2 20 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



other side of the water ; and all necessaries may be 

 supplied by water from the Slane, Mr Hardye 

 demands for his interest, which is for thirteen years, 

 ;^55, and will abate nothing." 



From this and what follows it would appear 

 that Sir William Brereton was so pleased with the 

 capabilities of the place for working a decoy, that 

 he negotiated for a lease, and the purchase of Mr 

 Hardye's interest; but the landlord asked a 

 premium of ;,/^ioo for an eighty years' lease, which 

 Sir Willian Brereton thought unreasonable, and the 

 negotiation fell through. 



On his return from Ireland, via Bristol, he 

 journeyed from Bridgwater to Woolavington, thence 

 to Marke, and to Stoke Rodney, near which last- 

 named place he visited a decoy which is briefly 

 mentioned by Sir R. Payne Gallwey, who is mis- 

 taken, however, in supposing that it was probably 

 not constructed until after 1802, in which year an 

 Act was passed for the drainage of the adjoining 

 marshes. Sir Willian Brereton saw it in 1635, and 

 thus describes it : — 



" About half a mile hence {i.e., from Stoke) is 

 Orion's 'coy, which is placed very near a highway. 

 This is a large spacious 'coy pool, and wood pros- 

 pereth exceeding well. By reason of the drought 

 there was a great want of water, until it was 

 replenished and supplied with some late found out 

 springs " (p. 171). 



This answers Sir R. Payne Gallwey 's surmise 

 that until the drainage of the marshes after 1802, the 

 superabundance of water rendered the working of a 



