GUNS AND GUN-MAKING. 175 



CHAPTER XXIII 



IT was nearly dark, but the night was calm and warm. 

 I stole from the heated room to indulge in a luxurious 

 smoke al fresco ; and seated upon the wall of the little 

 pier puffed away in Turkish indolence. The swell 

 upon the bar was particularly distinct, as in successive 

 falls, the wave burst upon the sands, and ran hissing up 

 the beach, till its volume of water broke and subsided. 

 The tide was almost out, and the river which forms the 

 channel of the estuary would hardly reach beyond the 

 knee ; and I thought of the singular contrast that existed 

 between the quiet stream, now scarcely a stone's throw 

 over, and the fierce and lowering water which a westerly 

 gale forces in, rushing every moment with increased 

 violence from the ocean, and threatening to burst over 

 bank and rock that opposed a barrier to its rage. My 

 musings were, however, speedily interrupted ; voices 

 came towards me from opposite directions, and loud and 

 frequent laugh replied to rustic badinage and youthful 

 romping. My cousin joined me, and from him I ascer- 

 tained that the jolly parties who seemed everywhere 

 scattered over the sands beyond the river were the 

 village girls assembled to collect sand-eels, an employment 

 they would pursue till the returning tide filled the estuary 

 again. A little flat punt, which the servants use for 

 bringing spring water from the bent banks, was speedily 

 placed upon the river, and we pushed over to the opposite 

 strand, and found ourselves surrounded by several 

 hundreds of the young villagers of both sexes, who were 

 busily engaged in this curious species of night-fishing. 



