132 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 



that day I met Brydges Willyams, Sir George Prescott, 

 Colonel Cornwall Legh, of High Legh, Edward Lawson 

 and Rudolph Lehman on the Paddington platform, 

 from whence a merry party started for Carnanton by 

 the Cornish express. On this occasion our host tried 

 the experiment of shooting cocks only " first time 

 through," but it was not successful, as there was not 

 a sufficiently long interval given to allow the birds to 

 gather together again before we shot the same cover 

 afresh ; so consequently the size of the bag was unduly 

 reduced. 



Six days' shooting produced 720 head, of which 607 

 were pheasants, with 21 woodcocks. I also had one 

 day on the marsh with the Rev. Hyde Smith, when, 

 as bad luck would have it, his gun broke down on 

 his firing his first shot, so, as we were nine miles 

 from home, there was nothing for it but for me to 

 go on alone, when six ducks, eight teal, and nineteen 

 snipe were my reward. This breakdown was indeed a 

 pity, for Hyde Smith could use his gun right well, 

 and as the marsh was full of ** stuff," it is probable 



