to be fed at the mouth or entrance of the pipe, 

 and to be accustomed to come at a whistle. 



As soon as the evening is set in, the decoy rises, 

 as they term it, and the wild fowl feed during the 

 night. If the evening be still, the noise of their 

 wings during their flight is heard at a very great 

 distance, and produces no unpleasing sensation. 

 The fowler, when he finds a fit opportunity, and 

 sees his decoy covered with fowl, walks about 

 the pool, and observes into what pipe the birds 

 gathered in the pool may be enticed or driven. 

 Then casting hemp seed, or some such seed as will 



