150 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



Newfoundland is not quite the thing : first, his black colour 

 is against him brown is much to be preferred ; then, I 

 should wish my dog occasionally to assist me in this inland 

 shooting, by beating rushes or thick cover up creeks, where 

 you may often plant yourself in an open situation for a shot, 

 and your dog put up the fowl, which are almost certain to 

 fly down past you. If you accustomed a Newfoundland to 

 this, he might, from his strength and vivacity, learn the trick 

 of breaking away when you did not wish him. The best and 

 most efficient kind of dog for this work is a cross between 

 a water-dog and large terrier the terrier gives nose, and 

 the water-dog coolness and steadiness. I should say that, 



saw that the flock were resting some hundred yards from the land, but had little 

 doubt, from the high wind, that they would soon seek its shelter. We accord- 

 ingly chose different stations, and, crawling to them with the utmost caution, 

 waited patiently for upwards 'of an hour. At last the swans, by imperceptible 

 degrees, and much turning and wheeling, neared the shore opposite my brother ; 

 but the water being shallow, they began to feed as soon as their long necks could 

 sound the bottom. He was thus forced to rush down to the edge, and take the 

 distant shot. One lay badly wounded : had the wind been blowing towards the 

 shore, the swan was so disabled that it could not have made head against it ; but 

 as it blew sideways, the creature managed to paddle itself out into the waves, 

 every now and then uttering its wild piping cry. There was no boat nearer than 

 a mile ; we, however, set off at full speed, and, with a shock-headed urchin at the 

 helm, launched into the deep. The wind was blowing a perfect gale, the waves 

 lashing over, wetting us to the skin ; and every time we changed our course, we 

 were in danger of being swamped. We had almost given up hope, especially as 

 the white foam of the bursting waves was so exactly like the object of our search 

 as to prevent our distinguishing it at any distance, when the " gillie " at the helm 

 sang out, " I hear him ! " All eyes were strained in every direction, and the poor 

 swan was at last seen rising over the billows like the spirit of the tempest. There 

 was much difficulty, and some danger, in getting it safe on board ; and in all pro- 

 bability we should never have perceived it, had it not betrayed itself by its dying 

 song. My retriever would have recovered both these birds in five minutes, and 

 there would have been no risk of his spoiling the shot beforehand. 



My two youngest sons went to Islay in January 1880 for a few days' wild- 

 sport. One of them knocked over two Bewick swans, right-and-left ; while his 

 brother, who chose the other end of the loch, had the good fortune to kill a third, 

 about a hundred yards distant, with his rifle. These were their only chances at 

 swans. They were the guests of Mr Campbell of Balinaby, a most kind and 

 hospitable host one of those tough sportsmen of the old school, who had in 

 his youth killed a seal with a smooth bore. When it was being secured, another 

 head peeped up, and was fairly hit by the second barrel ; while both seals were 

 got on board before sinking. 



