SWAN- SHOOTING. 275 



estimated that at least two thousand were in sis^ht 

 from the deck. 



They feed principally upon the water-weed, Yalisneria 

 Americana, worms, insects, &c., but I believe never 

 touch fish. They are exceedingly watchful ; and he is a 

 careful stalker who can get within shot ; but many are 

 killed by gunners hidden on some point of land between 

 two bays or other pieces of water. 



When shooting ducks near Anahuac, at the head of 

 Gralveston Bay, I killed a very heavy swan, and to 

 escape the fatigue of carrying it, I gave the bird to an 

 old German woman, who had as much idea of the art 

 of cooking as a pig. 



Passing that way a few days afterwards, I was curious 

 to know what the woman had done with the swan, 

 which I knew to be a young bird, and exceedingly fat, 

 and which I should have only been too glad of myself, 

 if I could have carried it. In answer to my inquiries, 

 I Vv^as told that she had * parboiled it ' (an ingenious 

 way of soddening meat, much affected in the States, 

 after which the meat is baked till it is so dry as 

 to eat like sawdust), that she had obtained three pints 

 of grease by skimming the water, and that when 

 baked it had lasted her so long that she became tired 

 of it. 



I imagine, that if English wild-fowl-shooters would 

 visit Texas for a winter, provided with punts, guns, &c., 

 they would meet with such sport as Europe cannot furnish 



T 2 



