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SIR. T. SOUTHWELL ON EARLY DUTCH AND ENGLISH DECOYS 
and four children. They put into Queenborough (Sheerness) 
where he slept at the “ Ship ” and bought “ six lobsters for one 
shilling, one quick ” ; he never lost sight of his “ hobby ” and 
remarks that here was “ a convenient place in the remotest part 
of the marsh for a Coy.” On Friday, the 23rd May, they left 
Queenborough (he writes it Quindburrow) and reached Rotterdam 
on Sunday, after a twenty-five hours’ passage. His chief object 
in visiting Holland seems to have been to examine and gain in- 
formation as to the management of the decoys of that country, 
and although he gives some interesting particulars of his journey 
and of the places he visited, he never loses an opportunity of 
descanting upon his favourite theme. At Dort, on the 27th, he 
had “a coy-duck at supper, and another at dinner” and adds, 
“ near unto the Doole build herons which breed in the middle 
of the City, which by proclamation are not to he molested or 
destroyed.” Should these really have been Herons (which their 
nesting in company seems to confirm) and not Storks, their being 
protected is interesting ; but, as will be seen later on, the same 
hospitality was extended to Spoonbills. His description of Dort 
and its decoys is as follows : — “ W ednesday, May 28th, Dort. 
The island on which this fair maiden city stands, is compassed 
round by the Maze [Maas] and the Wall, two great navigable 
rivers. This island is about six or eight English miles about, 
and preserved by a strong bank about twelve yards high, beyond 
which bank are seated many (some say a dozen or twenty) coys. 
We were in three coys, all well wooded ; two of them adjoin- 
ing, close together, the one a lesser coy (which is the winter 
coy), hath five pipes, like unto mine ; it is ten English rood 
long on the sides, eight rood broad ; no wild fowl therein, but 
we were permitted to walk within the hut; the coy-ducks came 
boldly unto us and fed ; belonging hereunto, one hundred and 
fifty ducks, thirteen drakes, dainty, fair specimens, and well- 
proportioned pipes, higher overhead, longer and better compassed 
than any I ever saw in England. Twiggen nests provided for 
the ducks to breed in. The other coy joining hereunto, much 
more spacious and larger ; it hath six pipes in one end only, 
thirty-five rood long, and thirty broad. We were not permitted 
to see this larger coy. Ducks sold for sixpence a piece ; two 
pellstarts, two smeathes, two shovelars, each equivalent to a Dutch 
