POOLE HARBOUR 63 



culties which real explorers have to encounter in the 

 unknown river waters which are so often the first road 

 of entrance to newly-discovered countries. Beyond 

 Brownsea Island were two hilly and bare islets. On 

 either side the slob was emerging minute by minute, 

 curlews and gulls were flitting to and fro, and the level 

 beams of sunset lit up the flats with a blaze of mellow 

 gold. On the left, beyond the flats, was a great plain 

 of heather, gradually rising mile by mile towards the 

 cliffs of Purbeck Island. Among the commonest and 

 most interesting of the harbour ducks are the sheldrakes. 

 They are devoted parents, and as the boat drifted up 

 between the grey banks of ooze, the big black and 

 white birds were seen watching anxiously by the 

 harbour's edge, while the young ones, full-grown, but 

 unable to fly, were swimming out in mid-stream. 

 Presently the old birds rose and flew in swift circles, 

 and the young ones dived. The boat being rowed 

 quickly towards the places where they disappeared, they 

 scattered, and when next they rose, showed only their 

 heads above water, diving again instantly at the 

 slightest movement. Meantime the old bird settled 

 at some distance, and soon the young were seen rising 

 from below water all round her, after which they swam 

 off up the nearest creek. 



If chased into a narrow channel, the young will 

 sometimes leave the water, poke their heads into a 

 crevice, and allow themselves to be caught. The eggs 

 are generally laid in a rabbit-burrow in the great 

 heather-clad plain to the left of the harbour, often at 



