May 16. 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
769 
oxen were turned loose to graze on the plains. 
We passed a great many boundary marks along 
the line between Uruguay and Brazil, first in 
one country then in the other. These marks are 
piles of stone, each with a small upright stone 
in the center. • 
The latter part of our journey was spent in 
watching the telephone poles for birds’ nests. 
Trees and proper nesting places are so scarce 
they use these poles instead. About every other 
pole had a nest on it built of mud and really 
wonderful. From the entrance there is a wind¬ 
ing channel to the nest proper. This bird is 
called Sao Joao do Barra, meaning St. John the 
Mason. He certainly deserves the name of 
mason. 
We arrived at Bage tired and dusty about 4 
P. M. Just as we were entering the city limits 
we were held up by the customs, our baggage 
examined and we were allowed to proceed. Bage 
is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants, a great cattle 
center. Hundreds of thousands arc slaughtered 
every year and turned into jerked beef, which is 
shipped to Rio Grande by rail and from there 
all over Brazil. We passed many of these 
slaughter houses on Xarqueadas. The meat is 
dried in the sun. and where this is done it looks 
like immense grape arbors, long rows of posts 
with rails, on top of which the meat is hung to 
dry. These cattle are of the old big-horn kind. 
A friend gave me a pair of beautiful horns which 
are indeed curiosities to one who has lived in 
the States. 
Rio Grande do Sul is the most important port 
in southern Brazil, situated at the mouth of 
I.agoa dos Patos or Duck Lake. The bar is so 
shallow that steamers are often compelled to 
wait outside for days before they can enter. 
This bar will be open soon. While there I was 
invited to attend the ceremonies of the inaugura¬ 
tion. An American engineer is at the head of 
this enterprise. 
I have heard wonderful stories of the number 
of ducks that years ago flew over this lake. I 
have been told they were killed with sticks from 
the decks of the steamers when they first began 
to run. I cannot vouch for the truth of these 
statements, but T do know it is a splendid duck 
ground, and I had some splendid shooting about 
a year ago at Casino, a summer resort about one 
hour from Rio Grande. 
I was then accompanied by the English Consul, 
a fine sportsman. As I have previously men¬ 
tioned, these plains are full of lakes during the 
winter or rainy season, thousands of ducks re¬ 
sorting there as a feeding ground. Ducks are 
shot by the natives in the following manner: A 
horse is trained to approach them slowly, as if 
feeding; a man walks behind, and when near 
enough they are fired upon, sometimes twenty or 
thirty being killed at one 'shot. 
After spending the night at the deserted sum¬ 
mer resort we arose early. The day was chilly. 
A cold south wind was blowing, and the water 
felt quite cold as we waded into it. I cannot 
give the names of the different ducks, but we 
killed about five varieties, teal, brown ducks, 
some about the size of a mallard, and two, one 
of which weighed ten pounds. 
My first shot was a long one. I succeeded in 
killing one teal and wounding another which I 
could not find. We could have had splendid 
sport if some kind of blind had been built a few 
days before, but I did the best I could by stalk¬ 
ing and crouching behind bunches of high grass. 
However, I had good sport until noon, when we 
ate our lunch and rested. 
About 3 o’clock we started again, and in a very 
short time I had killed a duck and was trying 
to find a cripple in some clear water about two 
feet deep. This small lake had bunches of weeds 
growing in it. I could see this cripple stop, but 
when I approached he would swim off under 
water. I saw him do this several times and be¬ 
r • 
came very much interested in watching him, 
when my attention was attracted by five large 
white ducks flying high, but straight for me. 
They looked like geese, being perfectly white 
with exception of a few black feathers in tips of 
wings. I crouched low, and when they were 
directly over me I fired my left barrel which was 
choked and I succeeded in killing the leader, 
which fell with a splash not far from me. He 
was immense and weighed exactly ten pounds. 
This duck is called by the natives caporaroca. I 
do not know its Latin name. When brought to 
the table next day, roasted whole, it was dei 
licious, and we carved it in large slices as you 
would a turkey. 
Of course when I returned to look for my 
cripple it could not be found. Shortly afterward 
the Consul joined me and we started leisurely 
for home, getting a few shots on the way. We 
had just turned off into a small foot path when 
we saw the remaining four of the White ducks 
headed straight for us. but flying high. When at 
I T is very seldom that what would be called 
even a fair bag in England or the States, is 
put together in several days’ climbing after 
the small game on the spurs of the northwest 
Himalayas; but to the sportsman who pos¬ 
sesses a keen appreciation of the picturesque, 
combined with the usual slaying instincts of 
his kind in only a modified proportion, noth¬ 
ing can exceed the enjoyment of a week in 
the nearest point we both fired at the same instant 
and one came down stone dead. The Consul, 
who did not know that I had fired, turned to me 
with a satisfied smile and said it was a pretty 
good kill at that distahee with No. 8's. I told 
him I believed it was my duck, as T was using 
No. 5’s, but we would see the effect of the shot. 
When picked up both wings, legs and neck were 
broken, besides a good sized hole in the breast. 
He handed me the duck, saying that I must have 
been mistaken, and that T was using buckshot. 
Indeed, I have never seen a duck so badly broken 
up at that distance. 
It is a pleasure to shoot with such a sports¬ 
man. During the whole day we never had the 
least discussion when there was any doubt as 
to who had killed a duck. Just before we took 
the shells out of our guns a lone teal came over, 
going with the wind. We both fired at the same 
time again. When it fell I told the Consul it 
was his duck, but when picked up the top of the 
head was almost torn off. It did not look as if 
No. 8’s had done it. We now had about forty 
ducks between us, and the boy who was carry¬ 
ing mine had quite a load with the two large 
ones, so I relieved him of part of his burden. 
We arrived at the hotel about dark, tired and 
hungry, but happy over our day’s sport. 
On account of this day I have always remem¬ 
bered Rio Grande pleasantly; in fact, I do not 
think I ever enjoyed an outing more than this 
one. 
October or November spent among the steep 
pine forests, the sheltered glens of mountain 
oak, or now and again a lung-testing climb up 
a rugged goat track around the shoulders of 
some bare quartz-scarred hilltop, whence a 
distant view is here and there obtained of the 
sweltering plains spread out below. The game 
is very varied, but nowhere abundant. Al¬ 
though the daily bag may not contain more 
Pheasant Shooting in the Himalayas 
By W. R. GILBERT 
