n6 Sporting Notes in the Far East. 



serious contretemps^ was more or less comfortable. The mishap, was 

 my foolishness in dropping off to sleep with an open charcoal stove 

 (hebashi) alight in my room, and burning close to my bed. Luckily 

 for some reason unknown, Rock got restless and commenced lick- 

 ing my face, which performance gradually woke me up, and probably 

 saved me from suffocation ; as it was I was so knocked up, that 

 next day shooting was a matter of great difficulty. 



The first piece of ground, around Isahaya, is at the head of two 

 small bays which are nearly touched by the main road, about four 

 miles the Nagasaki side of the town. Here there are, within the 

 sea walls, several small patches of rushes, which always hold a few, 

 but very wild snipe ; and unless time is no object, I hardly think 

 they are worth the mud-larking. It is better to go on to the 

 principal shooting, about four and a half miles down the big sea 

 wall, beyond Isahaya : to get there, leave the rickshaw at your tea 

 house, pass through the town, and strike straight over the low 

 paddy fields beyond, towards the conspicuous islands that stand 

 about two miles out from the beach. A short distance before 

 coming opposite these land marks, a running stream will have to 

 be crossed, it passes through several patches of reeds, and in these 

 reeds, look out ! For though snipe are here in plenty, wild is no 

 name for them, and when once up, they are off and away like pigeons. 



The several deep creeks with which this flat country is intersected, 

 will be found a great nuisance; but in following those up which are 



