A WINTER CAMPAIGN IN DONANA. 351 



were not distinguished by the gun past whom he broke, 

 came forward to the shooting hne. The writer's position 

 was on the crest of a sand-ridge, with only the covert of 

 a dead cistus bush : nothing, however, tested his powers of 

 conceahnent except a few partridge and a pack of stone- 

 plovers. The sandy glen which the post commanded was, 

 nevertheless, plentifully tracked over by deer, and three 

 wild pigs had passed inwards into the covert that morning. 



After this beat, shot- cartridges were substituted for 

 ball, and for the rest of that day and several following 

 ones caza mcnor was the order of the day. The system of 

 small-game shooting adopted on these plains combines both 

 walking up and driving at the same time, and requires 

 a few words of description. It must be borne in mind 

 that we always have on one side of us — towards the north 

 and east — the marisma, practically at this season an inland 

 sea, and upon this circumstance the system is based. The 

 plan of campaign consists in driving the game down upon 

 the marisma ; a line of eight, ten or twelve guns each 100 

 or 150 yards apart, and with several beaters placed in the 

 interval, is formed at a distance of three or four miles 

 inland. This line occupies upwards of a mile in length, 

 and as it advances towards the marisma, obviously encloses 

 whatever game may be concealed in three or four square 

 miles of country, the greater part of which (the game) has 

 a fair chance of coming in the way of one point or another 

 of the line of guns. Some care is needed to preserve the 

 formation of the beat, which is done by mounted keepers, 

 who also see that the " points " or wings are thrown 

 slightly in advance. 



Presently there occurs an obstacle ; already we have 

 waded through some wettish spots ; but how is it possible 

 to cross this broad lagoon ? On the right a mancha, one of 

 those thickets of tree-heath and brooms, all interlaced with 

 thorny briars, bars the way : these manchas are impene- 

 trable — we have proved this— save to the wild boar or the 

 badger. In the other direction the water stretches far 

 — we can see the mounted beaters already splashing 

 through it. In England one does not walk through river, 

 lake, or pond merely because it lies in one's, course, but 



