1890
April 17
Seconnett [?Sakonnet] Point, Rhode Island
Clear with S.W. wind, light in the early morning, 
blowing fresh all the afternoon. 
  I came here yesterday with Mr. George H. Mackay
reaching the hotel at West Island opposite the
point at 1 PM. There was no flight of birds
during the afternoon but Sheldrake and Old
Squaws occasionally passed the point and
we saw a few Cormorants (dilphus?) also. 
  We rose this morning at 4 AM and after
a hurried breakfast started out. As we
rowed down the channel between the islands
we could see Ducks [?scurrying] about in every
direction most of them Old Squaws & Sheldrake. 
Outside there was a heavy swell running but
the wind was light & the seas glassy. 
I took the inner berth & anchoring threw
out my decoys, twelve in number. Mackay
took a station outside about 150 yds off. 
My first shot was at a small bunch of
Old Squaws from which I dropped a female. The
next at Butter-billed Coot one dropping with
a broken wing & diving. I did not go after it.
I then killed in succession three Scoters, one of
each species, missing a fourth. After this I
fired a dozen or fifteen shots without getting
a bird. Only two came really within good
range but this made little difference probably
for I found it impossible to accustom
myself to the motion of the boat. The
swells were 6 to 8 ft. high and as the
boat sank in the hollows I often could
not see the land. Mackay did much better
