VOYAGE TO THE TAI-IIOU LAKE. 385 



stitious dread of evil spirits in solitary places, and of a certain 

 description of river pirates called " Lalle-lungs." 



Upon approaching marshy ground of any description we 

 "were always certain to find snipe, plover, curlew, and a great 

 variety of the coot species, but no ducks, as these birds, 

 which abound during the winter, had all abandoned the 

 country for more northern quarters; and in those spots 

 where the inhabitants were carrying on the process of irri- 

 gation the snipes were found in the same quantity as I had 

 previously seen them near Shanghai; so that our cook had 

 ample opportunity for exercising his skill upon a great 

 variety of entrees, of which this delicious bird formed the 

 staple, and amongst which a very excellent salmi figured 

 daily. During the early part of the mornings we always 

 observed pheasants feeding on the narrow slips between 

 patches of grain, but as shooting hens that were now breed- 

 ing was too bad even for China, we confined ourselves to the 

 cock birds, which betrayed themselves by their crowing in 

 all directions. We usually landed, and made our way 

 through the standing corn in the direction of the sound, 

 and they generally rose within shot of us. They were 

 splendid birds, very heavy, and similar to the preserved 

 pheasant at home, but had invariably a streak of white 

 feathers round the neck. Here they were, to a certain 

 degree, exempt from the destruction that is carried on upon 

 them in the neighbourhood of the settlement by native 

 poachers, or rather game-dealers, for sale to Europeans, who 

 are very skilful in the use of snares and springes, and who, 

 after catching them, riddle them with iron-shot, to the great 

 inconvenience and danger of the teeth of the consumer, as 

 they have a fixed persuasion that a barbarian will not eat 

 any game that is not shot ! 



They dare not, however, offer any pheasants for sale in the 

 settlement during the summer months, as they are likely to 



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