AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
37 
approach the shore, until they are sometimes within twenty 
or thirty yards of the spot where the gunner lies concealed, 
and from which he rakes them, first on the water, and 
then as they rise. This method is called tolling them in. 
If the Ducks seem difficult to decoy, any glaring object, 
such as a red handkerchief, is fixed round the dog’s mid- 
dle, or to his tail, and this rarely fails to attract them. 
Sometimes, by moonlight, the sportsman directs his skiff 
towards a flock, whose position he had previously ascer- 
tained, keeping within the projecting shadow of some wood, 
bank, or headland, and paddles along so silently and imper- 
ceptibly, as often to approach within fifteen or twenty 
yards of a flock of many thousands, among whom he gene- 
rally makes great slaughter. 
Many other stratagems are practised, and indeed every 
plan that the ingenuity of the experienced sportsman can 
suggest, to approach within gunshot of these birds; but of 
all the modes pursued, none intimidate them so much as 
shooting them by night; and they soon abandon the place 
where they have been thus repeatedly shot at. During 
the day they are dispersed about; but towards evening 
collect in large flocks, and come into the mouths of creeks, 
where they often ride as at anchor, with their head under 
their wing, asleep, there being always sentinels awake, 
ready to raise an alarm on the least appearance of danger. 
Even when feeding and diving in small parties, the whole 
never go down at one time, but some are still left above 
on the look-out. 
When the winter sets in severely, and the river is 
frozen, the Canvas-backs retreat to its confluence with the 
bay, occasionally frequenting air-holes in the ice, which 
are sometimes made for the purpose, immediately above 
their favourite grass, to entice them within gunshot of the 
hut or bush which is usually fixed at a proper distance, and 
where the gunner lies concealed ready to take advantage of 
their distress. A Mr. Hill, who lives near James’ River, at a 
place called Herring Creek, informs me, that one severe 
winter he and another person broke a hole in the ice about 
twenty by forty feet, immediately over a shoal of grass, 
and took their stand on the shore, in a hut or bush, each 
having three guns well loaded with large shot. The Ducks, 
which were flying up and down the river in great extre- 
mity, soon crowded to this place, so that the whole open 
space was not only covered with them, but vast numbers 
stood on the ice around it. They had three rounds, firing 
both at once, and picked up eighty-eight Canvas-backs, and 
might have collected more had they been able to get to 
the extremity of the ice after the wounded ones. In 
the severe winter of 1779-80, the grass, on the roots of 
which these birds feed, was almost wholly destroyed in 
James’ River. In the month of January the wind conti- 
K 
nued to blow from W. N. W. for twenty-one days, which 
caused such low tides in the river that the grass froze to 
the ice every where, and a thaw coming on suddenly, the 
whole was raised by the roots, and carried off by the fresh. 
The next winter a few of these Ducks were seen, but they 
soon went away again; and for many years after, they con- 
tinued to be scarce; and even to the present day, in the 
opinion of my informant, have never been so plenty as 
before. 
The Canvas-back, in the rich juicy tenderness of its 
flesh, and its delicacy and flavour, stands unrivalled by the 
whole of its tribe, in this or perhaps any other quarter of 
the world. Those killed in the waters of the Chesapeake 
are generally esteemed superior to all others, doubtless 
from the great abundance of their favourite food which 
these rivers produce. At our public dinners, hotels, and 
particular entertainments, the Canvas-backs are universal 
favourites. They not only grace but dignify the table, 
and their very name conveys to the imagination of the 
eager epicure, the most comfortable and exhilarating ideas. 
Hence on such occasions, it has not been uncommon to pay 
from one to three dollars a pair for these Ducks; and, in- 
deed, at such times, if they can they must be had, what- 
ever may be the price. 
The Canvas-back will feed readily on grain, especially 
wheat, and may be decoyed to particular places by baiting 
them with that grain for several successive days. Some 
few years since, a vessel loaded with wheat, was wrecked 
near the entrance of Great Egg-Harbour, in the autumn, 
and went to pieces. The wheat floated out in vast quan- 
tities, and the whole surface of the bay was in a few days 
covered with Ducks of a kind altogether unknown to the 
people of that quarter. The gunners of the neighbour- 
hood collected in boats in every direction, shooting them; 
and so successful were they, that, as Mr. Beasley informs 
me, two hundred and forty were killed in one day, and 
sold among the neighbours, at twelve and a half cents a 
piece, without the feathers. The wounded ones were 
generally abandoned, as being too difficult to be come up 
with. They continued about three weeks, and during the 
greater part of that time a continual cannonading was heard 
from every quarter. The gunners called them Sea Ducks. 
They were all Canvas-backs, at that time on their way 
from the north, when this floating feast attracted their 
attention, and for awhile arrested them in their course. A 
pair of these very Ducks I myself bought in Philadelphia 
market at the time, from an Egg-Harbour gunner, and 
never met with their superior either in weight or excel- 
lence of flesh. When it was known among those people 
the loss they had sustained in selling for twenty^five cents 
what would have brought them from a dollar to a dollar 
