148 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
a heap of eggs that promised delicious food. Nor did we 
stand long in expectation, for, kindling a fire, we soon pre- 
pared, in one way or other, enough to satisfy the cravings of 
our hungry maws. Breakfast ended, the pilot, looking at 
the gorgeous sunrise, said, “‘Gentlemen, prepare yourselves 
for fun, the tide is acoming.” 
Over these enormous mud-flats, a foot or two of water is 
quite sufficient to drive all the birds ashore, even the tallest 
Heron or Flamingo, and the tide seems to flow at once over 
the whole expanse. Each of us provided with a gun, posted 
himself behind a bush, and no sooner had the water forced 
the winged creatures to approach the shore, than the work of 
destruction commenced. When it at length ceased, the col- 
lected mass of birds of different kinds looked not unlike a 
small haycock. Who could not with a little industry have 
helped himself to a few of their skins? Why, reader, surely 
no one as fond of these things as I am. Every one assisted 
in this, and even the sailors themselves tried their hand at the 
work. 
Our pilot, good man, told us he was no hand at such occu- 
pations, and would go after something else. So taking Long 
Tom and his fishing-tackle, he marched off quietly along the 
shores. About an hour afterwards we saw him returning, 
when he looked quite exhausted, and on our inquiring the 
cause, said, “There is a dew-fish yonder and a few bala- 
coudas, but I am not able to bring them, or even to haul 
them here; please send the sailors after them.’ The fishes 
were accordingly brought, and as I had never seen a dew-fish, 
I examined it closely, and took an outline of its form, which 
some days hence you may perhaps see. It exceeded a hun- 
dred pounds in weight, and afforded excellent eating. The 
balacouda is also a good fish, but at times a dangerous one, 
for, according to the pilot, on more than one occasion “some 
of these gentry” had followed him when waist-deep in the 
water, in pursuit of a more valuable prize, until in self-defence 
