324 Unexplored Spain 



Regular fixed shoots take place every Saturday throughout 

 the season, with, however, certain small exceptions, aimed partly 

 at securing to the fowl a period of rest and quiet on their first 

 arrival, and partly due to the festivals of St. Martin and St. 

 Catherine being public days and free to all. 



The species of ducks obtained on Albufera do not differ from 

 those at Daimiel. On these deeper waters pochards and the 

 various diving-ducks are more conspicuous than on the shallower 

 rice-swamps of the Caldereria. 



(2) The Caldekeria 



In contrast with the Albufera (and with Daimiel) the Caldereria 

 is not a natural Ingoon, but simply the artificial inundation of 

 rice-oTounds (arrozales), such inundation being necessary for the 

 cultivation of that grain. 



The rice-grounds of the Caldereria belong to the three adjacent 

 communes of Sueca, Cullera, and Sollana — held in a joint peasant- 

 proprietorship. The flooding of the arrozcdes was commenced 

 in 1850, the original object being the cultivation of rice, combined 

 with the taking of wildfowl in nets [paranses). It was, 

 however, early seen that the enormous quantities of wild-ducks 

 attracted to the spot were of almost equal value with the grain - 

 crop, and the fame of the Caldereria attracted troops of sportsmen 

 from all parts of Spain. This influx, for some years, the local 

 authorities endeavoured to check, with a view to securing the 

 sport for local residents — who, by the way, wanted to enjoy this 

 o-ood thinoj at the price of a dollar a year ! In 1880 it was- 

 decided to put up to auction the different shooting-posts, or 

 replazas, without any restriction. 



The whole of the arrozales are accordingly divided into- 

 defined sections called replazas, each perhaps 500 or 600 yarda 

 square, forming roughly, as it were, a gigantic chessboard, though 

 the various replazas are quite irregular in shape and size. These 

 are sold by public auction at a fixed date. The best positions 

 realise as much as, say, £80 to £100. A large rental is thus 

 obtained yearly, some villages receiving as much as 6000 dollars. 



Since the whole shooting area is their common property, every 

 peasant and villager is personally interested in the value and 

 success of the shooting, and each thus becomes virtually a game- 



