128 Sporting Notes in the Far East. 



PORT HAMILTON. 



For the good pheasant shooting now to be enjoyed in these 

 islands, sportsmen at the present time, have to be thankful to a few 

 energetic officers of the British squadrons of '85 and '86. 



These officers raised an association, called the " Port Hamilton 

 Game Club," for the purpose of inviting subscriptions to be 

 devoted to the bringing over of live Chinese pheasants from 

 Shanghai, and turning them down in the different islands ; and 

 contrary to most of these kind of ventures, their efforts have proved 

 more than successful ; and (notwithstanding that one consignment 

 of birds brought over by a renowned ; ' Wast Country Spartsman," 

 did consist of seventeen cocks and one hen) if all goes well, Port 

 Hamilton now bids fair with a few more good breeding seasons, 

 to be almost overstocked with pheasants ; as the natives do not 

 touch them, their only enemies being the egg-stealing crows in the 

 spring, and the kites and hawks that migrate over to the islands 

 in the autumn. 



In the month of October, there is an annual invasion of quail ; 

 and with a smart dog, it is quite possible to make exceedingly good 

 bags of these little birds ; as many as five hundred having been 

 shot by one gun, in part of a season. A few pigeons also visit the 

 islands at the same period of the year. 



For directions I cannot do better than refer the reader to the 

 accompanying map. For pheasants, go first to Sunhodo island, 



