AUGUST IN A BREYDON PUNT 175 



the silence of the summer pines, the sunlight of the outer world falls level 

 scale of our human perceptions seems upon the tree-trunks from the western 

 changed, and the range of our senses edge, we pass out into the evening 

 illumined ; and when, at the end of a glow on the heather with the strange- 

 long afternoon in the wood, the red ness of a return from fairyland. 



XXXVI 



AUGUST IN A BREYDON PUNT 



" Birds Birds ! ye are beautiful things, 



With your earth-treading feet and your cloud-cleaving wings; 

 Where shall man wander, and where shall he dwell. 



Beautiful birds, that ye come not as well,?" 



WILLIAM H. THOMPSON. 



TN two hours' time it will be high- sions find the old estuary teeming 

 water. An August sun is within with wild birds, and noisy with their 

 an hour of its setting, and a kindly " clattick." It is he who goes often, 

 south-easterly breeze promises to hold and at all hours, who naturally falls 

 up long enough to fill our little tanned in with the greatest number and variety 

 sail, and land us easily at the small of species : a haphazard trip may be 

 staithe that forefronts the rond on exceedingly disappointing. And the 

 which the house-boat Moorhen rests. " glory " of Breydon has, in a great 

 In the hotter months we can often degree, departed. The drainage of 

 run up Breydon on a favourable wind vast tracts of marshlands, the grow- 

 blowing coolly from the sea, and as ing up of the mud-flats, and other 

 often depend on a steady return in the necessary and unavoidable circum- 

 morning, with a bowling breeze from stances, must be blamed for this to a 

 the nor'-west behind us. Why tiringly very large extent, 

 row when the winds favour you ? But we are seldom wholly disap- 

 There are few days and nights on pointed in the month of August, the 

 Breydon that do not present some last month of Watcher Jary's rule ; 

 signs of bird-life ; now and again one when young birds are on the move, 

 may sail from end to end of this great and immunity from molestation is 

 saltwater lagoon without seeing more assured. Let me give you one or two 

 than a few commonplace gulls and typical August entries from "my note- 

 piping dunlins ; and on other occa- book. 



