THE SCIENCE OF SCULLING WILD FOWL. 209 



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trifle so its edges cilt the water going and returning. 

 This shoves the boat ahead as if poished from the stem. 

 An expert sculler will drive the boat along with such 

 steadiness that were one to shut his eyes and sit in the 

 boat, he would hear no noise, feel no motion, although 

 the boat is going quite fast. It must be borne in mind, 

 that the sculler should always have absolute control of 

 his boat ; that is, to constantly send it steadily forward. 

 So steady indeed, that the slightest rocking of the boat 

 will not be seen or felt, or the smallest ripple made as 

 it moves, one might say as it skims, over the surface of 

 the water. The sculler n.ever loses control, whether 

 he is near game or drifting down ■with the current. 

 His hands or hand, is constantly working the oar, quite 

 gently perhaps, still, just sufficient to feel the power 

 at the end of the blade, and to always have it at his 

 command. After years of experience one does this in- 

 stinctively. As by constant practice one becomes pro^ 

 ficient in the art of sculling one of these small boats^ it 

 is surprising how one's skill will become developed, 

 until an expert duck sculler will scull with both hands, 

 or one hand, while half reclining or lying on the flat of 

 his back. 



In my experience of a lifetime in hunting wild fowl 

 I have used all kinds of duck-boats, and I never yet 

 found a man who, after using one of these boats, would 

 use any other. They are light of draught, can be row- 

 ed or pushed anywhere, are light of weight, — ^mine 

 weighed when new 105 pounds, — are perfectly safe, and 

 there is no danger or risk in using them anywhere. I 

 have crossed the Mississippi in one, when the south 

 wind had lashed the broad river into a sea of seething, 



hissing foam, as it rolled and flew into spray from the 



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