148 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



a heap of eggs that promised delicious food. Nor did wc 

 stand long in expectation, for, kindling a fire, we soon pre- 

 pared, in one way or other, enough to satisfy the cravings of 

 our hungry maws. Breakfast ended, the pilot, looking at 

 the gorgeous sunrise, said, " Gentlemen, prepare yourselves 

 for fun, the tide is acoming." 



Over these enormous mud-flats, a foot or two of water is 

 quite sufficient to drive all the birds ashore, even the tallest 

 Heron or Flamingo, and the tide seems to flow at once over 

 the whole expanse. Each of us provided with a gun, posted 

 himself behind a bush, and no sooner had the water forced 

 the winged creatures to approach the shore, than the work of 

 destruction commenced. When it at length ceased, the col- 

 lected mass of birds of difi"erent kinds looked not unlike a 

 small haycock. Who could not with a little industry have 

 helped himself to a few of their skins ? Why, reader, surely 

 no one as fond of these things as I am. Every one assisted 

 in this, and even the sailors themselves tried their hand at the 

 work. 



Our pilot, good man, told us he was no hand at such occu- 

 pations, and would go after something else. So taking Long 

 Tom and his fishing-tackle, he marched off quietly along the 

 shores. About an hour afterwards we saw him returning, 

 when he looked quite exhausted, and on our inquiring the 

 cause, said, " There is a dew-fish yonder and a few bala- 

 coudas, but I am not able to bring them, or even to haul 

 them here ; please send the sailors after them." The fishes 

 were accordingly brought, and as I had never seen a dew-fish, 

 I examined it closely, and took an outline of its form, which 

 some days hence you may perhaps see. It exceeded a hun- 

 dred pounds in weight, and afforded excellent eating. The 

 balacouda is also a good fish, but at times a dangerous one, 

 for, according to the pilot, on more than one occasion " some 

 of these gentry" had followed him when waist-deep in the 

 water, in pursuit of a more valuable prize, until in self-defence 



