388 
APPENDIX. 
following up some Long-tailed Ducks at Penrhyn, on the Traeth 
Back. 
Nocemher 28. — . . . continued their flight towards the 
opposite side of the hay. Off we set at full speed, loading as we ran, 
and keeping our eyes so intently fixed upon the distant point round 
which the Ducks were disappearing, that somehow we forgot we 
were not upon level ground ; the consequence was, that my foot 
caught upon a tuft of grass, and I toppled over a rock about twelve 
feet high. The top of my head made a dismal clatter among the 
loose pebbles below, and upon reckoning up the extent of the damage 
it was discovered that I had broken a tooth, left a considerable 
quantity of facial epidermis upon the stones, lost the charge of shot 
which was intended for a very different purpose, severely scratched 
the stock of the gun, and most grievously rent a most important article 
of clothing. Of course we could not think of letting the Ducks off 
after this ; so, after a grumble and a hobble or two upon my part, 
away we went to the point, and up got the female bird within 
comfortable distance. I fired, and she fell dead, and the male bird 
immediately flew to the spot and settled close beside her, but in a 
few seconds he flew off again. Gordon fired, and he fell long out 
of our reach. By this time the dead bird was some distance off, for 
the tide was falling, and the stream inshore was running seawards 
with great rapidity. I stepped in, not knowing its depth, and soon 
found the water over my waist. However, the bird was floating 
temptingly before me, so deeper and deeper I had to go until I had 
at last got hold of it, and then a serious difficulty made itself ap- 
parent. I had happened to walk out upon a ridge of sand, and now 
I could not find the way back, and there was deep water on all 
sides. Gordon then comforted me with the assurance that if I 
would but kick up my heels,” the stream would take me down 
like a shot to a distant sandbank, where he would soon join me. 
Accordingly, off he set for a boat, while I, in expectation of the cruise, 
threw my shot-belts ashore, and wished I were with them. Then 
the water began to lift up my heels for me, so seizing the Duck’s 
feet in my teeth, I turned my face towards the shore, and just then, 
as luck would have it, I arrived at a spot where the strength of the 
stream was but slight ; and so, after a flounder and a scramble, I 
found myself safely landed a good many yards below the place 
