G16 
MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON EARLY DUTCH AND ENGLISH DECOYS. 
and remarks that his host, Mr. Swan, was a “very forward man 
to have a coy here erected.” The next day on the way to 
Morpeth, “ about seven miles from Newcastle,” he says “ we took 
notice of a convenient seat of a coy in Point island, which be- 
longs unto Mr. Mark Arington.” 
We hear nothing - more of decoys till the 17th July, when 
being at Wexford he was greatly impressed with the capabilities 
of the estuary of the river Slaney above Wexford harbour, and 
the broad-water lying to the north into which the little river 
Sow empties itself. About a mile from Wexford they crossed 
the water at a farm called “ the park ” leased by an English- 
man named Hardye, there were “ great loughs a mile or two 
broad ” abounding with fish and fowl. “ Here is the best feed- 
ing for fowl that I ever saw. This grass which comes from the 
mud is good food for them, and there is good store of it, and 
here is a little grove of oaks, wherein is no good timber, but 
it so stands as it is most strong shelter for fowl that feed or 
frequent under it. Here is the most commodious and convenient 
seat for a c[oy] that ever I saw.” He adds that “ Oilers ” 
[Alders] and reeds and- other materials necessary to form a coy 
may be had convenient ; but there are certain difficulties with 
regard to position and planning which he considers at length. 
The voyage home in a king’s ship was a very unpleasant one 
and he suffered much from sea-sickness; but on the 27th July, 
on their return to England, journeying from Bridgwater, about 
four miles on his way to Rodney Stoke, he once more returns 
to his favourite subject. “ About half a mile hence,” he says, 
“ is Orion’s coy, which is placed very near a highway. This is 
a large, spacious coy pool, wood prospereth exceedingly well ; 
by reason of the drought here was a great want of water until it 
was replenished and supplied with some late found out springs ; 
earth is herein laid to the cherry-tree roots to keep them alive, 
and this seems but like mud. There are five pipes in this coy 
as in mine ; the seatings within the coy are overgrown with 
wood ; abundance here is of tame fowl ; drake, pellstarts and 
smeaths I saw, but no ducks. The coy-house is larger than 
mine, both higher and larger.” 
“ He advised me, if possible, to bring a spring into my coy, by 
the means hereof they took a good store of fowl last storm. 
