SHOOTING IN CHINA. 307 



moved a few miles further up the creek during lunch, and 

 again in the afternoon had another turn at the birds, the 

 result of which was much the same as that in the forenoon. 

 In one of the numerous creeks I came upon some 

 Chinamen busily employed fishing with cormorants. 

 They had three sanpans, each being paddled along at 

 short intervals from one another. In the first boat 

 were about three dozen cormorants perched on the 

 gunwale, all the birds sitting bolt upright close to- 

 gether, looking like rows of black wooden figures, so 

 quiet did they remain; presently the man in charge, 

 in the first boat, gave the order, and overboard the birds 

 went, each taking the neatest header possible. The 

 boats now were paddled very slowly. The cormorants 

 soon began to appear, and as they came to the surface 

 with fish in their mouths, whichever boat they 

 happened to be nearest put out an oar, on to which 

 they at once got, and were swung into the sanpan ; 

 there they disgorged their fish, and then perched on 

 the gunwale for a short time before again going into the 

 water. I said disgorged y but it is hardly that, as the 

 birds have an ivory ring round their necks, which is 

 passed over the head and rests on the shoulder, and 

 prevents the fish from getting beyond the throat. The 

 throat, when a large fish is caught, or several smaller 



