1848.] 
DUCK-SHOOTING. 
69 
off the locks, and by careful cleaning and oiling got all 
right again. 
We went on with a fair wind for a few hours, when 
two of onr men proposed taking the montaria to go and 
shoot ducks at a place near, where they abounded ; so 
Mr. B. and myself agreed to go with them, while Mr. 
Leavens proceeded a mile or two on, to get dinner ready 
and wait for us. We had about half a mile of paddling 
to reach the shore, then half a mile of walking over a 
sandy beach, when our Indians plunged into the forest 
along a narrow path, we following in silence. About a 
mile more brought us to some open ground, where there 
was abundance of fine grass and scattered clumps of 
low trees and shrubs, among which were many pretty 
flowers. We walked for a mile through this kind of 
country, along a track which was often quite impercep- 
tible to us, till at length we reached an extensive morass 
covered with aquatic plants, with some clumps of bushes 
and blackened stumps of trees. 
Our Indians, without saying a word, plunged in up to 
their knees, and waded after the ducks, which we could 
see at a distance, with egrets and other aquatic birds. 
As we could do nothing on shore, we followed them, 
floundering about in mud and water, among immersed 
trees and shrubs, and tangled roots of aquatic plants, 
feeling warm and slimy, as if tenanted by all sorts of 
creeping things. The ducks were far from easy to get 
at, being very wild and shy. After one or two ineffec- 
tual long shots, I saw one sitting on the top of a stump, 
and by creeping cautiously along under cover of some 
bushes, got within shot and fired. The bird flew away, 
