18 CAPERCAILZIE. 



that have them under their care. — Thursday, June 1st. I stopped at home attending to 

 my birds; they were all well except one, which was either dead or killed; hut it was 

 very. much torn by the rats. I went into the woods and got trees for them. 



Tuesday, June 6th. Now this was rather a day of joy to me, after, it was a day of 

 torment to me — now all was to be got ready to put the birds into the coops also; first 

 one thing was to be done; all in a minute, it was to get boards and nail them on the 

 boat, so that we could put the two sets of coops in it, with them facing each other; so 

 that I could walk between them, to feed and- water them on the river. On our way to 

 Gottenburgh, as we were to be there on Thursday at the longest, any one may think 

 what a day it was to me, how to get all this done by the close of night. Now came 

 the grand points. It was to put the birds in order for their long journey, which I had 

 to do by myself. I must say I had not time to think of .anything, but run from one 

 place to the other; but in a word all was the same. Now, at ten o'clock, I got into 

 the house to get those wild birds; they are chiefly hens; I got them all in safety into 

 the coops : seven of the Black Game and two of the others into one coop, five cocks into 

 another, four cocks into another, seven hens in another, also four cocks: in this manner 

 we. put them — seven hens in a coop by themselves; by this I think there arc thirty -six 

 birds under the six coops this night, — I may say a wet weary night to me — up to ten 

 o'clock the night Avet and cold. I got wet through ; but that was little to be wondered 

 at, as we had to carry the six coops full two hundred yards or more. I got a drop of 

 coffee at one; then I took a big coat and a bunch of straw to the boat for my bed; but 

 as ill-luck would have it to be, the rain came in in all parts where poor Larry was to 

 take up his quarters; so by that I was forced to sit under the coops in the best manner 

 I could, and I was as cold as ever I felt in ray life: but this was not all; to add to 

 my misery, the birds that I put in the coops were flapping against the coops to that 

 degree, that I thought by the clear daylight I should have them all dead in the coops. 

 I was waiting for daylight to appear. — Wednesday, 7th. As soon as I could take a 

 look at them, it may be expected I did, to my surprise the coops of two of them were 

 almost covered with feathers and blood. I then felt what I never thought of in my life, 

 to see them in such a state; so I took up my blinds off them, and gave them all plenty 

 of boughs and corn ; I went up and got them up at the house ; I went to the bed-room 

 of Mr. Lloyd, and informed him of the state of them on board; by that he got up in 

 a few minutes. All things were got in order for our voyage down the river, and we 

 left the shore. The birds by this time were become settled, unless we went near them. 



Thursday, June 8th. This day we arrived at Gottenburgh. We went to the boats, 

 then to the schooner, which was to take me and my birds to Hull. We got the birds 

 on board ; they seemed well pleased to get them, to bring the birds over to England 

 with them, as they said it was the greatest thing that ever was heard of in this life, 



