ROMEOST1A. 157 



and not more than one or two have fallen on the 

 road, and though Sailor used to get me some, I 

 never could make a very satisfactory bag considering 

 the number I had put hors de combat. 



The most satisfactory bag I made there was of wild 

 geese. Having heard of some being on a piece of 

 ground not very far away, upon a kind of plain, where 

 a good many bullocks were turned out to graze, I 

 repaired there by daylight one cold morning ; there 

 was a good deal of snow on the distant hills, and 

 every wild goose in the country seemed to have met 

 together to meet me ; they were there in hundreds, 

 but quite unapproachable. They flew about from place 

 to place, keeping me at a most respectful distance. 

 At last I thought of a plan. Sending my servant to 

 a distance and where they could see him very plainly, 

 I lay down on my back under a fence, which is called 

 there stagionati, and is made of strong chestnut wood 

 to shut off the cattle. They did not seem to take 

 very great notice of me in this kind of ambush, and 

 several flew over me, when I raised myself up and 

 gave it them under their feathers, my charge b^ing 

 two ounces of No. i shot, and six drachms of powder 

 behind it. I killed five in this way. They were the 

 common grey lag, Anas anser, and were very good 



