WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 361 



get aground at the side of the creek, or steady 

 your canoe by means of forcing each oar from 

 between the thowls into the mud, otherwise the 

 recoil of the gun will set her rocking, and thus 

 you might probably be tipped out. Having made 

 all fast, rise up and fire. Take care, however, to 

 rise high enough to be well clear of the mud, or 

 not a feather will you touch, and present as follows ; 

 by day or moonlight, if the birds are close, 

 directly at them, or, if beyond forty yards, shoot 

 at their heads, unless they are feeding in a con- 

 cave place, where the tide has left a kind of plash, 

 in which case you must level rather under them, 

 or you will only graze their back feathers. In 

 star-light take your aim just at the top of the nar- 

 row black line in which birds always appear to one 

 who is low down ; and when so dark that you cannot 

 see your gun, present, as you think, about a foot 

 over, or you will most likely shoot above a foot 

 under them. 



" Should you have been successful, you will, if 

 at night, generally hear your cripples (wounded 

 fowl) beating on the mud before you can sufficiently 

 recover your eyes, from being dazzled by the fire, 

 to see them. Your man then puts on his mud- 

 boards," (which are flat square pieces of wood fas- 

 tened to the feet, to enable the party to walk or 

 wade through mud,) " taking the setting pole to 

 support him, and assist the dog in collecting the 

 killed and wounded ; taking care to secure first 

 the outside birds, lest they should escape to a creek. 

 During this time you are left in charge of the 



