314 SHOOTING m CHINA. 



suitable to the barren hill-sides. Towards sunset also 

 they do this, and keep answering each other far and 

 near until dusk. 



During the winter months, very fair shooting could 

 be had up the Canton river. Duck and geese at that 

 time were to be found all the way up from the Bogue 

 Forts to Canton, the former often in great quanti- 

 ties. I used frequently to make excursions to these 

 grounds with a friend at this time of the year, and 

 exceedingly jolly times we had. Eather a large party 

 wishing to go once, E — , another friend, and myself 

 went away during the afternoon in E — 's yacht ; the 

 rest were to foUow, and intended taking a good round 

 to look for some hog-deer on an island. We reached 

 our destination early in the evening, and after a 

 good dinner, a pipe, and a yarn, we prepared for any 

 emergency in the shape of pirates, by loading a little 

 swivel-gun on deck, our rifles, guns, and so on. I 

 had brought two of my gun-boat's crew to assist in 

 the yacht and keep watch ; they would also be very 

 different fellows from the usual Chinese crew in a row. 

 We were all sound asleep, and enjoying the fresh 

 clear air, after the more confined and used-up atmo- 

 sphere of Hong-Kong, when about one in the morning 

 the man on watch called me, saying a large junk was 



