160 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
weapon would not answer their purpose. It made a vast 
deal of noise, and discharged a very large volume of flame 
and smoke, but did no damage to the enemy. In fact the 
attempt was as vain and fruitless as it would he to detach 
a strong train of heavy artillery, to act against a horde of 
flying Tartars, or roving Cossacks. 
But it is rare that they allow themselves when on the 
wing to approach within gun shot of the fowler. Their 
flight is not a little remarkable for its extreme regularity. 
The following is a description of the mode by which, in 
certain places, which at ebb tide consist of vast muddy flats 
covered with green sea-weed, u the shooter with his gun, 
as evening draws on, runs up in his boat among the little 
creeks which the tide leaves in the mud lands, and lies in 
patient expectation of his prey. Sea fowl usually feed by 
night, when in all their multitudes they come down to 
graze on the savannahs of the shore. As the sonorous cloud 
advances, (for their noise in the air resembles a pack of 
hounds in full cry,) the attentive fowler listens which way 
they bend their course; perhaps he has the mortification to 
hear them at too great a distance for his gun to reach 
them; and if he cannot edge his boat round some wind- 
ing creek, which it is not always in his power to do, he 
despairs of success that night. Perhaps, however, he is 
more fortunate, and has the satisfaction to hear the airy 
noise approach nearer, till at length the host settles in some 
plain upon the edge of which his boat is moored. He now, 
as silently as possible, primes both his pieces anew, (for 
he is generally double armed,) and listens with all his at- 
tention: it is so dark that he can take no aim; for if he 
could discern the birds, they would also see him; and being 
extremely timorous, would seek some other pasture. 
Though they march with noise, they feed with silence; 
some indistinct noises, however, if the night be still, issue 
from so vast a concourse; he directs his piece therefore to- 
wards the sound, fires at a venture, and instantly catching 
up his other gun, discharges it where he supposes the flock 
to rise on the wing. His gains for the night are now de- 
cided, and he has only to gather his harvest. He imme- 
diately puts on his mud pattens, (flat, square pieces of 
board which the fowler ties to His feet, that he may not 
sink into the ooze,) ignorant yet of his success, and goes 
groping about in the dark in quest of his booty, picking 
up sometimes many, and perhaps not one! But this is a 
very hazardous and uncertain sport; for the boat is liable 
to become fixed immoveably in the mud; and the wounded 
birds, which cannot be collected, are swept away by the 
returning tide. I have heard of these shooters, who, 
when once traversing one of these oozy plains in search of 
ducks, and being intent only on his game, suddenly found 
the water, which had been accelerated by some peculiar 
circumstances affecting the tide, had made an alarming 
progress around him. In a short time he was completely 
encircled, and miraculously saved his life by thrusting the 
barrel of his long gun into the mud, to which he continued 
to cling until the waters had subsided. It is not a little 
hazardous to venture forth on rough waters in one of these 
little “ punts,” usually employed by water fowl shooters. 
In this little egg-shell of a skiff he drops down with the 
tide, or cautiously uses the paddle, and knowing their 
haunts, takes every advantage of wind, tide, &c. His 
gun, of great calibre, is laid with the muzzle over the 
stern of the boat, in a hitch, which regulates the line of 
aim. In the bottom of the little egg-shell the sportsman 
deposits his limbs and body as comfortably as possible; and 
a very moderate inclination to either side will endanger a 
total shipwreck. It is customary to paint those little 
skiffs with a green colour, or, what is better, to cover the 
sides with sea weed; a deception which enables you to ap- 
proach within shooting distance, without giving alarm. 
But these slight boats are so easily upset, that it is abso- 
lutely essential that the fowler should be an expert swim- 
mer. Indeed it is a species of foolhardiness for any per- 
son who is in the habit of shooting along the sea-shore to 
venture into exposed places, without the ability in case of 
need, to escape by swimming. A friend of the writer not 
long since, when shooting on the sandy flats of Sandwich, 
owed his life to his skill as a swimmer. The game on 
the occasion alluded to chanced to be abundant, and in his 
ardour, he suffered the tide to rise unobserved and com- 
pletely environ him. When he became first aware of his 
peril, he perceived that a strong and rapid current was 
furiously racing between himself and the shore, and he 
saw that his only safety consisted in attempting without a 
moment’s delay to stem it, and reach the opposite shore. 
But upon wading into the current, he soon ascertained 
that there was no resting place for his foot, as the quick- 
sands beneath him yielded to his pressure, and unless he 
could manage to keep above them by swimming, he must 
be swallowed up. He was encumbered with a heavy game 
bag, (overflowing with slaughtered plovers,) and a flask 
and shot belt in addition to his gun. He contrived, in the 
water, to disencumber himself of the former, and was soon 
compelled, though unwillingly, to relinquish the latter, 
which sank to rise no more, and with great exertion he 
reached the shore when completely exhausted. The gun 
was, (I fear,) irretrievably lost; yet if any of my sporting 
friends should ever happen to unearth it, I would thank 
them to leave it at the Galaxy office, till called for, “ and 
they shall he suitably rewarded.” 
Buck shooting is perhaps more practiced by the sports- 
men in this neighbourhood, than any other species of shoot- 
