176 BROADLAND SPORT 



who would appreciate them. In years gone by Broadland 

 teemed with life, and every nook and cranny afforded shelter 

 to some interesting species of the fur, feather or fish tribe. 

 On these waterways one met with coot, grebe, water hen, 

 rail and wildfowl of all description, but now so many visitors 

 carry guns in the yachts with them, and when they can find 

 nothing better to shoot at, choose as their mark any living 

 thing that may come within range, not troubling to pick up 

 the dead and wounded, and birds which are not mangled or 

 killed during the season are driven away, to seek fresh 

 haunts and waters new. 



Not unfrequently a yachtsman hears heavy firing 

 from a boat in front, and as he overhauls it he notices 

 large quantities of dead and dying insect-feeding birds 

 such as martins or swallows drifting past on the tide, 

 an object of pity, and a disgrace to the unfeeling and 

 unsportsmanlike shooters who so ruthlessly butcher them, 

 simply for the gratification of having had a living mark to 

 shoot at. Not unfrequently cattle are found on the marshes 

 injured by shot as well as by bullets. It is only surprising 

 to think that more serious accidents do not occur to human 

 beings, as it cannot be believed that anyone would shoot at, 

 and thus torture, dumb animals wilfully. 



From the village of Horning progress is slow because the 

 stream is wood-bound nearly all the. way, but the scenery is 

 very beautiful and thoroughly recompenses for delay. In 

 drifting lazily, drowsily, up-stream, many pleasant recollec- 

 tions are brought back to the memory, and these untrammeled 

 hours of idleness are enjoyed to the full. 



It may be again well to remind the summer visitor to 

 Broadland that fishing or sailing should be made the ground- 

 work of his amusement, shooting being more or less an 

 accessory. The coarse fishing, that is to say, fishing for 

 bream, roach or perch, is as good as can be obtained. Jack, 

 also, may be caught in large numbers. As a centre Horning 

 can be highly commended. Below the village towards 

 Acle the river is open to every breath of heaven ; above, the 



