INSTRUCTIONS Sportsmen. LONDON : PRINTED BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS. INSTRUCTIONS 1 TO IN ALL THAT RELATES TO GUNS AND SHOOTING, BY LT COL. P. HAWKER. FIFTH EDITION, VD IMPROVr.l); \\1TH KXPLAKATOnV PLATES \VI) WOOD < T'TS. LONDON: PRINTED FOR ' LONGMAN, REES, ORiAIE, BROWN, AND GREEN, 1826. H3 PREFACE. THE original edition, which has led to the publication of the following pages, was hastily written, at the particular request of some sporting friends of the Author, who had re- course to the press, in order to present each of them with a legible copy. A few sup- plementary impressions also were provided, for the amusement and instruction of the inexperienced sportsman, to whom, alone, he still presumes to offer so humble a pro- duction. To prevent enlarging this work to an ex- pensive publication, all needless embellish- ments have been studiously avoided. By thus omitting ornamental plates on the worn- ouf subjects of common shooting, useless anecdotes, and other extraneous matter, there vi PREFACE. is a saving of time to many, who would be better employed than in reading superfluous volumes, on a mere subject of recreation ; as well as of expense to those, who could not conveniently afford to purchase them. Every thing here asserted has been the re- sult of many years' trial and experience ; and, therefore, all reference to other publications has been as much declined, as have statements from report; and it has been attempted to dilate most, on what has been the least ex- plained by other authors. So much, indeed, has been published, by more able writers, on field sports of every de- scription, that little remains to be said on the subject. In Mr. Bewick's History of British Birds, the descriptions are so well compiled, and the figures so faithfully, elegantly, and scientifically engraved, that, after such a work on ornithology, it would be difficult to offer any thing, but what would prove unworthy of perusal. The pursuit of game is already too well PREFACE. Vll known to require much instruction. The author has, therefore, thought it far better, instead of treating too copiously on that head, to give particular directions for (what gentlemen least understand) GETTING ACCESS TO WILD BIRDS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. With regard also to gum, and the various other subjects that form the remainder of the book, he has taken up his pen with the de- termination of neither borrowing, without proper acknowledgment, from other works, nor trusting to any thing from the experi- ments of other persons. From having thus declined all assistance, and wholly confined himself to the limits of his own humble experience, he will have to apologize perhaps for some errors, and no doubt for many deficiencies. But even this, it is hoped, will make the work less objec- tionable than swelling its dimensions to an unreasonable size, by relating incidents that possibly never occurred, or commencing a system of piracy on other authors, which no- Vlll PREFACE. thing should induce him to do, after the very flattering manner in which his former editions have been received by the Reviewers and the Public. He now offers to their notice the fifth edition of this work, which has, of late, been in many parts materially altered and en- larged. The improvements here added have been the result of still further experience ; and, therefore, may be considered, in some degree, as finishing lessons to those young sportsmen, who have before done him the honour to attend to his earlier instructions. The original matter, however, on which no improvement happened to present itself, will, of course, remain as before, for the benefit of younger pupils in shooting. But every thing, which was written previously to the year 1816 that could be improved, up to the pre- sent year, has been introduced on a different, and, he trusts, a more perfect system. All the new directions, which this work con tains, .have been first experimentally tried, PHEFACE. ix and taken down, from time to time, in a pocket book ; then detailed, as soon after as possible, in the most specific manner; and, before they were entered among these pages, abridged to about a tenth part of their original bulk, through consideration for the patience of the reader. Some apology may, perhaps, be requisite for the abrupt style which this very abridg- ment occasions, as well as for the author having been so generally obliged to write in the first person. Dictatorial, however, as may appear the one, and egotistical as may be thought the other, yet it is presumed, that his colloquial style may not be objected to, when all circumstances are considered, by those persons who are most able to criticise, and who are invariably the most liberal judges. Some apology too may be necessary for that want of ceremony, which the public have a right to expect from every author. But, while occupied in forming this work, it X PREFACE. must candidly be confessed, that the writer could not divest himself of feeling rather as one conversing, without reserve, among his brother sportsmen, than as an author, whose work was going before a public tribunal. The summit of his ambition, therefore, will be, to give some little additional knowledge to those for whom the work is intended ; and his earnest hopes are, that these his further, and most probably his last, efforts on the subject, will meet with that indulgence, which he has experienced on all former occasions. *** As there will appear in this book some recipes which might fail, if the articles required for them should not be of the best quality, it has been thought necessary to give the names of a few tradesmen, whom the author has reason to hope may be depended on. Iii a work of this kind, it requires more ingenuity than the writer can boast of, to avoid entirely those inimical appendages to reading notes and parentheses. The frequent use of Italics, also, he is aware has an ugly appearance. But, nevertheless, they have before answered his object, which is to impress as strongly as possible on the memory of his young readers, those directions which require to be read with particular attention. CONTENTS. Page GUNS 1 London Barrel-makers * 3 Mr. Lancaster's self-acting machine for turning the outsides of barrels 4 Barrels, some of the best shot, and then gauged, in order to show how they were bored 6 Table of a Trial to prove that long barrels kill fur- ther than the short ones, which are now made . . 18 Damascus Barrels 21 Elevation 24 Sight 25 Ramrod 26 Directions for truing Barrels 26 Stock 28 Recipe for polishing Gunxtocks 30 Breeching 31 Touchhole 36 Lock 36 Gravitating Stops 39 Springs 40 Cocks and Hammers 41 Pan 46 Trigger 46 To take a Lock to pieces 47 To put it together again 49 Alphabetical List of the names of the principal parts of a Gun 51 * For their addresses, see under the head of " Duck Guns." xiv CONTENTS. Page Directions for Cleaning Guns, and precautions against their hanging Jire 53 DETONATING SYSTEM 58 Trials of Flint Locks against Petonaters 63 Gun 67 Barrel 71 Breeching 72 Venthole 72 Nipple or Pivot 72 Cock, or Striker . 73 Side Nail 74 Dissection 75 Cleaning 75 Loading 75 Recipe for making Detonating Powder 77 Mr, Joyce's Anti-corrosive Percussion Powder .... 78 Mr. Joseph Manton's Percussion Powder 80 Shooting 81 Observations (from experiments) on the difference in shooting between a Flint Gun and a Detonater 8.1 GUN CASES 86 POWDER 88 SHOT 93 Schedule of Shot, compiled up to the very latest manufacturing 96 NEW PATENT SHOT 98 Trial of it since the 4th edition 99 FLINTS 100 CONTENTS. XV Page WADDING 101 LOADING 105 POWDER FLASK 108 SHOT BELT Ill DRESS OF A SHOOTER 114 APPARATUS 118 ^HOOTING 119 Finishing Lcxsonx in, (with a disclosure lo the un- finished shooter, of how id mana-uvre wild coriex, fyc. fyc., and to know how to cope with a crafty old Sportsman) 1,'iO Partridge Shooting 141 Grouse Shooting 144 ( With recipe for keeping Grouse ; so as to send them an// distance, within the United Kingdoms, in (he hottest weather) 146 Shooting Pheasants, fyc. (with a few directions to the inexperienced, for recovering (heir own Game, if unhandsome/// driven from them; Shooting in Covert, Sfc.) 147 Cock Shooting 152 Snipe Shooting, with observations, that Snipe Shoot- ing and Fly Fishing may be followed on the same dan 153 Letter with information to Mr. Martin on these two subjects; after which are introduced, new Directions for Fly Fishing, Trolling, and other matter relative to Trout Fishing 155 A LIST of BIRDS, $c. #c., which are most com- XVi CONTENTS. Page monly followed by Shooting Sportsmen ; alpha- betically arranged, with their proper names, as selected by Bewick; their Latin and French names as given by Linnceus and Buff on y with general directions for getting access to them .... 176 In the foregoing list is introduced BLACK GAME SHOOTING ON THE BOR- DERS OF HANTS AND DORSET .... 200 Directions as to what birds are proper for the Table; how to choose them at Market; how to keep them, $c. $c 237 Recipe for Sauce to Wildfowl 241 DOGS (concise directions for breaking and managing} . . 243 Newfoundland Dogs ; how to choose them, fyc 245 DISEASES IN DOGS 249 Distemper 249 Letter, and Experiment on Vaccination for this Disease 252 Mange 253 Sore Feet 254 Thorns 254 Physic 255 Strains or Brmses 255 Poison 256 Bites of Vipers 256 Bite of a Mad Dog 257 To physic moderately, and give ajine coat to, Dog,? 258 PRESERVATION OF GAME, exposing various tricks of Poachers and Trespassers 260 DUCK GUNS. Addresses, fyc. of London Barrel-makers. General Directions for Duck Guns 269 CONTENTS. XV11 Page Table of Trial between Duck Guns and Double Guns 276 Ditto between a Double Gun, common Shoulder Duck Guns, and a Swivel Gun 276 Loading 277 Cleaning 278 TO MAKE AN OLD GUN SHOOT WELL 282 DUCK SHOT 286 Table to show which answers best, according to the different sizes of the Guns that are used 287 DUCK-GUN WADDING 288 Oakum and Cork versus Pasteboard (to prove that a Punched Wadding is not the best Material for Loading) 289 WATER BOOTS 294 DRESSES PROPER FOR WILDFOWL SHOOT- ING 297 TO PRESERVE GUNS FROM RUSTING WITH SALT WATER 304 WILDFOWL SHOOTING 306 LAUNCHING, AND CANOE SHOOTING 313 Hampshire Launching-punt 313 Different kinds of newly invented Sledges for tra- versing the Oozes 314 Expulsion of the Old System of Shooting on the Hampshire coast, as described by Mr. Gilpin, and given in " Rural Sports " 318 b xviii CONTENTS. Page Pooh Canoe, with Lessons in every way for Wigeon Shooting, by night and day, at low water, and half flood, &c 319 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS for Sea-coast Wildfowl Shooting, when afloat 325 STANCHION OR PUNT-GUN 335 New plan for Jiring 2lb. of Shot to the best advan- tage^ and, at the same time, easing the recoil of a Swivel-gun r 339 EXPLANATION OF MY PL AN for easing the Recoil of a Punt-gun ; or, a Ship's Swivel * (as used in Merchantmen ; in Boats ; in the " tops" of Men of War; be.) 344 Loading 350 Firing 352 GUNNING-PUNT, safe and proper for the use of a Stanchion-gun 355 New plan for a Gunning-punt 357 Shooting with a Stanchion-gun from a Punt; its Elevation by day or night 364 Manoeuvring Curres, and other small Wildfowl; also Geese, wild Swans, $c., with a disclosure of all the secrets for getting at them in every way . . 366 * In writing on this subject, I applied the word " carronade ;" and, if improperly, it was, no doubt, through my land-lubber". Jike misunderstanding, of naval friends to whom I submitted the invention. For ships' swivels, the mode of easing the recoil, I think, may be adapted as here shown; but for carronades, it would, I presume, require a somewhat different construction. CONTENTS. XIX Page BOAT SHOOTING UNDER SAIL outside of Harbour 373 Caution how to avoid the Accidents that too frequently happen in Sailing 374 Observations on Shooters, Sfc. t in the Southampton River 376 II ILDFOWL ARTILLERY, or Carriage for using a Stanchion-gun on Land 378 METHOD OF SHOOTING WILDFOWL IN FRANCE 370 Freiwh lint Shouting (Specific In ,v/ met ions for every tiling concerning} 381 1 1 a Han Method of making Call Birds clamorous . . 383 Genera/ Directions in using the Hut for each nor I of Wildfowl 385 Anecdote to prorc the Superiority of the French Ducks as Decoy />//v/.v, /'// comparison lo tliose which are hred in England 380 PUNTS, GUNS, $<;., r.S/,7) FOR SHOOTING IN THE FENS 388 Recent Information re/alirc to the Fen Country in Norfolk 390 Mode of Working a Pntit to Birds over a Sheet of Ice 391 DRESSING FOR PUNTS AM) CA\()ES 392 New Directions for Preferring and Painting them 393 How to give Temporary Changes lo their Colour for different Weather 393 BEST Ml'AXS OF COM- EYING Pl'M'S, % c . LAM) . . 394 XX CONTENTS. Page SHOOTING WITH A SMALL GUN ON A RIVER, $c 395 GAME LAWS 398 Qualification 399 Certificate 400 Gamekeepers 401 Form of a Deputation 401 Refusing to give Names 402 Game 402 Eggs of Game 404 Game found in Possession of unqualified Persons . . 405 Officers and Soldiers killing Game 405 Tame Pigeons, or House Doves 406 Dogs 406 Dogs exempted from Duty 406 Trespass 406 Exemptions from Trespass before and after Notice 407 Notices 408 Specific Instructions how to warn off a Trespasser 408 Dogs, Trespass of . . . . r 412 Waste Land 413 Rabbits, Woodcocks, Snipes, fyc 413 Free Warrens and Decoys 414 Wildfowl 414 Time within which Informations and Actions must be brought 415 Lords of Manors 417 ACTS passed since the second Edition : Persons found at night armed with Intent to Kill Game 417 Penalty for Buying Game 418 Observations on the Game Laws 418 Suggestions for a New Code of Game Laws 421 CONTENTS. XXI Page GENERAL ADVICE FOR THE HEALTH AND COMFORT OF A YOUNG SPORTSMAN 433 How to provide for himself at the last stage on his route, previously to the banishment of a Sporting Exile 435 Precautions against taking Cold on his entering Bad (Quarters 43(> How to Cater, and make palatable Bad Provisions 436 How to fare tolerably, while a bad Caterer would be starved out of the place 437 What few Medicines to make choice of, (is being most useful when confined to a small quantify of Baggage 442 Best Precautions against Cold, Rheumatism, Tooth- ache^ Ague, fyc 444 List of the very few Articles that he could take in his Portmanteau, iril/i which he or his Servant might have the means of making (l tolerable dish out of the most humble materials 445 Interspersed occasionally with a little Advice to the very Young Sporifnten, on more General Subjects. ALPHABETICAL LIST of London Gunmakers 453 PRESERVERS OF BIRDS, $c 455 LIST OF PLATES, &c. i. COMMKXCKMENT <>f a Cripple-chase, after firing 2lbs. of Shot into a Skein of Brent-geese, and two Wild Swans (with Boats, Dogs, wounded Curlew, dead Coot, &c.) [Explanation of this Plate, page 375] FRONTISPIECE. II. Sections of the different Gun Breechings to face page 33 III. Check Collar and Puzzle, for breaking Pointers or Setters... 244 IV. Hampshire Coast u Gunning-Punt," Mud Boards, Appa- ratus, &c 314 V. Mud-Launchers, on the Oozes, offLymington, shoving their Punts up to Wigeon 318 VI. Poole Canoe (with Directions for Building it), Mud-Boards, &c 319 VII. Approaching Wildfowl (with Canoe and Stanchion Gun), preparative to the flowing Tide 328 LIST OF PLATES. Page VIII. * Wildfowl Artillery, or Carriage for using a Stanchion-gun \mLand 378 IX. Hut Shooting, on the French System. (The principal birds here shown are fastened to the strings, the Decoy Ducks and Mallards : In the killed arid wounded, the Pintail, the Cock Wigeon, a Duck and Mallard, and the Tufted Duck ; and, flying up from the water, the Dunbird and the Scaup Drake) 387 X. Carriage (with Directions, &c.) to convey a Shooting Canoe (or Punt) over Land 394 WOOD CUTS (explanatory of the spring-swivel) from 344 to 349 OF a common size are now brought to such perfec- tion, that a person, who is content with being to- lerably well served, can hardly go amiss, in choosing his gimmaker; and there is scarcely any one in the business but, from the accidental circumstance of having served some of his customers with good barrels, is extolled, by them, as the best maker hi the kingdom. The real sportsman, however, will turn the deaf ear to such recommendations, and continue going to the heads of the Irade* which, he may rest assured, for one who wishes to be really well served, is the most certain, the most satisfactory, and, in the end, the cheapest method he can adopt. In answer to those, who deprecate the idea of giving Mr. Manton, or Mr. Purdey, fifty-five, or Mr. Joseph Manton* sixty-five guineas for a gun, let me only * Mr. Joseph Manton, since being made a bankrupt, has as- sured me that he shall resume business again ; and Mr. Aston (liis clerk) and other men are still kept to execute orders, and thus secure customers till matters arc re-established. Mr. Joseph Manton's name, therefore, will of course stand as before in this work. I have just received from him the following notice: J iseph Manton has the honour to inform noblemen and gentle- B GUNS. observe, that the workmen, employed by these and the other good makers, require wages and indulgence, in proportion to their skill in the respective branches of the business ; and it thereby becomes necessary to charge for the guns accordingly. Should this expense be incompatible with the spirit or finances of the shooter, he has only to pay a visit to Mr. Bishop* (170, New Bond Street), or Messrs. Kent, Avery and Vincent (corner of Little Brook Street), where he will get, at reduced prices, the guns of almost every mechanic in London, and some of them entirely new, with every article, as it came packed from the gunmaker, to the gentleman, who raised the wind on it ! Buying a gun ready made, at a respectable shop, is cheaper and better than going to an inferior maker, by reason that instead of waiting six months for one, men, that he hopes very soon to have his affairs settled, when he intends to resume business again with a new patent double gun on a very improved construction, and which will far exceed any of his former inventions. He will also have new machinery much better adapted for the various parts of gun making, so as to ren- der his workmanship superior to what it ever has been." u March 25th, 1826." * Mr. Bishop is now agent for Mr. Westley Richards, of Bir- mingham, who is considered by some of our best sportsmen as " Joe Manlon the second ;" and I should say deservedly so, if I may judge by what I have seen of him and his work. Mr. Richards is really a scientific man, instead of having more tongue than brains, like many of our gunmaking charlatans. His bar- rels are perhaps as good as any in the world, being made of pure Holland stubs, and twisted in a manner best suited for service and for safety. GUNS. 3 which, after all, you might not be pleased with, you may here, at once, suit yourself; and, sometimes, full as well as if you had spared no expense. You should, however, first try and examine it, as the gunmakers themselves, as well as the broken-down gentry, are frequently obliged to have a little commerce with pawnbrokers. By having here mentioned only the names of the two Mantons and Purdey, I do not mean to cast any reflection on the rest of the trade; as no one can dispute that most of the leading makers, both in town and country, have turned out some excellent guns : and I am induced to mention one of the country makers, as an encouragement for others to follow his example Mr. Parsons, of Salisbury, who has his barrels from the same man, and closely imitates Mr. Manton ; by which lie has given much satisfaction in the West of England. Mr. Parsons has, of late, become quite a star among the country gunmakers, as I always thought he would, because he was never above being told any thing. By having named Mr. Parsons, let it be understood Hint I am far from meaning any thing against his competitor, Mr. Rhodes, who is also a gunmaker of good repute in the same town. The barrel-maker that I have alluded to is Mr. Fullerd, who, for forging, is one of our best artificers. Mr. Charles Lancaster is the other justly celebrated man. Mr. Lancaster receives his barrels in the rough from Birmingham (where the coals for the forge are 4 GUNS. now easier to be got good than in London) ; and, consequently, he has the picking from some of the best barrels in Europe ; and then turns and finishes them, in a very superior manner, at his workshop, No. 2, Thomas Place, Hampstead Road. Here Mr. Lancaster has a self-acting machine for turning the outsides of barrels, from end to end ; and producing, mathematically true, the proper shape and curve, from the muzzle to the breeching. This apparatus has cost him immense pains and expense, and is, no question, the best invention that has ever been adopted; as regular shooting must, in a great de- gree, depend on the regular thickness, and the re- gular tapering of the barrel. I flatter myself that, ere long, I may probably have the thanks of many sportsmen, though perhaps any thing but the thanks of many gunmakers, for advising Lancaster to come forward, at the west end of the town, and produce with his own name that ad- mirable work of his, which has been the means of establishing the names of so many others in the gun trade. If he spares no expense in getting the other parts of his guns equal to his barrels, he need not fear as to standing one of the first on the list, and soon making a fortune. I have therefore reason to think that, before this edition is printed off, Mr. Lancaster will commence business, as gunmaker, as- sisted by some of the best workmen in London. While only known as a barrel maker, he has been in the habit of " ribbing," " breeching" and putting GUNS. 5 together the barrels, then " boring" them "for shoot- ing ;" and, in short, completing them for the field all but the browning and engraving. Many wiseacres abuse all the heads of the trade, and swear that they can always insure having the best of guns, at a quarter the price, from Birming- ham ! This may be, provided a person has such good judgment, or interest there, as to get picked workmen, for the whole process of his order ; but, in general, the immense business carried on at this place is for the wholesale line, and only requires to be in the rough ; from which circumstance, the work- men are not so much in the habit of finishing, as those employed daily for that purpose. Moreover, if there is a first rate and enterprising workman, he hears of the high wages, and contrives to get off to London. But, as far as the judgment of some people goes, it would certainly be a wanton extravagance to give more than fifteen pounds for a double, or eight for a single gun. I allude to those, who, on being shown a superior one, would view it like a fossil or a picture ; and, on being requested to " feel how fine the lock is," thrust their fore-fingers, as far as they can, into the guard, sticking up their thumbs as if going to be dressed for a wound, and usually complete their inspection, by breaking one of your locks, and abusing the man who made them. 6 BARBELS. BARRELS. I SHALL now proceed to the particulars of what a gun should be, and begin with the barrels. The usual method of trying a barrel is to fire at a single sheet of paper, and pronounce, at once, that the one which puts in the most shot is the best, without considering any other circumstance. Such a mistake is excusable in those, who merely take up a gun for exercise, or, at times, when they cannot hunt ; but, that a person, who wishes to excel in shooting, and even a London gunmaker, should fall into the same error, argues as much against the judgment of the one, as the qualification for his bu- siness of the other. In throwing shot from a barrel, closeness and strength cannot be combined beyond a certain pro- portion of each, and as, in either extreme, the one is incompatible with the other, the desideratum is for a gun to partake as much as possible of both advantages. Some, however, will persist, that guns cannot shoot too close ; not recollecting, that, if we load with all the powder that the shoulder can possibly bear, they must shoot the slower, from the shot being too long detained in the barrel. For example: how is the barrel made to throw shot very close ? By a too long continued relief for- ward, without a proportional opening behind : this (from a want of that impetus, or friction, which the BARRELS. 7 shot receive while passing through the cylindrical part of the caliber) makes the gun shoot so slow, that the sportsman often fires behind his game ; and, of course, so weak, though well directed, that, instead of his birds dying in the air, they are brought down in a slovenly manner, and half of them escape being bagged, although their skins may be filled with shot enough to make a brilliant display at a single sheet of paper. Many are apt to suppose, that, if a bird, killed by a long shot, has been struck with four or five pellets, their gun will always be certain of doing execution at the same distance, if properly directed. But so far is this from being the case, that it may proceed from the barrel throwing the grains in patches, and therefore being liable to let even fair shots escape through an interval. Indeed, the effect of this mode of boring might be equally well produced by wetting the shot, or loading with very little powder, and elevating so as for nearly all the shot to drop into the mark (a common trick, when an old hand wishes to sell a gun to a Cockney, or win the Christmas prize at an alehouse by shoot- ing at a mark). But enough of imperfections ; and now for what a barrel ought to be With respect to the common sized guns, which are usually made for the sports of the field, there are two good ways of boring ; the one is, to leave a cylinder 8 BARRELS. for about three-fourths of the barrel (always taking care, however, to preserve a tightness for a little friction just where the shot first moves], and let the remaining part be gradually relieved to the muzzle. For instance, suppose a barrel to be two feet eight . inches long, we would say (beginning at the breech end) about six inches tight; twenty-one inches a cylinder ; and the remaining five inches relieved to the muzzle. All this must be done with the most delicate possible gradation, and in so small a degree, that even some gunmakers can scarcely discover it. How natural then is it, that many sporting authors should be so far deceived, as to fancy the best guns are bored a true cylinder, and, therefore, argue in its favour! This relief has the effect of making the gun shoot as close as it can do, compatibly with the strength and quickness required : \\hich should, how- ever, be increased as much as possible by the best constructed breechings. The other plan is, to make the barrel regularly tighter all the way down, so that, in firing, the shot goes progressively easier as it approaches the muzzle. All this relief must be given in a very trifling degree ; because, should the barrel be too much opened in any part, it would admit of the powder escaping between the wadding and the sides of the caliber, by which the shooting of the gun would be rendered weak. For this reason, I should even object to having a hole through the wadding that covers the powder, BARRELS. 9 which many do to prevent the confined air from resisting the ramrod. A barrel mth t flaws has the same disadvantage of not keeping the powder air-tight from the shot. If, however, a barrel is very short, you are almost obliged to reverse the mode of boring in order to get strength by friction ; consequently it recoils, and never an- swers so well. For a duck gun, or piece of any considerable length, the barrel should be bored so as to feel more and more tight on ramming down the wadding, parti- cularly on coming just above where the shot lies; and with a very little opening, from where the shot lies, down to the breeching. This you will perceive, by a relief to the ramrod, just before the wadding reaches the powder. If, however, the gun is very long, you may then, of course, have the barrel further opened behind, in proportion to the length; and, thereby, give more force to the powder, which will enable you, with propriety, to extend the relief forward, and, by that means, get close shooting combined with strength. This is the reason why long barrels may he made to shoot further than short ones. Thus the shot has friction by being forced through the cylinder, and is then gradually relieved all the way in going out; and this more in proportion again as the shot leaves the muzzle. In a word, the shot should receive all the force of the powder while tight in the barrel, and then, as before observed, go easier and easier all the way out of it. This mode of boring is the 10 BARRELS. best calculated for large wild-fowl guns, because the first friction makes them shoot strong (by means of giving due time to burn the powder), and yet with as much ease, as any caliber that can be made to answer that purpose. In answer to many absurd arguments in favour of short guns, and observations about " lateral pressure," I shall here subjoin a schedule, in order to show how were bored the five best guns I ever so fired, ex- emplifying how far they were from being bored a cylinder, and therefore proving the absurdity of those arguments which are all grounded upon this mistake. Were a gun-barrel bored a true cylinder it might shoot nearly, or quite, as well if two feet long as one of greater length, because a superfluity of what may be strictly called lateral pressure would do more harm than good, by checking, instead of assisting, the force of the charge. But to these two feet of cylinder let me add some more caliber, and that to consist of proper opening and relief, and then shoot the guns for a wager, and see how those new- discovery gentlemen would come off who have been holding forth to the public such nonsense in favour of short guns. Cannons are bored a cylinder, because they are generally used for firing ball, and therefore may be short : but how have they always thrown loose shot ? Why, most miserably, till General Shrapnell invented his admirable shells that keep the charge together for a second 1 explosion, which takes place a little BARRELS. 11 before the shot has reached the object. It is one thing to speak of things plausibly, another to state them correctly. In the following schedule I have taken three of the largest sized guns, because a little sporting gun is on so small a scale, that although the relief may befelt in a moment by passing a proper gauge through the caliber, yet the barrel is so diminutive, that it would be difficult to measure, and specify, the exact depth of this relief. N. B. If any gunmaker had candidly informed me as to his mode of boring barrels, I should have felt myself bound in honour never to divulge, much less to publish, the secret. But as the little knowledge I possess has been acquired by my own discovery, and proved by experiments to be correct, it becomes my own property ; and as such therefore I have no further hesitation in presenting it to my readers. A SINGLE SWIVEL-GUN. Barrel made by Fullerd : average of bore, an inch and \ : weight of barrel 621bs. Feet. Inches. Cylinder . .28 Relief . . .41 Opened behind . . 6 Total (exclusive of plug) 7 3 DEPTH OF CUT. Relieved to the 20th of an inch : opened behind to the 24th of an inch. 12 BARRELS. MY NEW DOUBLE SWIVEL-GUN (weight 1931bs.) Barrels by Fullerd. Feet Inches. Cylinder . .29 Relief . . .42 Opened behind . .13 Total (exclusive of plugs) 8 2 DEPTH OF CUT. The bore, in cylinder, an inch and \ all but a 32d : relief forward an inch and j and a 32nd (a 16th difference), and cut rather less deep behind than at the muzzle. A SINGLE STANCHION-GUN. Barrel 69lbs. (made in Birmingham). Feet. Inches. Cylinder . ..27 Relief . .44 Opened behind . . 10 Total DEPTH OF CUT. Cylinder ^ , barely. Relief V inch and ^ ^ and a 16th. Opened behind 3 'anda32d. A SINGLE GUN. (Musket bore and the average weight of a musket.) Cylinder Relief Opened behind Total BARRELS. 13 A COMMON FOURTEEN GAUGE DOUBLE GUN. (Weight altogether 8|lbs. : barrels by Lancaster.) Feet. Inches. Cylinder . .19 Relief . 5 TIGHT behind 6 Total . 2 8 Q. Why is the common sporting gun tight be- hind, when the other guns are opened behind ? A. Because a sporting gun requires to be fired so many times in a day, that we must adopt an inferior mode of getting friction, in order to prevent the barrel from becoming leaded ; and therefore to make it shoot through the whole day, nearly as well as when clean, and without recoil to the shoulder. Again, a sporting gun must, of necessity, be short, for the convenience of covert, and snap-shooting ; and there- fore the length that would properly suit that relief which must follow an opening behind (in order to prevent recoil, and preserve close shooting) would be generally objected to as an inconvenience. Q. Suppose, then, you were to have your fourteen gauge barrels two feet ten inches, how would you dispose of the extra length ? A. I would have seven inches of relief instead of five, by which my shot would be thrown equally strong, and decidedly closer. [On this proportion I ordered a guri for a friend, who writes to inform me that he has hitherto beat 14 BARRELS. every gun he shot against. It is but justice to say that Mr. Westley Richards was the maker.] Gunmakers, who know their business, form their calibers more or less, according to circumstances, on the plans already stated ; except those of rifles, and guns for firing ball, which must be regularly tighter all the way out, as with these we have no reason to fear the want of strength, or the risk of a recoil, and the only object is to keep the ball in the sir (lightest possible direction, and regulate the barrel to the most accurate line of aim. This should be done by having the gun of the utmost length that can be used, and steadied by immense substance and weight of metal. The farther the sight at the breech is placed from that near the muzzle, the more accurate, of course, must be the line of aim ; and the heavier the gun, the more likely you will be to preserve it in firing. With regard to having a barrel too far opened forward, when left with mere cylinder behind, and the various tricks that are played to ease the ex- plosion, for the sole purpose of throwing the shot as close as possible, it will be needless to trespass on the reader's patience. Suffice it therefore to say, that by adhering to the methods previously ex- plained, a gun will drive the shot with such force, that one pellet will do more execution than four or five from a barrel otherwise bored. It will go off so instantaneously, that the pull of the trigger and death of the game will be all in one motion, provided BARRELS. 15 the breeching, lock, and touchhole (of which I shall make mention hereafter), be all on a proper con- struction. Though a barrel, bored in this manner, will not shoot quite so close as it might be made to do, yet, taking every thing into consideration, it has the ten- fold advantage of doing justice to a good shot, and even assisting a bad one, by the irresistible force given, not only to the body of the charge, but also to the pellets, winch fly wide of the mark. Let the sportsman, therefore, rest assured, that a gun, which will shoot sufficiently close a surface to insure two or three shot (of No. 7, at forty yards) taking the body of a bird, and, at the same time, distribute them in a regular manner, is better than a very close shoot- ing cylinder. It was formerly the custom to make barrels, although so small as fourteen, sixteen, or even two-and-twenty in the gauge, of three or four feet in length ; and now, since it has been ascertained that two feet six inches will shoot equally well, at the short distance of a gunmaker's confined premises, many have gone too much to the other extreme, and cut them to two feet four inches, and less. The disadvantage of this is, that even the best shots are more liable to miss ; as, although we allow, that a short gun, at a short distance, will kill as well as a long one, yet the latter gives you a more accurate , aim, and considerably lessens the recoil, by which you shoot to a greater nicety, and with more steadiness. To avoid all extremes, I should recommend small I? r 16 BARRELS. barrels, never less than two feet eight, nor more than three feet in length. My readers will observe that my remarks here have been altered since publishing my earlier editions. Mr. Joseph Manton, who knows, at all events, as much as, if not more than, any man in Europe about a gun, declared to me, very lately, that, after innumerable experiments, he has proved that two feet eight for a twenty-two gauge barrel is the best proportion for a sporting-gn% Take there- fore a fourteen gauge barrel, and see whether or mtt I am right for recommending one of two feet te.n inches, and three feet, where it can be used without inconvenience ! It may be thought a bold assertion, but I have every reason to believe that we have all, to this very day, been completely in the dark aboftt the length of guns. Mr. Daniel (speaking of a duck gun) said that a barrel, three feet eight inches, is " as capable, or more so, of throwing shot sharp and distant, as a barrel two feet longer." In my second edition (de- ceived in the same manner that^all the gunmakers have been, by not having made their trials on a sufc- ficiently large scale) I gave ifl||^ an opinion, that, except the aim being better, and the recoil less, a long gun had no advantage over a short one. On the contrary, I have now proved that a short gun has no chance with a long .one, in keeping the shot well together at long distajices. The experiment must not be tried with little pop guns that are used for pigeons and partridges, but BARRELS. 17 by guns on a gigantic scale, by which we can make every observation in the clearest possible manner, with the same advantage that an astronomer, with his large telescope, has over the naked eye, or di- minutive glass, in discovering a planet. I had once made up my mind, that a barrel, of whatever size it might be, would kill the farthest if made forty-eight times the diameter of the intended caliber, and entered in the MSS. for my third edition some observations to that effect. Hut had .they gone to the press, I should have been open to the criticism of every good experimentalist : for I have since discovered, that the larger the gun, the longer it ituixt be in proportion, because the further the shot lias to travel, the greater the resistance of the atmosphere. In addition to my own experiments I am indebted for the perusal of several observations (which corroborate my opinion on them) to that ex- cellent engineer, (General Shrapnell, of the Royal Artillery. I shall, therefore, say no more by way of argument, l*ut lay before niy readers one of the clearest proofs, selected from the number I have made : TRIAL, taking the average of several shots, at twenty sheets of thickest brown paper, at a target, plaq^d in the middle of a sheet of water, in order that all by-stapders may see fair play, as to correct shooting : Distance, 90 yards: shot BB. c 18 BARRELS. A best finished London duck-gun : weight of the barrel, 59lbs. : bore, 1^ inch : length, 5 feet 8 inches. No. of grains in Ditto through Ditto through 1st sheet. 12th sheet. 20th sheet. 26 10 8 A Birmingham gun : weight of barrel, 691bs. : bore, 1-f inch : length 7 feet 9 inches. 1st sheet. 12th sheet. 20th sheet. 50 35 22 I then sent my gun to Mr. Durs Egg, desiring him to get the same barrel forged one foot ten inches longer, making it seven feet six inches ; and by means of unavoidably being obliged to reduce the metal after joining it, the barrel, when sent home, w r as scarcely 31bs. heavier than before. 1 then shot the gun about twenty rounds, and the average was 1st sheet. 12th sheet. 20th sheet. 46 30 20 by which it evidently appeared to me, that if the metal is disposed of in length, it has the advantage over a short thick gun. From having lOlbs. more weight of metal, how- ever, the Birmingham gun still had rather the ad- vantage, because it carried seventeen ounces pleasanter than the other carried fifteen. Substance and length, therefore, are what we ^ant in as great a degree as can be used without incon- venience. For instance : Fire a fourteen gauge sporting gun, BARRELS. 19 two feet eight inches, or forty-four diameters, at Mr. Manton's iron door, against one of three feet, and there will probably be no difference. But go out in an open field, and particularly on a windy day, with the two feet eight inch barrel, and try it at sixty yards, and after the shot have gone about two-thirds of the distance, they will begin to open in oblique directions, where the three feet barrel keeps the shot together. For instance : Take a funnel (or a paper cut triangularly like one) four inches in diameter : pin up a sheet of brown paper, and stand at three or four yards from it. Then look along either edge of the funnel, and you will see how very wide a cylinder thus relieved carries the outer parts of its circle beyond the paper. Then take a funnel of the same diameter eight inches deep, and you will see how much more of the funnel is filled with the paper. Now, as guns must be relieved in order to shoot well, I take all this in the extreme, the more clearly to demonstrate why length has the advantage at long distances. But, on the other hand, go almost close to the paper, the short funnel will lay the whole of its circle within it ; and the long one can do no more, and, therefore, at this distance you give no trial. So it is with barrels that are tried in a gunmaker's yard, and at the usual distances. Moreover, the extreme friction that is absolutely required to send a charge strong has the effect of scattering and recoiling so much in a short barrel, that a certain sacrifice of power must be made. But in a long barrel, which c 2 20 BARRELS. admits of greatly increasing the relief, the shot are kept without any sudden check so long together, after this violent concussion, that we are enabled to com- bine both strength and closeness in the most power- ful degree ; and this, together with less recoil, and a better aim. We have, therefore, been half a century making, as it were, the tour of the world in guns, and at last come home again to discover, that, in regard to the length of barrels, we were not so near the mark as our grandfathers ! Mr. Durs Egg, in opposition to the whole trade, and all the sportsmen, weathered the storm, and always maintained the same opinion. We all laughed at him, and now it is his turn to laugh at us, as he may, with justice, say that on this point he knew more than all of us put together ! Be cautious, therefore, of shortening an old barrel that shoots well ; and recollect, also, that, if much of the length is taken off, you alter the relief. As a gun, which is topheavy, is inimical to quick shooting, the usual plan, unless the barrels are very short, is to make them " light forward ;" that is, thin towards the muzzle. This I conceive to be bad ; as a barrel, which is everywhere tolerably stout, is not so liable to expansion, and, consequently, will shoot stronger, and last many more years, than one which is rendered so by being in any part too thin. A gun, thus substantial, can always be made to mount well, by being properly balanced with lead under the heel- plate, which will be far more convenient and neat in DAMASCUS BARRELS. 2> appearance than a huge piece of wood for the but, and will thus admit of the stock being made light and elegant. In choosing the size of a caliber, it may be con- sidered, that a fourteen gauge is at all events the best for a bungler, and, on the whole, the most destructive gun. But, with a very accurate shot, the size is not of so much consequence for killing game, as the necessary substance to prevent the recoil of a large bore cannot be brought to bear so quick as a some- what lighter gun ; and, therefore, what is gained by weight of metal might be lost in time. Supposing, however, that weight was not objected to, the gun to be recommended is a fourteen gauge, and, if a double one, of about nine pounds, after the beginning of October, till which time a twenty-two gauge gun will do equally well, and be lighter to carry during the warm iceather. (Remember, I am now speaking of a flint-gun, as a light small-bore percussion gun is, I conceive, incompatible with safety.) DAMASCUS BARRELS. MOST sportsmen are aware, that a twisted barrel is formed by horse nails, or other tough iron, being beat out to a long bar, and then twisted round a kind of anvil, much in the same manner as leather is put round the handle of a whip-crop. The Damascus is a mixture of iron and steel, and has its grain directly crossways when beat out ; so that the bar of Da- 22 DAMASCUS BARRELS. mascus, when twisted, forms a continuation of small grains running longitudinally r , which must be more liable to open, if not to burst, than a continued round of solid well-beat iron. It may be compared to a piece of wood cut across, instead of with, the grain. All this may be easily demonstrated, by putting some acid to eat away the iron. I should not have ven- tured to pronounce my feeble judgment on a point of this kind, was it not that I arn of the same opinion as Mr. Joseph Manton, and some other first-rate gunmaker^. I shall now conclude under the head of " Barrels," with a copy, verbatim, from a part of my journal when last at Birmingham. " Saw the process of making Damascus barrels, the mixture of iron and steel for which is beat out in long bars, and then, previously to being wound round the anvil, twisted by a kind of turning lathe (similar to wringing cloths when wet), and then beat flat again. Although these are by far the dearest barrels that are made, yet the price of one in Birming- ham is very trifling : viz. . s. d. Forging . . . ] 10 Boring and grinding . . .050 Filing and patent breech . . 0110 Proof . 016 7 6 " The stub barrels, which are generally used for best guns, cost about sixteen shillings each. DAMASCUS BARRELS. 23 " Went to the proof house, and was present at the proving of an immense number of barrels. The proof, as ordered by the last act of parliament, is to one ounce ball, thirteen drains and a half of best cartridge powder, with a very stiff wadding of paper on each ; and so on, more or less, according to what- ever ball will tightly fit the caliber. It has been observed to me here, that the London gunmakers do not go the cheapest way to work, as they commonly employ the tradesmen of the town, instead of the master workmen, who actually do the business, and consequently, they have to pay an extra price, beyond prime cost, for the article with which their country agent supplies them. Their reason, however, may be much to their credit ; a wish to secure the best barrels. Was I a gunmaker, however, I should prefer keeping at Birmingham a first-rate foreman, or agent of my own, who could pick and choose, and supply me direct from the factories. " All shooting articles in Birmingham are usually sold, or to use the term of trade ' put in,' by the dozen, at a mere nothing in comparison with the retail price. One of the best shops at which I stocked myself was that of Messrs. Allen andReneaud, No. 7, Whittal Street, who supply many of the gun- makers with all kinds of turnscrews, brushes, tools, &c. ; and who also deal in fishing-rods, reels, and almost every thing that can be required in the sport- ing way, at about one-fifth of the price that you pay in London." 24 ELEVATION. ELEVATION OF a single gun is readily obtained, by the additional thickness at the breeching, by placing which in a line with the muzzle, the caliber is, of course, so much elevated, as to bring the centre of it full up to the line of .aim* which, were the barrels of the same size at each end, would of course be completely under the mark. With the elevation of double guns, we remained for many years rather in ignorance. The groove between the barrels was considered, by many, as an easier sight, than that of a single gun. This may be for a sitting shot, or a bird flying straight from you ; but, for a cross shot, I consider it a dis- advantage : as, when this sunk groove is levelled before the object, that object becomes so far obscured, by the barrel next to it, that, if a moment is lofet in firing, we are ignorant how for we are pointing before it. In order to prevent shooting under, it became necessary to what was called set up barrels ; that is, to bend them upwards at the end of every season, which, to say the least of it, contributed so much to their wear and tear, as to make them, in a few years, somewhat doubtful as to safety. All these objections, however, were at last admirably remedied by Mr. Joseph Manton's elevation, which, although abused by other gunmalfcrs, has been so SIGHT. 25 closely copied by the greater part of them, more or less, that some infringed on the patent, and others brought out bungling imitations of it, " because the gentlemen icon Id have their guns in the fashion" at the same time well aware of the necessity of an elevation. Those, who are above copying, tell you, that a straight stock will answer the same purpose : but let me ask them, whether it will give so clear and good a sight ? and will an elevation, by this means, bring your line of aim on so true a level? Notwithstanding the elevation was before used for rifles, arid seen on some very old guns, yet it must be allowed, that, although attempted, it never was brought to such perfection, as to be worthy of being generally imitated, till adopted by Mr. Joseph Man- tori. As a proof of my original argument in its favour, my readers need only observe how universal this elevation has now become with almost every gunmaker in, and even out of, the kingdom. THE SIGHT Is little used, except for beginners, and slow poking shots, who dandle their guns after a bird for ten or fifteen yards ; and, therefore, the less it is the better; one scarcely bigger than a pin's head will be more out of the way if not wanted ; and for those who require it, the smaller it is the more readily it will help them to the centre. 26 DIRECTIONS FOR TRYING BARRELS. THE RAMROD, WHICH has a worm, on the same principle as the solid corkscretv, is the best to take hold of all kinds of wadding, and admits of a brass cap as well as any. The one made like a screw, after a little wear, is of scarcely any more use than the end of a stick, and the common worm is apt to flatten and become troublesome. Many young sportsmen have been puzzled by shot falling into the barrel when the ramrod was there ; but if, instead of trying to pull it out by force, they would turn the gun upside down, and press the ramrod into the barrel, the shot would immediately become disengaged, and fall out. Some of the old school, who still - keep to the use of paper, have been obliged to leave the field from having wedged in the ramrod, through a neglect to disengage it in time from this sort of wadding. In such a case, I conceive, that putting something wet into the barrel, and softening the paper, by using a little friction with the ramrod, would, most probably, disengage it ; and, by holding the gun with the muzzle downwards, after the paper had sufficiently absorbed the moisture, the shooter would have less risk of wetting his powder. DIRECTIONS FOR TRYING BARRELS. A MAN may be taken in with a horse, or a dog, DIRECTIONS FOR TRYING BARRELS. 27 but never with a gun, after being simply told how to try it. Having taken out the breeching, and ascertained that the barrel is free from flaws, or unsound places, let him fire about a dozen or twenty shots at a quire of the thickest brown paper, by which he will know, to a certainty, both the strength and closeness with which the shot is driven ; and he should remember, that the strongest and most regular shooting gun is the best, provided it does not throw the shot so thin as for a bird to escape between them. The same quire of paper might do for all, if one fresh sheet is put in front of, and another behind it, every time the gun is fired. Before concluding on the examination of barrels, it may be proper to observe, that a barrel may be pretty good and perfectly safe, and yet not able to bear the scientific inspection of a first-rate maker or judge. That is, to hold the barrel up to the window, and gradually raise it till the shade, from above the window, runs along its surface, by which inspection you will easily discover the most trifling want of finish. For instance, examine a barrel of Mr. Lan- caster, in this manner, and the shade will run along it like the even surface on a flow of smooth water. But take a barrel of an inferior finisher, and you will perceive the iron all in bumps, as if that flow of water was agitated by wind. To the many, however, who fancy themselves good judges of a gun, the one might appear as perfect as the other ; and so indeed it would, 28 STOCK. to every person who examined it in the ordinary way. To inspect the inside of a barrel, raise it in like manner, and if the stream of shade, as it were, flows true and steady, the boring may be considered straight, and free from any palpable defect. THE STOCK, To be neat in appearance, should be cut away, as close as strength and safety will admit of, and well tapered off at the locks. The but may be rather full. A cheekpiece, however, is not only as frightful as its usual companion, the scrollguard, but is sometimes apt to give the very blow it is intended to save. The stocks of single guns are generally tipped, or capped, with horn ; but some makers have discarded this, through fear of its being split by the recoil, and either leave a clumsy continuation of the wood, or tip the stock with a gingerbread-looking piece of silver; whereas, if they would only leave a space about the thickness of a shilling between the end of the rib and the horn, the recoil, however great, could have no influence on that part. The length, bend, and casting off Qi a stock, must, of course, be fitted to the shooter, who should have his measure for them as carefully entered on a, gun- maker's books, as that for a suit of clothes on those of his tailor. He has then only to direct, that his guns may be well balanced; to do which, the maker STOCK. 29 will put lead, in proportion to their weight ; so that, on holding each of them flat on the left hand, with the end of the featherspring about half an inch from the little finger, he will find a sufficient equilibrium to make the gun rest perfectly steady ON the hand. I have proved, that this degree of balance answers best, as a but too much loaded is apt to hang on the right hand in bringing it up, and vice versa, on the left, with a gun which is topheavy. All stocks should have a good fall in the handle, and not be, as some are, nearly horizontal in that part. This has nothing to do with the general bend or mounting of the stock, but is merely to keep the hand to the natural position, instead of having, as it were, the handle wrenched from the fingers, while grasping it. This is the only point on which we are beat by those execrable gingerbread guns, which some of the foreigners have the effrontery to compare with ours. If a stock, in every respect, suits you as to coming up to the eye, &c. &c., the way to have one precisely like it is to leave with your gunmaker a thin piece of board, made to fit with the greatest accuracy to the profile of the bend, all the way from the breeching to the upper part of the but. By being made to fit into this, your new stock must be like the old one. But if you trust to a set of memorandums that are often mistaken, or, in the hurry of business, not half attended to, you may have as many new stocks as 30 STOCK. would almost amount to the price of a gun, before you would get two precisely alike. A stock that is deep, and comes out well at the toe, or bottom of the heelplate, is the most steady when pitched on the object. Many a journey to town would be saved to a sportsman if all these trifles were properly attended to by the makers. For those who take a pride in the appearance of their stocks, and select handsome pieces of wood, I know of nothing better, to keep them polished, than a little linseed oil, and plenty of, what is vulgarly called, elbowgrease ; unless sportsmen choose to take the additional trouble of adopting the following re- cipe ; which I shall here give, under the idea, that, if considered too troublesome to apply it to gunstocks, it may still be found worth inserting, from its excel- lence in giving a dark polish to tables, or any kind oft. furniture. RECIPE FOR KEEPING THE POLISH ON GUNSTOCKS. Cold drawn linseed oil . . . .1 quart. Gum arabic (dissolved in warm water) . \ ounce. Alkanet root ...... 2 ounces. Rose pink ...... i ounce. Vinegar -f pint. Boil these together, and put them in an earthen pan to stand for a day or two, after which the mixture will be fit for use. To apply it, rub a small quantity on the wood : BREECHING. 31 let it lie on all night, and rub it off clean in the morning. With a few such dressings, you will bring out a superior polish. If a stock, which, in other respects, suits you, is, in a trifling degree, too straight or too much bent, the maker could rectify it by means of boiling it in hot water, instead of persuading you to have a new one. BREECHING. A GUN-BREECHING, till of late years, was simply a plug, screwed into the end of the barrel, so as to reach to the touchhole. The first improvement was to bore a hole down the centre of this plug, and bring the touchhole to it in a right angle, thereby having the communication directly through both the male and female screws. How far this may be safe, I leave to the more ex- perienced to judge ; but it certainly shoots so well, that I never could find any solid breeching to beat it, until Mr. Joseph Manton brought out his, which, like the rest of his work, has been abused and imitated by most of his filing fraternity ! To treat on the various kinds of solid breechings, that have been made since the original invention of Mr. Nock, would be wasting time, and consuming a volume, when we can at once warrant, that there are none superior to the one above-mentioned. For example, a breeching on Mr. Manton's con- struction places the touchhole literally to the chamber, 32 BREECHING and thereby not only cuts off all superfluous angles, which impede quick firing, and collect dirt, but the narrowness of this chamber admits of the outside metal being filed away, with the most perfect safety, and lets in the lock so far, that the pan is brought close to the charge of powder, by which means the discharge of the gun becomes as instantaneous as possible. All this, however, may be more clearly demonstrated by a reference to the sections of all the different gun breechings, of which there are now published so many engravings, and in comparing which the other decided advantages of this improve- ment are fully manifested. Should it be suggested, that the narrowness of this tube renders it difficult to be cleaned, let it be remembered, that the rod, when it goes to the bottom of the breech, forces the air through the centre tube with such violence, that neither oil nor damp can be left behind ; and, in the event of any dirt falling in, there is a probe, which you screw on the ramrod : and this little appendage is, or should be, attached to your flintcase. It may be well, however, to observe, that many of the gunmakers, who now adopt this breeching, commit a sad fault, by making the centre tube too small ; they are led into this error by knowing, that the narrower the tube the stronger the gun willjire, and are satisfied with the result of afew shots. But were they to take their guns out for a whole day's work, they would find, that, by thus attempting to ( ; i v h'iil Breechin . \" / .],is,-fili Mr<'ivliiti<> I) .1 Ms l,' 'l J/////" M'ffM'l (/\- //-/// t/ti ////// ///'/// K'> .l*,//f/ /ft'/t ///y facts instead of words. In the mean time, I will proceed to repeat the same trials that I gave in the earlier editions. " TRIAL on the 8th of November 1822, of a 171bs. Joseph Manton duck gun, at fifty yards, loaded with four ounces of B. B. shot, and rather more than DETONATING SYSTEM. 63 an equal measure of fine cylinder powder, at a sheet of pasteboard, and twelve sheets of thick brown paper, which presented a target of 28 by 22 inches in size. " WITH FLINT LOCK. In the first sheet. Through the pasteboard and the twelfth sheet. " Round 1 . .54 . .54 2 . .45 . .41 3 . .38 . .37 Total 137 132 " WITH DETONATING LOCK. In the first sheet. Through the pasteboard and the twelfth sheet. Round 1 . 36 - . .34 2 . .43 . .40 3 . .30 . .30 Total 109 104 " Majority in favour of the flint in the aggregate of three rounds : In the first sheet. Through the pasteboard and the twelfth sheet. With flint lock .137 - 132 Detonating lock .109 .104 Majority 28 28 " One round, as above, with No. 1 shot : WITH DETONATING LOCK. In the first sheet. Through all. 75 . 64 64 DETONATING SYSTEM. " A round from one of the best fourteen gauge double detonaters in the kingdom, made by Mr. Jo- seph Man ton, with No. 1 shot, as above (with wadding cut by his new dented punch, on both powder and shot) : in order to show, that even the very best small guns will not throw large shot like duck-guns : In the first sheet. Through all. 35 30 " A second round from the same barrel (loaded with wadding cut by a common punch on the powder, and wadding cut by a dented punch on the shot) : In the first sheet. Through all. 40 36 " From the result of very many experiments, Col. Hawker is of opinion, that for neat shooting in the field, or covert, and also for killing single shots at wildfowl, rapidly flying, and particularly by night, there is not a question in favour of the detonater, as its trifling inferiority to the flint is tenfold repaid by the wonderful accuracy it gives in so readily obeying the eye. But, in firing a heavy charge among a large flock of birds, the flint has the decided advantage ; and, moreover, the sudden, and additional, recoil of a detonater, with the full charge of a duck-gun, is apt, if the shooter be not careful, to strike the hand back, and give him a severe blow on the nose. For duck guns, therefore, he recommends, besides the flint lock, a detonating one on the principle which Mr. Joseph Manton has so beautifully made to his order. DETONATING SYSTEM. 65 " A detonater that does not light at the side, how- ever, is, he thinks, quite" (I should now, by further experience, rather say " almost") " equal in power to the flint ; but one that does, he should be induced, at a rough calculation, to consider one fifth inferior ; consequently he prefers the guns with breechings made expressly for caps, to those fired with tubes, or any other primers, at a side touch-hole ; and if this plan was adopted, perhaps the flint might be alto- gether dispensed with even in duck-guns ; besides, this invention is more simple, more water-proof, and admits of the gravitating stops. A detonating gun, to be sufficiently independent of the muriatic acid which is produced by the ^composition, or detonation of the fulminating powder, should have no springs, or wovcable bodies outside the loch-plate, that are dependent on cleanliness ; and, in short, a detonating gun can never be so near perfection as when it has no springs whatever, except the main spring and scear spring, which, on the principle last mentioned, being well protected inside of the lock-plate, and free from the smoke that is apt to be driven, even there, by all side communications, no part of the machinery is here dependent in its action on being kept clean from the foulness arid rust which is always occasioned by the oxygen gas. " The superiority of the foregoing plan may, per- haps, in a great measure, be accounted for thus : every gun that fires at the side, positively must have some of its advantage iti shooting sacrificed to a DETONATING SYSTEM. good-shed touch-hole^ or it will be for ever liable to miss fire. A gun that fires near the bottom of the breech, by the hole in a nipple or pivot, has that hole, however large it way be, closed up, with the cock, or striker, by the very blow that puts the cJiarge in action ; and consequently no powder can escape, there being no hole then left open, except the very little gas-hole, which lets out the detonating flame." SUBSEQUENT TRIAL, on the 18th of November (with No. 7 shot), of a 14 gauge gun (barrels by Lancaster), with flints, and afterwards with cocks and hammers put on, with which was used the detonating powder :* FLINTS. DETONATERS. RIGHT BARREL. In 1st Through sheet. 12th Do. Round 1 81 49 2 121 61 3 143 63 LEFT BARREL. In 1st Through sheet. 12th Do. 110 . 62 122 . 54 98 . 40 RIGHT BARREL. In 1st ^Through sheet. 12th Do. 89 . 31 69 . 40 80 . 29 LEFT BARREL. In 1st Through sheet. 12th Do. 91 . 42 116 . 47 102 . 49 Total . 345 173 330 156 238 100 309 138 Majority in favour of the Flint 107 73 21 18 A round was then fired from each barrel of a larger and heavier detonating gun of Mr. Joseph Manton's (barrels by Lancaster, and of the same gauge), made expressly to fire with caps, at the bottom of the breech instead of through aside touch-hole: RIGHT BARREL. LEFT BARREL. In. 120 Through. 75 In. 157 Through. 78 DETONATING SYSTEM. 67 Which seems, as far as cursory observation will prove, to confirm the opinion given after the trial on the 8th instant. This gun, however, which, from superior weight of metal, had the advantage in the foregoing trial, was afterwards shot against a flint-gun of equal weight ; and then the flint-gun had the advantage, not only both in strength and closeness, but also in regularity of shooting. The foregoing trials will show the very great un- certainty of even the best guns at all times throwing the shot alike, and therefore prove the absurdity of talking about people who " never miss," which every one must often do, who shoots beyond thirty-five or forty yards, and consequently this trumpery kind of reputation is only to be maintained by picking and choosing every shot, and therefore losing a third, or perhaps the half, of those birds, which might, other- wise, be put in the bag. We will now treat on every principal part of the detonating system, in the same order as the flint ; and, of course, as briefly as possible. GUN. To fire with detonating powder, the gun requires to be much stronger than that used for a flint ; it must be heavier to stand the recoil ; of a large sized caliber, in order not to have the powder too narrowly confined, which is absolutely dangerous; and the F 2 68 DETONATING SYSTEM. London gunmakers will find out sooner or later, that the barrel should rather be 2 feet 10 than 2 feet 8, or the disproportionate length of 2 feet 4, or 2 feet 6 ; unless absolutely required to be short, for the convenience of shooting in covert. The breeching should be made on purpose, and I therefore fully acquit the gunmaker of any wish to impose on his customers, when he hesitates to alter the average of flint guns. A good heavy fourteen gauge gun may be altered by means of a new breeching, or (as a very inferior make-shift] with a roller screwed into the touch-hole ; for either of which you must of course alter your lock-plate, so that it can no more be used with a flint. The way, however, to use both flint and detonater on the same lock is very simple, but so apt to break the hammer-bridle, that out of six locks which I had altered, five of them were spoiled ,by this means. Were the hammer-bridle forged very strong, I have no doubt it would answer perfectly well ; so that if you wished to use either flint or detonater, a new lock-plate must be forged on purpose. The hammers which I had put on in town were for ever missing fire ; those by Mr. Par- sons of Salisbury, by the trifling alteration that I suggested, of placing the nipple as near as possible to the touch-hole, and lining the pan all through with platina, fired about eight hundred shots with only about three misses fire, and were decidedly the most certain of any detonating guns, or hammers, I had ever used ; till at last, like all the rest, off flew DETONATING SYSTEM. 69 one of the hammers. I am ready to admit, that a nipple on the centre of a hammer is less likely to strain the hammer-bridle ; but then the communica- tion, by placing it there, is so much longer, that the discharge of the gun can never be depended on. I had my hammers done in this way at first, and when on salt water, the gun, on an average, missed fire every eight or ten shots ; and, in field-shooting, about once in twenty shots. Several sportsmen, however, have assured me, that their guns have gone well for a whole season, after being altered in this w r ay. Far be it from me to doubt their word ; but still it is my duty to the public to speak of this, and every thing else, not as I have heard oj\ but as I have found it. I have since had a double gun " detonated" to my order (with new breechings, &c.) by Mr. Parsons. I have tried sixty shots with it, and part of the time in showers of rain. It did not miss fire once ; and it is but justice to observe too, that the alteration is done in as workmanlike a manner, as if it had been turned out of hand at nearly double the price in London. Mr. John Manton has a patent that I particularly admire, and am confident must be one of the best as yet brought out: and Mr. Purdey (a rising gun- mnker of extraordinary merit) is acquitting himself most admirably in the detonating system, as well as in the very neat and elegantly finished style of his work. I deal with neither, and have, for that very 70 DETONATING SYSTEM. reason, a double pleasure in doing justice to both of them. Mr. Joseph Manton has completed another patent detonater, which, for a self-primer, is by far the best and most simple invention I have yet seen. The workmanship is most beautiful, and if ever any kind of self-priming detonater will answer, without giving trouble, it will be this of Mr. J. M. who will still, I trust, continue to be, what he always has been, the leading inventor for the whole trade, and the cham- pion among all real judges of a gun. Were I merely to observe that Mr. Joseph Man- ton's guns (at all events for the workmanship) are so far before those of the gunmakers in general, that those, who cannot see this, are like indifferent judges of a picture, who, for want of profound science, would be as well pleased with the gaudy painting of some young artist, as with the picture of a fine old master, I should appear like a hireling of this maker. But I only beg of whoever differs with me in opinion, when he next sees any other first-rate gunrnaker or mechanic in town or country, to say to him, " Now tell me, on your honour as a tradesman, whose guns, NEXT TO YOUR OWN," [mind this] " are the best, and most scientifically made ?" and if they do not say (or think) " Mr. Joseph Manton's," I will resign all claim to judgment of a gun, or to the kind patronage with which my work has been honoured. In short, let any one look (not with the naked eye, but with a DETONATING SYSTEM. 71 magnifying glass} at the work in every part of Mr. Joseph Manton's guns, and at those of most other makers, and he will discover about the same difference that there is between one of Leader's or Houlditch's town-built coaches, and that gothic vehicle which among our moderns is yclept a " Jarvy" But let every man make every part of a gun him- self, and then, I believe, Mr. D. Egg would in his younger days have had the laugh against them all. This, however, is no more required than that an architect should handle well a hammer or a trowel ; and a great part of those mechanics who set up and work for themselves consists of those, who, from having been journeymen in only one department of gunmaking, are probably but superficially acquainted with even the theory of the other. THE BARREL SHOULD be fourteen gauge, to let the powder bum easy ; and (as before observed) at least two feet eight inches ; and if two feet ten inches, or even three feet, so much the better; in order riot only to keep the shot together at long distances, but to prevent the gas from driving out the powder before it is thoroughly ignited. It has been argued to me (by the way) that many people have cut long barrels shorter, and found that they afterwards killed even better ! Very likely : and for why? because the barrels were improperly bored for a long caliber, and, therefore, the length, 72 DETONATING SYSTEM. from this circumstance, became mere lumber, if not an obstruction, instead of being the greatest possible assistance. THE BREECHING MAY be cupped similar to that for a flint, though of course with a shorter chamber: and by all means forged in one solid piece. I am inclined to think, however, that a cup and centrehole made rather more like a funnel would better insure the ignition of all the powder in a per- cussion-gun, notwithstanding this mode of cupping may have proved inferior to the other for & flint-gun. VENT-HOLE. A DETONATER without a vent-hole, though per- haps it may shoot a little stronger, is very liable to corrode, and recoils most cruelly. The best vent- hole, to my fancy, is a fixed one of platina, similar to a touch-hole ; as vent-screws, I find, are liable to rust in ; and, unless lined with platina, are either soon choked up with rust and dirt, or blown too large by repeated shooting. THE NIPPLE, OR PIVOT, Is best plain or polished ; the caps, if made well, will always keep on ; but when the pivot is made like a screw it collects rust, always looks bad, and gives DETONATING SYSTEM. 73 additional trouble in cleaning. The hole in the nipple must not be too small, and well increased in size downwards, or this deadly poison to all fire-arms (the oxygen gas) will choke up the communication wjth rust, and repeated missing fire will be the con- sequence. A very strong mainspring will counteract all the bad effects of a large hole, by firmly closing it with the cock, in striking the very blow, as I before observed, that puts the charge in motion. The nipple (the only article that need be made to separate from the breeching) must, of course, have a square base, so as to be removable at pleasure, by means of a little wrench. There are various opinions as to placing the nipple or pivot. The favourite plan appears to be that of having it perpendicular, for the convenience of putting on the copper caps. For my own part, however, I prefer it sloping, because, in the event of the copper flying, the eye is not then parallel with the circle of splinters, should one of them, by accident, escape from the concave head of the cock or striker. THE COCK, OR STRIKER, SHOULD cover the nipple with a deep concave head, so that scarcely any of the copper can escape, or a man may lose his eye. Several accidents have happened through the neglect of this. If, however, the concave head of the cock is too small in diameter, or strikes the least on one side, so as to cause any friction 74 DETONATING SYSTEM. against the side of the cap, the gun will most probably miss fire. Another important observation should be made under this head : people try copper-cap guns in a shop, and fancy they are safe if the copper does not fly about. This is no trial at all; because the way that accidents happen is through the recoil of the gun forcing the cock from the nipple, and then all security is at an end. Try this by having a heavily loaded gun with a weak mainspring, and the cock will fly up so far as to catch at the half, if not the full, bent, unless you happen to have a nipple-hole so small that it would be for ever missing fire. To obviate this, be sure that your mainsprings are strong, and have their greatest force on the first pull ; and, as a still further security, you might have an extra shield or fence round the cock. THE SIDE-NAIL SHOULD be made of the best tempered spring steel, and stouter than that for a flint-gun. All side-nails, whether for flint or detonaters, should go through both locks in a double gun, and have a notch at each end, so that, if they break, they may be screwed out, and replaced by an extra one in the field. DETONATING SYSTEM. 75 THE DISSECTION # Is much more simple ; and your locks remain on the stock while in the case, so that you have only to put in your barrels (remembering that you must draw up the cocks first), and your gun is ready for the field. CLEANING. SIMILAR to a flint gun, and rather less to do : hut you must leave every thing, as well as the inside of the barrels, kept a very little damp with sweet oil, or your gun will rust fifty times worse than with common powder. It should be observed, however, that when the oxygen mixes with gunpowder, in its explosion, it becomes less injurious to the iron ; consequently the cocks and breechings receive even more damage from this composition than do the insides of the barrels. LOADING. As I before observed, you are obliged, in your own defence, to load a detonater lighter than a flint-gun ; and as it goes quicker (though not stronger, as the gunmakers would wish to make you believe), and for other reasons before given, you may use a fourth less powder than with a flint-gun. Many sportsmen feel quite positive that a detonater shoots much 76 DETONATING SYSTEM. stronger than a flint. This, I have no doubt, is because it does not allow them time to flinch, and therefore they fire the body of the charge so much more accurately with a detonater, that they kill cleaner and at greater distances. The safest way to load a detonater is to put the caps on last, taking care to leave down the cocks ; or the powder, unless of large grain, would, on ramming the wadding, be forced through the hole in the nipple. If you put away your gun loaded, always take off the caps, not only for safety, but because the locks must either be left straining at half cock, or if let down and suffered to remain all night, the odds are that the powder would be jammed into a sort of damp paste, and both barrels would miss fire. But if you take fresh caps, and prick both the vent-holes, and the nipple- holes, your gun will generally fire with its usual rapidity. Detonating powder I have found very liable to miss fire after being long in contact with any salt or damp, such as a strong pressure on the elastic fluid of gun- powder ; being all night in a punt in the sea air ; the spray that comes over a boat in sailing, &c. In a word, although detonating powder may be put in water ) and then fired off, yet it frequently misses fire after being long in the damp, and par- ticularly when shooting on salt water. I am inclined to account for it by the following comparison : Take a piece of biscuit, or (what would answer the proof much better) crisp gingerbread ; dip it in water for a short time, arid it will nevertheless remain hard DETONATING SYSTEM. 77 enough to crack before it will bend. But, on the other hand, if you lay it in a damp cellar all night, it will not be found crisp in the morning. So it is with detonating powder ; by long continued damp it loses its crispness, and then, of course, will no longer crack, or in other words, fire by percussion. One of the recipes for making detonating powder is : One ounce of oxymuriate of potash, One-eighth of an ounce of superfine charcoal, One-sixteenth of an ounce of sulphur, Mixed with gum arabic Mater, and then dried. It should be mixed up in wood, for fear of accident. Another, and, I am told, a far better proportion, is : Five of oxymuriate ; Two of sulphur; and ' One of charcoal. I merely give the recipe, in case a sportsman should be in a place where he cannot buy the composition, as I presume, that no one in his senses would run the risk of being blown up, in order to make, perhaps indifferently, what he could so cheaply purchase in perfection. The foregoing few directions are, I trust, sufficient, and I have confined them to the most simple, and, therefore, as yet, the best detonating system ; which, in the trifling matter of caps, patches, &c. may be suited to the shooter's fancy; but, as to all those intricate magazines, moveable bodies, and other com- plicated machinery, I leave their merits, and the 78 DETONATING SYSTEM. directions about them, to the dissertation of some very learned mechanic, as their advantage and utility are far beyond my comprehension. ANTI-CORROSIVE PERCUSSION POWDER. IN August, 1824, I gave the following statement relative to this powder : " Since the first part of this work was printed off, a letter has been received from Mr. Joyce, chemist, 11, Old Compton-street, Soho, commenting, as he is fully justified in doing, on the injury done to fire- arms by the oxy muriate of potash ; and inclosing a specification of a new ' ANTi-corrosive' percussion powder. The author, however, is extremely tena- cious of misleading his readers, by recommending any article that has not been thoroughly tried ; and, there- fore, all he can as yet say is, that he has fired 24 copper caps with this new powder, after dipping each cap, for some time, in water, and not one of them missed fire ; nor was there any acid produced by the decomposition. " Were Mr. Joyce's invention good for the gun trade, it would soon find its way to the public ; and, if defective, he might expect every assistance for its improvement. But as, on the contrary, it is rather the reverse, he may probably meet with obstacles to getting it fairly circulated for trial ; and, for this very reason, the author is induced to mention it. He hopes, therefore, that some o^ier sporting writer, who DETONATING SYSTEM. 79 may be going to press after the ensuing season, will have time to review, and further inform the public as to the merits or demerits of this invention." Little was I aware, at the time of writing this, that the third edition would be out of print in a few months, and that it would fall to my lot to give the next report of this powder. I before said, " as this new system is the life and soul of trade, let us hope that the gunmakers will exert their chemical powers to render this ' devil's powder' (as Mr. D. Egg used to call it) less poison- ous to fire-arms/' It appears, however, that the gunmakers knew better. But Mr. Joyce has proved a sad enemy to the fraternity who fatten on the destruction of iron, by establishing a manufactory of this anti-corrosive percussion powder, in which he does away entirely with the oxy muriate. It may be hardly fair to say publicly what the composition is (because Mr. Joyce candidly told me, though I believe it is pretty well known) ; and although it was long ago adopted by Mr. Goode Wright of Hereford (according to a statement which, as an utter stranger, I was favoured with by this gentleman), yet Mr. Joyce has had so many obstacles to overcome before he could bring it to perfection, that we must, at all events, give him a great deal of credit. In short, it is of no consequence to me as the writer, and much less to the public as readers, how much credit is to ,j given to one of these 80 DETONATING SYSTEM. gentlemen or to the other; so let them fight it out themselves, and, in the mean time, leave me to go on with my work. For I have as much dislike to su- perfluous writing, as to interfering with the contests of others. Enough of this now again to the point about the powder. When, Mr. Joyce first brought it forward, his agent in Birmingham had served him with caps of brittle cannon-metal, instead of the best- worked copper. The consequence was, that many sportsmen, and I among the number, were severely cut, and had nearly lost an eye, owing to the quality of the cap, not the powder. This was of course a glorious victory for all Mr. Joyce's oxygen-opponents, arid the fault was unjustly laid on the composition. I can only say, however, by subsequent experience, that since Mr. Joyce has used nothing but good copper, all the caps that I had of him have gone as well as any in the kingdom, and his percussion powder does not injure the guns any thing like so much as the other. Let him, therefore, be very careful, in future, to get supplied with GOOD COPPER, of a good substance, and I may safely ven- ture to recommend his " Anti-corrosive percussion powder." MR. JOSEPH MANTON'S PERCUSSION POWDER. MR. JOSEPH MANTON observed to me, some time ago, that he was beginning to get quite out of conceit DETONATING SYSTEM. 81 with detonating guns ! ! till he very lately discovered an improvement in percussion powder that would make them shoot as strong as flint guns, with little or no injury to the iron ; and that he should very soon put it in general circulation. I think it right to name this, because I have great confidence in his talent, though all I can yet say is, that I wish he may succeed. * SHOOTING, Difference in, hetween a Flint and a Detonater. HERE we come to a part of the subject, the very title of which, in the present day, would soon clear off an edition of a pamphlet : and it therefore becomes a matter of surprise that the book manufacturers have not been more on the alert in reaping a harvest from it ; as this fashionable theme, if well diluted with anecdotes and specifications, might be spun into a good-sized volume. All that is really wanted, how- ever, is the essence of the subject, and therefore I shall make my humble attempt to give it. As a detonater goes so very much quicker than a flint, it becomes necessary, in firing one, to avoid shooting too forward ; and I should, therefore, revert to my former hints for young men learning to shoot, and say, observe precisely all that I before said under the head of shooting, but IF YOU HAVE A DETONATER make only HALF the allowance ; that G 82 DETONATING SYSTEM. is, where you would fire six inches before a bird with a flint, fire only THREE INCHES with a DETONATER; AND so ON. If a sportsman has been all his life an indifferent shot, which he may be, either through never having acquired the knack of firing sufficiently forward ; flinching as he pulls the trigger ; dropping his hand before the gun is fairly discharged ; or many other such circumstances : I most strongly advise him to lose not a moment in getting a detonater, because I have known many instances, where a man had been a very bad shot all his life, through defects which the use of a detonater might so effectually remedy, that by taking up one he might, almost im- mediately, become a tolerable, if not a very good shot. For one, however, who has always shot well with a flint, it becomes somewhat difficult to give advice. On first taking up the detonater, he will, by habit, fire well forward at all his game, and, very probably, have the mortification to miss such shots, as he was before in the habit of killing. (Of this I was an eye-witness when out with one of the most certain shots in England). He will soon, however (to use a sailor's expression), " know the trim" of his gun ; and, taking all things into consideration, most probably shoot still more accurately with a detonater than he had been used to do with a flint, by reason of its very great readiness in obeying the pull of the trigger, before the eye or hand has time to vary ; its equal rapidity in foul or damp weather ; and having scarcely any flash from the lock of the first barrel to DETONATING SYSTEM. 83 intercept the sight of the second. He must, however, compound for a greater recoil to the shoulder ; and, on the whole, I should say, to missing fire rather oftener than with a good flint, -provided he is out in fine still weather. We may, therefore, on the whole, taking all things into consideration, say, that at first a detonater may make a good shot an indifferent shot, and both first and last an indifferent shot a good shot, and therefore we may be rather inclined to give the balance in its favour. But, to coincide with all the panegyrics that are written, by keen young sports- men who happen, perhaps, to have been shooting extremely well, and despatch their bulletins on the spur of the moment, would be to overrate the de- tonater, and to underrate the flint, and therefore not giving a fair and disinterested opinion. Why it becomes a question whether a good shot ought to fly to a detonater or not is this : After he has been using one for a season, or even a few weeks' shooting, he will, on taking up his flint gun again, find that it goes comparatively so slow, after the other, that it will appear to hang fire ; and, very probably, so puzzle and disconcert him, that perhaps his best and favourite gun is either packed up for the pawnbroker, or stripped of its flint-appendages, and metamorphosed into a detonater. And the whole armoury, if he has many guns, is considered as mere lumber, unless altered, or exchanged for guns on the detonating system. He therefore takes to fulmi- nating powder, like a wife, " for better for worse," 84 DETONATING SYSTEM. and this is one of the chief reasons why the percus- sion plan has so rapidly superseded the flint. Did both go equally quick, I am inclined to think the flint would have held the majority. If a sportsman, who has no money to throw away, has been accom- modated with the loan of a detonater, the only way for him to back out of it, is to modulate as it were into his flint gun again, by using the slowest old musket he can lay hands on, and then taking, after that, his best flint gun. Before dismissing this subject, I must just name one circumstance : While I was using nothing but de- tonating guns for four seasons, it was the remark of my man, that he never had the pleasure to see me make such long shots as I was once in the habit of doing ; and I, ready to lay all the fault on myself, or rather to a premature attack of that anno domini complaint which must befall the best of us, felt that I dare not blame a system which my superiors had so universally adopted. I took up a flint-gun. This was worse and worse ; as its comparative slowness made me miss even fair shots. Last year, however, having been prevented, by illness, from taking a gun in hand till just before the end of the season, the sensation of firing a flint and a detonater became as it were de novo. I accordingly took out a flint-gun, and down came the long shots, as in former days ! I name this as a simple fact. Let others argue the point as they please. So I shall now conclude the subject by reducing the matter to a very few words. DETONATING SYSTEM. 85 Can you shoot well with a flint-gun ? Yes ! Then " leave well enough alone !" Can you ? No ! Then, by all means, go and get a detonater ! I have now, I hope and trust, fairly and disin- terestedly stated all that is necessary, both for and against the detonating system, which, at no small expense, I have tried by every kind of experiment, in order to be able to give my opinion to the public independent, instead of with the assistance, of gun- makers. ry quick, and that as the birds required to be so taken are usually at a distance, an elevation, at all events, can do no harm. If you cannot acquire the knack of doing this, your snap- shot birds, being struck in the breast, will go off, and tower before they drop. If you have a double gun, always contrive as much as possible to get cross shots (which you will most likely do by walking across, or heading your dog, instead of going, like a bungler, directly from him FINISHING LESSONS to the game), or otherwise your second barrel birds, by flying straight away up wind, down wind, or, in short, in the smoke, may sometimes defy the best shot in Europe. Recollect further, that, as birds fly across you, they not only become clear of the smoke, but give you more time, and present to your charge a more vital part. Be assured there is a great deal of generalship (if I may use the expression) as well as marksmanship in showing off a brilliant day's shooting. But, when a man, over his bottle, talks to his company of killing to a certainty double shots in whatever situation you choose to spring the game, within forty yards, " hear him," as Lord Chesterfield says, " with patience, and at least seeming attention ;" although you might feel disposed to confer on him the order of the long bow, or put him on your list for a knight's companion of the golden hatchet. Recollect, however, it is but liberal to allow those persons who have most frequently the mortification to do but little, the comfort of astonishing the cre- dulous by talking a great deal. In firing at random distances, where birds are crossing you at the distance of sixty or seventy yards, the average of good shots generally present not more than half a foot before them. But it should be re- collected, that after the shot has been driven through the air to the point blank distance, it travels so much slower, that the allowance must be greatly increased; and that although a few inches may be sufficient to fire before a fair cross shot, yet at sixty IN SHOOTING. 133 or seventy yards I should fire at least two or three feet before the bird, if it went with any velocity. Let any one of my young readers, who shoots fairly, try this against one that adopts the ordinary system, and see who will make the greatest number of long shots. While attending to this, however, he must take care not to present too low, but pitch his gun well up, or, if any thing, full high for the mark. In shooting by guess at rabbits, or any thing in covert, fire at least a foot or two before the object, because, on losing sight of it, your hand will imper- ceptibly obey the eye in coming to a sort of check, by which you will invariably shoot a long way be- hind it. In walking up to your dogs, in turnips or high stubble, when birds are wild, lift your legs high; and by thus making less noise, you will get twice as near to your game. If a dog stands at a high hedge, go yourself on the opposite side, and let your servant be sent where the dog stands. When he hears you arrive opposite let him call to you ; and when you are ready for him to beat the hedge, give a whistle, because a bird, being less alarmed at a whistle than a man's voice, will most likely come out on your side. Some people heigh the dogs in. This, I need not tell a sportsman, is the way to spoil them, and to prevent them from being stanch on such occasions. It sometimes hap- pens, that there is a close twisted hedge on the opposite side, so that the birds, in order to extricate 134 FINISHING LESSONS themselves, must face the dog ; and it is for want of cunning to do this that young birds are so often caught in hedges, to the great delight of ammu- nition savers and pot-hunters. In the latter case, keep with your dogs, and send round your man to poke the hedge with a stick. If your object is to get a great deal of game on the same beat, provided you have it to yourself, do not go out above three days in a week. By so doing you will kill at least twice as much as by following the birds without intermission. Many people, who wish to secure all the partridges they can during the month of September, make a point of shooting every day, and are quite disconcerted if they lose even half a day's sport. All this is natural enough in keen young sportsmen, and very well, provided they have fresh dogs and fresh ground to beat, but under other circumstances they would stand no chance with a man who went out three times a week ; because his birds, having intervening days to be left quiet, would lie so much better, that he, towards the end of the month, would continue to fill his bag, while another would have so driven and harassed his coveys, that he would scarcely be able to get a fair single, much less a double shot. (I name this, and indeed all I have asserted, not as a mere opinion, but as the result of decided proofs, that I have witnessed no small number of times.) In boisterous weather, contrive, as much as you can, to sport on the windward part of your beat, or IN SHOOTING. 135 you will drive the birds away from your own pro- perty to where they may fall a prey to other shooters, or be driven into the heart of another manor by some knowing gamekeeper. Many old sportsmen will not beat their ground at all in windy weather. This I hold to be bad, for birds run a great deal when it blows hard ; and, by such means, often run out of bounds. When birds are young and tame, a windy day is generally the ruin of good sport ; but when they are strong and wild, the most boisterous weather is frequently the best for one who shoots quick and well, as the birds cannot hear so far, and will often lie the closer, for the sake of shelter. For one who happens to be deprived of his only dog at the critical time of the shooting, or when there is no scent, on a dry sultry day, there is many a worse plan for killing birds than to get two boys to drag the ground with a rope, from ten to twenty yards long, kept down with a weight or stone at each end. This plan first struck me from the immense number of birds that have been sprung by the land-measurers, after harvest, at a time when the best of sportsmen have left behind them a great deal of game. If there is one shooter, he should keep in the middle, a little behind the rope, and the boys should be well drilled to drop like dogs when the game rises. But if two shooters, then one may be on each flank, and the rope may have a longer sweep. For a person who has regular business to attend, and therefore can only go out for a few hours in the 136 FINISHING LESSONS day, I should, in September, always recommend him to dine at one o'clock, and shoot in the afternoon (the grand time for filling the bag). His nerves are then sure to be in a pretty good state for shooting, and his head perhaps would then be less disposed for application. When he returns, let him take with his refreshment tea or coffee, instead of other beverage, after which he will feel himself cool, clear- headed, and again fit for business, instead of being disposed to throw himself into an arm-chair and snore away the evening in concert with his dog. Do not let him think that by thus advising I wish to deprive him of his nightcap, or he may at once con- demn me and my book for ever ! No ! if he likes grog, or other liquor, he may finish the evening with a bucketful, only let business be first done, and put out of the way. For gentlemen who require a delicate hand in drawing, mechanism, surgical operations, music, &c. &c., I should advise them always to shoot in gloves, and the moment they return from the field to wash their hands in very warm water, using with it a more than usual quantity of soap ; or their hands, by con- stant shooting, will, for a time, become so coarse and hard as to spoil and unfit them, in some degree, for that nicety which may be required in their more valuable occupations. Many people cannot, or rather fancy that they cannot shoot in gloves, and conse- quently their hands become as coarse as those of a gamekeeper, which, utterly as I abhor dandyism, IN SHOOTING. 137 I must yet observe is not quite in unison with the general appearance of a perfect gentleman. I shall, therefore, recommend to them dark kid gloves, which will stand a month's shooting much better than might be supposed ; and if they fit nicely to the fingers, are so thin as not to be the least incumbrance between the triggers. Of these and other gloves, the best and strongest that I can anywhere procure are sold by Mr. Painter, No. 27, Fleet-street. If a person is extremely nervous from hearing the report of his gun, or from the noise of the rising game, let him prime his ears with cotton, and his inside with tincture of bark and sal volatile. It sometimes happens that a covey of birds is always to be found, but never to be got at ; and are always seen going over one hedge, as soon as you arrive at the other. In this case let the shooter, if distressed for a brace of birds, place himself behind the hedge they fly over, and send a person round to drive the birds to him. He will then probably get a double shot, and very likely disperse the covey. When birds are so wild that they will not lie, you often see them running across a barren field ; in which case keep out of sight, if you can, and make a little noise, in order to drive them to the opposite hedge, but do not show yourself, or they will, perhaps, fly up, and be afterwards so much on the alert as not to be got at without great manoeuvring. When birds run (but are not visible on the 138 FINISHING LESSONS ground, and the dogs keep drawing across a whole field), as they will do, most particularly in a dry easterly wind, they are almost sure to get up at a long distance. My recipe on this occasion is to have a man on horseback, and make him take an immense circle, and after he thinks he has arrived well a-head of the birds, to gallop up and down in a transverse direction, by which means, between the two enemies, the covey are often induced to squat down close in their own defence ; or, what is even better, to disperse before they take flight. If you have a piece of turnips very near a small covert, into which you wish birds to be driven for good shooting, at a time when the birds have become wild, be careful what you are about in windy weather ; because birds, when shot at, will of course fly much farther than if quietly sprung, and particularly if borne away by the wind. It will often happen, there- fore, that by your refusing two or three shots on such an occasion, you will get twenty or thirty shots after the birds (which from running among the turnips frequently become dispersed) are dropped all over the covert ; whereas if this covert is not very large, they might probably have flown beyond it had you discharged a gun. Many eager sportsmen, how- ever, would be loath to trust to such a lottery, and argue, that " a bird in hand is worth two in the bush ;" but such I have proved to be the case ; and this, as well as every other part that relates to shoot- IN SHOOTING. 139 ing, has been pencilled down in the field, with a query as to its future confirmation; and if it has stood repeated tests, entered in MS. for this work. If birds are so very wild that all fair and quiet shooting fails, they are still, ninety-nine times in a hundred, to be got, if absolutely wanted, to win a wager; fora sick person; or any very particular purpose. But the process for this is any thing but steady sport- ing, and can only be well followed in an open country. It is simply to establish a picket of mounted markers, with directions to give a signal when the birds drop ; on receiving which you must gallop to the one who has watched the birds down, arid instantly gallop with him to within about eighty yards of the spot. Then spring from your horse, and walk briskly to the birds, without a dog, taking care to advance, if possible, in a direction that may drive them to the best of your other markers. Many a brace of birds have I seen bagged this way, before an old dog could canter up fast enough, even to be in at the death, much less to run the risk of spoiling your shot for want of scent. In calm weather, after September, never go bellow- ing out " P o n t o" " T o h o" &c. (like a boy hooting at birds on corn). Your keeper will do this, at another time, if the dog requires it, and be pleased with his own noise. But rather take your chance of the second dog's seeing the point in time ; or you may probably do much more harm than the very dog that you are rating. If, however, the dog is going down wind, the case alters ; but even then I 140 FINISHING LESSONS, ETC. should rather try the expedient of a menacing at- titude, seconded by a clod of dirt, or a turnip, to using my voice on such an occasion. (Of course I mean if I wanted birds, otherwise a good sportsman ought always to lose a shot, rather than neglect his dogs). If you really want game, when the scent is bad, and see precisely where a covey has dropped, let your dogs be taken up, and go first without them ; and if the birds get up singly, never think of picking them up, but make the best of your time in loading and firing. Should you, however, want your dogs, have them one at a time, by making a signal, or whistling to your man who holds them ; but do not speak, lest, by so doing, you might spring the covey. If you have a small beat, rather give leave to one of the best shots in England, who is content to shoot twice a week, than to an idle bungler, who is loung- ing out with a gun every day; because the one, although he kills game himself, does not prevent you from doing the same, while the other, by harassing the birds, day after day, without intermission, will make them wild, and very probably drive them into another country. The foregoing are a few hints that I had hitherto kept to myself; but as now (thanks neither to age nor imprudence, but to accidental circumstances) I have no longer eyes or nerves for pretensions to the name of a shot, the greatest pleasure that can possibly remain for me is to resign the little I have learnt for PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 141 the benefit of young sportsmen. The rising genera- tion of shooters might otherwise be left, as I was for many years, to find out all these little matters, which not one man in a thousand (admitting that he knows them) likes to impart to another ; and yet which are so necessary to be known, before even the best shots among them would be able to cope with a crafty old sportsman. PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. MOST young sportsmen, and many old ones, fancy that nothing great can be done on the first day, with- out they go out as soon as they can see to distinguish a bird from a dog. This may possibly be necessary for those who start from a town, where two or three unfortunate coveys are to be contended for by half the lawyers, doctors, schoolmasters, sporting parsons, and tradesmen in the place ; but under other circum- stances, this is the very worst method that can be adopted. In the first place, the birds being at this time on the feed, will not always lie well. By your spring- ing them from the run, the covey are pretty sure to take wing altogether ; and being once disturbed in this state, it becomes, afterwards, much more difficult to disperse them, than if they had been left quiet till the dew had dried on the stubble. Secondly, you throw off with long shots instead of fair ones ; which, to say the least of it, is not a favourable beginning 142 PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. either for yourself or dogs. Thirdly, for one who may have no relay of pointers or setters, it should be recollected, how much better bestowed would be the work, which he takes out of them while slaving to little purpose in the dew of the morning, if he re- served it for the afternoon. This, from about three till six, is the time of day (in the early part of the season), that all the best shots are to be got. The birds are then scattered, and driven to the low grounds and meadows : where, with steady dogs, they may be found one or two at a time, and kicked up as fast as he can load and fire. The most partridges I have seen bagged in a day by one person, in a country not preserved, were twenty-three brace, in killing which I remember, that although he began in the very best quarter, and every thing favoured, as well as it possibly could do, his starting at daylight, yet he only got three shots before nine o'clock. Although he had four relays of dogs, yet he felt confident that he should have killed at least seven brace more, if he had left the coveys undisturbed till about half past seven or eight. The person who performed this, and the double shooting before alluded to, went out 111 a subsequent year at nine o'clock, surrounded by other shooting parties, who had been hard at work since the break of day. He had this season a far inferior breed of birds, arid he had only one, and that a very old dog. He took refreshment, and rested from twelve till two ; PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. shot again till six, and then went home to dinner, having killed fifty partridges and a hare, with only missing two very long shots, though he invariably used both his barrels whenever the coveys rose within gunshot. To this one dog he bagged in all, at dif- ferent times, in a wild country, 3163 head of game. Much game as I have seen killed in a September day, I do not recollect one solitary instance of any thing extraordinary being done very early in the morning. With regard to where, and how we are to beat for game, &c. &c. it would now be unneces- sary to inform even a schoolboy ; and, indeed, others having mentioned all particulars, is a sufficient reason for my not imposing on the reader's patience with what he will have seen before, and what, to describe, would lead me into the very subject of other sporting- authors. Suffice it therefore to say, that the great object is, first to have good markers * judiciously placed, and then to disperse the birds ; the best way to do which is to head your dogs, by taking an ex- tensive circle. The second is, to make no more noise than what cannot absolutely be avoided, by doing as much by signal and whistling, and as little by halloo- ing as possible. Thirdly, go first on hills to find, * Always be sure to tell a young marker that he must carry his eye well forward when a covey of birds begin to skim in their flight, and consider, that as they may continue doing so for a field or two, he cannot safely say that he has marked them down, till he has seen them stop sod' flap their wings, which all game must do, before they can alight on the ground. 144 AROUSE SHOOTING. and drive down from them, the birds, and then in vales to kill them. Fourthly, when distressed for partridges, in a scarce country at the end of the sea- son, take a horse, and gallop from one turnip field to another, instead of regularly slaving after inaccessible coveys. Many an excellent shot has come home with an empty bag, under the following circumstances. He has gone out in a cold raw day, and found that the birds were scarce and wild, and that even in turnips they would not lie. But had he then tried one kind of land, to which almost every man, as well as his dog, has a dislike the fallows, he might possibly have got some good double shots ; because the birds, finding it a misery to run here, particularly if he walked across the fallows, will sometimes lie till they are sprung the fairest possible shots. GROUSE SHOOTING. THE foregoing observations relative to partridges may be nearly as well applied to grouse shooting, when we recollect that Lord Strathmore's keeper in killing forty -three brace of muir-game before two o'clock in the afternoon, had only bagged three birds at eight in the morning. [This, however, is nothing in comparison to the recent performances of Lord Kennedy, and many others of our first-rate shots.] The chief difficulty to be guarded against in this delightful sport is the manoeuvre of the old cock, GROUSE SHOOTING. 145 who runs cackling forward, in order to lead you away from the brood. Old sportsmen and old dogs, how- ever, should be too well aware of this stale trick to pay any farther attention to him, than to destroy him, if possible, on his first appearance. A dog, who has been used to this sport, will sometimes head him, and be too cunning for him; or at all events will not suffer him to prevent the sportsman from getting a good shot at the rest of the pack. Tojiml muir-game at the beginning of the season, take as many pointers or setters as you can get to hunt steadily together. To kill them, when found and marked down, take up all but one stanch dog. For shooting grouse, select a fine sunshiny day, .from about eight till five in August or September, and from about eleven till two at the later periods of the season, as they are then extremely wild, and will only lie tolerably during the few hours which are favoured by a warm sun. Unless the weather is very fine, you will see them running and getting up five hundred yards before you. In this case, let one per- son take an immense circle, so as to head them, while the other remains behind, to press them forward when he is ready ; and above all things you should, for killing them at this time of the year, use No. 1, 2, or 3, shot, in the largest single gun that you can possibly manage. Grouse take a harder blow than partridges, and do not fly quite so regular and steady. Scotland is the best place for this sport, as the heather there being much higher, they will lie closer L 146 GROUSE SHOOTING. than in Yorkshire and the other moors of England : add to which, the sport there has, in many parts, the pleasing addition of blackcock and ptarmigan shoot- ing. Such, however, is the misery of the Highland public houses, and particularly to our perfumed young men of fashion, that I have generally observed nine out of ten of them, however good may have been their sport, come home cursing and swearing most bitterly about their wooden births, peat fires, and oatmeal cakes* I have had very good grouse shooting close to the inn at Arden Caple, in Dunbartonshire, although in the depth of winter, when interspersed with wood- cocks and wildfowl. But these birds then lose their fine flavour, and become somewhat similar in taste to a dry red-legged partridge. The Highland shepherds poach them in the snow, by means of decoying them to an ambush with an imitation of their call, and then raking them with a large gun. "To send grouse any distance, put some pepper to the parts where they have been shot, as well as into their mouths, and then pack them, carefully separated from each other, and kept as air-tight as possible, in boxes of hops. PHEASANT SHOOTING, &C. 147 SHOOTING PHEASANTS, &c. &c. WITH A FEW DIRECTIONS TO THE INEXPERIENCED FOR RECOVERING THEIR OWN GAME, IF UNHANDSOMELY DRIVEN FROM THEM, SHOOTING IN COVERT, &c. &c. FOR shooting phcasau ts it often becomes necessary to start very early in the morning, as they are apt to lie during the day in high covert, where it is almost impossible to shoot them till the leaf has fallen from the trees. We can never be at a loss in knowing where to go for pheasants, as we have only to send some one the previous evening, for the last hour before sunset, to watch the different barley or oat stubbles of a woodland country, and on these will be regularly displayed the whole contents of the neigh- bouring coverts. It then remains to be chosen, which woods are the best calculated to shoot in ; and, when we begin beating them, it must be remembered to draw the springs, so as to intercept the birds from the old wood. If the coverts are wet, the hedge-rows will be an excellent beginning, provided we here also attend well to getting between the birds and their places of security. If pheasants, when feeding, are approached by a man, they generally run into covert ; but if they see a dog* they are apt to fly up. If a person holds land, over which keepers have a reservation, and therefore drive it in the morning to 148 PHEASANT SHOOTING, &C. spoil his sport, he should sprinkle it well with barley and white pease, for which the pheasants would most likely come back again in the evening, and he has then only to begin beating with his back to the extreme point of his liberty, and the birds, being cut off in their retreat, will either fly to him, or lie very dose. If the wind should blow strong from the preserves, or if the foxhounds should happen to run through them, he would then, by this means, be still more sure of having retaliation on those who had been taking pains to defeat him in the fair and lawful amusement of sporting on his own ground. This plan, however, would be followed with little success, if the person -adopting it should take out a cry of noisy spaniels, or a set of wild pointers. He should recollect, that, in order to intercept the birds, he may be obliged to work down the wind, and it therefore becomes necessary that he should have only one steady old pointer, or setter, who will keep within gunshot, and quarter his ground with cunning and caution, so as to work round every stem of under- wood, instead of hastily ranging forward ; and, above all, be well broke, either to fall to the gun, or lie down when he has brought a bird. There are very few old sportsmen but what are aware that this is by far the most sure method of killing pheasants, or any other game, where they are tolerably plentiful, in covert ; and although to explore and beat several hundred acres of coppice, it becomes necessary to have a party with spaniels, yet, on such PHEASANT SHOOTING, &C. 149 expeditions, we rarely hear of any one getting much game to his own share, except some sly old fellow, who has shirked from his companions to the end of the wood, where the pheasants, and particularly the cock birds, on hearing the approach of a rabble, are all running, like a retreating army, and perhaps flying in his face faster than he can load and fire. For one alone to get shots in a thick underwood, a brace or two of very well broke spaniels would, of course, be the best. But were I obliged to stake a considerable bet (taking one beat with another, where game was plentiful), I should back, against the sports- man using them, one who took out a very high couraged old pointer, that would keep near him, and would, on being told, break his point to dash in, and put the pheasants to flight before they could run out of shot. This office may be also performed by a Newfoundland dog ; but, as first getting a point would direct the shooter where to place himself for & fair shot, the Newfoundland dog would always do best kept close to his heels, and only made use of to assist in this ; and particularly for bringing the game; as we rarely see a pointer, however expert in fetching his birds, that can follow and find the wounded ones half so well as the real St. John's Newfoundland dog. It will, of course, be recollected, that the pointer kept for this purpose should never be taken with re- gular broke dogs. He will, however, before the sea- son for pheasant shooting, be as well tvorth his keep 150 PHEASANT SHOOTING, &C. as spaniels, by the service he will render his master (single handed) among potatoes and bean-fields ; the beating in which (and particularly if there are land- rails, or red-legged partridges) is by no means a good practice for thorough-broke pointers or setters. It often happens that the boundary of a liberty ends with a broad hedgerow, which may be too high to shoot in, and may have land on the other side belonging to some one who is not on terms with the owner, and for whose property all his game fly out on the wrong side of this little covert. He has then only to sow sunflower-seeds, and plant Jerusalem artichokes for the pheasants ; and Swedish turnips, Dutch clover, or parsley, for the hares, on his own side, and cut down a space broad enough to shoot, on the enemy's side, in the hedgerow, which will soon induce him to compromise on equitable terms: be- cause, should his competitor even do the same, he will most probably still have his share ; and, if not, he will get away a great part of his game. If the hedgerow is hollow at the bottom, he should send some one to the end of it, as many of the old hares would probably run forward rather than cross him, or take away from home. If a rival shooter (some stranger) races to get before you, push him hard for a long time, always letting him have rather the advantage, and then give him the double without his seeing you. Having done this, go quietly round (supposing you have been beating up wind) ; and, on, reaching the place where VHEASANT SHOOTING, &C. 151 you began, work closely and steadily the whole of the ground or covert that you have both been racing over, and you will be sure to kill more game than him, who is beating and shooting in haste, through fear of 'your getting up to him ; and (if the wind should rise) driving the dispersed, and, consequently, closest lying birds to your beat, as fast as he finds them. When staying in a town, take care not to let every one know where you shoot, by pompously riding through it with a display of guns and dogs; but either send on the latter in the dark, or take them closely shut up in your dog-cart. If driving, cover your shooting dress with a box coat : if on horseback, ride out of the town on some road diametrically op- posite to where your sport lies, and then double back again on other roads, or by crossing the country. If you return by daylight, enter the town again by this means, or at all events in the most quiet and private manner, otherwise you will soon have your beat (if on a neutral place) worked by every townsman, who can muster a dog and gun. If there is one month worse than another for the amusement of shooting, I should be apt to consider that it is November. The warmer weather of Sep- tember and October is then gone by, and the birds become wild and cunning. The fall of the leaf, with the sports of rabbit, woodcock, snipe, and wildfowl shooting, are not in general to be fully enjoyed till December and January ; so that, in the event .of a 152 COCK SHOOTING. sportsman finding it necessary to leave the country during the shooting season, on any business, the precise time for which might be at his own option, I should advise him to choose this, the middle month, for laying aside his gun. COCK SHOOTING. THE pursuit of woodcocks, with good spaniels, may be termed the fox-hunting of shooting! A real good sportsman feels more gratified by kill- ing a woodcock, or even a few snipes, than bags full of game, that have been reared on his own or neigh- bour's estate ; and one who does not, may be con- sidered a pot hunter. In a country where cocks are scarce, be sure to put a marker in a tree, before you attempt to flush one a second time ; and when you have marked down a cock, remember how very apt he is to run, instead of rising from the spot in which you may have seen him drop. If a cock flies away, and continues to rise wild, go safely beyond where he may have last dropped, and then back again to beat for him (leaving some one to make a noise on the side where you had before advanced on him), and he will then most likely either lie close, or fly towards you. If this will not do, take your station quietly to windward (as cocks generally fly against the wind), give a whistle when you are ready, and let the other person then draw on, and flush him. His cry of " Mark !" will assist in frightening and driving SNIPE SHOOTING. 153 the cock forward, and be a signal for your pre- paration. No more on cock shooting, as directions enough about it have been given by other authors. SNIPE SHOOTING. THE pursuit of snipes is declined by many, who plead their inability to kill them ; than which, no- thing may be easier acquired, by a pretty good shot. Snipe shooting is like fly fishing : you should not fix a day for it, but when you have warm windy weather, saddle your horse and gallop to the stream, with all possible despatch. Should there have been much rain, allow the wind to dry the rushes a little before you begin to beat the best ground, or the snipes may not lie well. Although these birds frequent wet places, yet the very spot on which they sit requires to be dry to their breasts, in order to make them sit close ; or, in other words, lie well. If they spring from nearly under your feet, remain perfectly unconcerned, till they have done twisting, and then bring up your gun and fire ; but, if you present it in haste, they so tease and flurry, that you become nervous, and, from a sort of panic, cannot bring the gun up to a proper aim. If, on the other hand, they rise at a moderate distance, down with them before they begin their evolutions. When they cross, be sure to fire well forward, and (if you pos- sibly can) select, as I before said, a windy day for this 154 SNIPE SHOOTING COMBINED amusement ; as snipes then usually lie better, and, on being sprung, hang against the wind, and become a good mark. In springing snipes, always contrive to get to windward of them, by which you will be more likely to prevent their moving, and seldom fail to get a cross shot ; in taking which a young sportsman is not so liable to be confused by their twisting. To kill snipes, first go silently down wind to walk up the wilder ones ; afterwards let go an old pointer up wind to find those which may have lain so close as to allow you to pass : and before you spring them, take care to make a circle, and head your dog. Look always for snipes in places which are not frozen. I have always found, that the worst time to shoot snipes is in a white frost, as these birds then ge- nerally take to the uplands, or get into some rivulet, in small whisps, or flocks, and spring up all together, instead of being well dispersed, and thereby affording a number of shots, as they do in boisterous weather. But, after & frost has brought the snipes into the country, you are pretty sure of good sport on the first open windy day that follows it. Stick to these birds when once you find them, as they may all disappear in one night. Before I conclude under the head of " snipe shoot- ing," I am induced to insert a letter that I wrote to Mr. Martin, wherein I had occasion to introduce this subject. I hope my readers will pardon me for copying the letter at full length; as, although in WITH TROUT FISHING. 155 other parts wholly irrelevant to the present subject, yet it all, more or less, may concern young sports- men. They may, however, say, and with reason, what can snipe shooting have to do viiihfly foMng f With their indulgence then, I will tell them : Most young sportsmen, probably some old ones, are not aware, that no two sports may be better combined than snipe shooting arid trout fishing ! The snipes are never better than in February and March, and at this time the trout are often pretty good, and of course much easier caught by a young angler than when in high season, as they have then scarcely tasted a gnat, and will rise at any thing. A dark and mild dry day, with a good breeze from the south and west, is the most favourable time for both of these sports, which may also be combined at the fall of the year, when the trout, and particularly the large ones, often remain in high season. Mr. Martin, it appears, has published rny letter in his second edition, from which I copy it verbatim, and wherein he does me the honour to say " Major P. Hawker, who is an entire stranger to me, further than as the well-known author of that much-admired work, entitled ' Instructions to Young Sportsmen,' has done me the favour to transmit the following letter : " Longparish House, October llth, 1818. " SIR, " On my return to this place, I was favoured with a copy of the ' >\fiurlxmun'x Calendar,' which you have done me 156 SNIPE SHOOTING COMBINED the honour to send ; and which, no less for its utility than for the remembrance of your attention, shall have a place in my library. " I can, without flattery, assure you, that I am well pleased with the work, because you have comprised, in a small compass, all the necessary information ; and, instead of prosing on the various subjects, and taking up the trade of book-making, by the detail of useless anecdotes, that are perhaps nothing more extra- ordinary than have occurred to every old sportsman, or have been handed, for ages, from one book to another, you have judiciously- inserted that which is most useful on other points. In short, you have given, in the way of directions, recipes, &c., all that can be required for a good sportsman j and then, very properly, devoted the remainder of your little volume to the purpose of be- coming an universal, though portable, calendar. " As I see you have thought a few of my instructions worthy of notice, permit me to observe, that there are two points on which I dissent from you in opinion : " 1 st. About cocking the gun after the bird rises : I have so many times nearly had one of my dogs killed by young shooters letting the cock escape from the thumb before the scear had caught the tumbler (through eagerness to fire), that I have, by subsequent experience, found less danger in allowing them to cock their gun when the dog stands, making it my first object to see that their guns are always carried in a safe direction. No man can kill double shots brilliantly in December, if he takes down his gun to cock the second barrel ; and, as for danger, Mr. Joseph Manton's gravitating stops, which may be put to any gun, will preclude the possibility of an accident, even admitting that you are so unfit to be trusted with a double gun as to load one barrel without uncocking the other. " 2dly. With regard to Snipes : It is only when they lie well that you can allow them to finish their twisting ; the greater part of them require to be taken extremely quick, and the knack of doing this constitutes the crack snipe-shot, who will kill a dozen WITH TROUT FISHING. 157 of those birds where a slow poking warksman of the old school can only fire his gun a few times. " Having been thus far so rude as to criticise your work on the subject of shooting, allow me to make the amende honorable by giving you a useful hint on trout Jishing ; viz. For small rivers the yellow dun, as made by Chevalier, is, in the long run, worth all the other flies put together j and I can safely assert, that my sport has never been so good as when fishing through the whole season with this fly at the end, and a small red palmer for a bob*. A great deal, however, depends on throwing well, so that the gut should drop on the water before any part of the line, which is seldom the case when our soi-disant anglers fish with their whole bodies : and, instead of throwing gracefully from the wrist, which ought to be done equally well with either the left or the right hand, they labour like a person threshing, and keep bowing like a candidate to his constituents at an election. What is the consequence of thus flogging the water? they frighten away the large fish, and catch only the small ones. " With many apologies for the scarcely legible manner in which the greatest haste, and an accumulation of unanswered letters oblige me to write, " I have the honour to remain, " Sir, " Your obedient humble servant, " P. HAWKER, " P. S. One who can throw a fly well across the wind has a great advantage in catching the large fish, as in this case the line, before it falls, becomes for a moment suspended over the water, and therefore drops lighter than when thrown directly with the wind." * It would be ridiculous to lay down this as a rule for every county. I only speak of the small rivers that I happen to have fished for many years, in Hampshire and part of Dorsetshire, concerning which I can therefore speak from experience. 158 TROUT FISHING. TROUT FISHING, &c. As this letter has led us into trout fishing, it may really be worth while (before I proceed to the alphabet of birds) to make a few remarks on this favourite pursuit, for the information of the young sportsman, because, although much has been, yet a little more may be said on the subject, as every art must daily improve in a new school. A few hints, however, are quite enough on that which is foreign to our title. Almost every one is now-a-days a " piscator? The Fanatico, about Easter, goes off as busy as the cockney on his wunter, when bound to Epping. He generally takes a great many things, and kills a few fish. The old angler takes a few things, and kills a great many fish. Some dark, warm, windy, drizzly days, early or late in the season, and particularly when a fine breeze blows from off the banks of a river, where no one has begun fishing, the trout are so easily taken, that a basket full is but little proof of skill. One might then almost train a monkey to catch a trout. But, at other times, and particularly when fish are well fed, is the time to see who is, and who is not, an angler. About ninety in a hundred fancy themselves anglers. About one in a hundred is an angler. About ten in a hundred throw the hatchet better than a fly. Here we take the average. Now for a few very common faults. One who lets his fly lie TROUT FISHING. 159 too long in the water, after dropping it, is a better killer of time than of fish. He who tries to land a large fish against weeds and stream, when he can take him down, or allows a fish so much line as to be able to rub his nose against the bottom, may be considered as one in need of a fishing-master. Enough, how- ever, of defects. I will now, therefore, take in hand the best fly rod I have (which was made by the late Mr. Higginbotham*), and a set of tackle, as made to my order, by Chevalier (No. 1 2, Bell Yard, Temple Bar), with a pen and ink before me. Though I should first premise, that I only speak of fishing in a trout stream. I have no right to go further, because a man cannot be answerable for what he publishes, unless all his statements and representations are faithfully written, on the .spot, and with the material* before him. The directions for a two-handed fly rod (for trout In a small rirerj, I leave to those who can see the use of it ; for my own part, I can see none, except to drop the natural may-fly with, or to facilitate the art to those who have not learned it in the best manner. Now, then, to the point. ROD. About twelve feet three inches long, and about fourteen ounces in weight. It must not be * Mr. Higginbotham was, to my fancy, the best fly rod maker in the kingdom. His successor was Mr. Clark, who retired from the business, which is now carried on in the best possible manner, by Messrs. Willingham, 91, Strand. Chevalier's^orte is a troll- ing-rod, flies, and tackle. In naming these makers of fishing tackle, it would be improper not to say, however, that Ustonson, Holmes, Bowness, and many others, are also excellent performers. 160 TROUT FISHING. top-heavy, nor it must not have too much play in the lower part, but the play should be just in proportion to the gradual tapering ; by which there will be very little spring till after about the third foot of its length. A rod too pliable below is as bad a fault as being too stiff; and, from being too small there, is, of course, more liable to be top-heavy, which nine rods in ten are. The consequence is, they tire the hand, and do not drop the fly so neatly. I have seen some Irish rods (I think of Mr. Martin Kelly's, Dublin), which, if they had not been too pliant, would have been worth any money. REEL. Put on your reel with a plate, and wax- end fifteen inches from the bottom ; and handle your rod close below it, keeping the reel uppermost, as the line then lies on, instead of under, your rod, and is, therefore, less likely to strain the top between the rings. The closer the rings are put together on the top, the less chance, of course, you have of straining or breaking it between them. Use a multiplying click reel, without a stop; and, by not confining it with the hand while throwing, you are sure never to break your rod or line, by happening to raise it suddenly, at the moment you have hooked a large fish or a weed. Let your reel be full large in pro- portion to the quantity of line, or it will not always go pleasantly with it in winding up. GUT and FLIES. Use about eight feet of gut, and the addition of that on the tail fly will bring the whole foot-line to about three yards. Put on your TROUT FISHING. 161 bob fly a few inches below the middle ; or, if in a very weedy river, within little more than a yard of the other; lest, while playing a fish with the bob, your tail fly may get caught in a weed. More gut than is here prescribed will be found an incumbrance when you want to get a fish up tight ; insomuch, that, of the two, I would rather have a little less than more of it. A small fly-book may, of course, be taken ; and I should recommend it on my plan, which is of Russia- leather, in order to repel the moth. This no one will do better for you than Chevalier. A common bearer hat is the best thing to hook, and keep flies on ; and, if you have not two rods by the river side, always keep a gut length and flies ready to put on, round your hat, in order to avoid the waste of time and torment which you would have, if you had much entangled your line. The beauty of fishing is to do the business quick (though not in a hurry), because this sport is every moment dependent on the weather. Walton says, " before using, soak what lengths you have in water for half an hour" In the new school, I should rather say, draw what lengths you want through Indian rubber for half a quarter of a minute. Let a gut-length or two (ready fitted up with flies), and also a few spare tail flies be thus prepared to go on in an instant, and put round your hat. For flies (as Barker observes for his night angling) take white M TROUT FISHING. for darkness ; red in medio ; and black for lightness. The yellow dun and red palmer, which has a black head, partake a little of all, and therefore, with the addition of a white moth for dark nights, the angler may, in what few rivers I have ever fished, do vastly well. No doubt, however, that an occasional variety of flies might answer a little better, and particularly if these had been too much hacknied by other people. But, in the long run, I have never found sufficient advantage from variety to be troubled with taking more than two or three kinds of flies. And as to carrying, as many do, a huge book of flies, nearly as large as a family bible, for common trout streams- it is like a beginner in drawing, who uses twenty cakes of colour or more, where a quarter the number, if properly managed, would answer the same purpose. The " piscator" however, has a right to take what he pleases. He may go to the river side with a book of this sort, or even twelve pounds of lead in his pocket ; they will both, perhaps, be equally necessary. But who has a right to find fault ? If he is deter- mined to go well laden to the river why let him. With regard to hooks, I have always found the Irish ones far superior to ours. The best, I believe, are bought in Limerick. Now I have given the outline as to tackle, I will proceed as to throwing ; not in my chair, with a pen and ink ; but with a pencil and a book, on the banks of the river. TROUT FISHING. 163 # * * # * THROWING A FI.Y. I am just returned from the river (and, by the way, not badly repaid for my trouble), and, as near as I could there bring the matter to paper, shall now say as follows : In throwing a fly, raise the arm well up, without labouring with your body. Send the fly both backwards and forwards by a sudden ftpr/tig of the wrist. Do not draw the fly too near, or you lose your purchase for sending it back, and therefore require an extra sweep in the air, before you can get it into play again. If, after sending it back, you make the counterspring a moment too soon you will whip off your tail fly, and if a moment too late your line will fall in a slovenly manner. The knack of catching this time is, there- fore, the whole art of throwing well. The motion should be just sufficiently circular to avoid this ; but if too circular, the spring receives too much check, and the gut will then most probably not drop before the silk line. In a word, allow the line no more than just time to unfold, before you repeat the spring of the wrist. This must be done, or you will hear a crack, and find that you have whipped off yom tail fly. For this reason, I should recommend beginners to learn, at first, with only a bob ; or they will soon empty their own, or their friend's fishing book : and, at all events, to begin learning with a moderate length of line. I have observed, that those young men who have supple wrists, and the power to whip off flies, ulti- M 2 164 TROUT FISHING. mately make better anglers than those who do not, because, in this action, like most things, there is really but one step between the sublime and the ridiculous : and the poor fellow, who makes no attempt with energy, will most probably, in this, as in other pursuits, remain all his life in the back- ground. Walton, in speaking of throwing a fly, says we should fish "fine and far off:" but we must except very windy weather, or the result of a very long line may, with a very good angler, be crack and whip off. If therefore you have got into a particular current of wind, where this is the case, wind up your line a few turns, or you may soon lose another fly. Sometimes the wind blows very strong, directly across you from the right, insomuch that it becomes an exertion to raise the rod enough to prevent the line from being blown back. Throwing with the left hand is then a convenience ; but for those who are not able to do this, I can suggest no better makeshift than to raise the rod over the left shoulder, and throw the line by a motion similar to that used with a whip when lightly hitting a leader on the near side. (Any one who has driven in double reins will know what I mean.) I made a point of killing some fish this way, in order to try the experiment, which is, of course, a mere substitute for the best method of throwing. So much for throwing. Now for what few finishing touches I can think of: Avoid, if you can, going too close to the edge of the water. Throw, if you are an fait enough to do it TROUT FISHING. 165 well, rather for the fly to become for a moment sus- pended across the wind, than directly down the wind ; as it then falls still lighter, and, from this circumstance, is, of course, more likely to deceive a large fish. Prefer dropping the fly just under a bush or hedge, or in an eddy, to the open river, be- cause your line is then more obscured from the light, and the largest fish generally monopolise the pos- session of such places, in order to find, and devour, the more flies and insects : and, also, to be near their places of security. If the spot is quite calm, watch the first good fish that rises, avail yourself imme- diately of the ripple that has been made by the fish himself; and drop in your fly a little above where he last rose. Never let your line lie too long, as by so doing you cither expose your tackle to the fish by leaving it stationary, or draw the line in so close, that you lose both the power of striking your fish, if he rises, and that of getting a good sweep for your next throw. The first fall of the fly, in fishing, is like t\\e first sight of a bird m presenting a gun always the I test. KILLING YOUII FISH. A small fish is, of course, not even worth the wear and tear of a reel. But, if you happen to hook a good one, wind up immediately; and the moment you have got him under command of a short line, hold your rod well on the bend, with just purchase enough to keep him from going under a weed, or rubbing out your hook by boring his nose into the gravel. (Observe a fish, and you will 166 TROUT FISHING. always perceive, that, after he finds he is your prisoner, he does all he can to get down, as the best means of escape.) After getting your fish under the command of a short line and well bent rod, let him run, and walk by the side of him, keeping a delicate hold of him, with just purchase enough, as I before observed, to prevent his going down. When he strikes, ease him at the same instant ; and when he becomes faint, pull him gently down stream : and, as soon as you have overpowered him, get his nose up to the top of the water; and, when he is nearly drowned, begin to tow him gently towards the shore. Never attempt to lift him out of the water by the line, but hawi him on to some sloping place, then stick the spike of your rod in the ground ; with the rod a little on the bend ; crawl slily up as quick as possible, and put your hands under him, and not too forward, as a trout thus situated is apt to slip back ; so that handling him this way must be rather a different touch from that of weed-groping. If you use a landing net (which for saving time, and par- ticularly where the banks are steep, is sometimes a necessary appendage) let it be as light as possible ; very long in the handle ; and three times as large as what people generally carry. Take care that neither that, nor the man who may assist you with it, goes even in sight of the water till the fish is brought well to the surface, and fairly within reach ; and then you have only to put the net under him, or keep his eyes above water, and tow him into it. Mind this ; or TROUT FISHING. 167 the landing net and your man will prove enemies, instead of assistants, to your sport. Nothing will so soon, or suddenly, rouse a sick fish as the sight of a man or a landing net. With regard to the time and weather for fishing, it is now well known to almost every schoolboy. But it may be proper just to observe, that however favourable the time may be to all appearance, yet trout will seldom rise well just before ram, or when they have been filled by a glut of flies. Moreover, trout will frequently cease to rise well, even at the best of times, from being erery day ic hipped at, by angler 9^ from the same bank. My plan, in this case, is to go to the opposite side, and throw against (or rather under) the wind. A friend arid I once caught two and twenty brace by this means, while a whole tribe of professed anglers, who were fishing from the windward side, caught (as we afterwards heard) but three fish be- tween them. TROLLING, or spinning a minnow, is the other most general mode of trout fishing ; or, I may almost say, trout-fjoac/ihig. It is however very rarely done in a proper manner, though every man, as a matter of course, upholds his own system. I, like all the rest, did the same, till after fancying for years, that I could challenge any one, was beat and laughed at by a trout-killing divine. Now, however, I have not only got master of his plan, against which all others that I had ever seen, read of, or heard of, had no 168 TROUT FISHING. chance whatever; but have remedied a few trifling defects that it had, and put Chevalier in possession of the improvement. The great advantage of it is, that it takes the trout when they run and bite short by means of fly hooks, that play round the other, on a separate branch of line ; so that I have often killed three or four brace of trout, without the minnow being in the least injured, or even touched by the fish. To describe the tackle properly, without giving a plate of it, would be difficult, if not impossible. After all, however, knowing how to bait the hook is the chief art ; and even after being shown, requires practice on the part of the fisherman who adopts it. Supposing, however, that some angler might have confidence enough in what I have said to get a set of this tackle from Chevalier, I will endeavour (having now a minnow in my hand) to direct him as to baiting it. After choosing a white-bellied minnow, of rather small size, and hardening it in bran for an hour or two, First draw back the plummet, and put the large hook into the minnow's mouth, and out through the right gill, taking care not to tear the mouth or any part of the bait : then draw the line three or four inches to you, so as to be able to get the hook back again into its mouth. Then take the minnow between the finger and thumb in the left hand, and the large hook in the right hand, and run the hook all down its back, close to the bone, to the very end of the fish, and let it come out about the TROUT FISHING. 169 centre of the tail fin. Then with your right hand pull the minnow out as straight as it will lie, and press it into natural form with the finger and thumb. Afterwards nip off the upper half of the tail Jin, in order to prevent a counteraction to the spinning of the minnow. Having done this, draw down your plummet again, and see that your branch-line falls smoothly by the side of your bait-line ; and if not, rub it with Indian rubber till it does. Your hook is then ready for action, and action indeed it may be called if properly done. I should observe, that a new gut seldom spins the minnow so well as one that is half worn out (by reason of the stiffness which encircles the minnow's gill). Therefore ten minutes soaking in water, and sometimes a little hard friction of the gut, just above the large hook, may at first be required ; besides the working it with Indian rubber. So much for this plan ; there may be many better ; but all I can say is, that I have not yet seen one fit to be named with it. The rod for trotting should be from eighteen to twenty feet long, and made as light as possible, though neither too pliaUe nor top heavy ; except just the top and bottom, a minnow rod is best when made of cane. This rod of course requires two hands : no matter therefore where the reel is placed. If the top is too stiff, you strain a fish's mouth so much as to run the risk of breaking out his hold, which is nine times in ten on one of the three small fly-hooks. 170 TROUT FISHING. But, if the top is too pliant, the fish will frequently make his escape on first being pricked. Here there- fore, as in all things, the medium is best. A minnow must of course be thrown underhanded, and the line got well on the swing before it is sent out. You should throw it till it comes to its end, and then, by drawing in the hand, give it a little check, so that it should be laid delicately in the water, and not thrown in with a splash. The very instant your minnow is in the water begin drawing it at one unvaried pace, down stream, and then towards you, till near enough to require a fresh throw ; and in this, as well as fly fishing, never keep trying too long in the same place. If a fish comes after your minnow, never stop it, or in any way alter the pace, or he will most likely be off again directly; though, if you can tow your minnow into a rougher place, without giving it any sudden motion, the fish will most likely follow it there, and be still more easily deceived than in the smoother water. To get your bait, use a silk casting- net, and remember, that the chief art in throwing it is to hurl the right hand well round horizontally, instead of inclining it upwards. Keep your bait, with bran, in any thing but tin or metal, which is liable to heat in warm weather. This, I believe, is all that need be said on the best mode of trolling. I have sent for, and read, the whole of this article, on the subject, to his piscatorial reverence, who, after the most rigid criticism that he could make, approved of it in the extreme, as well as of the improvement TllOUT FISHING. 171 in the tackle, with which, before he would pronounce his judgment, he fished for a whole morning. The previous one, on fly fishing, I have submitted to the very best fly fisher I ever saw ; but as it would ill become me to repeat his remarks, I must leave the correctness of it to the judgment of the reader. There are generally known three other modes of trolling. The first is the diving minnow., which is precisely on the same plan as the gorge-hook for pike. This answers well in very deep holes, where you may frequently kill trout when the sun is too bright for the more common mode of trolling. On this plan, you must, of course, loosen the line, and allow the trout some time to pouch his bait. The second is the artificial winnow, which is the worst of all ; because it does not, in general, spin so well ; and, particularly, because it is too frequently made of hard materials, on which a fish, unless very hungry, will seldom close his mouth enough to get hooked. The third is called the kUl-der'd, and although, in appearance, not near so like a real fish as the other, yet it spins so well, and is so much softer in the mouth, that it answers, I think, the best of all plans, when you cannot procure the natural bait. Any good fishing-tackle shop will furnish these articles, and therefore it would be a waste of time and of paper to give a minute description of them. WORM-FISHING. Though fishing with a lob- worm cannot be called trolling, yet it may be right, en /W.V.SY////, merely to state, that this is the best way 172 TROUT FISHING. to kill fish ill a mill-hole, when the sun is too bright for the^/%, or the minnow; and also a very destructive plan for night work. But I name such a diversion only as a pastime for the juvenile performer, though not with the contempt as does Dr. Johnson, who says, " Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement ; but angling, or float-fishing, I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end, and afool at the other." If, however, the poor angler should feel sore at the wit, he might, in his turn (if scavenger enough to descend to verbal criticism), have a little pleasantry with the philologer, by brandishing his rod and ex- claiming, " almost as bad, good" Doctor, as a wag and a worm-fisher, with a comparison at one end, and nothing* to compare with at the other! And when he has put away the stick and the string (and washed his hands) he may substantiate the pro- priety of his retort by looking out the words " com- pare to" in the doctor's own dictionary; which we should be as unkind to the doctor, as he has been to the angler, if we did not estimate as the best authority in existence. The foregoing subject has led to a wide digression, or, to have recourse to a musical comparison, has thrown us into an extraordinary modulation, which, as the great Albrechts Berger observes, " may asto- nish" but " not please." By this rule, therefore, I should not have presumed to speak on what is TROUT FISHING. 173 foreign to my subject, by introducing that of fishing, if I had not some example of exception as authority to do so/ Isaac Walton appears to please every one ; and this gives me a sort of license to consider that I may now even go further on the subject. Before dis- missing it, therefore, I may as well tell a gentleman's cook how to dress a trout in my shooting book, as he introduce a milkmaid's song in his fishing book, particularly as eating is a more general concern than singing ; and, above all, as there is not more than one cook in a thousand that does not spoil every trout in the dressing. If a trout is out of season, or in poor condition, it would be needless to attempt dressing it in the ne p/u* ultra way ; and, perhaps, the best simple recipe might be to split it, and broil it, with an occasional touch of cold butter. But when fresh caught, and in high season, the way to dress it is thus : - Directly you have caught the trout, crimp it, with about four cuts on each side, taking care to let the Made of the knife be in a sloping direction, so as to make every incision rather circular and parallel to the gills ; instead of having the blade of the knife perpendicular, by which you would cut too much across the fleaks, and the fish would not be near so firm. Then, if you have a pump at hand, let the trout be pumped upon, as hard as possible, for about ten minutes ; and if not, the laying it in cold spring water will do nearly as well. Having done this, put 174 TROUT FISHING. the fish away, not in water 9 but on stones ; or, in short, in the coldest place that can be found. When dinner is nearly ready, clean the trout, leaving the scales on, and pump on it for a few minutes more. Then have a kettle of water, with a large handful of salt, and when the water properly boils (but not before), put the fish in ; and an average sized trout (say one of a pound weight) will be done in about ten minutes, and should then be sent im- mediately to table. A trout, if possible, should always be dressed the day it is caught ; and never put to soak and soften over the fire, in cold water, as is the general custom. Remember, also, that if trout are suffered to re- main in the water after being sufficiently boiled, they will directly become soft, and lose all the firmness which is given by this mode of dressing them. It has been remarked by many other people, as well as myself, that, of all fish in existence, there is not one that you can partake of so many days in succession, without ceasing to enjoy it, as a trout, provided it be fresh caught, and well in season. Almost every sportsman, and every fishmonger, has his own way of fancying that he can tell when a trout is in season. As to the red spots on the skin having any thing to do with it, the very idea is absurd and fallacious. But the more general criterions are a small head and high crest, a full tail, and the roof of the mouth, or, what is still better, the flesh under TROUT FISHING. 175 the tongue being rather of a pink colour. Another excellent criterion, which wab explained to me by Mr. Joseph Miller, the fishmonger in Piccadilly, is the smallness and tightness of the vent; for the better the trout is in season, the smaller will be that venthole which is formed just before the under, or belly, fin. And, after all, I prefer this, and one other, way of deciding ; which is by the bright and silver-like appearance of the scales. Take twenty trout, and, I think, if you dress them all, and pre- viously mark that one on which the scales shone the brightest, it will prove to be the best fish. This may be frequently ascertained, even before you land a trout, as a bright one, on being first hooked, gene- rally gives two or three leaps out of the water. Before you send trout on a journey, always have them cleaned and gutted, and let them be laid on their backs, and closely packed in willow (not flag) baskets, and with either flags or dry wheat straw. Packing in damp grass or rushes is apt to ferment, and therefore liable to spoil your fish. 176 LIST OF BIRDS. A LIST OF BIRDS, &c. &c. WHICH ARE MOST COMMONLY FOLLOWED BY SHOOTING SPORTSMEN, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, WITH THEIR PROPER NAMES, AS SELECTED BY BEWICK; THE LATIN AND FRENCH FOR THEM, AS GIVEN BY LINNAEUS AND BUFFON; AND OCCASIONAL DIRECTIONS RELATIVE TO SHOOTING THEM. IN selecting this list, it becomes a question where to draw the line between those which are, and those which are not considered sporting birds ; but as many shooters would be eager to kill what others would scarcely deign to fire at, it is presumed that the better way will be, not only to insert those which are fol- lowed by the keen sportsman, but all that are com- monly shot at for diversion or practice. With regard to the proper names of land birds, there is little difficulty in selecting them ; but for those of water birds, and particularly wildfowl, there are so many provincial terms, that it would be a dull and endless task to construe the appellations given them by the decoymen, poulterers, and gunners, into their proper names in natural history. For example : the duribirds are called redheads on the South and West Coasts, and Parkers or half-birds in the fens. This is also a general term here for all birds under PROVINCIAL NAMES OF BIRDS. 177 the size of the common wild-duck. The morillons are called douckers in Scotland, and gingling curres in the West. The tufted ducks are blue-billed curres on the Western, and dowers on the Eastern Coast, in many parts round which the wigeon are only known by the name of winder. The golden eye is commonly called pied curre ; and the scaup duck is known by the name of grey-back curre in the South and West, and that of tea I -drake in the North. For these, and all the various tribes of smaller wildfowl, the decoy- men and poulterers have a sort of sweepstakes ap- pellation, by putting them down as dunbirds and dirers. Again, there are many absurd names for other birds, such as Tommy Loos for the divers, Isle of Wight parsons for the cormorants, and so on. On the French Coast, the same. We here find the dunbirds, and others of their kind, provincially called vignons ; the wigeon, sarcelles ; and coots, mar- car eux, &c. &c. In short, it would be a waste of time to explain the nonsensical terms by which only birds are known in many places ; and more par- ticularly as the naturalist or sportsman should be provided with " Bewick," which has not only the advantage of being portable as a pocket-companion, but will answer his purpose far better than any other work, during his pursuit in sport, or search of natural history. The birds marked thus (*) are those of the Anas kind fit to be eaten, and which are usually considered as wildfowl. For the general pursuit of these specific N 178 BITTEIIN. directions shall be given in another part of the work, as my young readers will be able to understand them better, after they have received a few lessons in shoot- ing from a punt. The following alphabet, therefore, is chiefly intended as a directory for the more common mode of shooting. In getting at all wild birds, approach them cir- cuitously, instead of going directly up to them ; and avoid looking full at them until you have got within shot, or till they shall, if flying, have come sufficiently close for you to fire. If you see a wild bird, when unprepared for him, either continue your course without looking at him ; or instantly retreat, and he may then probably sit quiet till you can advance with caution on him a second time. If a valuable bird lies wounded, always go up to him prepared to shoot, lest he should rise again, and make his escape. BITTERNS. To know if there are any in the fens, send out in the evening, when they may be seen on the wing, and heard making a hollow booming noise. The following day you may beat for them, with dogs, that will either point them, or hunt near enough to spring them in shot; as they will lie so close among the rushes, as to be sometimes nearly trod on before they will rise. If you wing a bittern, be careful that he does not strike you with his beak. There are two sorts of Bittern; the COMMON one, otherwise BUSTARD COOT. 179 called Bogbumper, Bitterbum, or Miredrum (ardea stellaris le butor) ; and the LITTLE BITTERN (at Sea minuta leblongios). BUSTARDS. From the open plains, which they frequent, you have fewer opportunities of approaching bustards than most other wild birds. They will, however, sometimes suffer carts and carriages to pass very near them, from which they have been frequently shot; and they are also killed in places where they have been used to see shepherds, by means of the shooter carry- ing a hurdle to conceal his gun. There are two kinds of Bustard j the GREAT, or Common (otis tarde I'outardc) ; and the LITTLK BUSTARD ( otis tetrax la petite outarde}. COOTS, When found in rivers, are scarcely thought worth firing at ; yet they are in great requisition when they arrive for the winter on the coast, from the immense numbers that may be killed at a shot, as they roost on the mud banks. They are generally sold for eighteen-pence a couple, previously to which they are what is called cleaned. The recipe for this is, after picking them, to take off all the black down, by means of powdered white rosin and boiling water, and then to let them soak all night in cold spring water ; by which they are made to look as delicate as a chicken, and to eat tolerably well ; but, without this process, the skin, in roasting, produces a sort of oil, with a fishy taste and smell ; and, if taken off, N 2 180 COOT. the bird becomes dry, and good for nothing. After all, however, these birds are in no way delicate, except when skinned ; and after being soaked twenty-four hours in cold spring water, repeatedly changed, made into a pudding, by which, as with all such birds, when in puddings, pies, or soup, you can get rid of their strong skins without losing the juice of their flesh ; and their fishy taste is, in a great measure, drawn off by steam. (Moorhens may be cleaned in like manner ; and, if in good condition, they will then be nearly equal to any wildfowl.) Coots, when on a large pond, generally swim or flutter out of reach, on being approached by a shooter ; and as they are not worth bestowing much trouble on, the best way to kill them is to place yourself somewhat con- cealed under the leeward bank, while another person goes round, and fires a gun to windward, before they can swim into any rushes. They will thenjly up in great confusion, and, most likely, for some minutes afford employment for a dozen guns. Shoot well forward, as one shot before and under the wings of a coot will stop him sooner than ten in the hinder parts. This, by the way, should be observed with most other birds. Coots, when on the coast, usually travel to wind- ward, so that a west wind brings them to the west, and an easterly wind to the east* instead of vice versa, as with other fowl. These birds take such a hard blow, and are so tenacious of life, that you may often stop ten or twenty at a shot, and by the time you COOT. 181 have got on your mud-boards, or made your dog go after them, not above three or four may be left on the spot, and the others, if they have a spark of life, will swim, or what the gunners call " skitter" away. The plan which I have found best for slaughtering the coots by wholesale, is either to listen for them, before daylight, and rake them down, at the gray of a white frosty morning ; or watch them at some di- stance in the afternoon, and set into them as late in the evening as you can see to level your gun, taking care, if possible, to keep them under the western light. If you think your wounded coots worth collecting, you will find nothing like a double gun to give them the coup-de-grace, as they are sometimes most tor- menting birds to catch with a dog, or kill with a pole. Coots, instead of drawing together before they fly (like geese and many other fowl), always disperse on being alarmed ; and as they generally fly to wind- ward, the gentlemen's system of wildfowl shooting answers well, which is to embark with a party ; sail down on them ; and, as they cross, luff up and fire all your barrels. When an infant at wild sport, I used to be mightily pleased with this diversion. When on the coast, you may easily distinguish coots from wild fowl, by the scattered extent of their line ; their high rumps; their rapid swimming ; and their heads being poked more forward. Beware of a winged coot, or he will scratch vou like a cat. 182 CORMORANT. Naturalists have so far agreed, that there are two sorts of COOTS (the GREATER, and this, the COMMON BALD COOT), that for the one, Linnaeus gives us the name ofjulica atra y and Buffon that oflafoulque, or morrelle ; and for the other we find, in the Latin, fulica alter ima, and in French, la grande foulque, or la macroule. But, after all, some consider the one bird a mere variety of the other. CORMORANTS Have generally some regular evening course to the cliffs, where they roost; and as they fly low towards sunset, they repeatedly balk the young shooter, who fancies them Brentgeese. But as they seldom appear so very late as not to be distinguished, he may perceive the difference by the extra length and sharpness of the head and tail; and their oc- casionally ceasing to flap their wings as they fly. These birds may be easily killed in the breeding sea- son, if a shooter chooses to run the hazard of con- cealing himself about the middle of the cliffs. This many people do by being let down, for which some use a kind of saddle, and others a strong basket, or finding places where they can climb up for some di- stance. But as such dangerous schemes are by no means to be recommended, I should prefer the use of a rifle, or content myself with the few chance shots, that could be fired from a place of safety. There are three sorts of Cormorants. The COMMON GREAT BLACK one, alias Cormorant, or Colegoose (pelicanus corbo le cormoran) : the Green, Shag, Scarfe, or Skart (pelicanus gra- culus le petit cormoran, or le nigaud) : the third is the CRESTED CURLEW. 183 COR vo RANT, but for this we have neither the names of Linnaeus nor Buffon, as it was not ascertained t^ be a distinct species till a dissection of one took place, subsequent to the works of these great authors. CURLEW. Scolopax arquata Le courlis. To get at a flock of curlews on the sea-shore, go in a small punt or canoe, when it happens to be high water just after dusk, or before daybreak in a white frost. They will then be assembled by hundreds on the small headlands of the beach, where they are at first so cautious in alighting, that the various plans of burying casks, &c. to wait in do not always answer. In approaching these birds, be careful to keep close alongside and under the shade o/the land. In autumn, the curlews from all parts round the neighbouring coast will congregate in one enormous cloud, when they have generally two or three fa- vourite roosting places. To drive them to any one in particular, send a person towards the others with a /(intern ; on seeing which, they will immediately take wing, and may be heard repairing to their next evening haunt, with cries, which echo through the air for miles. For curlews always contrive to have a second gun in reserve, because if you happen to wing a curlew, he will generally cry out, and thus entice the flock to pitch down again with him. You will then most probably get much nearer than you might have been able to do previously to your first shot. 184 DEER. THE LITTLE CURLEW, or WHIMBREL. Scolopax phceopus Le petit courlis. These birds appear on the shores, in small flocks, about April, and are much easier of access than the others. They are very common in Romney Marsh, where they are called " Curlew Jacks," and may be killed in great numbers, without much trouble or difficulty. They are then in condition, and excellent eating. THE STONE CURLEW. Charadrius cedicnemusLe grand pluvier. This, being altogether a land bird, is classed among the plovers, and called the great or Norfolk plover, and thick-kneed bustard. This bird, although not amiss in flavour, is in general so dry and tough as to be scarcely eatable, ex- cept when young. There are few sportsmen who have not sprung these birds while crossing fallow fields in September, when the young ones are often found by the dogs, in beating for game. DEER. The art of killing deer with a rifle is so well known to every park-keeper, that it would be needless to mention more than the most approved methods of shooting them. For a deer standing sideways take the forelegs, the neck, or the head; but, in firing at the latter, be careful not to shoot too forward or too low, as you would then only break his jaw. A deer facing you affords the worst chance of all ; but, if he DEER. 185 is standing/row you, it is the best, as you may then take him in the poll, or the back of the head; and, if struck anywhere in these parts, he will come down. For a bad marksman, or a long shot, the surest way to hit him (so as to have any effect) is to fire just behind the foreleg, and pretty low down : this is the best and easiest target that he can present, and here you will have a chance of taking the heart. He will, however, unless shot through the neck, brains, spine, on forelegs, generally bound away, and apparently unhurt, till he has gone a considerable distance : he will then begin to stagger, and fall. If you have an outlying deer, and are without bloodhounds to hunt him back to the park, or wish to save your corn by shooting him, go out in a sum- mer morning just after sunrise, while the dew is on the grass, or unripe corn, and look with caution into every inclosure, and particularly among young peas. You must be very silent, because, if a buck hears you, he will probably lie down so close as to escape your notice ; but, if you go carefully and silently, you will see him feeding, and most likely at no great distance from a hedgerow. If he happens to be near some hidden place, that you can approach without being smelt * (by going to windward), seen, or heard among the boughs, you will probably get a good shot ; but, if not, your best * There is a remedy to obviate this, which frequently answers ; and that is. to carry before you an armful of very sweet hay. 186 DEER. chance is to send some one round to the field beyond, and there to walk, or ride along the other side of the hedgerow, nearest which the deer is feeding. On hearing this person, he will, in all probability, either lie down so close as to let you walk up to him, or come directly away from the hedgerow, opposite to which you should be concealed. If he is pretty wild, and sees the man behind him, he will come bounding with such rapidity, that the most expert rifleman may miss him. In this case, a pretty stout gun, loaded with a mixture of mould and A or B shot, would be your best chance. If with this, however, you even mortally wound him, the chances are twenty to one, that he continues his course with unabated speed ; so that, instead of beginning to despair, you must follow him up as fast as possible, by doing which, you will most likely find him dying in some hedgerow, a few fields distant. For this purpose a Newfoundland dog is very useful, as the moment the dog has run up to him in the covert he will begin bellowing so loud as to be easily discovered. To approach a buck in an open field, crawl as low as possible on the ground, and hold before you a green bough, which, if there is a hedge or wood be- hind, will appear so confused with it, that he will often suffer you to come within rifle shot. The outlying deer usually browse all day among the thickets, where, amidst the verdure of the sum- mer leaf and herbage, they are very difficult, to be seen. They are particularly fond of apples, and the DIVERS. 187 poachers in the cider counties, well aware of this, make frequent use of the apple pummice. The three sorts of deer common in Great Britain are the FALLOW, already mentioned (cervus dama le dain) ; the RED, or Stag (cervus elephas le cerf); and the ROEBUCK (cervus capreolus le chevreuil). The two last are now chiefly confined to the high- lands of Scotland. The latter of them, being very small, is generally killed with common large shot. The sportsmen place themselves at the leeward end of a long wood, or planting^ which the keepers go round for a great distance, in order to draw regularly down the whole range of coverts. By this means the hares and roes are at last driven out before the guns. With regard to red deer, I regret to say, that I have never had any opportunity of shooting them, and therefore I should be a quack to pretend giving instructions on the subject. I do not, however, abuse it because I am ignorant of it f on the contrary, I should conceive it to be most noble sport. DIVERS. To shoot a diver, when he is fishing up'a creek at low water, contrive to get your boat below him ; as, although he will perhaps rather dive close by you than suffer himself to be hunted up to a shallow place, yet he will, at last, be so much in need of breath, that, by firing the instant he comes up y you 188 DUCKS. may be able to kill him. The large divers are most savage birds, and will, if wounded and driven to ex- tremity, attack either man, dog, or boat. To kill divers along shore, peep over the banks in windy weather, when they are not so apt to duck the flash. Suffice it to say, that of those birds, which are literally and properly called divers, there are seven kinds to be found in Great Britain, exclusive of six others, which are separately classed as the Genus Mergus. DUCKS. Including all the various kinds of wild fowl, which are common in, and occasionally migrate to this country, there are sixteen, which come under the denomination of ducks. * BIMACULATED, or CLUCKING DUCK. Anas glociians French not given. BLACK DUCK, or SCOTER. Anas nigra La macreuse. BURROUGH DUCK, or SHELDRAKE. Anas tadorna La tadorne. The young sheldrakes, directly after being hatched in the rabbit burrows, are taken by the parent birds to the sea, where they may be seen in what the boat- men call troops of from thirty to forty ; but, as the female seldom hatches more than fourteen eggs, it is clear, that each flock is formed by two or three broods. On their being approached, the old ones fly DUCKS. 189 away, and leave the young to shift for themselves by diving. They may be easily shot when they come up ; but you can seldom kill more than one or two at a time, as they always disperse before you can get very near them. These birds show but tame sport with a gun, and are good for nothing when killed. But, in winter nights, they often give you a fine shot on the mud, though they are so white that you can seldom per- ceive them, even afloat, without a good moon. Be prepared to fire directly you rise ; as they, being very quick-sighted birds, will give you but little time to present your gun. You may keep young Burrough ducks for five or six weeks, provided you give them crums of bread, and only a little water three times a day. But if you let them get into the water > or even drink too much, before they are full-grown, and fit to be turned out on your pond, you are almost sure to kill them. This appears quite a paradox with birds that, in their wild state, are always in the water ! But, such is the case. * COMMON WILD DUCK. Anas boschasLe canard sau- vage. The male bifd of which is called mallard, and the young ones flappers. To find a brood of these, go, about July, and hunt the rushes in the deepest and most retired parts of some brook or trout stream ; where, if you spring the old duck, you may be pretty sure that the brood is not far off. When once 190 DUCKS. found, flappers are easily killed, as they attain their full growth before their wings are fledged ; and for this reason, the sport is often more like hunting water rats than shooting birds. If you leave the brood, after having disturbed them, the old bird will remove them to another place long before the following day. When the flappers take wing they assume the name of wild ducks. About the month of August they repair to the corn fields, till disturbed by the harvest people. They then frequent the rivers pretty early in the evening, and show excellent sport to any one, who has patience to wait for them. Our sporting writers in general have given no further directions for duck shooting than to walk quietly up a brook, and shoot them as they rise. In doing this, if you have only a single gun, and should spring a bird at an uncertain distance, halloo out before you shoot, as there may be others under a bank, and much closer to you, that would spring on the discharge of your gun. You need not be at a loss to know a wild duck. The claws in the wild species are black. Some sportsmen recommend common land spaniels for duck-shooting, and nothing is more common than to see, in a picture, a smart looking Tyro attacking a flock of wild fowl with two open-mouthed dogs of this description. This is an art we have yet to learn ; and, I conceive, the best recipe to acquire it would be, first to tie the ducks by their legs, taking DUCKS. 191 care not to do as the Italian once did with a hare, that he bought and tied up, in order to win his wager of shooting one blow off the string, and set the game at liberty. I must, therefore, to be on the safer side, recommend my young pupils to use either a Newfoundland dog, a mute water spaniel, or an old pointer that will keep close, and fetch dead birds. EIDER, ST. CUTHBERT'S, or GREAT BLACK AND WHITE DUCK. Anas mollissima.'L'eider. * FERRUGINOUS DUCK. Anas rutilaNo French to be found for this. * GOLDEN-EYE DUCK. Anas clangulaLe garrot. * GRAY DUCK, or GADWALL. Anas strepera Le ckipeau. LONGTATLED DUCK, or SWALLOWTAILBD SHELDRAKE. Anas glacialis Canard de miclon. * MORRILLON. Anas glaucionLe morillon. * PINTAILED DUCK, WINTER DUCK, SEA PHEASANT, or CRACKER. Anas acuta Le canard & longue queue. * SCAUP DUCK. Anas marila For this we have not the name by BufFon, though I am pretty sure I have seen scaup ducks on the coast of Normandy, where, with the dunbirds, they are collectively called les vignons. * SHOVELLER, KERTLUTOCK, or BROADBILLED DUCK. Anas clypeata Le souchet. Birds of this kind are more common in the fens of Norfolk than in those other marshy parts of England 192 DUNBIRD -FIELDFARE. which lie further from Holland. The Shovellers breed in Norfolk, where they are called " Becks" and, in some places, " Scopper -bills" The flappers of this species are easier found, and show more sport than those of the common wild-duck. Their flesh, too, I think, is of a superior flavour. There is a variety of this kind, called the red- breasted Shoveller, for which, as well as all other varieties of wildfowl, I have found the coast of Nor- folk to be the best. This, no doubt, is in conse- quence of its being the nearest to Holland ; from whence there are driven across the channel, by a strong easterly wind, many birds that will seldom travel further to the westward. * TUFTED DUCK. AnasfuligulaLe petit morillon. Why this is called by Brisson " the little morillon" I am at a loss to discover, as the other morillon is in every respect the smaller bird of the two. This is well known to all wildfowl shooters ; and Mr. Bewick corroborates it in his quoted statement of weight and dimensions. VELVET DUCK, GREAT BLACK DUCK, or DOUBLE SCOTER. Anas fusca La grande macreuse. * DUNBIRD, POCHARD, or GREATHEADED WIGEON. Anas Jerina Penelope, le mil- louin. FIELDFARE. Tardis pilaris La tourdelle. As long as the berries remain on the hedges, field- GANNET. 193 fares continue in the uplands, and are very fat ; but afterwards they betake themselves to the water mea- dows, and feed on worms. These birds are then the " head game" for schoolboys, and people who go hedge-popping during the Christmas holidays. They are, however, scarcely tame enough for this diversion till they have somewhat lost their condition by hard weather. As fieldfares are so dispersed when feed- ing, the only way to get five or six at a shot is to hide under some place near the trees, which they fly to on being disturbed, and on which they will collect, if some one goes round to drive them from the water meadows. 40. GANNET, GAN, or SOLAN GOOSE. Pelicanus Bassanus Lefou de Bassan. Gannets are occasionally seen on almost every coast, at times when the shoals of herrings are most abundant ; and, in stormy weather, they come pretty near to land, where, like large seagulls, they may be seen hovering over the foaming surge. These birds may be easily distinguished from the gulls by the additional length of their necks, and the sharp black ends of their wings, the motion of which is, at times, more like that of the heron. The sailors sometimes catch these birds, by fasten- ing a fresh herring on a floating plank, against which the gannet's neck is broken, when furiously pouncing on his prey. With regard to the swarms of solan geese, which o 194 GANNET. breed on the islands near North Britain, and the manner by which the fowler may distinguish their alarm, I find, that precisely what I should have ob- served is already so much more ably described, that I consider it better to quote the accounts from Dr. Harvey (as translated in Pennant), Bewick, and Martin, than attempt any one of my own, which would be a mere corroboration of what these authors have asserted. " There is a small island, called by the Scotch, Bass Island," in the Frith of Forth, " not more than a mile in circumference : the surface is almost wholly covered, during the months of May and June, with nests, eggs, and young birds, so that it is scarcely possible to walk without treading on them ; and the flocks of birds in flight are so prodigious, as to darken the air like clouds ; and their noise is such, that you cannot, without difficulty, hear your next neighbour's voice. If you look down upon the sea from the top of the precipice, you will see it on every side covered with infinite numbers of birds of different kinds, swimming and hunting for their prey ; if, in sailing round the island, you survey the hanging cliffs, you may see, in every crag or fissure of the broken rocks, innumerable birds, of various sorts and sizes, more than the stars of heaven when viewed in ' a serene night. If from afar you see the distant flocks, either flying to or from the island, you would imagine them to be a vast swarm of bees." This island is " farmed out at a considerable rent GARGANEY. 19'5 for the eggs of the various kinds of water fowl, with which it swarms ; and the produce of the solan geese forms a large portion of the rent ; for great numbers of their young ones are taken every season, and sold in Edinburgh for twenty-pence each, where they are esteemed a favourite dish, being generally roasted and eat before dinner." " The solan geese have always some of their num- ber that keep watch in the night-time ; and if the centinel be surprised, as it often happens, all that flock are taken one after another ; but if the centinel be awake at the approach of the creeping fowlers, and hear a noise, he cries, softly, grog, grog, at which the flock do not move ; but if this centinel see or hear the fowler approaching, he cries softly bir, bir, which would seem to import danger, since, imme- diately after, all the tribe take wing, leaving the disappointed fowlers without any prospect of success for that night." Notwithstanding that the young gannets may be considered a delicacy, the old ones are so fishy as to be, in general, scarcely eatable. * GARGANEY. Anas querquedula La sar- celle. Birds of this description are frequently killed in the fens of Norfolk, where they sometimes breed, and are called summer teal. 196 GEESE. GEESE. There are six wild sorts which visit Great Bri- tain. * BEAN GOOSE. A variety of the common one. * BERNACLE, TREEGOOSE, or CLARIS. Anas erythropus La bernacle. Most common in Scotland and Ireland. * BRENT GOOSE. Anas bernicla Le cravant. To kill Brent geese by day, get out of sight in a small punt at low water, and keep as near as possible to the edge of the sea. You will then hear them coming, like a pack of hounds in full cry, and they will repeatedly pass within fair shot, provided you are well concealed, and the weather is windy to make them fly low. Before you fire at them, spring suddenly up, and these awkward birds will be in such a fright as to hover together, and present a mark like a barn door. COMMON WILD GOOSE, GREYLAG. Anas anserL'oie sauvage. This, for the market or table, is a far inferior bird to the Bernacle, or even the Brent goose, and has but little to recommend it farther than the pleasure of killing it. The common GRAY wild geese may GEESE. 197 be always distinguished by their flying in a figure. These birds, instead of repairing to the coast, like other geese, prefer keeping inland, where they feed on the green wheat by day, and in the flooded water meadows at night. Wild geese, when feeding by day, take care to choose an open plain. You have therefore no means of getting near them, unless they are very tired, from having just arrived after a long flight. I have once or twice, however, got shots at them by taking one of the horses from a plough- team, and walking under cover of him, with a large gun. Some use a stalking-horse, the skin of a cow, and various other contrivances ; which, after all, seldom answer for geese, although they may for golden plover, and other less artful birds. The surest way, therefore, to kill them, is to let any one, who works in the water meadows, ascertain what parts they have used (which he will see by their dung and feathers), and then wait for them at dusk, in some ambush, that commands the fresh places adjoining. Contrive, if possible, to get the line of a dyke or drain, so as to take their company on the flank. Let the man who goes after geese, or any wild birds in the snow, dress as white as he can, and take a white cotton nightcap ready to put on before he begins crawling after them ; or to a certainty they will catch sight of his head, and be off. 198 GOD WITS. [EGYPTIAN GOOSE, GANSER, or GAMBO goose. Anas JEgyptiaca L'oie d'Egypte. Two of these birds appeared some years ago in Norfolk, one of which was killed by John Ponton, Esq., and the other by his keeper. Three Egyptian geese were, for some days, in the winter of 1823, in the fields of Longparish, and after being fired at about ten times, the old gander was killed by one of the labourers. I was informed that they were at first so easy of access, that I then concluded they must have taken flight from some gentleman's pond. The next year again, during the tremendous gales from the west, a flock of about eighty ! appeared near the same place, and two more were killed, and sent me, by the same man. I have, therefore, no doubt of their importation, instead of migration, to this coun- try. I suppose these birds were, till of late years, very scarce, as Mr. Bewick could procure no specimen for his admirable work.] * REDBREASTED, SIBERIAN GOOSE. Anser nificolis. A rare and very delicate species. * WHITEFRONTED, or LAUGHING GOOSE. Anas albifrons L'oie rieuse. GODWITS. There are eight sorts of godwits, including the small redshank. The red godwit is spoken of as a delicious and GREBES GROUSE. 199 scarce bird. I have, however, killed several of them on the coast of Kent ; but always considered the gray godwit as the best worth shooting. There is no great art required to kill these birds. In hard wea- ther they are scattered on the shores, and in spring they may be easily shot when flying about in the marshes. GREBES. There are seven sorts, including the little river dobchick. These birds, in evading the flash of a gun, are even quicker than the divers. The large grebes are worth shooting for the sake of their skins, which make excellent tippets and tra- velling caps. GROUSE. There are three kinds of grouse, exclusive of the wood grouse, or capercaile (a Swedish bird, that is given in Bewick as having formerly been known to visit this country), the same species of which so many were lately brought to London by the Laplanders, and which were sold at the poulterers by the name of kappercally. BLACK GROUSE, or BLACK COCK. Tebrao tetrixLe coq de bruyere, a queue four chue. To shoot a black cock (in the winter), when he becomes wild, you should wait near, or in the direc- 200 BLACK-GAME SHOOTING. tion of, the larch firs, for which he flies to perch : and send some one round to drive him from the stubble, where, about sunrise, the black game may be seen feeding like rooks. In the North, &c., the female of this species is called gray-hen, but in the New Forest both male and female are collectively named heathpoults. The black-game rise somewhat like a young phea-. sant, and are, I conceive, to one divested of anxiety, and in good nerve, easy birds to shoot : more so than a grouse or a partridge. BLACK-GAME SHOOTING, ON THE BORDERS OF HANTS AND DORSET. At the commencement of the season, the black- game here lie tolerably well, and particularly if the weather is so hot as to drive them down to the bogs. The gray -hen generally remains with the pack, which seldom consists of more than five or six birds. Nine or ten is considered a very large pack, except in winter, when the cock birds all congregate together in one flock ; and, in general, defy every kind of fair shooting, as well as the few bungling artifices that gamekeepers are master of, with regard to wild birds. The keepers' only chance, therefore, is to wait concealed for their flight; as a black-cock, although one of the wildest birds in existence, will, when once on the wing, seldom break his course or BLACK-GAME SHOOTING. 201 raise his flight, let what will intercept him. The old cock birds, even at the beginning of the season, are very difficult of access ; as, on being approached, they keep running forward instead of remaining with the pack. The best, or, at all events, one of the best day's black-game shooting that was ever known, I believe, in these parts, I had with my old friend and brother sportsman, Mr. John Ponton of Uddens House, on the 25th of last August*. We found, on this gen- tleman's manor, eleven brace in one day, which was considered, by the keepers, extraordinary success ; and we killed eight brace without missing a shot. But notwithstanding all our birds were as strong, and as large, as the old ones, we never even saw an old cock the whole day. The black-game here are briefly called "poults." The fagging for them is the hardest labour of any sport I know, because you have to work, in the hottest weather, through stiff heath, which is so much intercepted by fir plantations and bogs, as, for the most part, to prevent your riding ; and, from the very few shots that you are likely to get in a day, you have not the same encouragement, as in the * Black-game shooting, as will be seen by the game laws here- after inserted, does not begin in the New Forest, nor in Devon- shire nor Somersetshire, till the 1 st of September. But every where else the first day is the 20th of August. Not being in the bounds of the New Forest, therefore, we began even five days after the time ; consequently were not transgressing the law, as it might appear, without this explanation. 202 GUINEAFOWL. abundant sport of grouse shooting. But notwith- standing all, I was never so much pleased with any day's sport as with my first day's black-game shoot- ing in England. RED GROUSE, GORCOCK, or MOORCOCK (the common muir game). Tetrao Scoticus L'attagas. WHITE GROUSE, or PTARMIGAN. Tetrao lagopusLe la- gopede. These birds, instead of becoming wild in the winter, like the two others, may, at any time, be easily shot, if we can but reach the almost inacces- sible parts of the northern mountains which they frequent. They may here be seen on the ground, standing with the greatest composure, and looking like white pigeons ; and are not unfrequently killed with sticks or stones. GUINEAFOWL, PINTADO, or PEARLED-HEN. Numidia meleagris La pinlade. Although guineafowls, as well as turkeys, and even peacocks, are sometimes turned out in gentle- men's preserves, yet they can only be considered as poultry ; and my sole reason, therefore, for making mention of them is to observe what excellent birds they are to give the alarm, in the event of poachers entering a covert, or thieves lurking about your pre- mises by night. GULLS HARES. 203 GULLS. There are thirteen sorts of gulls ; and as these are birds which no one would ever think of dressing, it is not generally known, that, although scarcely eat- able in any other way, they make an excellent sub- stitute of giblet soup : for this purpose their skins must be taken off. If you shoot a gull, let him lie, and the others will keep flying about the place. You will always observe that gulls, terns 9 or sea swallows *, &c. con- trive ivface you in hovering round; knowing that they are almost impenetrable when in this direction ; prefer therefore shooting at them in any other, as you will then have more chance of bringing them down, although at three times the distance. HARES. Always endeavour to shoot a hare crossing, and consider the head as your object. Withhold shooting at her when coming to you, until she is very close, or. her skull will act as a shield against your charge. If a hare canters past, and you are behind a hedge at feeding time, she will often stop, and sit up if you whistle. This I name to facilitate a shot for a schoolboy. Of these there are two sorts ; the COMMON (Lepus * These birds breed by thousands on the large tract of shingle, by Dungeness and Lydd, where they are called kipps. Their eggs are sold in great numbers among those of the greenplover or peewit. 204 HERON. timidusLe lievre); and the ALPINE or WHITE HAKE, which frequents the highland mountains, and goes to earth (or rather into the clefts of rock) like a fox. HERON, or HERONSHAW. Ardea major Le heron hupe. Although one of the most difficult birds to approach by land, yet the heron is not quite so shy of a boat as might be expected. The best time to kill herons is to wait for them, at dusk or by moonlight, either near the brooks, rivers, or watermeadows, or under the trees adjoining, on which they often assemble before they begin their havock among the fisheries. The shooter may either remain in a dark dress against a bush or hedge ; or in a light-coloured punt and light dress on the water; where he should keep by the side, or under the shade of the bank. The herons will, in either of these situations, come close to him before they can see him ; and from the latter one he may float down stream (keeping close to the leeward bank) and kill them from his boat. He may bring them down farther than most other birds, as they are a large mark, and yet require but very little shot. The best way to shoot herons by day is either with a rifle, or by the following contrivance. These birds, when they have done fishing, generally seek the safety of an open plain, where, with their long necks, they can see an approaching enemy so well, that you can seldom get nearer (particularly if on foot) than about KNOT LANDRAIL. 205 wo hundred yards. Go, therefore, when it blows a strong gale of wind, on a, fast galloping horse, and ret as near as possible to them on the leeward side. Fhe moment the herons begin to rise, charge for ;hem at full speed ; and, before they can possibly nake head against the wind, you will either get under l hem, or they will fly over you, and very seldom out )f gun shot. The only obstacle is the chance of missing them, from the difficulty of keeping the dorse sufficiently steady to shoot from his back, im- mediately after being pulled up from a gallop. KNOT, KNUTE, or KNOUT. Tringa canutis Le canut. A bird which, like the ruffs and reeves, is more easily caught by nets than shot; as the knot, like the others, keeps running under the high reeds, where it cannot well be followed up, and then is apt to spring out of gunshot. The knots, if they remain in England, when the fens are frozen, will sometimes repair to the coast. There they are much easier of access than either the curlews or gray plovers. LANDRAIL, CORNCRAKE, or DAKERHEN. Eattus crex Le rale de genet. To find a landrail, always make choice of a clover field; and if that does not offer, try beans, potatoes, or beds of young withey. Landrails are now most plentiful in Ireland. 206 LARK. To call them in the evening, go behind a hedge near the swaths of corn, with two bones; one of which must be notched like a saw, the other plain ; and by drawing the one down the serrated part of the other, you will produce a noise, which so far imitates their call, as often to draw them close to your place of concealment. There are two sorts of rails, which may be named after speaking of the landrail ; but, from their being water birds, or rather waders, which inhabit only the sedge and places near rivers, they are very widely distinguished in natural history. The one is the COMMON WATER-RAIL, and the other the SPOTTED WATER-RAIL, SPOTTED GALLINULE, or WATER CRAKE. Notwithstanding these two are seldom regarded by sportsmen, yet there is scarcely a greater delicacy than either the one or the other. In shooting all kinds of rails press them very hard, or you will have difficulty to get them on wing. If they are in a hedge, go a-head of your dogs, and shake it before them. Having once driven them up, you should fire, if there is any chance, as the difficulty of springing them a second time is tenfold. LARK. Alauda arvensis Ualouelte. To shoot larks (or any other small birds) in hard weather, sweep away the snow, and sprinkle a long OXBIRD. 207 train of scearl*, corn, or chaff, within shot of some hedge or place that you can walk to unseen, and occasionally give them a sweeping. OXBIRD, PURRE, or STINT. Tringa cinclus L'aloutte de mer. To get a shot among the clouds of oxbirds, which frequent the shores, go in your canoe, and either take them on the mud from a creek at low water, or on a gravelly point at high water. A white frost is the best time for this, and they are then most commonly interspersed with gray plover. Oxbirds are sometimes so tame in windy weather, about the month of August, that, at high water, you may walk along the beach, and shoot them openly with a little double gun. Perhaps, after killing a dozen with your first barrel, the remainder of the flock will pitch among them, and present a shot equally good for your second. But these are no doubt mostly young birds, that have just flown, as the oxbirds are, in general, difficult of access ; and (like most other birds) the larger their flock, the wore difficult it is to be approached. The oxbird belongs to the tribe of sand pipers. Of these, including the ruff (the female of which is called reeve), there are fifteen sorts : but, as they scarcely afford any particular sport, it will be wasting * A provincial term for those light seeds, that fall through the rudder, when cleaning the wheat, and of which the small birds are particularly fond. 208 PARTRIDGES. time to enter into any detail on them, or even to give a translation of their different names. PARTRIDGES. Tetrao perdixLa perdrix grise. RED LEGGED. Tetrao rufus~La perdrix rouge. The latter has been of late years brought from the continent, and is now (as I before observed) plentiful on the estates of lords Hertford and Rendlesham in Suffolk. The red legged partridges are fond of warm dry soil ; and, from this circumstance, they are, in flavour, rather inferior to the common ones. Although called " French partridges," these birds are scarcely known in many parts of Normandy and Picardy, where the common partridge (like ours) is the only one com- monly to be met with. In France they prefer the vine countries, for the sake of a warm sandy soil ; but in Spain, Portugal, and the Southern parts of Europe, they are universally diffused. I remember, at the early part of the Peninsular war, getting some excellent shooting, at these birds on the march between Castello Branco and Pla- centia ; where, had there been time to follow a day's sport, the quantity killed might have been immense. Red legged partridges will congregate in packs, perch on hedges, and, if wounded, often go to earth. To kill them, you must press them hard to take wing, or they will run out of shot before they rise ; PHEASANT. 209 and for this reason, they are apt to spoil your dogs. Red legged partridges being constantly on the run, are difficult to disperse ; but by means of heading them, with men on horseback, their coveys, or packs, may be divided, and this being once done, they will lie like stones. PHEASANTS. Phasianus cokhicusLe faisau. Besides the common pheasant, there are now in preferred ronvAv, ax well aft aviaries, other beautiful kinds, which have been mostly brought from China ; viz. the golden pheasant ; silver or pled pheasant, &c. ; and also two varieties of the common one, the one of which is precisely like it, except having a white ring round the neck, from which it is distinguished by the name of ring pheasant : and the other of pure white, which I had (it appears erroneously) supposed to be a mule bird between the common pheasant and the barn door fowl, partaking of the shape and habits of the former, with the colour and taste of the latter. What led me to think so was, that these birds ap- peared without any one having originally imported the breed, or even any variety, but where the com- mon pheasants were often seen among the white barn door fowls. In a small covert of my own I had one nide of twelve, in which were hatched nine common and three white pheasants. But, since the foregoing surmise appeared in a former edition, I was favoured with observations from a superior ornithologist, which I am sure will be far more worthy the attention of p 210 PHEASANT. naturalists than any thing I can insert of my own. I shall, therefore, take the liberty of subjoining his communication : " In the second edition of the ' Instructions to Young Sports- men' by Major Hawker, the author, in speaking of the different kinds of pheasants, says " Here he quotes from my second edition at con- siderable length. He then continues " The ' Instructions to Young Sportsmen' are evidently the work of a sportsman, who is a master of the subject on which he writes, and under a very moderate title contain a great deal of original and interesting information j information new, not only to the young sportsman, but capable of instructing the old. It is with great deference, therefore, that the writer of the following observations ventures to give a different opinion on the cause of white pheasants, or at least to submit that there should be assigned another cause for their production than that of their being mule birds, between the fowl and hen pheasant. He will speak of these two subjects in their order : and, (( First, on the probable cause of white pheasants. " On reading the ' Instructions to Young Sportsmen' the writer of the following remarks was struck with the observation, that ' the common pheasants were often seen among the white barn door fowls / and recollecting the story of Jacob's contract with Laban, in the 30th chapter of Genesis, he began to think white pheasants were produced by the impression made on the hen- pheasant, from having white fowls before her during the period of gestation. In the above account in Genesis it appears, that Jacob's stratagem fully succeeded, for we are told in the last verse, that ' the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle.' These ring-streaked and speckled cattle of Jacob, and the brown sheep, were evidently caused by impression, or the operation of PHEASANT. 211 an outward appearance upon, and influencing, the senses, as will appear by reading, attentively, the st >ry from the 25th to the 43d verse : and besides the peeled rods obtruded before the eyes of the cattle during the time of conception, he set * the faces of the flocks toward the ring-streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban." i " If then beasts may be affected by impression, or the operation of an outward appearance on the senses, is it unreasonable to suppose, that birds may be affected in the same manner ? and if by having peeled rods placed before them, and their ' faces set toward the ring-streaked,' an impression was made on these cattle, causing them to produce their young of that colour, may not the same cause have the same effect on pheasants? and the hen pheasant, by being among white fowls, and having them before her eyes, bo the mother of young, of a pied or white colour? " But it will )K> said, ' Here are fowls of several colours besides white, with which pheasants are likely to mix in the fields, and this will destroy the probability of pheasants becoming white by impression made on the hen pheasant, since, as there are black and brown fowls, why should not pheasants become black or brown from the same cause?' " " It is submitted, in answer to this objection, that a white fowl is of a more glaring and obtrusive colour than any other, and consequently more likely to catch the eye, and make a stronger impression on the hen pheasant, from its striking peculiarity, and, as it respects the pheasant, deformity. " But further, though we often hear of a variety of any par- ticular species of bird, yet that variety is almost always either white, or a mixture of white with the natural colour. If among birds there be a lusus naturae, she, in her freak, seldom deviates from this colour. And notwithstanding these white varieties may be fairly termed rarae aves, and although there are several species naturally black, yet a black variety always has been con- sidered a peculiar prodigy, as we may remember in that well known line in the mouth of every schoolboy. And among fowls P 2 PHEASANT. there are none of a stronger colour than white fowls and black, and white is stronger than black. Other fowls approach more to the colour of the pheasant (the brown fowl particularly to that of the hen pheasant), at least than these two colours of white and black. Fowls of another colour than white will be introduced again soon after, as a concurrent proof, that white pheasants are not a mule breed between the barn door cock and the hen pheasant. " In proof of the effect of the influence of impression on the senses from outward appearances, we might here allude to the human species, and the impression which is often unfortunately made on mothers, from objects of deformity, " In the above remarks, the writer has ventured an opinion on the probable cause of white pheasants. He leaves it to others to judge how far he is right or wrong. But however this may be, he will now endeavour to show, that whatever may be the cause of this lusus naturae in the pheasant, yet that there are the strongest grounds for presuming, that the white pheasant is not a mule bird, between the barn door cock and the hen pheasant. And, ei First, it is conceived, that the white pheasant is not a mule bird, between the barn door cock and the hen pheasant, from the circumstance, that it is one of the laws of nature, that the young of all animals should be formed more after the male than the female parent, have more of the shape, nature, and properties, of the former, than of the latter. This is well known to the breeders of cattle. If a horned ram be put to an ewe without horns, the offspring will have horns. On the contrary, let the ewe be horned, and the ram without horns, and the lamb will be without horns; in both cases taking after the ram. A mule was once pointed out to the writer of these remarks as something extra- ordinary, from its being the foal of an ass covered by a Portuguese horse, which happened to be brought over to this country by an officer. It was thought an extraordinary production, since the stallion refuses the she ass, and consequently all our mules are produced from the ass and the mare, and not from the horse and PHEASANT. the she ass. But this mule, having a horse for its sire, was much more like a horse than our common mules, which spring from a more humble sire, and partake more of the nature of the a** than the mule here alluded to, and from this greater resemblance to the horse, it was pointed out rather as a curiosity. From hence the writer infers, that the white pheasants, if they were mule birds, between the barn door cock and the hen pheasant, would, accord- ing to this law of nature, take more of the shape, nature, and properties of the male than of the female parent. But the reverse is the case : white pheasants are perfect pheasants, in every re- spect but colour, and whether male or female birds, have neither the comb, the gills, nor the tail of the fowl ; have no appearance of the fowl except in their white colour. Now the tail of the pheasant is so remarkable in its shape, as not to be found in any other class of British birds ; and notwithstanding the rule of nature, that all animals should preserve more of the shape and properties of the male than of the female parent, yet the white pheasant, descended from the male fowl and female pheasant, retains the tail of the latter perfect and unaltered, and without any resemblance to that of the former. " From this identity of shape in the white pheasant and com- mon pheasant it is submitted, that the former cannot be a mule bird between the barn door cock and the hen pheasant. " And \dtli respect to the colour of the white pheasant, it will l>e presently urged, from the instances of white varieties in other birds, that this cannot be a satisfactory reason for its being a mule bird, or half a fowl. " But it should not be forgotten, that in the ' Instructions to Young Sportsmen/ the taste of the white pheasant is mentioned as like that of the fowl. To this the writer of these observations can say nothing, but that it may depend on the imagination. Because it is known to be a white pheasant, and supposed to be half a fowl, the flavour of the bird may be judged rather from what is fancied, than from what is tasted. The skin of the white pheasant, when picked, is probably different (the writer says, probab/ij, since he cannot speak to the fact, for he has never seen PHEASANT. a white pheasant after it was picked) from that of other phea- sants, and white, like that of the fowl, which may also change the appearance of the flesh. The whiteness of the skin will be owing to the colour of the feathers, which will probably have that effect on the skin. We see this in a pig ; when scalded, and the hair taken off, the skin is either white, or stained with black, accord- ing to the colour of the hair. " Secondly. It is well known, that other birds, besides phea- sants, are white, notwithstanding the colour of their kind is quite different, and yet that these can be no mule birds is obvious. Every one has heard of white varieties of one species or other of British birds p and in Mr. Bullock's museum, in Piccadilly, there is a white jay, a white cuckoo, a white blackbird, thrush, and lark. But neither the male nor female parent of these birds could have been white, since among British small birds there is not one class or kind of that colour. And mule birds partake of the colour of both parents, as in the instance of the young of the goldfinch and canary. It is, therefore, clear, that the white varieties, just mentioned, cannot be mule birds ; and, on the other side, if they may be produced white without being mule birds, why may not pheasants ? " Thirdly. If white pheasants were mule birds between the fowl and the pheasant, how does it happen that the mule breed between these birds is always white in all parts of the country? The writer of these remarks has seen two in a nide, and has heard of many other white pheasants. But he never saw or heard of any other variety of the common * pheasant than the pied, or white pheasant. And yet there are fowls of several colours besides * Under the description of common pheasant, the writer here includes, for the sake of perspicuity, the ring-necked pheasant, though properly a variety of the common class, but he excludes, of course, all foreign pheasants. Neither is he here speaking of the mule pheasant, so called, which has the plumage of both cock and hen pheasant, and the cause of which phenomenon sportsmen cannot very well determine. PHEASANT. 215 white, with which pheasants are likely to mix in the fields; and the mule production between these fl-wls and the hen pheasant ought not to be white, but, according to the established law of nature, they should have a share of the colour of each parent. And thus the mule production, from a barn door cock of any one of several colours besides white, would be easily distinguished, but particularly if the cock were black. " Fourthly. Again, if white pheasants be a mule breed be- tween the barn door cock and the hen pheasant, how is it, that though we often hear of these white pheasants, yet we never hear of a mule bred between the cock pheasant and the hen fowl ? The writer has already spoken of having seen white pheasants, and of having heard of many more, but he never saw or heard of a mule bred between the cock pheasant and the hen fowl. And yet he has seen pheasants come into a lonely barn-yard, where there was no house, and where no labourers vrere at work, but where there were fowls. And he has known a cock pheasant to come early every morning in the breeding season to this barn-yard, and crow, often sitting on one of the hovels. And it is said a cock pheasant would beat a game cock, if unarmed with those barbarous weapons, steel spurs. If this be true, he would, of course, be more than a match for a dunghill cock. And as this superior prowess would enable him to defend his own seraglio from the violations of chanticleer, if attempted in his presence, so it would enable him more easily to invade that of his neighbour. " Note. White pheasants are seldom perfectly white, but are usually mottled, or variegated, or, as they are generally called, pied. When they are entirely white, the impression on the hen pheasant must be of the strongest and most perfect kind. But when they are pied, it is suggested, rather that the impression was not so strong and perfect, than that the impression was made by mottled or variegated fowls. " With respect to the brown sheep mentioned in the contract between Jacob and Laban, it may be remarked, that as white is the natural colour of that animal, so the brown sheep may be to 216 PIGEONS. the M hite one what the white fowl is to the brown pheasant, the hen pheasant, at least, being of that colour. " Here it may be added, that the fowl being about the size of the pheasant, and in its general form bearing some resemblance to it, so this general resemblance, in any other respect, will render its peculiarity, in point of colour, so much the greater deformity. Fowls, too, when they stray from the farm-yard into the fields to feed, and pheasants, when they leave the coppices and hedgerows for the same purpose, prowl and feed, both of them, in the same manner. And while other birds are continually on the wing from place to place, and seldom remain long on a spot, the pheasant rarely rises unless disturbed, and is much more still and stationary. The pheasant, if undisturbed, continues in the same neighbour- hood, particularly in the breeding season. Fowls, when they stray, since they cannot go far, must frequent the same fields; and as the pheasant from its habits is likely to meet them, and to remain with them, it is liable not only to a more durable im- pression, but subject to a greater exposure to that impression. And it is, perhaps, from these causes that there are a greater number of white pheasants than white varieties of any other single species of birds, for we much oftener hear of the former than of the latter. But what may be the cause of the lusus naturae in other birds, the author of these remarks leaves to be explained, or attempted, by some more close observer of her feathered family." PIGEONS. * The shooting of tame pigeons I have always had want of taste enough to consider as an amusement to be classed with badger-baiting. But as it be- comes a glorious opportunity for assembling parties to gamble and get drunk, I must not be so unfashion- able as to moralise about cruelty ; particularly as the professors of this accomplishment might ask me, PIGEONS. "Why is it worse than hunting a bag fox?" or " May not every sport be more or less condemned for cruelty ?" As pigeons are commonly turned out at twenty- one yards, it may be easily observed, that the knack of killing them consists in firing the instant they are up, and being careful not to shoot under them, as they take so hard a blow, particularly on the rump, that, if suffered to fly to any distance, they are apt to get out of bounds before they fall. The larger the gun and the charge, the wider the circle of shot ; and therefore the better to assist that shaking hand, which, among the most expert marksmen, may be occasioned by anxiety. Plenty of powder, and a light charge (in proportion) of No. 6 shot will do better for a man while nervous than very close shooting; or, at all events, till he has become cool and confident, which he generally will find himself after he has killed a few birds in succession. So little is the art of pigeon shooting the criterion of a good shot, that many of the very best performers at this are scarcely third rate shots at other birds, and some of them perfect cockneys in every other kind of shooting. It must, however, be admitted, that there is more difficulty in shooting pigeons at a regular match than many bystanders are aware of. The man who has to exhibit before hundreds of people, and is, perhaps, betting hundreds of pounds, feels in general a very different sensation from the one who stands merely as a spectator, perfectly composed; arid while 218 PIGEONS. in this state, is confident of being able to beat those who are engaged in the match, although they may be shooting infinitely better than he perhaps could do if placed in their situation. In this, as in every thing else, therefore, it is far, very far, easier to be a fault- finder than a performer ; because most things fall so decidedly short of perfection, that any simpleton may set up for the one, while, on the contrary, a man must have acquired some little knowledge, however super- ficial, before he can attempt the other. Of wild pigeons, or (more properly speaking) doves, there are three kinds : the STOCK, or WILD PIGEON. Columba cenas Le biset. RING, CUSHAT, or QUEEST. Columba palumbus Le pigeon rainier. TURTLE. Columba turtur Le tourterelle. The second of these, the most common, is almost universally known by the name of woodpigeon ; and, if not too much fed on turnips, and kept till tender, is deservedly esteemed an excellent bird. The turtle- dove, however, is the best of the three ; but, being only a summer visitor, it generally escapes the notice of the shooter ; except in the early part of September, when birds of this description are often sprung from the pea fields. For shooting woodpigeons there are various con- trivances, which, like those for all other wild birds, consist chiefly in waiting for them, as this always PIGEONS. 219 answers so much better than attempting to follow them. Some hide themselves among the trees, where they come to roost about sunset : others take them at perch, after the fall of the leaf, by moonlight* (the way poachers shoot pheasants) ; and many are killed by boys in the summer, who conceal them- selves, in a harbour, near the ponds where these birds and the doves go to drink. But, after all, the most effectual way is to shoot them when they come to the turnips in snowy weather. If the frost is so hard that you cannot approach them, under cover of a fence, without making a noise on the white ice, you must, after moving them, wait, to leeward, for their return. If you can make a place in a hedge, it is preferable to the common plan of putting up hurdles covered with straw, as the woodpigeons are apt to notice, and feed out of reach of them. These birds are fond of frequenting beech trees, and feeding on the nuts that fall from them. To get shots at woodpigeons round a fir clump, or plantation, send your man on the opposite side to drive them out before you ; or they will, ten to one, go off under cover of the tree from which they fly. By waiting concealed in the covert, you may often * This the woodpigeons will not allow you to do, unless the trees are clear of underwood ; as the least rustling of bushes would put them to flight. For this reason (as Mr. Daniel very justly remarks) they are an excellent night signal, to keepers, when poachers have availed themselves of boisterous weather to :tttack it preserved covert. 220 PIGEONS. stand in one place, where fresh birds will continue dropping into the boughs, till you have half filled your bag with them. Observe one thing, however, or you may not kill a bird in a week ! Recollect that a woodpigeon, directly he perches, begins to re- connoitre his safety in every direction; and if you move but a finger, when he first alights, he will instantly take wing. But if you will only wait per- fectly still for half a minute, you may then present and fire at him as easily as at an owl. Although the ringdove or woodpigeon seldom builds anywhere but in dark evergreen trees, such as yew trees, firs, &c., yet, in 1824, one of these birds entered a dovehouse of mine ; made her nest in com- pany with the tame pigeons ; and hatched her eggs there, notwithstanding a man was repeatedly going in to clean out the place, and take young pigeons. Here she brought up her two young ones, and then took them off with her. This is almost as singular as the circumstance of a partridge, in 1788, having reared sixteen young ones up in a pollard tree, through which went the bars of the stile in a public foot-path. This happened in Essex, on a manor of my late father, of whom Mr. Daniel had the deputa- tion, and was an eyewitness to the circumstance. The particulars of this he very correctly states in his " Rural Sports." PLOVER. PLOVER. Of the plover tribe there are six sorts : ?/. GREAT PLOVER (already named among the Curlews). BASTARD PLOVER, LAPWING, or PEEWIT. Fringllla va- nellus Le vanneau. The one famous for its eggs. Old peewits, as we all know, fly round a dog, in order to mislead him from the nest ; and I have ob- served, that the young ones, about July or August, frequently do the same : perhaps in imitation of the parent bird. With a dog, therefore, one, who agrees with the French proverb*, as to their being such a delicacy, may be able to kill several of these birds in the marshes where they frequent. The afternoon is the best time, as peewits prefer the uplands during the morning. GOLDEN PLOVER. Charadrius pliivialis Le pluvier dore. GRAY PLOVER. Tringa squatazola Le vanneau pluvier. DOTTEREL. Charadrius morincllus Le guignard. RING DOTTEREL, RING PLOVER, or SEA LARK. Chara- drius hiaticula Le petit pluvier a collier. The gray plover, and ring dotterel, are coast birds: the others chiefly frequent the marshes and fallows inland, where they feed on worms. * " Qui n'a pas mange de vanneau, ne sait pas ce que gibier vaut." BIRDS OF PREY. The golden plovers and large dotterels are worth more than all the others, either to shoot, or for the table. The former, when in large flocks, are wild, and must, therefore, be followed with caution ; the latter are easier of access, though not so plentiful. Golden plover were formerly killed in great plenty by means of a stalking horse. If you fire at these birds, as they fly over you, they will dart down for the moment, and spread in every direction ; so that, by taking a random shot with your first barrel, you may often bring down the birds to a fair one for your second. If admissible to bring together land and water birds, we may add to this list, the LONG-LEGGED PLOVER, or LONGSHANKS. Charadrius himantopus L'echasse. This plover, and the sanderling, Bewick places by themselves, as a separate Genus, at the com- mencement of his second volume. PREY, BIRDS OF. To shoot the various birds of prey, which belong to the falcon tribe, such as buzzards, kites, hawks, falcons, &c. &c., the easiest and most destructive method is to watch the coppices in the breeding season, or induce the boys, by a trifling reward, to find out their nests. You should wait till the female sits hard on her eggs ; and then go, late in the even- ing, with some large shot in a duck gun ; by which QUAIL. means you may either take her as she flies out of the tree, or blow up the whole concern by firing through the nest. This is a more certain, and a much less cruel way to destroy mischievous birds than by indiscriminately shooting, or catching, them at a distance from their nests ; where, perhaps, their young ones, having been hatched, are left to be starved with hunger. Ravens, carrion-crows, magpies, &c., may be killed in the same manner, or poisoned previously to the breeding season, by your putting in some of their favourite trees a few joints of horseflesh, well seasoned with arsenic arid -HUP vomica. Another good way to kill these, particularly magpies, is to drive along the road with a horse that will stand fire, and shoot them from a cart, gig, or other carriage. I have known eight or nine magpies killed in a day by this means (about the pairing season), when the keepers were constantly following them without being able to get a shot. QUAIL. Tetrao coturnix Le cattle. There is no part of this country where we can go regularly out for a day's quail shooting, as in France (where these birds abound in the month of August), or the more southern parts up the Mediterranean, where they sometimes cover the country for miles. The quails are so far plentiful on the left bank of the Tagus, that many of the officers, indifferent shots, while in winter quarters at Vallada, thought RABBIT. nothing of going over, arid returning to their dinner with ten or twelve couple, although with every dis- advantage in point of guns and ammunition. These birds are so scarce in Great Britain, that to find a good bevy of them, and kill three or four brace, is considered as something extraordinary : and, although there is scarcely a sportsman, who has not occasionally met with a few, while shooting par- tridges in September, yet I have never known any one, who has had much sport with quails in this country. RABBIT. Lepus cuniculus Le lap'm. To shoot rabbits in the evening, sit in a tree ; and, by your being above them, they are not likely to smell you, and will therefore play about close under the tree. Let your dead ones lie till you have done shooting, instead of spoiling your own sport by getting down for them. For this work you must take no dog. To kill rabbits, feeding in an open warren, keep a few hurdles pitched, and approach or wait for the rabbits under cover of them ; taking care not to go directly to windward. For a regular attack, how- ever, the better diversion is to ferret the holes, and stand about twenty yards off, very quiet, with your gun. This is more amusement for a man who is fond of shooting, than netting the rabbits ; and the shots are not so difficult in this way, because a rabbit, when bolted by a ferret, does not, in general, go off REDWING ROCKBIRDS. 225 so fast as when started by a dog. All other rabbit shooting is so well known, that my fancying I could give instructions on the subject would be like the Lisbon barber informing Baretti that grapes grew in Portugal. Though one word more (by the by) : - In shooting a rabbit, always consider the foremost half of him as your target, or he will probably be shot in a slovenly manner ; and if there is an earth near, most likely scramble to it, and make his escape. REDWING, SWINEPIPE, or WIND THRUSH*. Turdus iliacus Le maums. The redwing is a smaller bird than the fieldfare, and not so wild ; but its habits are much the same as those of that bird. When redwings appear on the eastern coast, they as commonly announce the approach of the woodcock, as does the arrival of the wryneck that of the cuckoo in the south. ROCKBIRDS. Those, which are commonly called rocWirds, are the various tribes of the Guillemot and Auk or Penguin Genus, which, previously to the month of May, assemble by myriads, to breed among the cliffs that surround the British Isles. For brevity's sake, * The last of these three is in many places the provincial name given to the missel bird, or storm thrush. 226 ROCKBIRDS. they are here placed collectively under the above name ; and suffice it to say, that those most com- monly shot, and the eggs of which are most in requi- sition, are the razor-bill and puffin of the Auk kind, and the common willock of the Guillemot kind. The puffins are most plentiful at the back of the Isle of Wight, and St. Alban's : the others on the cliffs near Eastbourne and Dover : but, for a farther variety, we must go more towards the North of Great Britain. Although birds of this description can only be used for the sake of the feathers, or to barrel for dog's meat, yet many of the best sportsmen are tempted to amuse themselves with the diversion of " Rockbird shooting," from the number of shots that may be got in a day, and the uninterrupted oppor- tunity of practice, and trials of skill. For this pur- pose, large parties of pleasure are made about the months of June and July, when, instead of taking only a full powderhorn and shotbelt, it frequently becomes necessary to be prepared with a cleaning rod, and an extra supply of ammunition. The time selected for killing these birds should be either before they hatch, or after they have brought down their young to the water, where they are able to shift for themselves : otherwise those, who destroy the old birds, have to reproach themselves with the cruelty of leaving the young ones to starve upon the rocks. On approaching the stupendous cliff, in which these birds each deposit their one large egg, you see them, ROCKBIRDS. for miles and miles, blackening the air like swarms of bees : and what with the screaming of the gulls, the hollow croaking of the cormorants, and the various noises of the penguin tribe, you hear the caverned rocks in constant echo with discordant sounds. On getting nearer, you will see the main body of the wi Hocks and puffins standing, like ranks of sol- diers, along the chalky chasms, but at such a height, as not only to be out of shot, but indifferent to the sound of a gun. Your plan, therefore, should be to let some one start, so as to be on the heights by the time you have arrived below. Having anchored your boat at a distance, where the birds sufficiently lower their flight, make a signal to the person above ; who, by letting down about a hundred yards of line, with a piece of wood, a stone, or a bell at the end of it, will immediately put their armies to the rout, and keep them constantly pouring dow r n upon the sea. To kill these birds, you must rather pick your shots, and fire well before them, as they fly with great rapidity, take a very hard blow, and your eye is apt to be deceived in distance, after gazing on a back- ground of chalk, which is, perhaps, two hundred yards in height. After all, however, the rockbirds will not always come near enough for you to make any ex- traordinary number of shots without missing, unless you descend in a basket, &c. (as I mentioned, when speaking of cormorants), in the manner by which the men collect their eggs, and gather samphire. I remember, when a party went to shoot willocks 228 ROOK RUFF. near Dover, that those who were under the cliffs could scarcely get a bird to fly low enough ; while one person, who stood above, and fired down, very soon exhausted all his ammunition, without missing a single shot. To take all chances at rockbirds and seafowl, with a small gun, use shot No. 3 instead of No. 7. ROOK. Corvus frugilegus Lefreux. Let those who find amusement in shooting perchers (or young rooks) be careful how they fire among rickyards and buildings, and always avoid loading their guns with either paper or tow. For this kind of shooting, therefore, the safest and best kind of wadding is leather. But as this pastime is most frequently followed by those who never use a punch, or perhaps do not even know what the word " wadding" means, let me only advise, that they be requested to put green moss, or leaves, on their powder and shot, instead of using paper, which is so very liable to set fire to the buildings. Young rooks, by being first skinned, and then soaked all night in cold spring water, make pies, which are worthy the notice of the most scientific gourmand. RUFF. Tringa pugnax Le combattant. Ruffs are birds of which the males are seldom found two alike in plumage, and of which the females are called REEVES. As I before observed, when classing them with the SNIPES. 229 knots, they are easier caught than shot in any great quantity. It is ludicrous to see these birds dancing round the hillocks in the spring, and particularly when they dance into the springes that are set for them. SNIPES. Of these there are the three following sorts : THE GREAT, or SOLITARY SNIPE. Scolopax media La grande becassine. (As Buffon does not notice the bird, we are to presume that this must be the French translation.) THE COMMON SNIPE, SXITE, or HEA.TIIER-BLEATER. Sco- lopax gaUinago La bfaassinc. THE JACK SNIPE, JUDCOCK, JETCOCJC, or GID. Scolopax gallinula La petite becassine. To kill^ac^-snipes, a pointer that will stand them is the greatest possible acquisition, as they always lie so very close that you are liable to walk past them. These little snipes are easiest killed in a light breeze, or even calm weather, as in a gale of wind they fly more like butterflies than birds. Nothing teazes a poking shot worse than jack-snipes, but to one who has the knack of pitching and firing his gun in one motion, they are, generally speaking, not much worse to shoot than other small birds, except in boisterous weather. The jack-snipes are the best eating of all the tribe. The " old hand" therefore keeps the jack for his own eating, and sends the fine looking full snipe 230 STARLING. to his friend. As with pheasants, the hen is the best on the table ; the cock the prettiest bird for a present. STARLING, or STARE. Sturnus vulgaris L'etourneau. The time to shoot starlings by wholesale is just before the dusk of the evening, when they come down to roost among the reeds. Here they assemble in swarms, that darken the air ; and, for some time, keep up a chatter, which even surpasses that of Frenchmen in their warmest political debates. Having swept down some dozens with your duck- gun, let their heads be immediately pulled off; as this will, in a great degree, prevent their having a bitter taste. Starlings are very good when stewed with rice, or made into a curry. Before I conclude under the head of Starlings, I must ask leave to become my own trumpeter, in order to name a shot that I made at these birds, which will give some idea as to the manner in which they swarm together : Happening, in the early part of last winter, to have my punt afloat on Lord llodney's pond, at Alresford, I loaded my new double swivel-gun with a pound of small shot in each barrel ; and, a little before daylight, paddled across to a retired part of the pond, where the reeds were lite- rally swarming with these birds. Having placed the punt " stem on" so as to command the eastern light, STARLING. and shoot well clear of the reeds, I gave a little signal, as previously agreed on, to Mr. Macilwain (who, with Captain Hill, was in another punt behind) to discharge both barrels of my little double gun. On hearing this report, up sprang the whole army, con- sisting, I should say, of every Starling in Hampshire, and making the valley echo like a peal of thunder. No sooner had they cleared the reeds than I opened my battery, and cut such a lane through them as I could scarcely have thought possible ; and the quan- tity of feathers, which came flying back to leeward, I could compare to nothing but a fall of black snow. What number were killed and wounded we never could ascertain, from the extreme difficulty of getting the birds that fell among the reeds and quagmires, but we fairly bagged two hundred and forty-three^ as fast as they could be picked up ; and the workmen, when the reeds were cut down, de- clared that they found between two and three hun- dred more: for this, however, I have only their word ; though there is no reason to doubt it, as we all felt confident that, at least > five hundred fell to this one volley ! It may be unnecessary to add, that the army of Starlings took care not to quarter at Alresford the next night. WILD SWAN TEAL. SWAN, WILD, or HOOPER. Anas cygnus Le cygne sauvage. The hoopers are, at certain times, easier of access than some other wild birds ; and if, when flying, they are fired at directly under the hollow of the wing, or, when swimming, through the head, they may be stopped, at a reasonable distance, with a common double gun and small shot; perhaps even farther than other wildfowl, as, when struck in the body, they become helpless from their iveight, and their heads are less likely to escape between the shot than those of smaller fowl. But if, through eager- ness, you happen to fire carelessly at their upper coverts, you may as well try to penetrate a woolpack, unless you have very heavy shot, or a ball. * TEAL. Anas crecca La petite sarcelle. As a brood of teal, including the old ones, usually amounts to no more than six or seven, they are most commonly seen in very small numbers ; unless they have collected on decoy ponds, and are driven from them by hard frosts, when they will appear on the ad- joining rivers, in flocks of twenty or thirty together. Of all the prizes that a wildfowl shooter could wish to meet with, a flock of teal is the very first. In- dependently of their being by far the best birds of the whole anas tribe, they are so much easier of access, and require such a slight blow, that no matter whether you are prepared for wildfowl, partridges, or snipes, you may, at most times, with very little AVIGEON. 233 trouble, contrive to get near them ; arid this being once done, you have only to shoot straight to be pretty sure of killing. I have seen teal " duck the flash," though never but once, and then I had rather a slow shooting gun. If you spring a teal, he will not soar up, and leave the country, like a wild duck, but most probably keep along the brook, like a sharp flying woodcock, and then drop suddenly down : but you must keep your eye on the place, as he is very apt to get up again, and fly to another before he will quietly settle. He will frequently, too, swim down stream the mo- ment after he drops, so that if you do not cast your eye quickly that way, instead of continuing to look for him in one spot, he will probably catch sight of you and fly up, while your attention is directed to the wrong place. If the brook in which you find him is obscured by many trees, you had better direct your follower to make a large circle, and get a-head of, and watch him, in case he should slily skim away down the brook, and, by this means, escape from you altogether. You should avoid firing at random, as this may drive him quite away from your beat. * WIGEON, WHEWER, WHIM, or PANDLED WHEW. Anas Penelope Le canard siffleur. Wigeon * either choose their mates, or detach themselves into small trips preparative to so doing, * Strictly speaking, we should say " wigeoiw" in the plural number, us well as " pigeon*." But so generally is it the custom, 234 WIGEON. by about Valentine's day ; and therefore killing many at a shot, after this time, is generally only to be done when they are fighting together, or in the event among those who have any thing to do with wildfowl, to leave out the s here, that the introduction of it feels to me like hearing a "flock of partridges," or a " fox's tail." Let me, therefore, see if I can scrape up any authority for having thus deviated from the rules of our language. Yes ! by the way ; the plural of sub- stantives ending in out should have an s ; and yet, by habit, all modern sportsmen say, for the plural, " trout" and not " trouts." Well then, let the shooter, as well as the fisherman, appeal for a licence to kill languages. Now therefore to the comparison : It may be argued, that although in old works we read of" fish as/ 1 yet in modern language, or rather by habit, which gives a sort of licence, the word Jish, speaking collectively, is generally used without a plural. Most people, for instance, would say " a basket of Jish," or " the river is full ofjish" notwithstanding the plural of other nouns ending in sh should have the addition of es to distinguish it from the singular number. For instance, "dishes," " wishes/' and so on. Again, speaking of them separately, some fish have, and some have not, an s for their plural ; as, for instance, " herring*," " pilchards," te sprat*;" on the other hand, " carp," " tench," " mackerel." In comparison, too, I observe, that the word " wildfowl" is used without a plural (and yet translated in Latin, vohicrEs palustrEs), notwithstanding we put a plural when the first syllable, or rather the adjective, is not used. For example, in speaking of poultry, we should say " a couple of fowls." We have, it is presumed, therefore an equal right to say " wigeon" " teal" " plover," though, on the other hand, we should say " wild-duck*," " dun- bird*," " curlew*." Our lexicographers it appears still spell Wiogeon with a d; I suppose, because birds of this kind are not so much in the fashion- WIGEON. 235 of cold weather. The wigeon, for coast night shoot- ing, is like the fox for hunting, it shows the finest sport of any thing in Great Britain. We shall, therefore, hereafter make the pursuit of this fowl one of our leading subjects. able world as pigeons, and therefore the word has escaped the modern polish, or been neglected, which is the case with most things that belong to absentees. Mr. Bewick spells " wigeon 1 * without the d. I shall, therefore, take the liberty of following his example, under the idea that lexicographers are not gods, but men ; and therefore as liable to leave room for future improvement as are all other students and authors. As the word pigeon was taken from the French, the d here should, I presume, never have been introduced, though we see it in the English translation of Anton Ernst Klausing's German dictionary, taken, as he states, from Nathan Bailey's English dictionary : (but, perhaps, from some very old edition). I have, however, seen it spelt with a d in subsequent works. The other bird was formerly spelt Widgen, as somewhat nearer to the Saxon, from which it was probably derived, [See Scott's Bailey's Dictionary, in 1/55, which says, prob. of pij^enb" (wiggend) " Sax. Fighting"] ; and then, I believe, changed to widgeon. We may, therefore, it is presumed, follow up the improvement, and erase that consonant which is superfluous to the pronuncia- tion ; since it has, of late, become the custom to do so with other words. A thousand apologies for (if I may use a vulgarism) such a long-winded note on one word, as this is quite unnecessary when a work is in the hands of a reviewer, or any other liberal reader. But I have inserted it merely for the amusement of the word- rnleher; or, in other words, the little gentleman who looks more at the leaves on the tree than the design of the landscape. 236 WOODCOCK. WOODCOCK. Scolopax rusticola La becasse. Although many sportsmen consider, that there are two distinct kinds of woodcocks, and Latham describes three, yet they are more to be considered as mere varieties of this bird, than any species that can be separately distinguished from it. The feather of the woodcock, which is so accept- able to miniature painters, is that very small one, under the outside quill of each wing : to be sure of finding which, draw out the extreme feather of the wing, and this little one will then appear conspicuous from its sharp white point. To prove, that woodcocks, on having migrated into this country, will repair to the same haunts for a succession of winters, I shall mention a circumstance, not as having pilfered it from Mr. Bewick or Mr. Daniel, but because it was related to me by Mr. Pleydell himself, when I was at Whatcombe House, where the bird is now preserved. In Clenston Wood (a covert belonging to the above place, in Dorsetshire), a woodcock was taken alive, in one of the rabbit nets, in the month of February, 1 798. Mr. Pleydell, after having a piece of brass marked, and put round its left leg, allowed the bird to be set at liberty; and, in the month of December fol- lowing, he shot this woodcock, in the very same coppice where it had been first caught by his gamekeeper. Although it is here wished to abstain from all anecdotes, that may not be considered of some little use in the way of information, yet, while on the subject of woodcocks, I shall take the liberty of mentioning one circumstance, that occurred to myself on the 25th of January, 1810. It was, soon after, very correctly stated in a newspaper ; but, no wonder, considered by many as an absurd and improbable assertion ; and for this reason I shall, in quoting the paragraph here, add, that the circumstance took place in the pre- sence of the Rev. W. Nourse and two other gentlemen. " A few TO PRESERVE BIRDS. 237 days ago, a woodcock flew up the lawn, and dropped close before Longparish House, in Hampshire ; and was shot from the window, ' by Captain Hawker, who, having been wounded in Spain, was there confined to his room. What makes the circumstance more remarkable is, that it happened in a country where it is very rare to see three of these birds in a season ; and that a friend of his had laid a bet, he would be well enough to shoot a cock before the winter was over." TO PRESERVE AND CHOOSE BIRDS, &c. &c. To distinguish specifically the foregoing birds, I refer my readers to Bewick ; presuming, as I have repeatedly hinted, that no one, who has the least interest in shooting, either as a sportsman or a na- turalist, could willingly be without such a portable, cheap, and yet such a very superior work. If you shoot a curious bird, and have not the means of getting it stuffed while fresh, you may preserve the skin of it for many months by putting therein dry tow and powdered ginger. May and June are the only months that you need fear the moth ; and just then, cedar shavings, or camphor, would be a good addition. To skin a bird, open him either on one side, or down the back. I have, as proposed at the beginning, marked only those of the broad-billed birds which are fit for the table ; and this has been done as a caution against the imposition of marketmen and poulterers, who, for 238 TO CHOOSE BITU)S. instance, would have little hesitation in serving you with a couple of scoters, or burrough ducks, by way of a " delicate bottom dish for your second course." Although it is not meant to dwell here on a sub- ject, which more properly belongs to a cookery book, yet it would be very hard not to have some considera- tion for many, who would rather see one bird roasted and well frothed up on a table, than ten thousand springing from a stubble, or feeding under the moon. Let it therefore be observed, that, in choosing birds, you cannot be guided better than by selecting those, which, of their kind, are the heaviest in weight and the least beautiful in plumage. Young birds may be distinguished by the softness of their quills, which, in older ones, will be hard and white. The females are, in general, preferable to the males ; they are more juicy, and seldom so tough. For example, a hen pheasant* or a duck is to be preferred to a cock pheasant or a mallard. The old pheasants may be distinguished by the length and sharpness of their spurs, which, in the younger ones, are short and Hunt. Old partridges are always to be known, during the early part of the season, by their legs being of a pale blue, instead of a yellowish brown ; so that, when a Londoner receives his brace of blue-legged birds in September, he should im- * Provided it is not a very dark coloured one, which would de- note its being an old barren hen. Such birds, by the way, should always be destroyed as vermin) because they take to sucking the eggs of the others. TO KEEP BIRDS. 239 mediately snap their legs, and draw out the sinews, by means of pulling off the feet, instead of leaving them to torment him, like so many strings, when he would be wishing to enjoy his repast. This remedy of making the leg tender removes the objection to old birds, provided the weather will admit of their being sufficiently kept; and indeed they are then often preferable, from having a higher flavour. Jf birds are overkept their legs will be dry, their eyes much sunk, and the vent will become soft and somewhat discoloured. The first place to ascertain if they are beginning to be high is the inside of their bills, where it is not amiss to put some heather straw, or spice, if you want them to keep for any length of time. Birds that have fallen in the water, or have not had time to get cold, should never be packed like others, but sent openly, and dressed as soon as possible. Sportsmen are often heartily abused by their ac- quaintance (I cannot yet bring myself to hackney the word friends quite so fluently as I ought to do) for sending them " tough and good-for-nothing game," while all the blame should, in many instances, rest with themselves, or their pudding-headed cook, who, may be, dresses an old pheasant, or hare, the very day after it was killed, or perhaps, while engrossed in a story or argument, leaves it to roast away, till there remains neither juice nor flavour. All game, &c. should be kept till properly tender ; 240 TO KEEP BIIIDS. or, if wanted in a hurry, it may be picked, wrapped up in a cloth, and thus buried in the earth for a few hours, before it is dressed. This is the custom abroad, where I have supped on wildfowl, perfectly tender, that were killed since an early dinner on the same day. Birds, that are dressed so soon after being killed, as scarcely to have become cold, are more tender than if put by, for a night, and afterwards not kept long enough. On the other hand, if you want them kept a very long time, for any particular purpose, powdered charcoal (for game, venison, or any thing) is the best recipe that I have yet been able to procure. Keep your game in a safe, or a well secured larder, to avoid flies : and to get rid of rats, you have only to leave out, for their supper, a red herring, which you must first split open, and then occasionally heat before the fire, while you put over and into it about as much corrosive sublimate of mercury as would lie on a half-crown. The rats, when they have eaten of this, will shortly afterwards adjourn to the water ; and, instead of returning, there drink themselves to death. This is a far more certain recipe to destroy rats than the mercurial ointment, which was before named in this work. It may be worth while to ob- serve also, en passant, that the corrosive sublimate of mercury is a never failing remedy to destroy bugs, if mixed with spirits of wine, and well worked, with a paint brush, into the joints and crevices of furniture. TO DRESS WILDFOWL. 241 N. B. Be very careful how you handle, or where you leave, this preparation, it being POISON. Q. What has this last recipe to do with sporting? A. The citizens have been enlightening us country shooters with a new system of instructions for killing our game, and therefore the least that I can do in return is to give them a short recipe for killing theirs. With regard to dressing birds there are so many various methods, for which every cook or epicure has his favourite receipt, that it would be absurd to enter on the subject ; but, as so many fail in adapting their sauces to wildfowl, I shall take the liberty of giving one that has been preferred to about fifty others ; and was, at one time, not to be got without the fee of a guinea. RECIPE FOR SAUCE TO WILDFOWL. Port wine, or claret .... 1 glass. Sauce u la Russe* (the older it is the better) 1 table spoonful. Catsup ...... 1 ditto. Lemon juice ... . .1 ditto. Lemon peel . .1 slice. Shalot (large) . . . .1 sliced. Cayenne pepper (the darkest, not that like 1 brickdust) ... J Mace . . . . . 1 or 2 blades. To be scalded, strained, and added to the mere gravy, which comes from the bird in roasting. * Sold by Hill, in Albemarle-street ; successor to Mr. Aveling, who first introduced this sauce. 242 TO CHOOSE HARES. To complete this, the fowl should be cut up in a silver dish, that has a lamp under, while the sauce is simmering with it. Let a goose, or any strong or fat wildfowl, be roasted with the addition of a small onion, and a pared lemon, in the inside ; as this will draw out the strong fat, and give the bird a milder taste. Hares and rabbits, when old, have blunt claws ; are broad across the back ; their ears are very tough ; and, when cut, their flesh curls up, and remains dry. The first joint of their foreleg is larger and stiffer than in young ones, and their jawbones are very hard. In young hares and rabbits all is the reverse to this : their ears are easily torn, and their jawbones may be cracked with the forefinger and thumb. HAVE been such a universal subject for every sport- ing writer, that scarcely a word can be said about them, but that of which we may find the counter- part in some publication or other. Every one has his own caprice, or fancy, about pointers, setters, and spaniels ; and we meet, almost every day, with some fresh man, who has got the best dog in England. Let it be observed, however, that, with all the perfection to which we have brought both the breed- ing and breaking of these animals, we are not always sufficiently particular. In the one we are apt to let them degenerate for want of a proper cross ; and, in the other, we are too well contented (provided they have " plenty of hunt in them") with their merely being broken well to back and stand, without re- garding the importance of their lying down to charge, and being stanch from chasing hares or rabbits. Putting the credit of our dogs entirely out of the question, we forget the number of shots they spring by committing such faults. If you want game, take old dogs. Young ones, however fleet and well broken, know little more than R 2 244 DOGS. the A B c of their business, while old ones are up to every kind of trick. I shall now give an engraving of an iron puzzle and check collar, that will, at once, do more towards dog-breaking than a whole treatise, which would be redundant to those of my readers who are sports- men, and set all the others asleep. I shall, however, make one observation, which is, that a dog is far more likely to become a first-rate one, by being made a companion of, and corrected by rating and shaming him, than by being kept entirely away from the breaker, except to be taken to the field, and there flogged for every fault he commits. I had a friend in Dorsetshire, who was not only one of the best shots that ever lived, but who had, perhaps, the very best dogs in Europe, and I know this was his plan. [In the fourth edition, I observed that any one who had been much in the west of England would know who I meant ; but I now sincerely regret to add that this gentleman died last summer. While he lived, the public mention of his name might have been thought a liberty ; but now that he is no more, I feel it a duty a tribute due to his memory. The sportsman alluded to was Bayles Wardell, Esq., who, " take him for all in all," was one of the very best shoot- ing sportsmen that ever went into a field ! To say of any man that he was the best shot in England, would be as bold an assertion as to say that there was any man in England who could shoot better than Mr. Wardell !] /' tft. //- I i. I ') . BOGS. 245 With regard to spaniels, they are, nine times in ten, so badly broken in, as, in general, to be only fit to drive a large wood ; but, if taught to keep always within half a gunshot, they are the best dogs in existence for working among hassocks and briars. They should be trained very young, or they require an unmerciful deal of flogging ; and it is sometimes advisable, at first, to hunt them with a forefoot tied up in the collar. If you have occasion to punish a dog, which I should recommend having recourse to as little as possible, never kick him, for by such means you may do him an injury. I know a sportsman in Hamp- shire who had the misfortune to lose his dog by giving him one unlucky kick ! Always, therefore, flog your dog with a whip or switch. To do this, and, at the same time, avoid the risk of his getting loose, or biting you, hold his head between your knees, by which means you properly secure him, and have a full command of his back, without being liable to strike him in a tender part. NEWFOUNDLAND DOGS. HERE we are a little in the dark. Every canine brute, that is nearly as big as a jackass, and as hairy as a bear, is denominated mfine Newfoundland dog. Very different, however, is both the proper Labrador and St. John's breed of these animals ; at least, many 246 DOGS. characteristic points are required, in order to di- stinguish them. The one is very large ; strong in the limbs ; rough haired ; small in the head ; and carries his tail very high. He is kept in that country for drawing sledges full of wood, from inland to the sea shore, where he is also very useful, by his immense strength and sagacity, among wrecks, and other disasters in boisterous weather. The other, by far the best for every kind of 'shoot- ing, is oftener Hack than of another colour, and scarcely bigger than a pointer. He is made rather long in the head and nose ; pretty deep in the chest ; very fine in the legs ; has short or smooth hair ; does not carry his tail so much curled as the other ; and is extremely quick and active in running, swimming, or fighting. Newfoundland dogs are so expert and savage, when fighting, that they generally contrive to seize some vital part, and often do a serious injury to their antagonist. I should, therefore, mention, that the only way to get them immediately off is to put a rope, or handkerchief, round their necks, and keep tightening it, by which means their breath will be gone, and they will be instantly choked from their hold. The St. John's breed of these dogs is chiefly used on their native coast by fishermen. Their sense of smelling is scarcely to be credited. Their discrimi- DOGS. 247 nation of scent, in following a wounded pheasant through a whole covert full of game, or a pinioned wild fowl through a furze brake, or warren of rabbits, appears almost impossible. (It may, perhaps, be unnecessary to observe, that rabbits are generally very plentiful, and thrive exceedingly, near the sea shore. It, therefore, often happens, that wigeon, as they fly, and are shot by night, fall among furze- brakes, which are full of rabbits.) The real Newfoundland dog may be broken in to any kind of shooting; and, without additional in- struction, is generally under such command, that he may be safely kept in, if required to be taken out with pointers. For finding wounded game, of every description, there is not his equal in the canine race ; arid he is a sine qua -non in the general pursuit of wildfowl. Pool was, till of late years, the best place to buy- Newfoundland dogs ; either just imported, or broken in : but now they are become much more scarce, owing (the sailors observe) to the strictness of " those the tax-gatherers." I should always recom- mend buying these dogs ready broken ; as, by the cruel process of half starving them, the fowlers teach them almost every thing ; and, by the time they are well trained, the chances are, that they have got over the distemper, with which this species, in particular, is sometimes carried beyond recovery. If you want to make a Newfoundland dog do what you wish, you must encourage him, and use gentle 248 DOGS. means, or he will turn sulky ; but to deter him from any fault, you may rate or beat him. I have tried poodles, but always found them in- ferior in strength, scent, and courage. They are also very apt to be sea-sick. The Portland dogs are superior to them. A water-dog should not be allowed to jump out of a boat, unless ordered so to do, as it is not always required ; and, therefore, needless that he should wet himself, and every thing about him, without ne- cessity. For a punt, or canoe, always make choice of the smallest Newfoundland dog that you can procure; as the smaller he is, the less water he brings into your boat after being sent out ; the less cumbersome he is when afloat; and the quicker he can pursue crippled birds upon the mud. A bitch is always to be preferred to a dog in frosty weather, from being, by nature, less obstructed in landing on the ice. If, on the other hand, you want a Newfoundland dog only as a retriever for covert shooting, then the case becomes different ; as here you require a strong animal, that will easily trot through the young wood and high grass with a large hare or pheasant in his mouth. JOisrasrs tit 33ccj2 ARE so universally prescribed for, and in so many different ways, that it will be needless to treat on any thing farther than the most common evils that happen to them ; the Distemper, the Mange, Sore Feet, getting lamed by Thorns, Sec. &c., with the prescription, which I have found to answer best for each. DISTEMPER. To enumerate the various recipes for this some- t'nncti incurable disease would require a volume ; but, of all that I have yet tried, none has answered better than the one I shall here give ; and, as the remedy is so innocent, it may be safely administered, where there exists even a doubt as to a dog having the distemper. The following prescriptions are each about a dose for a full grown pointer. They must, of course, be increased or diminished in proportion to the size and strength of the dog. RECIPE. Opium ... . 3 grains. Emetic tartar (an invaluable medicine) . 5 grains. To be given at night. 250 DISTEMPER. Repeat the dose, every third night, till the dog is recovered ; taking care to keep him in a warm place, and always fed with a warm liquid diet, such as broth, gruel, &c. If the nostrils should discharge, have them washed, or syringed, twice a day, with a lotion of alum, or sugar of lead ; putting about half an ounce of either to a pint of water. The following is a recipe, which no bribe could tempt the vender to part with ; but, by means of some very clever chymists, I have ascertained it to be simply as follows : (after some trouble in dis- covering the proportions, and discarding the in- gredients by means of which it was disguised in a pill.) RECIPE. FOR A HALF GROWN POINTER : Jalap powder . . . .25 grains. Calomel . . . .5 grains. Made into a pill with a little gum water. . FOR A FULL GROWN POINTER : Jalap powder . . . 30 grains. Calomel . . . .8 grains. Mixed as above. One of these doses, mixed with butter, or in a small piece of meat, should be given to the dog every other morning, on an empty stomach. The food should be light, and easy to digest ; and the lotion, if required for the nostrils, should be observed here, as before mentioned. Notwithstanding the trouble we had to discover DISTEMPER. 251 this simple recipe, I should prefer the one first given, because there is less chance of a dog taking cold with that, than with any kind of mercurial prepara- tion. Since my earlier publications, I have been fa- voured with the following recipe from Dr. Taylor, of East Yarmouth ; and from its great repute, as well as that of the gentleman to whom I am in- debted for it, I am induced (though I have not yet tried it) to give this recipe insertion. RECIPE. Gum gambouge . . . -20 grains. White hellebore powder . . .30 grains. To be made in six balls. One to be given to a full grown dog, six following mornings (or half the quantity to a puppy). The dog to be kept warm, and fed on milk and gruel. By an anonymous letter (for which I beg leave to thank the author of it, whoever he may be), I was induced, with the able assistance of a medical sports- man, to try, as a preventive to the distemper, the vaccine inoculation. We made the experiment on several dogs, and we could not afterwards hear that any one of them had taken the distemper. But whether this was the effect of chance, or whether the remedy can always be depended on, I must leave to the decision of those persons, who are better versed in the diseases of dogs than myself. At all events, the remedy is so innocent, that there can be no harm in trying it ; arid I shall conclude tinder this head, 252 DISTEMPER. with the insertion of the letter, which, after what I have said, it would be negligent to omit. "SiR; " As a stranger I know not what business I have to trouble you, but, from the subject of my letter, you will, as a sportsman, probably pardon the intrusion. I should tell you I have lately purchased your ( Instructions to Young Sportsmen/ and I do not intend to flatter, when I say, it is by far the best book on shooting I ever read. And since from its originality, and excellence, I have no doubt it will go through another edi- tion, I am induced to hope you will, in a future edition, say some- thing on a preventive of distemper in dogs, which has been lately tried, if after a trial you should find it to answer. About two years ago, when in Sussex, I had frequently heard at table, that inoculating a dog with the cow-pox virus would prevent it from having the distemper. About half a year afterwards, having a pointer puppy, a few months old, I inoculated it. The dog has never had the distemper yet ; but since dogs sometimes escape this cruel disease till old age, and sometimes entirely, this can be no proof. However, you may possibly deem the supposed pre- ventive worth a trial 5 and, as no one is a greater friend of the dog than I am, it would afford me the sincerest pleasure if you should find it succeed, and make it known. After reading your publication, Sir, no one can doubt of your being a sportsman, and as such you must feel an affection for your faithful companions in the field; and since this will plead for me, and I shall ask your bookseller whether he cannot make this reach you without putting you to the unnecessary expense of postage, I shall make no further apology. But I am, Sir, " Most respectfully, " Your obedient humble servant, " London, October, 1816. " CAMS AMICUS. P. S. I should observe, the part where I inoculated my dog was on the inside of the fore leg, under the shoulder. It was done by cutting a very small place with a pair of scissors, arid MANGE. 253 rubbing the bone, or quill, charged with the virus, into the wound. From the appearance of the wound, a few days after, I was afraid the virus had not taken effect, but I have been told that this slight appearance is usual. P. Hawker, Esq." MANGE, COMMON OR RED. RECIPE. Sulphur vivum . . . .4 ounces. Hellebore powder . . .2 ditto. Bay-berry powder . . .2 ditto. Spirits of turpentine . . .1 ditto. Hogslard (to form it into an ointment) . -f pound. The dog to be first washed with lime water ; and, when dry, to be well rubbed with some of the oint- ment on the parts affected. The washing and dress- ing to be repeated every two days. Give the dog half a drachm of nitre and a drachm of sulphur daily, for ten days. It will be best to keep the dog free from getting very cold or wet during this process, which, by the by, very rarely fails to cure in two or three applica- tions. - The following is another remedy, during the pro- gress of which dogs may be worked, or even go in the water. The simple article required for this can only be procured on the seacoast. Rub the parts affected every other day with the strongest bitters, which are extracted from the salt, and are to be had at the salt-urns, by the name of glauber. This kind of em- brocation may be kept, for some time, in bottles, if wanted to send inland. 254 SORE FEET THORNS. SORE FEET. To keep a dog's feet hard and sound, the best way is to wash them with brine, or pot-liquor, every day after coming in ; because, if once suffered to get raw, they are so apt to smart (and particularly if any thing is applied), that the dog makes them worse, by gnawing and biting at them to allay the itching. If any farther remedy was required, I should pre- fer the following RECIPE. te Oil of vitriol . . . .5 drops. Tincture of myrrh . . 1 ounce. A little of which should be applied, with a feather, after first washing the feet. THORNS. " FOR thorns," says Mr. Daniel, " a plaster of black pitch is the best cure for man, horse, or dog ; and has succeeded after all other things have failed/' I must, however (to speak as I have found it), ob- serve, that & poultice of linseed meal surpasses every remedy I have yet tried, provided the thorn cannot be extracted, or cut out. But if the thorn can be got rid of, I should let the dog complete the cure with the most healing of all applications his own tongue; by which there is no risk of softening or irritating his feet. PHYSIC TRAINS OR BRUISES. 255 PHYSIC SHOULD be given to dogs before they begin their hard work. Nothing is better than a mixture of one ounce of jalap and a pint of syrup of buckthorn. With a large tablespoonful of this mixture every dog should be drenched twice in each of the two weeks preceding the sporting season. The dogs should also, in hot weather, have some pieces of brimstone in their water-troughs. If people would only take this trouble, we should not so often hear of dogs going mad, or dropping down dead in the field. STRAINS OR BRUISES. I HAVE always found, that an immediate and long continued application of water, as hot as it can pos- sibly be borne, is, in these cases, the best fomenta- tion that can be applied to man or beast. After this, you may use, with wet rags, the fol- lowing saturnine lotion : RECIPE. Acetated lead . .2 ounces. Vinegar, and water, of eacli . 4 P* nt - Mixed together *. * I think it proper to express my thanks for an amendment to this recipe in the " Sporting Magazine," which, I am proud to see, speaks so handsomely of this work ; though, by the way, I regret that I should have led the editor to suppose I am attached 256 POISON BITES OF VIPERS, &C. When the inflammation is completely removed^ rub the parts with the following embrocation : RECIPE. Soft soap . . . . .1 ounce. Spirit of wine . . . .1 ditto. Oil of turpentine . . . .1 ditto. Green elder ointment . .1 ditto. POISON. GIVE, as soon as possible, Emetic tartar, dissolved in warm water, 15 grains; and, after this has taken effect, Castor oil . . . .2 ounces ; keeping the dog warm during its operation. BITES OF VIPERS, &c. APPLY the following mixture : Green elder ointment, and savin ointment, equal quantities. Let the dog be kept on a low and cool diet. I have been told, by a friend in Norfolk, that the fat of vipers, taken out, boiled down, and kept (like to the old game-laws. On the contrary, though I wished them at all events to be made clear, yet I always disapproved of them. " The medical advice in the diseases of dogs is rational, hut we would not advise any one to depend on the Turpeth mineral, as a cure for madness." This is Mr. Beckford's remedy, and merely quoted by me.] " In the embrocation for strains, the water should be omitted, and the quantity of vinegar doubled. Distilled vinegar, decomposing the lead entirely, makes the neatest, if not the most efficacious medicine." BITE OF A MAD DOG. 257 goosegrease) is a never failing remedy for this, and almost every other, poison ; but that it gives pain on the first application. From the confidence I have in every thing which this gentleman states, I am in- duced to insert the recipe ; but, not having tried it, I cannot answer for its efficacy. BITE OF A MAD DOG. IF a dog is bitten, or suspected to have been bitten by a mad dog, let him immediately be con- veyed, with the greatest caution, to some very de- tached place ; and, in the latter case, if no remedy is used, a short time will determine whether he has been bitten or not. The following is the recipe preferred by Mr. Beck- ford, than which, it is generally considered, nothing can be more effectual. (That is to say, if any me- dicine in existence can be depended on for this horrid disorder.) It is simply Turpeth's mineral*, 1st morning . . . 8 grains. 2d morning . . . 16 grains. , 3d morning ... 32 grains. The dog should be bled the day previous to taking the first dose ; which, as well as the others, should be given on an empty stomach. He may have warm broth or pot liquor in the afternoon ; but nothing * Strong doses of this medicine from fifteen to thirty grains, for two or three days successively have been recommended in violent pases of the distemper, and performed great cures. 258 TO GIVE DOGS A FINE COAT. else during the three successive days of his taking the medicine. Let the Turpeth's mineral be given in a piece of butter, and care taken that the dog does not throw it up again. Mr. Beckford, in his " Thoughts on Hunting," says, " The whole pack, belonging to a gentleman in my neighbourhood, was bitten; and he assures me, he never knew an instance of a dog, who went mad, that had taken this medicine. " TO PHYSIC MODERATELY, AND GIVE A FINE COAT TO, DOGS. TAKE a small handful of the leaves of the wood- laurel ; boil it in a quart of water, till reduced to a pint, and mix it with sufficient liquid food to serve five or six dogs. This given, about once a month, in hot weather, I have found to answer better than any thing; but, as the wood-laurel in any great quantity is poison, it must be used with the utmost caution. If a sportsman had his pointers rubbed down and brushed every day, immediately after they came home, and particularly if wet or cold, they would not only have fine coats, but be serviceable to him at least half as long again. This I have proved be- yond all doubt. I here conclude all that I shall say relating to " dogs," as the subject has already been done ample justice to by Mr. Daniel ; Mr. Thomas ; Mr. Scott, WORKS TREATING ON DOGS. 259 and Mr. Johnson, in their interesting publications on field sports ; and, though the last named, yet not the least, by William Augustus Osbaldiston, Esq., in his admirable work, which is called the " British Sportsman." On the merits of this gentleman's work (putting aside some of the plates) I cannot for- bear making a few remarks, although he is (perhaps I should say was) an utter stranger to me. I bought his book when I was a lad, above twenty years ago, and I cannot say that I have since met with any thing more purely original. Mr. Osbaldiston's " British Sportsman," it is evident, is faithfully drawn from nature, by a thorough-bred sportsman in the field, instead of being imperfectly copied from other works, by a hackney quilldriver in the metro- polis. This work, in short, as well as Bewick's, may be considered as one of the fine old standards, from which many a book-pirate has torn the colours that he sails under ; or, as the peacock, in whose feathers have strutted half the jackdaws in the bookmaking world. Preservation of felt more than if held out, because the left hand, when grasping it, checks the recoil. The stock of a heavy duck gun should be more bent than that of a common gun, as, when we are holding out a great weight, it is not so easy to lower the head: and it should also be observed, that the curve in the stock tends to lessen the recoil. I have of late years had the duck gun stocks. DUCK GUNS. 275. which I use on the coast, made with a pistol grip, and whipped with waxed end, round the handle, similar to a cricket bat, which rather lessens the jar ; and the upper part of the but very much cut away, in order to prevent it from hurting the shoulder bone. I also paint and varnish the stock, by which means it does not get cracked, after being wetted with salt water. The gunmakers' stocks I found were always a great plague on this account, as well as from the trouble of keeping them in order, after being exposed to the spray of the sea. Add to which, they recoil most un- mercifully, and are therefore only fit for light charges. I should always have these stocks rather short ; as one that would mount well in a shooting jacket, would be unmanageably long in a gunning dress. The following is the average of several shots, tried at twelve sheets of thick brown paper, to ascertain the difference between two common duck guns, and a rery .superior double gun, made by Mr. Joseph Manton. 276 DUCK GUNS. Large duck gun . . . . Smallest ditto . . . WEIGHT. LENGTH. GAUGE. Pounds. 14 124 9 Feet. Inches. 4 6 ) 4 5/ 2 8 7 14 Double gun Duck guns ) Double gun j WITH No. 2 SHOT. Yards. 60 45 In the 1st sheet. 32 20 34 26 Through the 12th sheet. 25 18 34 26 Double gun J The large guns were loaded with precisely double the charge of the small gun, which is one-fifth less than that with which they always killed best. The paper was nailed up close to a sheet of water, and two men placed to observe the effect ; which was, that the outside shot (that which flew wide of the paper) appeared to be driven with much more force from the heavy guns, and, of course, spread a much larger surface. This proves, that although, if both accurately levelled, the difference between a wildfowl gun and a small gun is riot so very considerable, at a single bird ; yet, from the immense circle, which the large gun spreads, you have more chances of killing with an indifferent aim ; and, of course, in a flock (as be- fore said), would kill many more birds at a shot. DUCK GUNS. 277 At the same time an opportunity was taken to prove the advantage of shot lying compact; viz. after loading the double gun with a full charge of powder, and placing within the muzzle a round of pasteboard, I put thereon forty-five grains of No. 7 shot, shook them aU into one tier on the wadding, and, after having laid on them another round of pasteboard, carefully rammed down all together: the result was, that, at thirty yards, twenty grains were well distributed in a newspaper. 278 DUCK GUNS. Subjoined is another trial, made in 1820, between the smallest sized duck guns, and fourteen gauge double guns (at thirty-eight yards), wit! twelve sheets of thickest brown paper put up afresh for each shot. Number Ditto of Grains through Remarks. in 1st 12th Sheet. Sheet J -w ^3 j 1 1 1 1 M, iHirtls /'/// //''/ f" ''/" W////Y- Ks tbtimi II7H/IT I) cross t/n-tit m'f'7 ItlSfrft HM/tV 1) (' ('. ff/H/ ///''// /// t /i f/i> /////// "// insfi-'. 1 ' | ^ 1 $ -^ < 1 | | i V /.( ///////. / V; \ |- 1 | - i 1 I V j J 1 V ^ \ a K> 1 ^~ 1 ^ X I < x fg ^ | X S Sr ^ V ^ >' K ^ * < ?: ^ i . ^ ^ tx ^ $ = N 1 1 ^ V | g S ^ | R ^ | i ? .i Jj _" * ^s <^ I | 1 4 1 1 i X " | C 1 2 I 1 OVElt THE OOZES. 315 night's work, may be about five or six miles. They then go ashore, and either get into a pot-house, if they have a sixpence to spend (which is not always the case), or lounge about the shore till day-light disappears, and the birds begin to fly; having first put all " in order ;" that is, to draw out their mould shot, which they generally have in, for the chance of a goose " going down along ;" put in smaller shot ; and regulate their gun so that it will bear about eighty yards, when the punt is on the dry mud. No sooner are the wigeon pitched than off they set, in tarpaulin dresses ; and looking more like chimney- sweepers than gunners, crawling on their knees, and shoving this punt before them on the mud. No matter whether light or dark, few birds or many, bang ! goes the gun ; and no sooner have they picked up what few birds are readily to be found, or missed the fowl, which they very frequently do, as the punt, by even a few periwinkles, might be thrown off the line of aim, they proceed again ; thus travelling all night (by " launching" over the mud, and rowing across the creeks) in a direct line, similar to the march of an army of coots. I should not omit to mention, that, as the birds will seldom allow them to get into the punt to fire, some of them draw the trigger with a string at the end of the ramrod, and others creep up on one side, and pull it off with the finger. This is perhaps the most laborious, and the most filthy work in all the department of wildfowl shooting; and not onlv that, but it so ruins the country, that 316 NEW LAUNCHING SLEDGE. in a very short time it entirely " breaks the haunt of the birds," without having yielded any material ad- vantage to those who adopt the system. As some corroboration of this, I need only observe, that a family, who were the leaders in this way, and who are by far the best launchers in Hampshire, have of late been reduced to absolute distress for a livelihood ! For a man who goes such distances on the mud, of course, it would be dangerous not to have a boat that would carry both himself and his gun, in case he should be overtaken by a quick flood-tide before Tie could escape. But to one who was content with merely having that, in which, with high land behind him, he could just shove off, and catch the birds under the moon (in such a place, for instance, as the edge of the Southampton river, if the mud was pretty level and clear of holes), I shall prescribe one much lighter, and in which he can never be tempted to endanger his life afloat. The drawing will at once explain it sufficiently, and the only caution that can be required against accident is, that, as his gun must be cocked before he advances, he had better have a bit of cork to intercept the flint or detonater, which can be drawn away with a string (as the noise of cocking a gun might spring the birds), and which must not be removed till he has crawled sufficiently on one side of his punt to be quite clear, in case the gun should go off. This punt is so much lighter than any thing which you can float in, that you may move it with one SUSSEX MUD-BOAT. 317 hand, and by leaning your weight on a hand patten, which, being a little " kammelled" slips along without noise, and with the greatest ease, you may, with good water boots, go two or three hundred yards without getting the least wet. The gunner should not be black like the Hamp- shire men ; but recollect, that, as all extraneous bodies appear darker, he should be at least a few degrees lighter than the mud, in order to appear precisely of the same colour. There is another contrivance for traversing the oozes, which is simply a very slight board, with sides, somewhat in shape like the fore end of the Hampshire punt, sawed off, and a tail board, or bench, put across it. This is used on the Sussex coast, in places where there are but very few creeks to interrupt its progress. The way to manage it is this : The gunner first lays his piece (a large hand gun) into the " mud-boat ;" and then kneeling on the bench with one knee, he kicks along with the other leg, and advances with a rapidity that you would hardly credit ; and when that leg is tired, he changes it again, and works away as before. Having got pretty near to his birds, he lies down in the " mud boat," in which, if the mud is soft, he can work along with his feet ; but if hard, he must " hold on," and shove this kind of sledge before him. He lies close on his chest to fire, and has a stock cut away at the but, which is filled with horse hair. This so much eases the recoil from his collar bone, 318 REMARKS. that (unless in a sharp frost, when guns are apt to strike harder) he can manage to fire half a pound of shot at a time. Birds may be approached much nearer by this means than by any other kind of " launching" as the whole concern is so much lighter, and smaller. So much for the new system, by which the ancient mode of shooting on the Hampshire coast, so well described by Mr. Gilpin, and quoted by Mr. Daniel, has long ago been totally superseded ! Although I cannot, for a moment, suppose, that the generality- of sportsmen would ever think of adopting this method, yet I have given directions for it, because I am fond of any thing original ; and for this reason I have made it the subject of a little drawing. Here the light launching sledge is in the fore ground ; the Hampshire gunner contending with it in the centre, and the Sussex mud-boat looking after other birds in the back ground ; the latter is shown with a man in the position in which he tra- verses the oozes before he begins to crouch and ad- vance to the birds. In order to tell the story, I have found it necessary to put this, and other subjects, a little " out of drawing." Here (jUhope the R. A. gentlemen will pardon me, with that liberality which is inseparable from men of talent. C'AXOE SHOOTING. 319 POOLE CANOE. (Or shooting from the creeks, with a large shoulder gun.) THE Poole canoe is built sharp at both ends, on the plan of the Greenland whale-boat, except being so flat at the bottom as to draw only two or three inches of water, and so light as to weigh only from sixty to two hundred pounds. For this canoe, &c. see the plates and instructions, with the assistance of which a carpenter ought not to mistake in building one of these boats. In making all canoes for gunning, the builder should be careful to have the bottoms of them a little rounded (say about half an inch of convex, " amidships," for a bottom three feet broad) ; and, what is of still more consequence, a little " kam- melled," or sprung ; that is, gradually rising " fore and aft," in order to " give them life." They will, otherwise, row miserably heavy, and, when they get aground, suck the mud or sand so much, that, in order to get them off again, you might be forced to stand up ; and this would frighten away the fowl. If, however, the bottom of a canoe is too much kam- melled, she will never keep steady in going to birds. Some people, for this reason, leave hollow grooves between the bottom planks. I should say, that to every five feet of plank I would give about one inch of " kammel," so that the bottom of the canoe here 320 CANOE SHOOTING. engraved, being ten feet, would, by holding a string along the centre of the bottom (outside) prove convex about two inches. If a little more, she would be none the worse ; perhaps better ; provided that she drew water enough to give a bearing to every part ; otherwise the ends that were sprung would, by being out of the water, " cluck" so much as to make birds swim away in the night. In short, let your draught of water be the chief guide to regulate the kam> melling, or springing, of your punts and canoes. If not required for rough work, or a fixed swivel-gun, I should recommend all the planks to be not more than three quarters of the thickness specified in the plate ; as nothing, provided it be perfectly safe, can be too light for getting to wild birds. It is the large she of a boat, not the substance of the wood, that makes her safe in a sea. If the builder puts some oakum and tar round the heads of the principal nails, before he drives them in, so much the better. Not- withstanding all that the boat-builders have said, I now find that copper nails are the best. For dress- ing and painting, vide directions hereafter given. This kind of .canoe, although built for other pur- poses, is, on the western coast, generally preferred, for shooting, to one of any other kind. It answers best, when used (no matter whether by day or night), from low water to half, and sometimes to full, flood. You manage it thus : Sit down, on some straw or rushes, with your gun by your side, afid take with you a small Newfound- t'ANOE SHOOTING. 321 land dog. Row about, till you can see or hear a flock of wildfowl on the mud. To find them sitting, if by night, look at first very low, so as to bring the surface of the rnud in contrast with the horizon, by which means you will overlook the black edges of the creeks and holes, instead of seeing, and perhaps mistaking them for, birds. When you have rowed within three or four gun- shots of the fowl, take in your oars, and reconnoitre the creeks. Having ascertained which is likely to be the best, lie down, and push along with a stick (called a set, or gunning-spread), and, while the mudbariks stand above the little channels, you are so completely hid, that you will seldom fail to get a shot, provided there is a creek within reach of the birds, and you do not go directly to windward of them*. * The decoymen can go to windward of the birds, by means of the smoke from a piece of dutch turf, or common peat, which, after having it well dried, they are able to carry lighted in the hand for the short time that is required to drive the wildfowl into the pipes. Another recipe, of which some pretend to make a great secret, is a paste ,of cowdung and chopped straw ; but, before this will ignite properly, it must be baked in an oven for about thrice as long as the time required for making bread. All these things may answer very well behind the screen of a decoy; but in a canoe, or punt, the fire could not be so easily concealed, and there would be some danger in lighting it where one, without a retreat, was sitting on straw with gunpowder in his pocket. The burnt turf, &c. may be used with success by a person walking behind the high banks of a pond, or river, who may light it, when required, by carrying on a match a little Y CANOE SHOOTING. On arriving sufficiently near, should the water be so low that you cannot present your gun at the birds without kneeling or standing up, you must get aground at the side of the creek, or steady your canoe by means of forcing each oar from between the thowls into the mud, otherwise the recoil of the gun will set her rocking, and thus you might possibly be tipped out. Having made all fast., rise up and fire. Take care, however, to rise high enough to be well clear of the mud, or not a feather will you touch ; and present as follows : By day, or moonlight, if the birds are close, directly at them : or if beyond forty yards, shoot at their heads ; unless they are feeding in a concave place, where the tide has left a kind of plash, in which case you must level rather under them, or you will only graze their back feathers. In starlight take your aim just on the top of the NARROW BLACK LINE, IN WHICH BIRDS ALWAYS APPEAR, TO ONE WHO is LOW DOWN ; arid when so dark that you cannot see your gun, present, as you think, about a foot over, or you will most likely shoot about a foot under them. Should you have been successful, you will, if at night, generally hear your cripples beating on the mud, before you can sufficiently recover your eyes, from being dazzled by the fire, to see them. Your man then puts on his mud boards, taking the setting hy per oxy muriate of potash, and dipping it into a small phial of vitriolic acid. CANOE SHOOTING. pole to support him, and assists the dog in collecting the killed and wounded ; taking care to secure first the outside birds, lest they should escape to a creek. During this time you are left in charge of the punt ; and should, if possible, keep a look out, in order to see if any more birds fall dead, or wounded, from the company, before they have flown out of sight. The gunner generally calculates on bringing home the half only of what he shoots, from the difficulty of catching the whole of his winged birds, which he calls cripples, and those that (to use the pigeon phrase) fall out of bounds, which he calls droppers. If birds fly up he generally declines firing, knowing that the moment they are on wing they become so much more spread* that he could seldom get more than three or four, for which it would be hardly worth while to disturb the mud ; particularly as wigeon, by night, if not fired at, will probably settle again at no great distance. The Poole men sometimes go partners, by which means they can, with a very light punt, use two poles at a time, and shove up a creek that is nearly dry, and then fire two guns to a whispered word of command. This they call a " double gun," and, by such means, they, some years ago, could frequently secure forty or fifty wigeon at a time. But, within these very few years, Poole harbour, as well as almost every other part of the English coast, has been ruined for all the poor hand-gunners, by the introduction of punt-guns, that carry from 324 CANOE SHOOTING. one to nearly two pounds of shot ; which, as the so- vereign remedy in the present time, I shall hereafter explain to the very latest improvements. The gunner's principal enemy is the curlew, which often springs up from the edges of the creeks, alarms the whole place, and sometimes spoils them an ex- cellent shot. General tnstructtons FOR SEA COAST WILDFOWL SHOOTING, WHEN AFLOAT. I SHALL now more briefly explain my reasons for entering into the minutiae of wildfowl shooting. It is very rare to meet a gentleman, that can, or a good professional gunner that will, give any information on the subject. The art is, therefore, the least under- stood of any sport in existence. No man, who had a large gun, and could earn five pounds in a day, or night, would be bored with a gentleman for the sake of his five shillings ; and therefore the only man likely to be hired, at a good time for this sport, is some boatman, who has little to recommend him beyond a local knowledge of the harbour ; and who therefore requires some one to direct him how to manoeuvre the birds. In following wildfowl, it is easier to get within twenty yards of them by going to leeward, than a hundred and fifty if directly to windward, so very acute is their sense of smelling. The best time, therefore, to have sport with a 328 WILDFOWL SHOOTING, Wigeon are never so readily disturbed by hearing a noise as by smelling or seeing : in both of which they are very quick ; though, in the latter, less so than many other birds. Sea pheasants and teal are sometimes with them. On the Dorsetshire coast, the shooters' terms for a large flock of wigeon are a company ; for about thirty or forty, a bunch or trip of birds ; and, for about ten or twelve, a little knob : a string or skein of geese, and other such provincial appellations. They also call a creek a lake ; and the smaller creeks, or drains, latches. The former is a general term among people on the coast ; but the latter, in the neighbourhood of Lymington, is called a " spreader." If we can neither find a creek nor a " latch," with sufficient water to set up to birds, it is sometimes thought necessary to put the canoe in one of the latter, and there await the return of the tide, with which we may gradually approach them, as the water flows. But if this advance cannot be made under an hour or two, we may as well go away; and, if no better chance should offer, return to the place when the tide has risen to within one or two hundred yards of the birds, instead of waiting idle for so long a time. Here, unless disturbed, they will remain, as long as the tide allows them a place to stand on ; and, as the mud begins to disappear, will concentrate them- selves on the last uncovered spot ; where, to use the words of a gunner, as soon as the water begins to WHEN AFLOAT, BY NIGHT. 329 tk whiten the mud", thousands may be seen, literally wedged among one another, and from whence they are so unwilling to fly, that they will seldom stir till the water actually sets them afloat. With proper management, therefore, you have, at this time, every chance of approaching them. To do this, let your punt or canoe be kept well fore and aft, and lie down in her, as close as having to push, or paddle, her will admit of. But do not advance on your birds till you have just sufficient water to carry up your punt. Then " work up" to them ; and be careful, all the time, to guard against any sudden motion. By at- tending to this, arid having every thing white (except in moonlight, when a drab, or canvas colour will be less glaring), you may safely approach the unsuspect- ing mass of fowl, which will, at first, appear like the indistinct view of an island; and, on getting near, it will look more and more black, till, at last, you will plainly distinguish the shape of the outside birds. Now, then, is the critical moment to decide whether your exertions are to be crowned with success, or a severe night's hard labour is to end without your getting a shot. Perhaps, unless you have a " good loom" (that is, high black land) to advance from, the moon may suddenly come forth too bright for this sport. Perhaps some straggling bird may be so near you as to give the alarm ; or perhaps some fellow may ruin all by firing a shot ; and you may have the mortification to hear the sonorous host rising, like a 330 WILDFOWL SHOOTING, roar of thunder, to take their departure for the open sea. On the other hand, you and your boatman may have the good fortune to open your masked battery among their black columns ; and, by first cutting a lane through them with a pound of the smallest duck shot, and then each of you discharging a large hand- gun, you may possibly secure a hundred wildfowl as fast as yourselves and a dog can collect them. (As a proof of what may be killed at one shot when birds are wedged together, I need only say that, on the 9th of January last, my man James Read, when sent to reconnoitre the creeks about two o'clock in the morning, killed and fairly bagged 12 wigeon, 5 ducks and mallards, 2! pintails, and a gray plover, with a common shoulder gun, that carried only 5 ounces of shot. This, however, is such a shot, with a small gun, as I never heard of before, and perhaps may never hear of again. There were, he thinks, about 30 birds in the company. They were all in a lump ; and, to use his own expresssion, he " got almost o board 'em before he let drive.") Having thus succeeded, beware not to let your eagerness be the means of endangering your personal safety. Many have lost their lives by both having quitted the boat, which might soon drift away, arid leave you " an inevitable prey to the returning tide." Let one go out for the birds, taking with him the setting pole, which will not only be useful in support- WHEN AFLOAT, BY NIGHT. ing him on his mud pattens, and finding out the deep places, but very handy, with the fork at the end, in pinning down the wounded birds. The other person should be all this time close to him in the boat, rowing or pushing with an oar, with which he may occasionally assist, in killing the crippled birds that are afloat. This opportunity of shooting wigeon may be also taken by going out, when the evening is not too light, at high water, and keeping at a distance till the tide begins to leave the mud: on and round the first appearing part of which the birds will probably collect. On this occasion, the shooters must be provided each with mud-boards, or they may be left all night on the mud, for want of being prepared to haul their boat to a creek. [A canoe or punt may be successfully used on a lake, pond, or river, by keeping it in parts where the water is shaded with the reflection of land objects, with which a small boat appears so confused, that the birds would, most likely, not perceive it, before you got a fair shot. Be careful, however, not to appear in a colour conspicuously different from the background ; approach with caution ; and, above all, beware of getting directly to windward of the birds.] As the punt and canoe, previously treated on, are used most frequently for night shooting, which, as I before observed, is chiefly at the wigeon (or birds of similar habits, that join them in hard weather), I 332 HABITS OF WIGEON, cannot, I trust, class the subject better than by con- cluding, under this head, with what further remarks may be useful as to wigeon, and reserve those for hoopers, geese, and curres till after we have taken up our heavy artillery, without which but little can be done with these, or any other birds that are commonly killed by day. WEATHER. Fog, snow, or any other hazy weather, is very bad, as it makes every thing on the water appear large and black, and then it is that these birds (and indeed all others) soon take alarm. The novice fancies just the reverse ! Fog in the fens and marshes, however, is sometimes the best weather, al- though quite the reverse on the sea. Bright starlight is the very best of all times for getting at birds, as the tide flows over the mud; par- ticularly if there is a little breeze, without wind enough to blacken the shallow water. If a cold black frost, so much the better. Even in moonlight, wigeon are easier approached than in hazy weather. In white frosts wigeon are often restless. In rain they are constantly flying and pitching. In very dark weather they are suspicious, and more on the watch than in starlight ; but, if the wind blows fresh enough to drown the noise of a launching-punt, some " heavy shots" may now and then be made, by sweeping the surface of the mud to the sound of where the flock is walking and feeding. This may sometimes be within thirty yards of the *' launcher? In mild weather, wigeon are generally IN THE NIGHT. 333 scattered about, like rooks, till after midnight, unless they become concentrated by the flow of the sur- rounding tide. But in cold weather they sit thick together. The first night or two of thaw, after a sharp frost, is the best opportunity for this sport. TIME. Was it possible to preserve a public har- bour, wigeon should never be fired at till they had fed for some hours, and got well together ; because a shot fired in the evening, when birds are scattered, seldom produces much, and is apt to make them for- sake the place altogether. If, indeed, they were left till just before daybreak, so much the better. A man who gets upon the mud, or in the creeks, and amuses himself by popping away at evening flight, has, of course, the curse of every regular gunner ; as, by such a practice, he ruins a small harbour in a few nights. Though the best of all shots is when the birds are " on their laxt legs" before the tide flows high, yet shooting at them when actually afloat is not near so well. They are then more scattered : their feathers are not so open : and shooting them at thix time is apt to make them forsake their " feeding ground." SOUND. The thicker the weather, the more silent the wigeon, when pitched. A shrill clear pipe denotes a single cock wigeon, as does a long loud " purre" a hen : but when the call of the cock is one short, soft note, and not so often repeated, you may expect to find a company. If so, you will probably soon hear 334 HABITS OF WIGEON. the birds " all in a charm" (that is, in full concert), if you have patience to wait and listen, which a good gunner always repeatedly does, every now and then, before he ventures on the final approach. The birds might otherwise steal away, and totally mislead him. When wigeon are " in a charm"'' they are not mind- ing you, but when they are quite silent, they are, as likely as not, suspecting an enemy. At this moment, you must keep still, till they open again ; and so on, till you see them ; and then, in starlight, you are generally near enough, at all events for a large gun, to give them your royal salute. Be sure and choose, if possible, the best back- ground to advance from, in order to disguise your profile from the horizon. Even a black cloud is better than nothing. But if (before the mud is covered) you hear birds walking away, and neither feeding nor " speaking," it is a bad omen. It shows that they have some suspicion of an approaching enemy, and are half inclined to fly. When birds are about one hundred yards off (or much further, in very calm weather), you may hear them feeding ; the noise of which, at this distance, is like the falling of a little water, and is often mistaken for it at ebb tide. Here are (in the fewest words I can give them) all the necessary requisites for night-shooting, and, if well understood and well managed, you are just about as sure of getting a fair shot (in & favourable time}, as you would be with a young partridge to a dead STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. 335 point in standing clover. As to all the old plans of burying punts, casks, &c. &c., they are now of so little avail in almost every part of England, as to be no longer worthy of insertion. STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. I HAVE, by practical experiment, since the earlier editions, found, that the gunmakers have another lesson to learn ! Although a gun of this description must of course be supported by some mechanical means, yet the universal system of entirely confining the gun under the barrel, so that it cannot be relieved even one inch in the recoil, is the worst that can pos- sibly be adopted. It not only (when properly loaded) jars every thing so much as to require extra strength, and therefore extra weight to a punt, which we want as light as possible, in order to go in shallow water ; but the sudden check throws the muzzle so much out of the proper direction, that we are frequently obliged to take level very far under, or over, the mark ; ac- cording as the gun may spring, from being either heaviest or lightest forward : and, what is worse than all, this sudden check, at the moment of ignition, materially injures the shooting of the gun in every respect. This experiment was tried, in my presence, by Elijah Buckle, one of the best stanchion-gunners in England, who, some time ago, left the coast of Essex for Southampton ; who has been several weeks in my employ ; and to whom I am, most probably, 336 STANCHION, OK PUNT-GUN. indebted for not having remained much longer in ignorance on the subject. Indeed nothing but ocular demonstration would have convinced me of this argu- ment. What pride and folly it is, then, for any one to hold himself above being shown, even by the most humble individual ! The gun was loaded with a pound of shot, and two ounces of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey's best " gunning powder." I fired from the confined swivel, as is ge- nerally used by the London gunmakers ! in doing which I levelled at least afoot over the object ; and, by this means (as the water and the paper proved), shot perfectly accurate. Buckle then fired ; having taken level at the centre of the object, from the swivel : and the whole charge went into the water, before it had gone ninety yards, where the target was placed. I then began to abuse Mr. D. Egg, and said, I hoped that Buckle, as an experienced gunner, and an engineer (he having been a long time in his Ma- jesty's service), was convinced of the fault of the gun ; on which he said, and with justice I own, that both " the London gentlemen," and I, had " a little to learn yet." He then, to use his own words, " hove away that humbugging swivel ;" and, by means of a large bolster of sheeps'-wool, fired the gun from his shoulder, with the same charge as before ; which I put in myself. He presented as usual, directly at the object, and made such a shot as this barrel had never before been known to make, both for strength and closeness. I then, to be convinced of his veracity, STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. 337 as to taking aim, fired the gun in his way with about ten ounces of shot, not quite fancying the pound to my shoulder. I levelled at, instead of over, the mark, and the shot were delivered with the greatest ac- curacy. The gun, with this charge, went under my arm precisely five inches, as I afterwards measured. If a gun, when fired this way, was to swerve in going back, it would be dangerous ; and therefore the under part of the stock, in order to lie firm on the bench, ought either to be made flat, or fixed in a piece of wood, that was fiat at bottom. It then occurred to me, that if this gun (of eighty-five pounds weight) was fired with ten ounces from the swivel, it might go so easy as not to interrupt the shooting. I accord- ingly tried it, and so little appeared to be the recoil, that it could not be felt ; notwithstanding which, by aiming at the mark, the charge was, as usual, from the swivel, entirely under it. On the other extreme, I saw a gun fired by the owner of it, one Samuel Singer, at Poole (which weighs 141 Ibs.) This was on a swivel, and mounted very light forward, and he told me, that he was always obliged to present very far under the object, or his whole charge went over every thing ; and that he should "douse" the swivel for a rope breeching. The latter, however, is apt to break, and has often proved dangerous. The gun, with a breeching, goes nearly as far back as the rope will stretch (say an inch or two), and then springs forward again for about afoot. The ques- tionthe grand object therefore is, how to take off STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. the recoil ? I mentioned the experiment of the swivel to several of the leading gunmakers, and, although they had all plenty to say on the subject, I could not meet with one who was able to do any thing towards the proper attainment of the object. It would take pages to state their different plans. But enough of them : a few lines are sufficient ; and these to say that however plausible their inventions may appear in a counting-house conversation, not one of them would answer all purposes, when fairly brought to trial. I was, therefore, notwithstanding all their con- sultations, turned adrift to seek my own means of accomplishing the object, and I shall therefore, under the next head, give a sketch of the plan to which I have had recourse. (I must crave the indulgence of nine-tenths of my readers for having trespassed on them with this in- sipid detail, as I have some few brother sportsmen in this way, who would value it more than all the rest of the book put together. Moreover, it may be the means of preventing accidents, which frequently happen to those who use swivels, and particularly if they do not fix them with judgment). The barrel of a punt-gun, to be in good proportion, should, I conceive (including the patent plug, of about six pounds weight, and from two to three inches in length), be about seventy or eighty pounds weight, from seven to nine feet long, and from an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half bore, STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. 339 according to the one length and weight, or the other. The smaller the bore is, in reason, the further you can kill at a small number of birds ; but the larger size of these two shoots the best and most regular pattern. Any thing beyond that size seldom answers. It may, of course, be made on the same proportion to any size ; but, although a gun much beyond this size will kill more birds at a shot, I am inclined to think, from what I saw of the one at Poole, that it will not kill so far in proportion. (As some proof that Singer was not very partial to this gun, I need only state that, some months after I saw it fired, I received a letter from him making an offer of it for sale ; which, as he is a man of long experience in the business, I conclude he would not have done, if the gun had perfectly suited him). The barrel, in forging and filing, should be left well filled up, and, in every part, substantial. NEW PLAN FOR FIRING TWO POUNDS OF SHOT TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE; AND, AT THE SAME TIME, EASING THE RE- COIL OF A SWIVEL-GUN. As guns to carry a pound of shot at a time are now to be constantly seen on almost every part of the coast, as well as in most of the fen countries, the very few men who formerly had them are now sur- 7. 2 340 STANCHION, 01J PUXT-GUtt. rounded by rivals ; and therefore, in order still to keep the lead, some of them have had recourse to using guns that carry from one pound and a half to two pounds of shot. The recoil, however, from these guns is so tremendous, that most of the men who used them have met with some accident or other, and are therefore giving them up. The desideratum then is to accomplish this with no more recoil, or risk of accidents, than there is with other guns, and thus to have an advantage over the host of ordinary gunners. A plan was suggested to me concerning which I was, for some time, bound in secrecy ; and, lest it might, even now, be thought unfair for me to publish it, I shall say no more upon it ; except that, although it might do very well in one respect, it never would answer in another. If, therefore, I was fully at liberty to explain it, I should consider it a loss of time to do so. The plan that I have adopted is as follows : A pair of barrels put together so as to fire two circles, each one partly eclipsed with the other : the one ignited by percussion, and the other by a flint, by which means the trifling difference of the two separate modes of ignition makes such an immense difference in the recoil, as to reduce it to a mere nothing in comparison. The eclipsed part of the circles, when the two barrels are fired together, puts into the paper at least a fourth more shot than any one barrel could be made to do; and the enormous weight of metal not only gwes additional strength STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. 34,1 to the double discharge, but also to either barrel when you fire them separately, which, of course, you have the option of doing ; and therefore you are never obliged to discharge an extra pound of shot in waste, as with the huge single guns before alluded to. Moreover, the gun, oil my plan, cuts two united lanes through the birds, instead of wasting half the shot in the water, and in the air, which is the case when the charge is contained in one large circle. In short, this plan forms, as it were, a kind of oval to suit the shape of the object : and thus, at the mo- ment that one part of the birds are being killed by the detoriater, the others are just conveniently open- ing their wings for the flint barrel, though they have riot time to rise ; because I have here eased the recoil, and got the barrels together so as to do the business point blank. The mode of easing the recoil is by means of a long loop, worked on, between, and under, the bar- rels ; and the swivel-pin going through a slider, on which re fits the whole weight of the gun. The space within this loop (about eight inches) with the ex- ception of an inch and five-eighths that is taken up by the slider, is filled with a spiral spring, which has a play of rather more than two inches ; (and if it had even four or five inches of play, I should think it would be all the better.) Consequently, before any jar can take place to interrupt the point blank delivery of the charge, the shot has left the gun, which is, afterwards, brought forward again by the 342 STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. reaction of the spring. The loop should be made of horse-nail stubs, and forged on to the barrels. Mine is not so ; therefore if this part fails, the fault lies with Mr. Fullerd, and not with me. Suppose this was to give way ? which would be almost im- possible, if done as it ought to be then you have a ring in the stock (all of which, except a moveable but, is of cannon metal} with a reserve rope that takes up the recoil immediately. It was the opinion of a distinguished officer in the navy, before whom I fired this gun several times, that my plan for easing the recoil would answer ex- tremely well for the carronades in His Majesty's service ; and I therefore had made a rough model for the inspection of himself and friends. If, how- ever, the Lords of the Admiralty should honour me so far as to think the suggestion worthy of notice, I have only to say that Mr. Westley Richards, of Bir- mingham, is the mechanic who so ably manufactured the one I have, after the model and instructions that I sent him. Here is an outline of the plan in question, which has so amply repaid me for the trouble I have had, in overcoming all obstacles, that I shall, under the next head, give directions for it, assisted by ex- planatory engravings. Before this gun, &c. was found to answer every purpose, it went through several hands : Mr. D. Egg; Mr. Fullerd; Mr. Joseph Manton; Mr. Westley Richards; Mr. Parsons, of Salisbury, and STANCHION, Oil PUNT-GUN. Mr. Long, of Andover ; besides journeymen in my own employ ; and consequently as so many artificers have been separately occupied in completing it, I may safely defy any one of them to turn put pre- cisely the same kind of article, until they have seen, and had explained to them, this gun in its finished state. Since the 4th edition, I have tried the gun and punt, in every possible way ; and no plan that I had ever before seen was worthy of being compared to this. 344 PUNT-GUN EXPLANATION OF MY PLAN FOR EASING THE RECOIL OF A SWIVEL-GUN, OR CARRONADE. The following are the dimensions of the appa- ratus for a sivivel-gun, which carries about a pound of shot. But if the apparatus is adapted to a carronade, it must be more than proportionally stronger ', because a carronade, from being so very short, has such a severe recoil. A. THE SWIVEL, on which the gun rests, and which, it may be observed, is made as short, and compact, as the working, up and down, of the gun WITH SPRING SWIVEL. 345 will admit of, in order to avoid, as much as possible, all extra strain occasioned by lever ; as, of course, the longer the ears of the swivel, the more severe the strain on the neck, and on every thing else below it. Size.J Height, altogether 9i inches. Thickness of the ears in the thinnest part (where the pin goes through) each one 4- an inch. Diameter of the upper circle, neck, or collar, 2^- inches. ^Diameter of the lower cylinder, or stem, 1^ inch. Weight 7-r pounds. The wooden block of the punt, or whatever the gun is fired from, receives both the neck and the stem, so that on this plan the lever, or strain, operates only as far as the lower part of the ears. B. THE SWIVEL-PIN. Diameter of the cylindrical part, -J- of an inch. Length (exclusive of the threads of the screw, and the head and square shoulder) 3 inches. 346 PUNT-GUN C THE \LOOP, which should be forged with, and made as a part of, the barrel ; or, at all events, welded on, so that no recoil could tear off, or loosen it, be- cause if merely soldered on / would never answer for its safety. Length altogether, ] inches. (If longer, and there- fore able to admit a longer spring, I should say all tJu better.} c. A little wedge of elm, or walnut- wood, whicli is pushed into the mortise, c, in order to ease the jar that is occasioned by the slider, G, coming ir contact with the hinder part of the loop, on re action taking place. This piece of wood must, of course, be replacec with a fresh one, when nearly worn level with th< iron. D. THE SPIRAL SPRING, which is closed by th WITH SPUING SWIVEL. 347 recoil of the gun, and which, in the reaction, sends the gun forward, and up to its place again. Length G inches (and if S or 10 inches, or more, in order to have so much the further play, I conceive it would be a great improvement on what is here sketched). Diameter outside, an inch and half. Substance of the wire, of which the spring is made nearly J. of an inch in girth. [ Was I to make another spring, I should prefer aflat one, to a round one, as the spring would then shut closer ', and be less liable to swerve. Fullerd happened to think of this, as well as of a second sprhtg within the larger one, and is now mounting, for a friend of mine, the best proportioned barrel I ever saw, on this plan. But as I will never publish any thing untried, I have here confined myself to sketches from the one that I have found to an- swer ; though I admit that this is open to improve- ment.] E.E. Two ROUNDS OF LEAD, to save the spring, the boss F, and the shoulder of the pin H, from the harder contact of iron. F. A BOSS, to fill up that end of the spring which has nothing to prevent it from swerving. 348 PUNT-GUN G. SLIDER, of solid iron, on which rests the whole weight of the gun ; through which works the swivel- pin B ; and into the female screw of which goes the male screw of H, which is the next, and last, com- partiment here shown. H. A LONG PIN, to support the spring, and pre- vent it from swerving. The thick end, or shoulder, on the left, fits tight into the inner circle of the spring. The cylinder (where the H is marked) is a bit of box-wood, put on to fill up the inside of the spring which, when forced together, by the recoil, brings the rounded end of this wood in contact with the boss, F ; for which reason I put before it a piece of thick Indian-rubber, in order to ease the jar. [When the recoil takes place, the pin is forced out through the hole in front of the loop C, for as many inches as the spring has play; and this pin, by the way, must have a square point, in order to be unscrewed, with a key, when removed from the slider G.] I shall now, to the relief of the reader, as well as WITH SPRING SWIVEL. 349 myself, conclude these directions with a sketch of all the apparatus put together, for shooting :- Intricate as this may appear, in explanation, I can assure my readers that I used it on salt water, for several weeks, last winter, and had no trouble what- ever in keeping it free from rust, except having to anoint it, occasionally, with mercurial ointment, and keep it always greasy, by means of working, with a feather, into every part of it, plenty of linseed oil. Moreover, I had no occasion to take the apparatus to pieces till the end of the shooting season. N. B. I left my models, for some time, with Mr. Fullerd, in order that he may adopt the plan of the spring swivel to large guns, and thereby prevent many of those serious accidents which frequently 350 PUNT-GUN. happen through attempting to resist the force of gunpowder. Having now, I trust, done my part towards ac- complishing the object in question, I shall gladly take leave of this dry subject, and resign to Mr. Fullerd the trouble and the credit of all further improvements, by way of a little exercise for his brains. LOADING. THE charge should be about one pound of shot (more or less, as you feel it), and an equal measure (which is about two ounces) of powder ; and the latter very strongly wadded, as before recommended. The shot in a cartridge is very convenient, as is also a little gunning-box, to keep the ammunition dry. For those who have a common breeching, the powder may be put in, made up in a cartridge (one of flannel is the safest), and pricked through the touch-hole, or, if a detonater, through a good-sized vent-hole. But as a gun of this kind can rarely ever be loaded im- mediately, and as, therefore, it must be wiped well out between every shot, it becomes quite immaterial as to this, and as to loading machines, and all other troublesome appendages. If you have a patent breeching, which, of course, shoots best, take care to have the centre-hole large, or at least in proportion to another gun, or the coarse powder, which is by far the best for this work, will be liable to lodge, LOADING A PUNT-GUN. 351 before it gets to the touch-hole ; and the consequence will be a flash in the pan. To load a gun that can be unshipped, have a wooden measure to fit into the caliber, and then suddenly raise the gun perpendicular with the mea- sure in the muzzle. The greater part of the powder will then have a perpendicular fall, and your hand is out of the way in case of a spark in the chamber. To load a gun that can neither be unshipped nor highly eleyated,./r<0 stop the touch-hole and muzzle, in case of a spark, and then use a cylinder of either tin, copper, or brass, cut open all the way down on one side. Put this in, on a rod with the open part uppermost. When home, turn it round, give it a little shake, and the powder is lodged. I have di- rected Fullerd as to the best mode of making this machine, so that any person may be furnished with one by applying to him. The shot may be either done up in a cartridge, or driven home by the ramrod. With regard to flint or detonater, I have, till very lately, used only the former with a swivel-gun ; but they have both been tried by the men who constantly use these guns, and the far greater proportion have decided in favour of the flint. They say that the recoil from a detonater is so sudden as to shake every thing too much ; and also, that the birds, by night, set up their heads at the flash, just enough to be a much better target; and, therefore, the detonater does not kill so many. I merely give this report as 352 FIRING A PUNT-GUX. I had it from some of the best performers. And, as to rain a lock-cover, of either patent leather and sailcloth, lined with flannel, or the leg of an old water-boot (the east Yarmouth fashion), will keep the lock as dry as when in a house, if the shooter leaves it on, and acquires the knack of taking aim under his gun. Since the fourth edition I have well tried the de- tonater with the double swivel-gun, on the plan for which it became necessary. It killed better than I expected, though I was obliged to give up the copper cap to it as not being safe. I, therefore, got Joe Manton to put me a breeching for his copper tubes, which for these large duck-guns answer better than any thing I can describe ; because they give the only possible means of combining a short communication with perfect safety. But, nevertheless, I agree with the gunners that, if I had a single swivel-gun, it should have zflint lock. FIRING. THE firing of these guns, at long distances, re- quires some practice, by reason that, before the shot can travel a hundred yards, the birds, if quick-sighted, will be on the move, particularly if they see the flash. No one had ever the kindness to tell me this, when I first used a long gun ; till, after some time, wonder- ing what was .the matter that I could not kill (not being able to see through the smoke), I fired at a FIRING A PUNT-GUN. 353 mixture of curlews and gulls ; the latter of which were killed, and the others never touched. By this I discovered, that the one, being quick- sighted and active birds, sprung before the shot got to them ; while the others, not being able to get out of the way, were killed. A little elevation for the gun (in which a few shots at a mark will direct you), and a pretty good elevation for the springing of the birch-, according to what birds they are, is absolutely necessary, and practice alone will best teach this. Suffice it to say, however, that a man, to be a good shot, with a large gun, has even more to learn than to shoot well in the field ; particularly when he comes to cross shots at flocks going past, where, sometimes, there may be required a yard of elevation, and ten yards allowance for the distance they are at, and the rapidity of their flight. As it becomes necessary, when approaching wild birds, to be well concealed in your punt, you are obliged to fire these guns, lying down as close as possible on your chest. For which some have a wedge to support the breast. If you put your cheek to the stock, your shoulder bone in contact with the but, or your second finger behind the trigger, you run a risk of having them severely jarred ; but, if you manage the gun properly, the sensation, with a light charge, is no more than that of firing powder from a small gun ; and the report, to the shooter, seems a mere nothing. To fire a stanchion gun, put your left hand over the but, and regulate it to the A A 354 FIRING A PUNT-GUN.' line of aim, while your cheek gently grazes the back of the hand. Put all the fingers of your right hand before the trigger, keeping the thumb out of the way ; and be careful not to let your knees come in contact with the timbers of the boat. By observing well these directions, a child might fire this gun with as much safety as the smallest fowling-piece. In firing a punt-gun (without any stanchion) from the shoulder, you must lean hard against the upper part of the padded but ; and have the gun as top heavy as you can possibly overbear, by which means the friction of the stock against the "gunning-bench" and the check of your shoulder, prevents the gun from running too far under your arm. Never attempt to shoot a barrel so short as six feet in this way, as it might fly up and hurt you. Always try these guns with a quarter of a charge first ; and increase the loading with an ounce of shot each round. By this means you avoid the risk of a recoil, as you then gradually ascertain how much ammunition can be fired with perfect ease to the shoulder. If you are so fortunate as to get a line of birds, shoot rather beyond the first of them, which will then be taken by the lower shot. You may thus (with mould shot) sweep the water from one to two hundred yards, and possibly kill some of them all the way, from one of these distances to the other. The advantage of a stanchion gun over a shoulder duck gun is far more than that of the latter over a common sporting gun ; and so generally has this of PUNT FOR A STANCHION GUN. 355 late years been found out, that, now-a-days, but little can be done without one, on any part of the English coast. PUNT FOR THE USE OF A STANCHION GUN. A GUNNING-PUNT, which is very narrow, although it may row fast, is extremely dangerous, and will not answer for going in shallow water, which is the grand object, in order to get up to the birds before the tide has flowed high enough to drive them off their legs, and disperse them. All round-bottomed punts, such as are used at Southampton and Itchen Ferry, and most of those at East Yarmouth, are on a bad construction, except merely to sail about with a shoulder-gun ; because they have such unsteady bearings, and are so built, that the gun, and the man's head who fires it, must appear considerably above the gunwale. The con- sequence is, that he frightens away half the birds which he ought to kill ; and can never regulate his gun for shooting in the dark. In short, clincher and carvel built boats are only used by those, who, what- ever they may fancy, are not finished masters of their business. All gunning-punts should be as flat as possible in the bottom (except having the necessary " kam- melling," to give them life") ; by which they draw far less water, and are so stiff, that it becomes im- possible to capsize them. If an accident did happen A A 2 356 PUNT FOR A it would be by their filling and sinking, but not upsetting, as the before-mentioned boats might do ; and, as a still further guard against which, these boats may be decked all the way from " stern to mid-ships ;" and even half way round the sides. The most destructive gunning-punt, for one hand, that I had seen up to 1824 (when I adopted my new plan), was about nine inches high, and drew scarcely two inches of water, with a man and his gun. This punt should be full three feet broad, from about a yard before the stern, decked all the way from the gunning- bench to the bow ; and so sharp forward, that, when required, the bow may be shoved for several feet up the edge of the ground, so as for the gun to be raised at the but, rested on the " stem," and fired over the mud, before the tide flows high enough for a large gun to bear in the ordinary way. But, as in this case the recoil must be checked by the shoulder, or a rope- breeching, which is but little better, I have only superficially described this punt, knowing, of course, that very few who shot for pleasure would adopt the system. Moreover, by fully explaining it, I should, instead of serving sportsmen, be only taking the bread from Buckle, the man who showed me the minutiae of it, to put in the mouths of his rivals, whom he says he will, and, I believe, he safely may j give seven years to find it out, and be perfect masters as to building this punt, and then knowing how to use that and the gun. Although as much as is here mentioned may, of course, be known by every one STANCHION GUN. 357 who has seen the punt in question. Many boat- builders have seen it, and ridiculed the idea of not being able to go home and make precisely the same thing. Several, however, have been built by them to order, and, as yet, not one has been done right, though, of course, much like it in appearance. There is not a boat-builder in a thousand who well understands punts, as the best gunners generally make their own, and keep the secret to themselves ; or, at all events, from the boat-builders, who would otherwise be making them for every shooter in the port. The best way, therefore, is to get an able gunner to find head, and a good inland carpenter, w r ho works much better and neater at this light board work than a boat-builder, to find hands and tools. I never could get a punt without faults, till I did this. Having treated further, perhaps, than was ne- cessary on shooting punts in general, I shall now endeavour to explain the kind of one that I have found to answer best, taking in consideration com- fort, safety, and every other point requisite for those sportsmen to whom is offered this part of the book. NEW PLAN FOR A GUNNING-PUNT. I HAVE now a punt on a new plan, completed since the third edition, which, as far as I can yet judge, beats all the others. The plan in question is to have the punt decked over in every part, except leaving just room for the shooter to lie, and the man to work 358 PUNT FOK A to the birds ; and this part surrounded with bulwarks which continue rising, in proportion as the punt be- comes lower forward, to about four inches high in front ; and ending in a little stem, or bow, forward, that takes away, and lets down the gun when you want to approach the birds. So much of this punt may be thus shut up, and made air tight, that it would be almost impossible to sink her ; and although the sides amidships and the bow are not four inches above the water (and she is therefore hardly visible, except just round her bulwarks, which appear like the smallest launching punt), yet she would drown all the gunning-punts I ever saw ; and (if I shut up the open part with oiled Russia duck, and lash it round the shooters), would outlive half the boats of the navy, in a heavy sea, was any one foolish enough to venture there for pleasure. The newly engraved frontispiece will tolerably well explain the shape of her ; except that the deck should have a gradual rise, to the bulwarks, of at least two inches from the sides amidships, and above four inches from the bow. She may then be much lower at the bow, and at .the sides, than the punt in this engraving : and for this plan she should be longer forward, and more shut up with the deck. The mast may be shipped, on either side the gun, in little water-proof cylinders that go through, arid are independent of, the deck ; which is, therefore, air tight. A punt on this plan is so stiff in the water, that a man may step out on the deck, and load his gun without inconvenience. STANCHION GUN. 359 The floors and timbers should each be formed together out of one piece of hoop ash, arid the sides filled up with angle-pieces, which may be made of light deal, and must be cut square so as to fit the sides and the bottom, and round inside, in order to meet the hoop timbers. The angle-pieces are merely to fill up the space, so that no strength is required for them. [Here we have a very great improvement on the Poole plan ; but I have no pretensions to this part of the invention : I believe we are indebted for it to the Americans.] The sides, on this plan, may be " flammed" as much as you please. This is a great advantage both for safety, and for drawing little water. The rowlocks and thowles must be all in one piece, and made to ship and unship, as they must be so very high* in order to let the oars clear the bulwarks, that they might be too visible if left on while " setting" or sculling to the fowl. This punt (if for a common shed stanchion-gun) may be about the breadth of the Poole canoe, and from three to eight feet longer, according to the length of the gun and the depth of water that the gunner has to shoot in. A punt of this kind, to be made in perfection, should have no iron whatever about her. Every nail, and other kind of fastening, should be made of good copper. She should have thin bottom-boards, in order to save the timbers ; and in this case rugs or sheepskins will lie flat, and there- fore be preferable to rushes or straw. 360 PUNT FOR A I did not build this punt till 1824, though the model was made in 1 822. My reason for not naming it before was, because I was unwilling to recommend a plan of which I had not made some trial. Her bottom should kammelfore and aft about two inches and three quarters, and be rounded " athwart ships" about three quarters of an inch. The stern may remain high, as here shown, but quite sharp, in order to row, stern foremost, against a head sea. But the bow, or stem, part should be cut down so low as to be not more than four inches in height ; so that, if she draws about three or four inches of water amid- ships, she will just have a bearing, or draw about half an inch of water, at the bow. The gun should rest on a little prop (made of copper wire) about two inches high, in order to keep it off the wet deck, and to pre- vent the powder from burning the punt's bow, which should project a foot beyond the muzzle of the gun, and be covered with sheet copper. By the gun thus being low, every thing is hid by the bulwarks ; and by its pointing, as it lies, not more than fifteen yards from the bow (or lower, if you put it on one side the block), you can, if you get aground at the edge of a creek, be enabled to fire low enough. Whereas if a gun fixed very low down remained pointed at fifty or sixty yards, the muzzle, on your shoving aground, would be thrown up in the air, so that you could not bear low enough to shoot at birds sitting on the rnud or sand, unless you had the means of raising the but, STANCHION GUN. 36l which, on a stanchion, could not be done without a second, or higher, support. The stanchion should be " shipped" into a block of elm, which ought to be fixed to nothing but the centre plank, and this plank, just where the bolts go through, should be left two inches thick. (The block and centre plank of the punt that I built are carved in one solid piece ; but for this I was forced to cut down a fine elm tree on purpose.) The gun should be fixed a little on one side. To do this nicely, put your punt afloat, lie down to your gun, and see that all is " in trim" ercri/ way, before you bore the holes for the bolts. By this means of fixing the knee, or block, the jar of the gun is all thrown on one strong point, and every thing else is carried back with it ; and therefore the sides, and every other part of the boat, may be quite as light as those of one which is only required for a shoulder-gun. Every thing should be slightly tacked together, and balanced afloat, with the gun " shipped," and the gunners on board, before the deck is put on, or the knee fixed ; otherwise when the shooter lies down, to the left of his gun, the chances are ten to one that he finds his punt out of " trim." If means of easing the recoil are adopted, the punt may then be made of even lighter materials than the Poole canoe. I need scarcely observe, that a punt, of the ftutne she, which is light, will drown a heavij one ; as the latter, for want of " life," labours in a sea, and gets filled; while the other flies over every thing, PUNT FOR A without taking in a drop of water ; add to which, a light punt may get out of danger, by being hauled across the mud, when the other is obliged to " weather it." I formerly observed that where nothing but the shoulder had to take the gun, I should prefer my boat principally built of cork, which it would be utterly impossible to sink ; but now this is superseded by the new plan. In approaching birds, the shooter, having nothing else to attend to, may be constantly ready with his gun ; so that, if they fly up, he can always ensure being able to fire before they have risen twenty yards ; while another person has only to manage the punt. This he will do by a setting pole, or skulling in a little crotch with a single oar, according to the depth of water. As either the one or the other will be under cover of the front bulwark, they are less visible than working-sticks or paddles at the sides. Paddles on the principle of a bird's foot, and worked inside, would be desirable. I have partly contrived this, and Mr. D. Egg, and Mr. Long, gunmaker * (a very good workman, in Andover), have each undertaken to com- plete the invention with the greatest ease. When you are not advancing to birds, and should there be the least wind, you have only to shut up the front of the bulwarks, and let the gun rest on the stempiece, pointing upwards; and, for shooting in * While mentioning the name of Mr. Long, I must observe that if I wanted a barrel bored for shooting, I would rather em- ploy him than any gunmaker I know, except Joe Manton. STANCHION GUN. 3(J3 dark nights, the little prop on which the gun rests should be made so as to rise and hx the gun precisely to water level i and then, if your boat is properly trimmed, you cannot fire under, or over, the birds in the dark. About seven inches and a half from the water is in general the best elevation. This punt may be safely used with a sail, in going over the flooded mud at spring tides, and will set and row as well as any boat that can possibly be made to carry two hands with ease, comfort, and safety. The method of shooting wildfowl which I have last described is the best calculated for the amuse- ment of a gentleman, as he may go out between breakfast and dinner ; and, in frosty weather, per- haps kill his twenty or thirty couple in a day, followed by his companions, who may keep at a distance, to enjoy a sight of the sport ; and afterwards join in the ' cripple chase" [vide plate]. So far superior is this diversion to what people are aware of, that I have never yet met with a solitary instance of one sportsman, who had seen it in per- fection, but what was quite elated ; and preferred t'ren a sight of it to the best day's game shooting in the kingdom. It is therefore condemned as an oc- cupation for rustics only by those who know nothing whatever about it. Let those, who fancy punt-shooting such a danger- ous amusement, compare the accidents that happen in it, with those in fox-hunting, battii shooting, or any other sport, and see in which they most fre- 364 SHOOTING FROM. A PUNT quently occur : though this pursuit is generally fol- lowed by poor men, who have the worst, the others, by gentlemen, who are provided with the best, of every thing. In Poole harbour, for instance, where the channels, at times, are far more dangerous than in most other places, I should, at a rough guess, say, there were, on an average, a hundred canoes ; and yet, for these last fifteen years, which is as long as I have known the place, I have never heard of but one man being drowned, and he was not only subject to fits, but had left the shore when in liquor. I here allude to open punts, than which decked ones are of course infinitely less exposed to danger. SHOOTING WITH A STANCHION GUN FROM A PUNT. Now that we have got the gun and punt together, a few more words as to the shooting : those, who fancy that any one can shoot well into a large flock of fowl, will find themselves in a mistake. There is, I must repeat, much more knack in it than people are, at first, aware of; and, in my humble opinion, it is far more difficult than to kill double shots at game ; because the man, who can quickly pitch his gun on, or just before, a partridge, has so little variation in distance, as the birds are generally from twenty to forty yards off, that, without any further calculation, or practice, he might, in a slovenly manner, contrive to knock down the greater part of those at which he WITH A STANCHION GUN. 365 fires. But, in the other shooting, the different cal- culations of elevation, &c., are tenfold more difficult, and particularly if taking flying shots, at perhaps one hundred yards, from a boat that is rolling and pitching in a sea, and where one inch in aim might make the difference of twenty fowl at a shot, or not touching a feather. All this, however, is best gained by practice, though it may be right to caution the beginner against mismanagement, that might un- justly put him out of conceit with his gun. In long sitting shots, he must (as I before observed, and cannot too often repeat) remember, at long distances, to preserve a little elevation for his gun ; and further, a good elevation for the birds springing at the flash, and perhaps being up before the shot has time to reach them. On going to either hoopers or geese he will, nine times in ten, have notice by the birds themselves when he is to fire, as they, previously to taking wing, draw closer together and set their heads up ; so that he may keep on, even if it were to within forty yards, till they give the signal. And if at night (which is the only time he could get so near) they were still down, he should first take level; and then, pre- viously to drawing the trigger, make some little noise, and by this means induce them to look up, before they receive their " allowance." By thus having their feathers open, and their stretched necks for a target, he will kill at least double the quantity that he would do when they were either sitting close down, 366 SHOOTING CUltRES or flying ; as in the one position their feathers would be closed, and in the other the birds would be much more scattered, than when down. The curres, dun- birds, &c., will generally give notice likewise. The ducks and wigeon not near so well; and the teal spring instantly, without giving the least notice ; so that in shooting the latter birds, fire as soon as you think you can make a tolerable shot. Always, how- ever, get as near as you can. Rely on it, close quarters is the grand recipe for filling the bag, at this, and all other shooting. You must remember too that the sea, or any water, with a large flock of birds on it, deceives you extremely; insomuch that what many people fancy fifty , proves to be above a hundred yards. Take a novice afloat, and the first specimen he gives you of his ignorance in the art, is either to fire himself, or endeavour to persuade you to fire, at birds which are very far out of gunshot. CURRES. We will now make a few short ob- servations on the birds usually killed in this way. I will begin with the " curres" (a provincial term for all the various tribe of diving ducks), as they appear about October. These birds, when accustomed to the skirmishers of the coast, are generally worse to get at than any others ; and you have then often no other alternative than paddling up a winding creek, so as to suddenly pop on them in turning a corner, and fire either sitting or just as they fly up. But when curres are, by frost, just driven to the coast from under the kind protection of some bird fancier's WITH A STANCHION GUN. 367 pond, they are % a fine prey for a swivel gun ; pro- vided you hide the flash ; get their heads up hefore you shoot; and are well armed with little double detonaters, to work away at the " cripples," after you have stocked the water with them, by the discharge of your artillery. For thus finishing the business, the percussion system is a sine qua non, as these birds are sure to " duck the flash" after, if not before, being wing broken ; and they will, when wounded, shrug themselves up so much, that you ought to get within fifteen yards, before you give them the coup de grace. Hundreds of sportsmen would be glad to take a punt, and follow you, on a fine sunshiny day, for this purpose ; while you might either sit still and enjoy the fun, or be proceeding for some other attack. But the business must be done as quick as possible ; or one half of the curres will be off, while you are killing the others. Cartridges and all other expe- ditious means are here desirable. Curres most fre- quently keep afloat, instead of going on the mud. BRENT GEESE. Towards November, or Decem- ber, we have the brent geese, which are always wild, unless in very hard weather. In calm weather the geese have the cunning, in general, to leave the mud, as soon as the tide flows high enough to bear an enemy, and then they go off to sea, and feed on the drifting weeds. But when it blows so fresh, that they cannot weather it long enough to feed outside of the harbour, they then continue inside the whole day ; though they most frequently take especial care 368 SHOOTING BRENT GEESE to weather almost any thing, rather than trust them- selves there at night; except when they are very short of food. If therefore you have water over the mud for your punt, you may often make a tolerable shot by setting, or sailing, even in mild weather, par- ticularly when the tide has kept up high, and the geese, having become hungry, are just getting their legs, at the first ebb ; and still more so if this happens towards sunset, when they feed greedily previous to leaving the harbour for the night. In mild weather prefer following a small flock to a large one. Recollect, the more pairs of eyes , the wilder the birds. A single goose is termed a "pricked" bird; that is, turned out of his com- pany, for having a slight wound, which is invariably the case. Taking it for granted that my young reader now understands me, as to presenting the gun, I have only to give a few directions on the last, though not the least, thing, to be observed ; his getting the geese which he may have shot. They take such a hard blow, that he will, generally, find the greater part of them, that are stopped by the shot, well enough to swim and dive with the greatest agility, and they will all invariably make for the heaviest sea that is near. The boat, which follows, therefore, should always keep well on the outside of the birds ; and, if armed with some " cripple stoppers" (old muskets, or any small arms), so much the better ; as while you are rowing after one goose, the others may all get off to WITH A STANCHION GUN. 369 sea. If you are near enough to reach a wounded bird without a gun, take him horizontally across the neck with the edge of an oar, or you may thrash aw r ay at him to no effect, till you have splashed your- self from head to foot ; so very hard are the upper coverts of his feathers. In shallow water, where he is not obliged to swim, a good light dog will do more in five minutes, than a party of men could do in an hour. But when once the dog is out of his depth, these birds are so quick in diving, that they will most probably escape from him. HOOPEHS, or WILD-SWANS. When the winter further advances, and the birds are driven from Holland and the Baltic to the more genial climate of the south, and then followed by severe weather to the refuge they have chosen, their last alternative is to leave the fens, ponds, and decoys, and betake themselves to the sea coast, in order to avoid starva- tion. Then, and then only, it is, that all this di- version may be enjoyed in perfection, and without much trouble or difficulty. We have then a variety of all kinds of wildfowl, and sport for every shooter. And it is at such a time as this only, we can expect to see the monarch of the tribe, the hooper, or wild- swan. We had, during the hard winter, in 1823, a fine specimen of all this on the Hampshire coast, the flats of which, off Keyhaven and Pennington, were, for some weeks, covered with ice and snow. Nothing could be more novel or beautiful than the appearance of the harbour, which was one solid region of ice, B B 370 SHOOTING WILD-SWANS crowned with pyramids that had formed themselves of the drifted snow, and frozen like crystals ; and, on the thaw, the harbour appeared like one huge float- ing island, as the ice which covered it was carried off by the fall of a high spring-tide. And to see this huge body, with the wild-swans sitting upon it, while it receded, and looking as if formed by nature for the only inhabitants of such a dreary region, gave the spectator more the idea of a voyage to the arctic circle, than the shore of a habitable country. When the large bodies of ice were carried off, and nothing remained but those of a smaller size, the whole harbour was, of course, in arms with shooters, and had almost the appearance of a place that was be- sieged. The following morning, though it blew very hard, and poured with rain, every one was in arms for seven of the swans that again appeared, anxiously hoping that they might swim, or fly, near enough for a random shot ; though the punters, from drawing too much water, required at least another half hour's flood before they could make the difficult attempt of getting at them in open day. By having a punt which drew less water than theirs, it was, therefore, my lot to have the first chance, if no one fired off a gun, in order to spoil the shot, which is a very com- mon practice on this, and many other coasts. I, there- fore, took the precaution of getting well round to windward, and when I had arrived as much to wind- ward as one dare go to wildfowl, having previously covered myself arid my man with clean white linen, WITH A STANCHION GUN. 371 and a white nightcap, to appear the colour of the snow, we floated down among the small pans of white ice that were constantly drifting to leeward ; and, by this means, had a couple in the boat, and another that afterwards dropped dead, just as the other punts were coming up. This circumstance I think it right to mention, in case it should hereafter be found a useful recipe for getting at very wild birds, though it is with reluctance that I become so much the egotist as to introduce any thing that relates to my own performance. In giving further directions about swans, I must observe, that to take a sitting shot you need never be hurried, as these birds can never rise above the level of any swivel-gun till they have beat the water for several yards, in order to get their huge bodies on the wing. To shoot them flying, make all possible haste to row (or if on land, to run) till you get under them, as they fly very low, and will seldom break their course ; and, therefore, may be frequently killed by surrounding them with boats, and having a gunning-punt in advance, ready to fire as they pass. We afterwards got two more of them by this means. Be careful, however, always to let a swan pass you, so as to shoot under his feathers, or you may as well fire at a wool-pack. (This, I believe, I named before, as well as that his head must be your target, if you have only a common gun). If a swan rises out of shot, where he is likely to go entirely away, present your small gun very far before him, and over him, and by thus firing, you will sometimes make him B B 2 372 SHOOTING WILD-SWANS. " haul his wind," as a sailor calls it, and come across, a fair shot for your large gun. Hundreds of common swans are mistaken for hoopers. In hard weather they are driven from gentlemen's seats, and still more so from the large swanneries ; such, for instance, as that at Abbots- bury, in Dorsetshire. They then frequently repair to the shore; and by congregating in flocks, and there getting driven about and shot at, become quite as wild as the real hoopers, from which they are dif- ficult to distinguish, unless you hear them hoop* But when near enough to inspect' the head you can be no longer in doubt, as the naked skin above the bill in the tame swan is black, and in the wild swan bright yellow. Under two years of age the hoopers, like other cygnets, are not white, but more or less of a dull fawn colour, and then the yellow is much less brilliant ; though still plain enough to distinguish them from swans of the tame species. Moreover, the tame swan has a protuberance just above the bill, where the forehead of the wild swan rises gradually in profile, though it is rather hollow when inspected from the centre. [I write this with a stuffed specimen of the tame swan, and each specimen of the hooper now before me.] An octavo volume might be rapidly filled, without reference to any other work, on the mere subject of shooting all the foregoing birds ; but, through con- sideration for my reader's patience, I shall now con- clude, sincerely hoping that I have given all the real BOAT SHOOTING, UNDER SAIL. 373 information which is absolutely necessary for his pursuit of them. BOAT SHOOTING, UNDER SAIL, OUTSIDE OF HARBOUR. (As no one, I presume, would go afloat without either having sailors, or being pretty good amateur sailors themselves, it would be needless, as well as difficult, to write otherwise than in nautical terms.) We now take our leave of the harbour, and will have one cruise out of harbour before we proceed for the shooting system to France. To venture after fowl at sea you must have a large boat, with good bearings, that will carry plenty of canvas. Rowing after them scarcely ever answers ; but when it blows fresh, a fast sailing boat may often run in upon geese, and sometimes other birds, before they can take wing ; and after a coast has been for some time harassed by the gunning-punts, I have seen more birds killed under sail from a common boat, than by any other manner of day shooting. But, to do the business well, a stanchion-gun must be fixed in the boat, and this, by all means, contrived so as to go back with the recoil, or you run the risk of staving your boat, and, therefore, of being really in danger. Recollect, when you get on the outride of the harbour, an accident is no joke ; arid you have, as Dr. Johnson observes, but one plank between you and eternity. 374 BOAT SHOOTING, UNDER SAIL. A boat for this work should have plenty of bear- ings, and have as little keel as she can well go to windward with, in order to get, at times, within shot of the mud and sands, and also to run through a harbour at spring-tides, without getting aground. You should, therefore, for this sport, always make choice of a, day when the wind is off the land, and a time when the tide is flowing; as you have then no danger of filling your boat with the hollow sea of a lee shore, or running her so fast aground as not to be able to get her off immediately. In following wild- fowl under sail, command, as much as you can, a windward birth, in order to bear down on them at pleasure ; and if they rise out of shot against wind, as they usually do, luff up directly, and try to head them for a cross shot. As the gun, when on one tack, is in the way of the jib, you must have the man who attends the jib-sheets always in readiness to haul the weather one to windward ; but this must be done only just before you want to fire, or you deaden the boat's way. Take care also to let the sheet be under the barrel of the gun, in order that your line of aim may be clear of every thing. In this pursuit, when the more wind sometimes the more sport, never go with less than three good hands; and be careful, in squally weather, not to make too fast the main-sheet, as nine-tenths of the misfortunes that we hear of have occurred from this very cir- cumstance. While on this subject, it may be useful information EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 375 to many gentlemen, and it is but doing justice to an ingenious man to say, that, for building a boat, yacht, &c. I have never yet met with any one who could beat Mr. Thomas Inman, of Lymington. He removed to that place from Hastings. I will now conclude here with explaining the ap- parent inconsistencies of the plate by a dialogue, a la Walton: Critic. Why put all your wounded geese swimming one way ? Author. Because geese, directly they are wounded, always make for the heaviest sea. Critic. Admit that : but why have you made birds falling where no gun is fired ? Author. Because, in wildfowl shooting, one third of the birds that are mortally wounded fly off ap- parently unhurt, and then drop suddenly from the flock. Critic. Why is your wounded curlew on his legs, and the goose unable to dive, while the winged hooper is able to swim ? Author. Because the mud being convex, in some places, the water that flows over it is only about three inches deep there; while it may be nearly a foot deep a few yards further ; and the web-footed bird always makes for the deep, while the wader seeks the shallow, water. Before dismissing the plate, too, I should explain, that the man, who is taking the passing shot, is sketched for Buckle, with his punt : the yawl is with 376 BOATS USED IN THE a party, and a swivel-gun, who are bearing down, in obedience to the punter's signal, while the other man is standing on his mudboards, hallooing and swearing because he also cannot obey the signal (by walking across to intercept the cripples) through fear of leaving two city gentlemen aground ; while their poodle dog can no longer contain himself, and on hearing another shot, jumps overboard. The New- foundlander, in the foreground, is sketched from a bitch of mine, that was imported from St. John's. In describing these subjects, however, I have un- fortunately not the means of getting assisted as could be wished, because they are so totally foreign to artists. But for the original plate from which this was taken I am indebted to the kind and able assist- ance of Wm. Daniell, Esq. R.A. BOATS USED IN THE SOUTHAMPTON RIVER, AND ELSEWHERE. HAVING spoken of the Hampshire coast, I allude to that part of it all the way from Christchurch bay to Leap and Calshot ; on sailing round which point we open the Southampton river, where the mode of shooting again differs. The order of the day here is to have small carvel-built boats, and many other miserable contrivances. The gunners (or rather bird-frighteners) in these parts scarcely regard any appearance in dress or colour. These men, particularly the Itchen ferry- SOUTHAMPTON RIVEll. 377 men, go sailing about all day, firing random shots, and so disturb the coast, that iliey spoil the sport of those few who really understand, and would assist their families by the pursuit of wildfowl. Farther up this river, towards Millbrook, before it was so incessantly bombarded, they had formerly a more sensible plan ; but this was chiefly for getting the curres. It was to set, at low water, lines, with horse- hair loops, in which these birds were caught and drowned, when diving to bite the weeds, and were thus left on the mud by the ebbing tide. On other parts of the coast of England, I have ob- served the boats are more or less on the construction of those already mentioned. But when in Scotland, I could procure nothing small enough to answer the purpose in any way. This, however, was some years ago. Here (on the Clyde, below Dumbarton), the sport would have been excellent, and particularly at the barnacles. Wttofotol at tiller?; OR. CARRIAGE FOR USING A STANCHION GUN ON LAND. BEFORE we cross the channel, for France, we will now look at the artillery. A stanchion gun may be fired from a carriage, that can be wheeled over land ; which is much lighter than a common loaded barrow. But, with this con- trivance, the person firing the gun must sit on the carriage and rest his feet on the strap, so as to go back with it, otherwise he would, by going directly behind it, stand a chance of being knocked down; or, at all events, of getting his shins broken. Having contrived one, which answers well, I here give a representation of it, with directions for its management. [Vide plate.] Wttofotol in ON the French coast, although they are all great shooters, and especially on a Sunday ! I could never meet with a very small boat of any kind. I remember going to a lake, called Gattemare, about a league from Barfleur, which contained more wild- fowl (chiefly (htnbirds) than ever I had before seen together. They floated with the greatest composure, while the canaille were firing at coots, &c. from the banks ; and the lake being above a mile long, and nearly half a mile broad, these birds, aware of their safety (like the ranks of puffins on a cliff), remain indifferent to the noise of guns. Finding nothing could be done with them, I, and some friends, tempted the commissary of marine, by a promise of bringing birds enough to keep his family for a week, and giving him something from Angleterre, to exert himself most zealously in getting a boat overland. This having been accomplished, we started before daylight ; but, instead of finding * petit canot, as he and his gens tfarmes had described it, we were ushered into a huge man of war's boat, that, in a few minutes, put the whole pond in motion with the 380 SHOOTING WILDFOWL IN FRANCE. rising of birds, and very soon after was nearly send- ing us to the bottom of it, by the rapidity with which it leaked. In spite of all, however, our sport, with common guns, was most admirably good, and I have little doubt, but that, with proper equipment and apparatus, we might have done wonders. We afterwards agreed for the exclusive right of the shooting there, and protected it, according to the custom of this country, by an armed garde-chasse, which part was most ably performed by one of the commissary's gens d'armes, who, in addition to his military fusee, had provided himself with the terrific appendages of a cutlass and a set of handcuffs. We found the French peasants extremely useful to assist in shooting ; and, although quite ignorant of following birds on the water (in comparison with Englishmen), yet they were pretty well up to the making of bastions, huts, and every other trick for getting shots on, and from the shore. The French coast is plentifully supplied with wild- fowl ; which there are far more easy of access than in our country. Taking from between Cherburg and Neville to Carentan, there is, I believe, no better place within the same distance, from the south of England, than this would be, for an enthusiast in the diversion. Here the birds are still more nu- merous than on the coast of England ; and the very few shots that are worth taking with the wretched guns and powder, which are used by the few people who here follow wildfowl, render their sporting but FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. 381 a trifling impediment to your enjoying the whole range of country. (Although the powder is so execrably bad, yet the French shot is well manu- factured, and of good quality.) The only objection, however, after the ten or twelve hours' sail, which this would about be from Lymington or Poole, is, that the isolated situation of the country, and the misery of the inhabitants, pre- clude your having any farther amusement than the constant pursuit of sport. FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING, CALLED LA CHASSE A LA HUTTE. As the French hut-shooting is the only means by which a very bad shot, with a very bad gun, may kill ducks while as dry and as warm as if by his fire- side, I made a point, on a subsequent excursion to France, of going up to Peronne*, which may be styled the university for chasseurs on this system, in order to make myself master of it, and insert it in the third edition, under an idea that its great facility, * The hut system is also tolerably understood near Calais. Monsieur Huret I found to be " le plus fort huitier" there; and, if I remember correctly, it was him that I met one morning with forty-three wildfowl, that he was just bringing home, with his basket of call-birds, after one night's sport. 382 FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. and little inconvenience, may better suit the ge- nerality of my readers, than the more scientific plans of wildfowl shooting. The lakes of Peronne are better calculated for a lover of comfort to shoot at his ease than any place I have seen. The water, being a part of the Somme, is not quite stagnant ; and is, in every part, about four or five feet deep, surrounded, and intersected, by innumerable islands and walls of rushes. The waters here are rented by different " huttiers" (hut-shooters), who get the chief of their livelihood by supplying the markets of Paris, and other towns, with wildfowl, which they shoot, instead of taking them by decoys, as in our country. Though the French, in some places, are very expert at catching birds (particularly on that vast tract of wild sand between Crotoi and St. Valery, where I have seen the whole mouth of the Somme spread with nets and surrounded by lines of horse hair nooses), yet shooting from the hut (la hutte) is the favourite, and most general, method of getting wild- fowl in France. The common way of making a hut is to dig a hole in the ground by the side of some pool or pond ; and then roof it over with turf, so that not an opening remains, but one hole, into which you crawl ; out of which you fire ; and in front of which are fastened, to three separate pegs in the water, two tame ducks, and a drake. The drake must be in the centre, and the ducks one on each side of him, at about five yards interval ; and the birds being thus FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. 383 separated, will, in general, be calling to each other ; and if so, there will seldom pass a wild one, but will come and drop with them. The chief point, however, to be attended to in England, is to get, if possible, some young wild-ducks bred up, and pinioned. Or, by way of a makeshift, to select tame birds which are the most clamorous, even if their colour should not be like the wild ones. But in France you have seldom any trouble to do this, as the ducks used in that country are partly of the wild breed ; and three French ducks, like three Frenchmen, will make about as much noise as a dozen English. The Italians, in order to make their call birds noisy, for a " roccalo," burn out their eyes with a hot needle, a practice at which I am sure my English readers would shudder; though the translation of what they say in Italy is, that " these are the happiest birds in the world ; always singing." (It may be ne- cessary to explain, that a roccalo is a plantation, and a large silk net, into which various small birds are driven, as soon as they have collected, by a Signior, who is con- cealed above the trees, in a highly elevated box, similar to a small pigeon-house. Out of this he hurls down a large stick upon the birds ; and they, flying down, as if to avoid a hawk, are all made prisoners in the net which is placed behind the trees.) But, to return to the huts of Peronne : they are very superior to the common ones. The way to make them is this : Cut down a large square in the reeds, about eight feet by 384 FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. four; make a foundation of either stone, wood, or brick. Then drive in six piles on each side ; and on them put six hoops, precisely like those to a tilted waggon. The foundation being then formed, nothing remains but to build up the sides with turf, or what else you please, and thatch the roof and the whole of the inside. In front there must be either two or four port holes to fire through (each one bearing clear of your call birds), and at the back a little door to crawl in at, which you enter by a labyrinth. This hut, being built among the high reeds, and afterwards strewed over with them, is completely invisible ; al- though as commodious inside as a large covered cart. Here the huffier of Peronne goes regularly every night, wet or dry, and takes a great coat (if he has one), with a piece of brown bread, and a sour apple, for his supper. In front of his hut are fastened, to piles at each end, three separate ropes, about twenty yards long. On the centre one, he ties four drakes, and to the one on each flank four ducks ; making, in all, twelve decoy birds ; and these, being (to use a military term) dressed in line, whatever bird he sees out of the ranks, he knows must be a wild one : and as the lake, in moderate weather, is like a mirror, the night is seldom so dark but that he can see to shoot at the very short distance which his miserable gun, and miserable powder, will kill. The great man of the huttiers here was, and per- haps still is, Monsieur Desabes. To his services I was recommended by the proprietor of whom he FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. , 385 rented his share of the water. He informed me, that the huttiers never allowed shooting from a boat, or at birds on wing, through fear of disturbing the pond ; and said, that his plan was to take his night's rest, and leave the birds till a little before daylight ; when they would be all doubled together ; and when a shot would do far less mischief to the decoy than if fired before the birds had fed and slept. Here he is per- fectly right. But that if a " grande compagnie" should drop, the noise would awaken him, and he could then take his choice whether to fire or not. After inspecting all his apparatus by day, he would make me go with him by night, and being unwell at the time, and unprepared, I was scarcely in the humour to do this, particularly as I knew that it was pnst the time of year for this kind of sport. I agreed, however, to go, and was conducted to one of his best intrenchments, where his twelve decoy birds, all in battle array, were placed under the light of a beauti- ful moon, within the quarter of an English gun shot of his hut, which was uncomfortably warm. Here I remained, more likely to be suffocated than chilled, for I know not how many hours ; but not a wild-duck ever came, though his three alignements of decoy- birds kept chattering away, like the other bipeds of the French nation ; and although the whole valley, for a league, was resounding with the quacking of decoy ducks, and defended by the masters of them, yet I could not have the honour to say, I had -seen or heard the firing of a single shot. Had my ex- c c 386 FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. perience ended here, therefore, I should have had but little inducement to recommend the French system. But I have since imported the French brojBd of decoy ducks ; tried it in England ; and find, that, by this means, a gentleman with his little gun may sit at his ease, and kill more wildfowl, than by any other plan I have ever seen ; and without the risk of driving the fowl entirely away from his pond, which he would be liable to do by any other mode of shooting. In this shooting, let it be remembered, that the ducks usually quit the large ponds at night, and therefore the huts for them must be made round the smaller waters, where they feed. But for the dun- birds, and all kinds of curres, the large pond will be the best place, as they seldom leave it ; and, if not too hard pressed, they may be driven like sheep (by means of a person paddling to and fro, at a distance ; and occasionally making a little noise), either by night or day, towards any of the batteries which the shooter may choose to open on them. Coots may be driven in like manner, but will not double up for a shot, like the others. Ducks and mallards will not allow you to drive them ; but on the first alarm will generally take wing. As a proof of the superiority of the French decoy birds to the common English ducks, I need only men- tion, that a few winters ago, when I sent over some of them to Lord Rodney, for his beautiful pond at Alresford, Mr. Sparry, the bailiff, in order to secure them, for the night on which they came, put them FRENCH HUT-SHOOTING. 387 within a few hurdles, close before his house. When he got up in the morning, no sooner did he open his door tha^a number of wild-ducks flew up from within the little fence he had made, and into wliich these birds, of course, had enticed them. Several tame ducks had constantly been in, and all about, the place ; but these had never decoyed the wild birds, in the manner that had been done by the French- men. If this system is adopted, two or three huts should be made, and then the hutter has a choice which to take, according to the light and the wind. [Vide plate.] Critic. Why have you put all your call birds one way? Author. Because ducks, when stationary, and not feeding, always sit facing the wind ; or, if in running water, with their breasts against the stream. c c Wtlirfotol footing in tf)e jfens* PUNT, GUNS, &c v USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. HAVING returned from France, and learnt the system of that country, we will now finish our wild- fowl excursions with a few observations on the fens, and other fresh waters, where it is the most likely to answer. The punts in the fens are now somewhat similar to that which I before named of Buckle's, only much narrower, in order that the gunners may be able to pull them through the reeds, in places where they cannot use their paddles. The guns here, instead of having any thing to check the recoil, are, like his, merely rested on a broad thwart, or gunning-bench, about the centre, and in a groove at the bow, to support the muzzle ; so that the shooters here fire in the manner before stated, vfa. they lean with the hollow of their shoulders hard against their fowling-piece* (as they herejzsill punt guns) ; and, after thus checking the recoil themselves, allow the gun to run under their arms. The fen guns are built purposely to avoid a recoil; and, consequently, not on the very best proportion to WILDFOWL SHOOTING IN THE FENS. 389 make heavy shots in a flock. For, notwithstanding they are from forty to seventy pounds weight, and from seven to ten feet in the barrel, yet they are only about an inch in the bore. Although, as an extra- ordinary circumstance, the fen-gunners sometimes kill from thirty. to forty birds at a shot, yet they now- a-days consider it very good work to secure a dozen. This is nothing great, in comparison with what has been formerly done on the coast ; for instance, from thirty to forty wigeon, besides lost birds, killed from the shoulder ; and from seventy to eighty different wildfowl from a swivel gun. These, however, though shots extremely rare, are not to be set down as ex- travagant impossibilities, when we consider, that a shoulder gun of twenty pounds weight may be fired with half a pound, and a stanchion-gun with a pound and a half of such shot, that any one grain of it wight stop a bird ; and this shot (say even the large letter A) has fifty grains to an ounce. The winter shooting in the fens is not what it Avas ; as they have been much drained for cultivation, by which the wild parts are less extensive; and the use of large guns having, of late years, been the order of the day here, as ivell as everywhere else, the birds are now much wilder, and not so plentiful. Putting this aside, however, the fens have not so many advantages as people are led to suppose ; for, should there be a hard frost, the whole of the reed beds and meres become one continued sheet of ice, and without a vestige of food for the birds ; unless, by 390 WILDFOWL SHOOTING the way, you take the precaution to keep a place open for them, which plan answers most admirably, to get the very best shots that can be made. But should the weather be open, the greater part of the wildfowl remain in the decoys during the day-time, and this marshy country is too much extended to select any particular spot for their evening flights : consequently, save having a tolerable quantity of bitterns, occasionally most excellent snipe shooting, and in summer the flapper shooting, here is not much to be done till about the last fortnight in March, when the birds are distributed preparative to their breeding. Then it is that old ducks and teal may be put up arid killed right and left with a double gun ; and then it is that we have the greatest chance of catching the ague ! The fens from Holme to Ramsay were, at one time, the best I had seen : they lay to the right of the north road, when you are going down, within a stage of Huntingdon, and scarcely an hour's walk from Stilton. But afterwards, in 1816, 1 found those near Winterton, in Norfolk (the private property of I. B, Huntingdon *, and R. Rising, Esqrs.) far superior ; and the variety of wild birds here was such, that, in the breeding season, you might kill from twenty to thirty different sorts in a day. Some, by-the-by, I had never seen before, and, if I mistake not, I was favoured with a sight of two or three, that were not * Lately occupied, if not purchased, by Joseph lluinc. Esqr. M. P. JN THE FENS. 391 even in Bewick, by C. Girdlestone, Esq., which he has in his private collection, at Yarmouth. In many parts you^could scarcely walk without treading on the eggs of terns, plovers, redshanks, and almost every other kind of marsh-bird. At certain times, in the winter, the fowl, on their passage from Holland to the south, dropped in here, and literally blackened the centre part of the lakes called Horsey-broad, and Heigham Sounds, where they fancied themselves pro- tected by the surrounding ice *. I, however, went to this country again, in 1824, and found, that, owing to the drains for cultivation, and increase of the decoys, the quantity of birds was, and has for some year^ been, so much reduced, that I was obliged to alter the MS. of this statement from the present to the past time. . My account would otherwise have proved a gross exaggeration. This shows how few years will put a sporting book out of date! The fens are famous for the ruffs and reeves ; but these birds frequent such awkward places, and are so wild during the summer, when they come here to breed, that, as I before observed, they seldom afford much sport for the gun. * I was here shown by Rogers his plan of getting fowl on the ice. It was to cut four horses' leg bones, and after filing them smooth, like skates, to place them longitudinally under a very small punt ; and then, lying on his breast, to shove over the frozen part, with two iron spikes. Any other means of passing a place that was partially frozen would be dangerous in the extreme. dressing for $tmts auto Canoes. To keep gunning punts and canoes from leaking, or, as those who use them call it, weeping, melt a pint of tar with a pound of * pitch , and either half a pint of common oil, or a proportional quantity of suet. You have then only to pour a little of this mixture into the seams of your punt, and instead of bedaubing her all over the bottom, as we did in the old school, seven or eight years ago, have the bottom painted, with one or two thin coats of red lead, which will last much longer, and with which the boat rows much lighter. White rosin and mutton suet is even a better dressing, and by far the lightest of any. To avoid rubbing the bottom of your punt every time she is hauled ashore, have two small rollers, by which you will considerably save her. Have your canoes and punts, previously to being put together, painted under every timber with red lead, and they will (to the no small annoyance of the builder) last you twice as long. But where the other paint is to go, do not put red lead, as white will neither look nor take so well upon it. DRESSING FOR PUNTS AND CANOES. 393 If you want good white lead for paint (instead of whiting and water), you can have it from Messrs. Walker, Parker, & Co., at the shot manufactory. Have 'the outside of all your punts and canoes painted, with the very best white lead; and to make them drab, for sun or moon, use a little distemper colour, such as the scenes of the theatres are painted with ; and this, either with, or without size, may be mopped off in a few minutes. Some of the gunners use a wet clod ; but you must beware of salt mud, as that would stain your punt. For shooting off at sea, when there is a breeze, a tint of lead colour has the best deception. But I seldom use it, unless very light, for two reasons the one, that it is a bad colour for shallow water ; and the other, that no prudent man ought to go off to sea in a punt. To stop a chink, or crack, force in, with a caulking iron, some oakum, or stiff brown paper, before you pour in any kind of mixture. Hot rosin also does very well by itself, if you do not wish to have the trouble of mixing the other ingredients. Best means of conteputg $unts, &e* ctoer lantr, THE boat-cart, or canoe-carriage, here prescribed, will, I think, be found the only means of conveying any kind of punt to those places, where it would always be most likely to answer ; such as ponds and other private waters, where no gunners are allowed to sport ; and where the keepers scarcely know a punt from a pig- trough. The directions for this carriage (as well as those for the canoe, &c.) are given on the plate, for the convenience of inclosing them in a letter, in case of their being wanted abroad ; or in any place, where there might be a difficulty to get a safe and immediate conveyance for the book. This carriage, if only required for the punt itself, might be made much lighter, by being placed only on two high wheels, similar to a long French cart. But when laden with baggage, the plan of four wheels becomes a necessary one, in order the better to support and save the punt. In either case springs would be a decided improvement, was it not for the duty on them. The best substitute is, first to put a good bed of straw under the punt; and then to fasten on punt, baggage, and all, with a line, similar to that used for binding a load of corn in harvest. V s $ ^ R 5 <1 i & i S L < . 1 f x fc V , \ (^ 's^ I 1 ^ 1 f^ ^ 1 . "^ [| ^ iV J* ? r* c Li t* ? l i < ^ ^ \ 1 I SSItitifotol on a FOR killing common wild-ducks, that frequent a river, you have only to go a little before sunset; place yourself against any dark bush or bank ; and there wait, patiently, and out of sight, till they come down, and fly round you ; which they will generally do several times, before they drop into the stream or marshes. As wild-ducks most frequently betake themselves to the springs and rivers about dusk, you have no occasion to wait for them longer than just the last hour, or half hour before dark; but, if they have been much disturbed or shot at, they will not always fly sufficiently early to be seen ; though you may plainly hear the shrill, and somewhat melancholy sound of their wings. If, however, the twilight is followed by a full moon, these birds will often with- hold coming to the river till the moon has completely risen ; in which case you might have to wait till an hour or two after dusk. But then the sport is con- siderably better, and will last much longer, with the additional advantage of your having a continued sjood light for shooting. 396 SHOOTING WILDFOWL ON A RIVER, &C. Wild-ducks generally come to the same place, unless they have been shot at, or there should be a change of wind and weather. It often happens, that wild-ducks, dunbirds, and other fowl, come down at night to large rivers, ponds, or lakes, which are so deeply surrounded by floating reeds, that no one can approach the water ; and the birds, aware of this, do not lower their flight till they come near them. So far from this defying the shooter, it is one of the finest opportunities that can be af- forded for death and destruction. Let him sit, in a small punt or canoe ', fore and aft, among the rushes, where, towards dusk, he will be so completely hid, that he may either shoot at birds flying within pistol shot, or wait for a good chance on the water ; from whence (his boat being hid on each side, and fore- shortened to the only point of mew) he will be pretty sure to escape the observation of the birds. This plan may be resorted to where there are no rushes, such as under the bank of an island, or in a small brook, near which there may be no hiding-place. Here, however, nothing would surpass the French system, for those who had the means of adopting it. All these stratagems may become unnecessary, in places which are strictly preserved, and where wild- fowl shooting is interspersed with that of snipes and other birds; but as these places are now but rarely to be met with, I have thought it necessary to dilate at considerable length in the foregoing instructions relative to shooting wildfowl, which are now but OBSERVATIONS. 397 seldom to be killed without care, patience, and good management. Having now, I trust, sufficiently explained the best methods for killing all kinds of birds, on land ; on fresh waters ; by sea ; in harbour ; out of harbour ; and in every situation, that I can think of ; there remains, I believe, n.o more that need be said under this head. I shall therefore proceed to the other subjects of the volume; and, after giving a short epitome of, and some observations on, the game laws, conclude, with a few hints, and a little advice, that may possibly be of service, for the health and comfort of a young sportsman. *** Nothing has yet been done with the game laws ! the new bill having been thrown out in the House of Lords by a majority of fifteen. Instead, therefore, of having any new acts to abridge, I have only to reprint again my former extracts from the old rhapsody. IT is much to be lamented that these laws, as well as many others, are not brought under a revision by the legislature, and reduced into one act of the pre- sent reign, sufficiently comprehensive to include every thing that is useful or desirable in such a code ; and to exclude every thing that is obsolete, or inapplicable to the present time, which is only calculated to mis- lead, or ensnare the unwary ! No matter what any laws were; the desideratum is to know what they now are. But, from a super- fluous introduction of repealed statutes, it not only becomes a business of time to wade through volumes on the subject, but it requires some attention to dis- criminate, which of the laws are in force at the present day ; and they are sometimes misunderstood from the very preambles, that are intended to prevent their being so. It is, therefore, much to be wished, that some gentleman in the profession would favour GAME LAWS. 399 us with a moderate sized publication, wherein nothing is inserted but that by which we may now be guided with safety. In the interim, the annexed memoranda, for the present game laws, although an imperfect attempt, may be the means, in some cases, of saving time, and perhaps a lawsuit; than their doing which, nothing would give more pleasure to the compiler. JUNE, 1826. QUALIFICATION. \_A lord of a manor, if not otherwise qualified, would not be entitled to kill game himself.] 100/. per annum, clear of all deductions, in own or wife's right, charged upon hinds or tenements, or other estate of inheritance. 150/. per annum for life, or on lease, for life, or ninety-nine years. Eldest sons of esquires, or [of*] persons of higher degree. Notwithstanding the eldest son of an esquire is qualified, yet the esquire himself may not be qualified f such is the consistency of the game laws ! What a * Although this word of is not inserted, yet it has legally been decided to be necessarily implied. " A diploma, conferring the degree of doctor of physic, granted by either of the universities in Scotland, does not give a quali- fication to kill game (under 22 and 23 Car. II. cap. xxv). An esquire, or other person of higher degree, as suck, is not qualified under that act; though the son of an esquire, or the son of other person of higher degree. i,v." (Vide 1st Term Reports, page 44.) 400 GAME LAWS. pity it is that those, who framed this law, were not also the authors of the one penny penalty for taking the eggs of mallards! as the two acts combined would at least have entitled them to a mention of their names in the Biographical Dictionary. (Vide " for every egg of mallard," &c. 25 Hen. VIII. cap. xi.) CERTIFICATE. PENALTY for shooting without, 20/. To be taken out annually, in the parish or place where your assessed taxes are paid; costs 31. 13s. 6d., and Is. fee to the collector. Does not authorise unqualified persons to kill game, but ex- empts them from the penalty of 20Z., and leaves them subject to that of 51. for non-qualification ; and also to that of 5/. apiece for every head of game found in their possession. For menial servants, hired as gamekeepers, costs I/. 5*., and the 1*. fee to the collector. Persons, not menial servants, must have the 3| guinea cer- tificate, and should have, also, the common gamekeeper's cer- tificate, to hold a deputation. When demanded by any assessor, collector, land owner, com- missioner, inspector, surveyor, occupier of land ; also gamekeeper, or other person ; provided the two latter produce their certificates, previously to requiring yours. Penalty for refusing 201. If you have not your certificate to produce, your name, and place of abode, may be asked. See penalty for refusing. All certificates expire on the 5th of April, in each year*. * A conviction, under the game laws, once took place at Godalming, on the following curious grounds: An information was lodged against a qualified gentleman, for having shot at and killed, after the 5th of April, a snipe, not having a license ; and, according to the literal construction of the act, the commissioners GAME LAWS. 401 Be careful, therefore, to receive your next certi- ficate before you recommence killing game ; in order to defy all pettifogging informers. GAMEKEEPERS ARE subject to the full penalties of unqualified and unlicensed persons, as well as to actions of trespass, if they outstep the bounds of the manor, for -which they are appointed. Only one can be appointed to each manor. DEPUTATION OF A GAMEKEEPER. The deputation granted to a gamekeeper must be registered with the clerk of the peace, within twenty days after it is granted, and a certificate taken of the same, under penalty of 20/. The deputation for one keeper holds good till another is appointed. If a new gamekeeper is appointed within the year, the game cer- tificate of the former keeper may be transferred to him for the remainder of the year; and this must be done, free of all expense, by the clerk to the commissioners of the district. FORM OF A GAMEKEEPER'S DEPUTATION. (To be written on a I/. 15*. stamp.') Know all men, by these presents, that I , of , in the county of , esq. lord of the manor of , in the same county, have nominated, deputed, and appointed, and by these presents do nominate, depute, and appoint , of of taxes were compelled to fine him in the penalty of twenty pounds, although it appeared he had regularly applied for a licence, and had been in the habit of sporting w2 Geo. III. cap. xciii. s. viii. (the act relating to cer- tificates) " hound, pointer, spaniel, or other dog" is added. For farther information on this, vide under " Time within which Actions must be brought." One who is warned off a ground, and sends his dog thereon, is as much liable to an action of trespass, as if he went there himself. WASTE LAND, SPORTING on, the exclusive right of the lord of a manor. It has been given as an opinion, that, although a qualified person may, by common rights, have the liberty of going, sending or keeping his cattle, on the waste land, yet he has no right to sport there, with- out leave from the lord of the manor. RABBITS, WOODCOCKS, SNIPES, &c. (How far they are made game.) RABBITS, woodcocks, snipes, quails, and landrails, are made game only us far as relates to shooting them ; for which, therefore, 414 GAME LAWS. a certificate is required ; but one, without a certificate, may catch, sell, or have them in his possession. Two of the profession were here consulted, as to the necessity of a qualification, and they were loth of opinion, that, although a certificate was (by the late act) required, yet rabbits, woodcocks, 8yc., may he shot, by one unqualified. Rabbits, however, may be shot by any one without a certificate, provided he kills them in warrens, or inclosed grounds, of which he is himself the occupier, or in which he is commanded, or permitted so to destroy them, by whoever is the occupier. FREE WARRENS AND DECOYS. THE game, in a, free warren, is considered as private property, as are also the wildfowl, &c., within a decoy : and, consequently, even a qualified man, sporting on either, would be subject to an action accordingly (with costs), and without receiving any pre- vious notice. The exercise of a free warren, however, is, in most cases, now difficult to be proved. WILDFOWL. \_Any one may shoot them on the coast, from a public path, A PERSON, with neither qualification nor licence, has a right to carry a gun, provided he does not use it for the destruction of game. The shooting of wildfowl, therefore (according to the best professional opinions I have collected), is, notwithstanding the act of Anne (cap. xxv), such a use as cannot be deemed an illegal one. GAME LAWS. 415 It is said, that a lord of a manor, or his keeper, cannot seize the gun of any person whatever, unless it has been used, by the person carrying it, in de- stroying, or with an intent to destroy game. (Sed quere ?) TIME WITHIN WHICH INFORMATIONS AND ACTIONS MUST BE BROUGHT. Informations for penalties, relative to the game laws, should be brought so as for the conviction to take place within three months. A penalty may be either recovered by information before a justice of peace, or sued for in any of the courts of record at Westminster. In the latter case, the action must be brought within six lunar months after the offence committed. By this way of proceeding, the informer, as plain- tiff, will, if he recover in the action, be entitled to the -whole of the penalty for his own use (instead of one half going to the poor, as in cases of information), and the defendant will, of course, have to pay double costs. (Vide 2 Geo. III. cap. xxix.) By the 48th Geo. III. cap. Iv. the penalties against such as have not obtained their certificates shall be sued for in like form as any penalty may be sued for and recovered by the acts relating to the duties under the management of the commissioners for faxes, or any of the said acts (see 43 Geo. III. cap. xcix. s. Ixiv.) ; by which the penalties are recoverable before any two or more commissioners for the affairs of taxes, who shall give judgment for the penalty, or for such part thereof as the commissioners shall think proper tg mitigate, not being less than one moiety. The time prescribed for bringing an Action of trespass, affect- ing land (which is called an action qitare clausvmfregit), for the 416 GAME LAWS. recovery of damages, is six years : but, if affecting the person (that is to say, in a case of assault), only four years. If a penal act should limit no time for laying an information to recover a penalty, the common law allows the crown two years and the subject one year for this purpose. With regard to cases where the possibility of bringing an action, within the limited time, might be precluded by the absence of either party, I have thought it advisable to put the following questions to one eminent in the profession, for the purpose of here giving brief directions as to what should be done. Question. Supposing A should trespass on the lands of B, while B is beyond the sea, can B sue for the trespass after his return ? Answer. He can, provided he commences his action against A within the time limited (by the 21 Jac. /., cap. 16) after his re- turn, which is six years, and which would run from the time of his return. Question. On the other hand, supposing A, after having com- mitted a trespass on the lands of B, should, before the expiration of the period limited for commencing an action, go beyond the sea, can B commence such action against A after his return ? Answer. Yes, he may (by the 4 and 5 Anne, cap. 16), pro- vided he commences his action within the period limited. (By the 21 Jac.) Question. Again, supposing A and B both be in the kingdom, and A, after having committed a trespass on the lands of B, to withdraw himself to a distant part of it, and there secrete liim- self, till the period, within which an action may be commenced, js expired, can B afterwards sue him for the trespass ? Answer. No, he cannot, as his right of action will be barred by the statute, unless he sue out a writ within the limited period, and, if A's residence be unknown, and he cannot be met with, to GAME LAWS. 417 be served with it, the action be kept on foot, by proper con- tinuances, regularly filed, till A can Le met with ; and then B, if he can get him served, may proceed with his action after the expiration of such period, the same as if A had been served within it. LORDS OF MANORS. SINCE the several inclosure acts, doubts have been entertained, whether lords of manors have a right to sport over the freehold of any other person, within the manor, after notice ; or whether a deputation to a gamekeeper will justify his going on any grounds, except the lord's own soil? CLEARLY NOT. A lord of a manor, or his ga?nekeeper (unless in a free warren^ or by an especial right reserved^ in letting or selling property), cannot sport on the land of another, without being liable to the same action as any other trespasser; neither can he prevent those, who are qualified, from sporting (on the grounds not his own) within the manor. [Exciting officers /] ACTS PASSED SINCE THE SECOND EDITION. PERSONS FOUND AT NIGHT ARMED WITH INTENT TO KILL GAME. (By St. 57 Geo. III. cap. xc.), persons found at night (viz. between six in the evening, and seven in the morning, from the first of October to the first of February ; between seven in the evening, and five in the morning, from the first of February to the first of April j and between nine in the evening, and four in the morning, for the remainder of the year) armed with intent to kill game, shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and be transported for seven years. E E 418 GAME LAWS. PENALTY FOR BUYING GAME. (By St. 58 Geo. III. c. Ixxv.) after stating that exposing game to sale was by law prohibited j it is enacted, that the buying of game should be subject to a penalty of 5/. For more comprehensive information on the game laws, and particular modes of proceeding, I refer the reader to the late edition of Burn's Justice, and an excellent treatise, entitled the " Game Laws and Fisheries," by Mr. Chitty, of the Middle Temple, London. The preceding abstracts, however, may serve as easy memoranda of those game laws, in which most persons are as yet liable to be concerned, and many of which are necessary to protect the rights and liberties of the people. SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW GAME LAWS. * BY making observations on the inconsistence of the present game laws, I have involved myself in the unthankful office of having to point out where, in my humble opinion, the evil exists ; and, therefore, at the same time, of having to prescribe a few brief suggestions for its remedy. Of all subjects that ever came to a revision of the legislature, this, although comparatively insignificant, is perhaps one of the most difficult, by reason that to please all parties here, I firmly believe, would be an utter impossibility. One simple question, however, may be asked by every one : Let any member, supposing that he is GAME LAWS. 419 an advocate for the present e^ame laws, advert no further than to the act relating to qualifications, and to the mutiny act, and see whether they are not in- consistent ; or, in other words, contrary to justice, and to common sense ? Can that member, therefore, say, that he would be strictly doing his duty, if, when called on for his vote, he tacitly admits, that those acts which are inconsistent, or contrary to common sense, should remain among our code of laws ? But, as to the general principles of the game laws, we should, instead of putting ourselves out of temper, make every allowance for the errors of those who may be inclined to vote in their favour. We should re- collect, that many of the cleverest men in existence, when you come to the subject of their game, cannot divest themselves of feeling, in some degree, personally interested ; and it need scarcely be observed, that although a man may have the highest sense of honour, and the most consummate talent, yet all men have, more or less, one favourite pursuit, their attachment for which evidently points out where their weak side exists ; and here, therefore, it becomes difficult to give them satisfaction. Let what will be proposed, depend on it there will be a host of public speakers and public writers to disapprove of it ; and as every suggestion on such a tender subject is not only open to criticism, but to public ridicule, I am justified in repeating, that whoever speaks or writes on this sub- ject undertakes a most unthankful office. I shall, therefore, withhold going far into detail, E E 2 420 GAME LAWS. and conclude with a few hints, that are entirely founded on experience ; and pretty good information as to the secrets among poachers of every description. Not presuming, however, that I am capable of dic- tating even to the lowest member in the legislature ; but merely with a view of pointing out a few of those evils, which may have escaped notice among persons of far greater abilities than my own. We are all highly indebted to Mr. Wortley for his exertions towards improving the game laws. For, as Mr. Peel justly observed (if I may quote from news- papers), " the bill went to provide remedies for two great evils, which sprung out of the present laws. First, it empowered the sale of game i and, second, it made a great and necessary change in the quali- fication" But with regard to making game private property much as the measure would be to my own private interest, yet I cannot conscientiously say that I think it would give public satisfaction. The most correct man would for ever be liable to get into difficulty, by which means there would be more, instead of fewer, disputes between sportsmen and occupiers of land. To conclude then ; I shall here repeat, with a few trifling additions, what I before suggested through the medium of the " Star" even- ing paper ; and, at the same time, apologise for pre- suming to give a public opinion, which, in many respects, may differ from that of men with whom it would be the height of folly for me to suppose that I could cope in either talent or argument. GAME LAWS. " SIR, April 12, 1824. " I beg leave to suggest, through the me- dium of your paper (and I have also taken the liberty to send to members of both Houses of Parliament), the mere outline of what, in my humble opinion, would be the best improvement that could be made on the game laws. " Yours, &c. &c." " To the Editor." Do away with qualifications (or at all events arrange them so as to be strictly just and consistent). Any further observations on this law, as yet exist- ing, for qualifications, would be an insult to the un- derstanding of my readers. A five guinea licence for every one who shoots game (except a keeper, who should pay two guineas). An extra guinea and a half, once in a year, could be no great object to a man who can afford to buy a gun, and can also afford to give up a considerable portion of his time, and to keep dogs, and supply himself with ammunition. At all events, if this duty should reduce the number of shooters sb much the better for the birds ; if not so much the better for the revenue. A two guinea licence (similar to a French port d'armes) for every one who carries a gun, in any place whatever (off his own premises), but with this licence only a gamekeeper can kill game. (Let a man who shoots without a licence be surcharged by the collectors of taxes, as they are the most vigilant informers.) GAME LAWS. There could then be no complaints about the " liberty of the subject," more than his paying for any other diversion. If he can afford to carry a gun for his amusement, let him assist the revenue by paying for it. This duty would only operate on the mere idlers of the country, who, in winter, neglect their work to go about with a gun to the ruin of themselves, and risk of their own, as well as other people's, lives. Lest it should be argued, however, that this might throw on the parish-books those fishermen on the coast, who could, otherwise, support their families by shooting, I must beg to inform you, that these are the very men who are most anxious that a duty should be laid on guns, in order to prevent their being constantly annoyed by the idle. I am credibly in- formed, that, a short time ago, a petition to this effect would have been presented to the House of Commons by (I think) a Mr. B , from the fisher- men on the coast of Essex, had they not disobliged this gentleman by poaching, or some other improper conduct Let farmers' bird-keepers be confined to the use of a pistol, or fire-arms not exceeding a foot in length, and be liable to a sur- charge if they shoot at game or water-fowl. Many a "bird-keeper!" have I caught, both at dusk, and at dawn, crawling behind a hedge after a covey of partridges that were feeding on a barley stubble. Such little' exercises in rural sports fre- quently go on, either in the morning, before sports- GAME LAWS. 423 men are in the field ; or in the afternoon, while the legislator is at the first course of his dinner ; his head keeper at his tea ; and the under keepers watch- ing the coverts. Many a " bird-keeper !" too, have I seen leaving the good farmer's corn to the generosity of rooks, while he had skulked off to the river, to try the quality of his master's gun and ammunition at a duck or a moor-hen. A freeholder of five hundred acres (or a tenant, with the con- sent of his landlord) may depute a gamekeeper. As the law now stands, many a gentleman is living on his estate, which consists of more than a thousand acres, and yet has no means of obtaining game from that very estate on which the game is bred, unless he is a sportsman himself, or invites others to come and shoot for him. Thus the man of ONE thousand acres, if he is not the lord of a manor, is to be left dependent for ONE BRACE of birds ; while the lord paramount, with his FIVE thousand acres, could perhaps command his FIVE THOUSAND head of game in a season ! And, what is even harder again on the former, while the occupier of not so much as one hundred acres has a right to appoint a keeper, because he happens to be the lord of a manor ! All this may be thought very clever and very proper ! but, unfortunately for me, I am so blind as not to be able to discover the pro- priety of such a law, though it requires but little penetration to perceive its monopoly and injustice. 424 GAME LAWS. Have licensed dealers subject only to the magistrates. Every person should have the power of legally obtaining game ; by which means it would be thought the less of; and there could be no excuse for dealing with a poacher, or other unlawful vend. It is very hard, that not only a respectable tradesman, but even a gentleman, perhaps with high rank and immense "funded property, cannot command a brace of birds for his table without being liable to a penalty. The unjust severity of such a prohibition, therefore, induces many opulent persons to encou- rage this illegal traffic. It does not follow, however, that the gentleman is to turn game-poulterer, or that game must be made private property, for the pur- pose in question. For if it was, the farmer might possibly spoil the gentleman's sport, by making a trade of it ; or, if thwarted in his views, might then destroy the nests of half the birds on his land. But let those, who, from having a certificate, and per- mission to shoot, are lawfully in possession of game, be allowed also the power of selling it to persons who are duly licensed to deal in that article. In short, let the matter be so arranged, that every one may have a lawful means of procuring game, as well as venison, or any other luxury. One hundred pounds penalty for buying game of one who has neither a certificate to kill it, nor a licence to sell it ; and let the vender have the power of turning informer. The same penalty of course for one, who, with neither certificate nor dealer's licence, shall sell game, or offer game for sale. GAME LAWS. 425 Perhaps many of those who prescribe laws are not aware, that most poachers are in a society, and have a stock purse to support each other ; by which means they are enabled to snap their fingers at zfive pound penalty. But a few hundred pound penalties would soon reduce their fund to a state of bankruptcy, and thereby overturn the whole concern. The mutiny bill to be altered, so that it must be the proprietor or occupier, not the lord of the manor, who gives leave to officers. For, as the articles of war now stand, it appears, that an officer is liable to a penalty of five pounds for shooting, without the lord's leave, on the ground of his own father, where this very lord has, perhaps, no right to sport himself! [I might go more into detail ; but to write any thing too long is the sure way never to have it read.~\ The foregoing suggestions having met with great attention, I was induced to address to the Editor of the " Star" another communication on the subject ; which will here follow, with some additions : " SIR, " As you did me the honour to publish my last letter of the 12th ult., on the game laws, I beg leave to propose an amendment in the act for the punishment of trespass ; and, at the same time, to transmit you a few more observations on the sub- ject of the game laws in general. I am," &c. 426 . GAME LAWS. TRESPASS. FIVE pounds PENALTY (open to mitigation) for one who goes, or wilfully continues, on the land of another, after he has received either a written notice, or a verbal notice in presence of a witness. One half of this penalty to go to the collector of taxes for govern- ment, and the other half to the poor of the parish wherein the offence is committed. The defendant, if dissatisfied with the decision of the ma- gistrates, may refer his case to trial at the assizes, &c. j but, if he lose his cause, he must pay the 51. in addition to the damages that may be awarded by the jury ; and, in this latter case, the 51. should go to the plaintiff, in order to liquidate his costs, or any expense that might have been incurred by the trouble which the defendant would have given him. No compromise to be taken for this, or any other, penalty, unless before, and with the consent of, magistrates. It should, of course, however, be arranged so that information for the penalty of TRESPASS could be only laid by (or by order of) the person, or persons, on whom that trespass was committed. By this means we can at once take a warrant against the poacher, who, if a shrewd fellow, and master of his business, would clear off half the game in a small manor, before he might be detected in the very act of poaching. All seizures, bloodshed, and danger, might thus be almost wholly avoided. Only see him, even with a spyglass, at any time on the forbidden ground (so as to be able to swear to his person), and have a warrant for him as a wilful tres- passer*. By this means also, the poor farmer, who * I one day happened to be, for some time, in conversation with one of the shrewdest fellows, and most finished poachers, that ever lived ; who, after defying all his pursuers, has left off GAME LAWS. - 427 has no money to go to law, has some protection against infringement on his rights by the man who tramples on him, from this very circumstance. But having no share in, and, therefore, no profit on, the penalty, he has no temptation to take any advantage merely for the sake of getting the 2/. 10s. himself. Any person thinking himself aggrieved should have the law open to him ; and the risk of an extra 5l. in such a case could be no object. For the second, and all future wilful trespasses, on that same person to whom the offender had before been made to pay the 5/., to be not less than 5Z. nor more than 50/., at the option of ma- gistrates, Who should have a great extent of discretional power to mitigate the penalty ; as this law, like all others, must, of course, be open to the abuse of the trade, and retired to a lawful business. He laughed at the game laws. I then named to him the new laws, as lately pro- posed. He smiled, and said, " that won't do." I next named what I before, as well as what is here, suggested ; as if another act contemplated by Parliament. He then put on a very serious face, and said, " Upon rny soul, sir, that 's the only plan : that would properly do them. No one would trust a man for 100Z. ; but 5/. is no object to either a buyer or even a poor man, if he has got plenty of friends under his thumb ! A man, too, must be a poor hand to let people see him at work; but if a gentleman could work him for a mere trespass, he could not go to his ground before feeding time" It absolutely requires a very old sportsman, who has discovered all the secrets of poachers, to strike at the roots of this evil, and not legislators, who are worthy of a better office. 428 GAME LAWS. tyrannical persons, and there might occur some ex- traordinary instances, where it would become de- sirable to mitigate the punishment as much as pos- sible. If the defendant appeals from the decision of the magistrates, to a court of law, for a second wilful trespass, whereby the penalty here proposed would be from 51. to 50/. ; let him, if he loses his cause, pay, in addition to the damages, whatever sum had before been awarded by magistrates. Amend the 57th statute of Geo. III. for transporting a man who is found, at night, armed with intent to kill game ; and let it be, that, if he makes any RESISTANCE on being apprehended, he shall be transported. If not, his " footing it," for a month or two, in the tread-mill would be quite sufficient punishment ; and particularly to a poacher, who, except when at his nightly business, is generally one of the laziest drones in existence. This little " training," too, may perhaps be the means of getting him" in wind" for a more industrious life ; and, therefore, of tending to the support, instead of the starvation, or incumbrance on a parish, of his unfortunate family. All game-shooting (except black game, muir game, and ptarmigan) to begin on the 1 st of October. By such an arrangement thousands of very young partridges, that are not fair game, would escape being massacred by the gentleman-poacher, and falling a prey, when in hedges and hassocks, to the dogs of the pot-hunter. There would be avoided GAME LAWS. 429 many disputes between farmers and eager young sportsmen (perhaps the sons of their landlords), who sometimes cannot resist following their game into the corn. There would be an end of destroying a whole nide of young pheasants in standing barley, which is so frequently, and so easily, done in Sep- tember. The hot weather of September was never meant for hard fagging. September is a month that the agriculturist should devote to his harvest, and the man of pleasure to sailing, sea-bathing, fishing, and other summer pursuits. But when October arrives, the farmer has leisure to enjoy a little sport after all his hard labour, without neglecting his business ; and the gentleman, by a day's shooting, at that time, becomes refreshed and invigorated, instead of wearing out himself and his dogs, by slaving after partridges under a broiling sun in September. The evenings begin to close, and he then enjoys his party and his fire-side, after a day's shooting of just suf- ficient duration to brace his nerves, and make every thing agreeable. Penalty for killing game out of season to be not less than 5/. nor more than 50/., at the option of magistrates. One regular penalty is not fair. There should rest with the magistrates the power of making a very great distinction between one, who could prove that he had killed a head of game for a longing lady, 430 GAME LAWS. or a sick person, and another, who wantonly de- stroyed it in open violation of the law. The act for refusing to give names ; The periods for killing game, with the mere alteration of de- ferring partridge-shooting till October ; And a proper time fixed for killing hares, which has never yet been done ! The act for killing pigeons ; The duty on dogs, &c. ; may remain as they now stand 5 Except that these, and what few other laws it may be necessary to extract from the old statutes, should be taken from the chaos in which they are at present immured ; made as clear as, possible ; and compressed into one act in the present reign. But let all the contradictory nonsense about Henry, James, Anne, &c., be thrown into the fire, as being so complex as often to confuse even lawyers themselves, and there- fore calculated only to ensnare the unwary, and be a subject of ridicule to every man of common sense. Game laws, or any other laws, admitting them to be the best measures ever adopted, may, for want of being consistently arranged, and justly modified, be completely changed in their features, and laid fairly open, not only to the tap-diverting sarcasms of travesty patriots, but to the just criticism of respect- able people. Yet, however judgmatically the game laws might be arranged, it becomes highly necessary, that these laws, as well as every concern, if rendered of a serious nature, should be supported by such GAME LAWS. 431 gentlemen as are an ornament to a most honourable profession, and who are always the first to open for their clients the doors of reconciliation. But, with regard to the frivolous points that are repeatedly contending, how sincerely is it to be regretted, that so many expensive lawsuits should be for ever taking place, and particularly about the game ! How easily, in many cases, might they be avoided to the greatest interest of both parties ! For instance, if any little difference occurred, why not have it decided by a certain number of gentlemen chosen by each party ? To the decision of other persons it must come tit last! though most likely before a less competent tri- bunal ! for it stands to reason, that a promiscuously assembled jury cannot be made such perfect masters of every circumstance, as persons selected, who are ably versed in the subject of dispute ; and especially as the final decision, in a court of justice, may be liable to depend on the judgment of a dozen poor men, who can scarcely read or write, or even under- stand a single point of an argument. If, therefore, people, who have the honesty to require no more than what is just and fair, would also have the good sense to withhold going to law on ercri/ trumpery altercation, there would be much more happiness among mankind ; and there could accrue but one evil, and this of a minor consideration ; which is, that a certain proportion (I mean the dross only) of hireling dons, instead of being arrayed like 432 GAME LAWS. demigods, with their notes of discord, would be obliged to resign the lion's skin for the more certain revenue of a methodist preacher, or a strolling player : and such of those blue-bag satellites, as are scouted by all honourable branches of the law, might be re- duced to the appointment of carrying parcels for a coach office, or wheeling gravel on a turnpike road. General FOR THE HEALTH AND COMFORT OF A YOUNG SPORTSMAN. THE last part of the work that it would afford me any pleasure to dilate on is that of cookery. For it is an old, though a just, observation, that we should eat to live, not live to eat. But when, by adding a short paragraph or two, I can, perhaps, put some of our young sportsmen, or young " foragers," up to what, in the language of the present day, is called a " wrinkle," I may possibly be the means of saving them from unnecessarily hard fare, when quartered in a pothouse, on some shooting or fishing excursion. As many of the little publicans chiefly live on fat pork and tea; or, if on the coast, red herrings ; the experienced traveller well knows, that, when in a retired place of this sort, where, from the very circumstance of the misery attending it, there are the fewer sportsmen, and, consequently, there is to be had the best diversion, we have often to depend a little on our wits for procuring the necessaries of life. If even a nobleman (who is, of course, by F F 434 MISERIES OF BAD QUAIITEIIS. common people, thought in the greatest extreme better than a gentleman without a title) were to enter an alehouse, the most that could be procured for him would be mutton or beef, both perhaps as tough, and with as little fat, as the boots or gaiters on his legs. A chop or steak is provided. If he does not eat it, he may starve : if he does, his plea- sure for the next day is possibly destroyed by his un- pleasant sufferings from indigestion. He gets some sour beer, which gives him the heart-burn, and pro- bably calls for brandy, or gin ; the one execrably bad and unwholesome ; the other of the worst quality ; and, of course, mixed with water, by which adultera- tion is derived the greatest part of the publican's profit. The spirit merchants make it, what they call above proof, in order to allow for its being diluted, the doing which, so far from dishonesty, is now literally the common practice, not only with many respectable innkeepers, but by retail merchants them- selves. Our young sportsman, at last, retires to a miserable chamber and a worse bed ; where, for want of ordering it to be properly aired, he gets the rheu- matism ; and, from the draughts of air that pene- trate the room, he is attacked with the tooth-ache. He rises to a breakfast of bad tea, without milk ; and then starts for his day's sport, so (to use a fashionable term) " bedevilled" that he cannot " touch a feather :" and, in the evening, returns to his second edition of misery. On the other hand, "an old campaigner would, HOW TO AVOID THEM ; AND TO CATER. 435 under such circumstances, do tolerably well, and have his complete revenge on the fish or fowl of the place. His plan, knowing the improbability of getting any thing to eat, would be to provide himself with a hand-basket at the last country town which he had to pass through, before he reached his exile ; and there stock it with whatever good things presented themselves. He then arrives at the pothouse, which the distance, or the badness of the roads, might oblige him to do the previous day. His first order is for his sheets and bedding to be put before a good fire. If he arrives too late at night for this, let him, rather than lie between sheets which are not properly aired, sleep with only the blankets. He then, sup- posing he would not be at the trouble of carrying meat, sends for his beef or mutton. Having secured this for the next day's dinner, he takes out of his basket something ready dressed, or some eggs, or a string of sausages, or a few kidneys ; or a fowl to boil, a cake or two of portable soup, or a little mock turtle, ready to warm ; or, in short, any other things that the town may have afforded ; and with this, he makes up his dinner on the day of his arrival. If the beer is sour, and he does not choose to be troubled with carrying bottles of other beverage, he is pro- vided with a Little carbonate of soda, which will correct the acid; a little nut- meg or powdered ginger, to take off the unpleasant taste ; and, with a spoonful of brown sugar and a toast, he will make tolerably F F 2 436 WHAT TO CHOOSE, &C. palatable that, which, before, was scarcely good enough to quench the thirst. He will know better than to call for brandy or gin, but will order rum, knowing that that is a spirit * which would soon be spoiled by any tricks or adulte- ration. He will have in his basket some lemons, or a bottle of lemon acid, and make a bowl of punch, recollecting the proportions of One sour, Two sweet ; Four strong, And eight weak. This is quite the focus for good punch, which any shallow-headed boy may remember, by learning it as a bad rhyme. It may be necessary to observe, that, by first pounding the sugar fine, you can of course measure it to a nicety, by means of a wine-glass, as well as the lemon juice, and the other liquids. Also, that half the acid of Seville orange juice is better than all of lemon juice ; and further, in making punch the spirit should be used as the finishing ingredient ; though put in another jug ; and the SHERBET POURED UPON IT. But as to the improvements of pink champain, hot jellies, arrack, limes, &c., it would be out of place to talk of such luxuries here, though of course, after * If a sportsman likes to take a flask of spirit, as a guard against cold, a stomach-ache, &c., he will, I think, find nothing equal to the real Highland Scotch, or Irish, whisky. Or, if he cannot get this, a little extrait d' absinthe Suisse ; from Johnson's, or Sargenson's, Colonnade, Pall-mall. PUNCH. 437 professing to give the focus for good punch, it be- comes a necessary caution against error, to except that which is composed with all the dainties of an alderman ; who, by the way, is welcome to my share of them ; as well as to that of the gout after them. Here we have spoken of hot punch. Now for cold; which, being merely intended as a cool beverage, requires to be much weaker. For this, I cannot do better than copy a receipt that was given me, some years ago, when quartered at Glasgow, where cold punch was universally drank ; and where its excellence was only to be equalled by the hospitality of the inhabitants. It is " A wine glass nearly full of best refined lump sugar pounded. Twelve ditto of cold spring water. A lime, and half a lemon Qor, if no lime, a whole lemon, which might yield about half a wine glass full of juice]. Two M'ine glasses brimful] of old Jamaica rum. Let the sugar be well melted, and the lemons thoroughly amal- gamated with it, and the water, before you add the spirit." Or, to be much more brief, I will say, for cold punch, One sour, Two sweet ; Four strong, Twenty weak ; As here we have only to repeat the old rhyme, and change the eight into a twenty. If I could make it shorter, and more simple, I would. For those worthies, who think it a good joke to metamorphose a man into what he would not like to 438 COOL BEVERAGE. be called, by making him drunk, this beverage, if introduced by way of a sequel to wine, is one of the most certain to answer their purpose : because it is so cooling, and grateful to the thirst, that the more he drinks the more he requires of it, instead of be- ginning to find it unpleasant, like wine, hot punch, or other more potent liquors. I name this, not as a lesson to the wag, but as a caution to the unwary. With materials for making other cool portable beverage (merely to quench the thirst) almost every chemist can supply you. But, provided a packet, the size of a pint bottle, is not objected to, I should have no hesitation in preferring that prepared by Mr. Farley, Charles Street, St. James's Square ; as what he calls his " effervescent lemonade" is quite free from the taste of physic. My name, when I first spoke of this beverage, was not even known at his laboratory; and therefore it can, of course, be merely to serve my readers that I mention it. Our sportsman will then, having taken care to provide himself with a little good tobacco, or a few cigars, have recourse to smoking; which, next to the sovereign remedy of taking a little purl, before you inhale a vaporous atmosphere, is the best preventive from catching the ague when ^w-shooting ; and, perhaps, one of the greatest preservatives from cold and illness, of any thing in existence. Under parti- cular circumstances, therefore, smoking becomes not only justifiable, but sometimes necessary. It is, how- ever, the last thing that I mean to recommend making a constant practice of, when not required; as most people, it is presumed, would consider it an idle habit to become every day absorbed in what might PLANS TO BE ADOPTED. 439 be thought an agreeable stupefaction only by a few jolly fellows, who, if I may speak in their own style, glory in being able to drink like a fish sit like a hen and smoke like a chimney. The old sportsman then retires to his well-aired bed, where he is pro- vided with the best of counterpanes, a good box- or gunning-coat, or a cloak ; and, after passing a good night, he rises to breakfast. If he has brought no tea with him, he makes palatable that of the place, by beating up the yolk of an egg (first with a little cold water to prevent its curdling) as a good sub- stitute for milk or cream, a little powdered ginger, and a teaspoonful of rum. He then, previously to taking the field, desires a man to prepare some greaves, which he might carry for his dogs, or get, for them, some meat ; and deputes a person to the cooking of that intended for himself; which, if bad in quality, as will most likely be the case, there is but one good and easy way of dressing. This I shall now translate from my French recipe : vi%. Let your servant take Three pounds of meat, a. large carrot, two onions, and two turnips. [The Frenchman adds also a cabbage: here John Bull may please himself.] Put them into two quarts of water, to simmer away till reduced to three pints. Let him season the soup to the taste, with pepper, salt, herbs, &c. &c. He must then cut off square about a pound of the fattest part of the meat, and put it aside, letting the rest boil completely to pieces. After he ha& well skimmed off the fat, and strained the soup, let him put it by till wanted. 440 COOKING. On your return, while seeing your dogs fed, which every sportsman ought to do, Let the soup be put on the fire for twenty minutes, with some fresh vegetables (if you like to have them), and, for the last ten minutes, boil again the square piece of meat which was reserved. Another necessary part of the recipe also should be prescribed, lest the dish should fall into disrepute. To prevent the deputy cook from helping himself, and filling it up with water, let him have a partnership in the concern ; and when he has occasion to quit the room, he should either lock the door, or leave one of your relay dogs for a sentry. You will then have a good wholesome gravy soup to begin with; and, afterwards, some tender meat, which if Eat with mustard, a little raw parsley chopped fine, and a few anchovies, you will, it is presumed, find an excellent dish. A pot of anchovies might easily be carried in a port- manteau, being, of all the luxuries from an oil shop, one of the most portable and the most useful. Nothing, however, is worse than a mock anchovy, which is merely a salted bleak, or other inferior small fish, flavoured with a little anchovy liquor *. * To be sure of having the real Gorgona fish, I have always gone to Signor Bassano, who removed from Castle Street to Jermyn Street, and who, I believe, has not yet got up to the tricks which are practised by some of the grandee oilmen. Since the lust edition, however, he was in the numerous list of bank- rupts ; but has now resumed business, at No. 4, Carlton Street, Regent Street. MEDICINES. 441 Be careful to keep anchovies in a small stone jar ; as an earthen one might break with them, and spoil your clothes. An old sportsman, having thus far subsisted to- lerably well, may, afterwards, with the help of his gun or fishing-rod, be enabled to fare decently, and enjoy good sport; while some poor helpless exotic would have spurned the very soil of the place ; left it in disgust, before he had killed a bird or a fish ; and, as likely as not, be laid up and fleeced 'at the next inn, and there saddled with some country apo- thecary. To be as brief as I can, on this uninteresting, though possibly useful, head, let me take a memo- randum of the few portable articles that contribute to the health and comfort of a travelling sportsman. A medicine chest is sometimes out of the ques- tion ; otherwise, a chemist would direct him better than I could presume to do ; but, as I speak solely by experience, I can, of course, speak with some con- fidence, on the very few things of no bulk, which may be here noted down, as likely to render him essential service. But, before I name a single article, I must take up, in my own defence, one observation, lest that observation may be left as a powerful wea- pon against me in the hands of those who are versed in this subject, in which I do not presume to have the slightest pretensions, further than personal ex- perience. In short, I must premise with saying, that, what would be an effectual remedy in one constitution might not answer with another. And 442 MEDICINES. though the philosopher tells you, that every man, before he attains the age of forty, must be either a fool or his own physician ; yet the doctor, in answer, affirms, that he who knows a little of physic, knows a great deal too much ! This point I leave for the, philosopher and the doctor to settle between them- selves ; but I trust they will both agree with me, that there can be no more impropriety in suggesting a few common medicines, with which proper directions would be given by the person who sells them, than in entering any other kind of inventory of what might be useful to a young sportsman, or young traveller. All our sporting authors have boldly taken the field, so far as amply to prescribe for the dog ; while I am left exposed, under ^Esculapian batteries, by having to prescribe for the master. A BOTTLE, OR PAPER OF MAGNESIA. As a generally recommended cure for the heart- burn, by correcting acid on the stomach ; a trifling preventive to the gout ; a pretty good aperient me- dicine, particularly if taken with acid, which gives it somewhat the effect of Epsom salts ; and a very good medicine when mixed with rhubarb, which counteracts its coldness on the stomach. (For correcting acid, however, / always prefer the use of salt of tartar ; but this, I believe, is not the general custom. I merely speak of it as I find it.) MEDICINES. 443 SOME ESSENCE OF PEPPERMINT. SEE the paper round it, for its various good qualities. A FEW CALOMEL PILLS, and the ingredients for an aperient draught on the following morning ; in case a severe attack of bile, or any such illness, should require something beyond a mere alterative. Calomel, although a medicine to be used with caution, I have always found to be the most effectual recipe to cure an obstinate stomach-ache, in case it cannot be removed by a cordial, hot Avater, essence of peppermint, or tincture of rhubarb. Calomel, however, being a mercurial preparation, would deprive you of a day's sport, by the indispensably necessary confinement after taking it. A LITTLE TARTAR EMETIC, in case of severe indigestion, or a dog being taken ill. This medicine, given from a grain and a half to two grains, in warm water, will sometimes perform wonders among common people, Avho are subject to have the stomach disordered by eating vora- ciously of bad and unwholesome food. A friend of mine, with nothing whatever but this recipe, has been, for these last thirty years, the suc- cessful quack of his village ; and boasts of beating the doctors without having lost a patient. How far my friend may be justified in flying, on every oc- casion, to that which may tend to weaken the stomach, I leave it for those who are versed in medicine to de- termine ; notwithstanding he may have gained the confidence of the village. 444 MEDICINES. (After all, too, a couple of wine glasses full of water, taken as hot as it can be drank, without the astringent addition of either tea or spirit, I have found, would, in general, relieve indigestion Another remedy, which is very lately become quite in fashion, is to swallow, whole, two teaspoonsful of common mustard seed just before going to bed, and an hour before dinner. It may be taken in a little water. I have proved it to be an excellent remedy.) Remember, that a DOG requires, of tartar emetic, or any other medicine, at least twice as much as a MAN. HUXHAM'S TINCTURE OF BARK, as an effectual stimulus to brace the nerves of a bad shot. The sportsman has only to take a dessert spoonful in a glass of water before he goes orft. The less, however, all stimuli are had re- course to, the more effectual they will be when taken. When for a short time in Holland, I always kept well by taking a teaspoonful of this medicine in a glass of Madeira, before inhaling the air of the marshes. WHITEHEAD'S ESSENCE OF MUSTARD; which 7 have found to be one of the finest recipes that ever bore a stamp, for preventing or curing the rheumatism. A PIECE OF FLEECY HOSIERY, in case of a pain in the chest, to which application the rubbing in a little of the above essence may be added ; and continued, for a day, after the fleecy hosiery is no longer required ; in order to prevent the pain from returning when you leave it off. DENTIFRICE. 445 SOME COURT STICKING-PLASTER, to enable you to walk in comfort after being galled by a water- boot. (See directions under the head of " Water-boots.") I have now, I believe, mentioned all the articles of my pharmacy, and next to them must come the DENTIFRICE. BRUSH your teeth every morning, with Spanish Sabilia snuff (which may be had in perfection, from Fribourg and Treyer, Haymarket), and every night with a little arquebusade, or brandy; and keep, in the bottle containing it, a small piece of camphor. This will not only make it a tenfold greater preservative, but will prevent the vassals of the place from drinking it. Never put cold water to your teeth, but always use it luke- warm. If any thing will prevent or cure a tooth-ache, except aperient medicines, to reduce the inflamma- tion, or the sovereign remedy of Mr. Whiteford's patent instrument, it will, I have reason to think, be that which has been here mentioned. At all events, some of the first dentists in London and Paris admit, that this remedy is a most excellent preservative. I, therefore, do not hesitate to say, that for a sports- man, and particularly for a wildfowl-shooter, it may be worthy of insertion. I have been lately told by a friend who rarely errs in his prescriptions, that the best cure for a tooth-ache is One tablespoonful of rum, Another of vinegar, And a teaspoonful of salt, mixed together, and then held in the mouth. 446 PREVENTIVES FROM ILLNESS But if the foregoing directions, as a preventive, are attended to, we are not very likely to require prescriptions for a cure. I shall now conclude with the following little hints : First, If you or your dog should, at any time, get a severe blow, let the wounded part be instantly fomented with water, as hot as can be borne, for at least half an hour 5 and you will thereby reduce your suffering, or impediment from sport, to at least half its duration. Secondly, If you burn yourself in shooting, or otherwise, wrap the part affected immediately in cotton, the application of which, it has been proved, acts like magic with a burn. This I was told as a recipe that had been adopted in Paris ; and found it to answer extremely well. But, on proposing it for insertion here, to an old friend, one of our greatest surgeons that ever lived, he assured me that a better recipe was the constant application of vinegar. Thirdly, If you should take cold, bathe your feet in hot water ; if a little salt or bran is, or both are, added, so much the better. Get into a bed warmed, with a little brown sugar sprinkled on the coals j and tane some whey, or whatever you can get, to pro- mote perspiration. This remedy, simple as it is, will often prevent your having recourse to James's powder, &c. and may sometimes, perhaps, save you the expense of twenty pounds for medical attendance. Fourthly, Never fast too long; and avoid, whenever you can, fagging too hard, AND INJURY. 447 or, when you come to a miMle age, you will most likely begin to feel it ; and perhaps insomuch as to become nervous, and lose your good shooting. Re- member this advice, and see who will last the longest ; you who do, or those who do not, follow it. Fifthly, Never go out with quite an empty stomach to wait for wildfowl ; particularly in the morning. Should you wish to start before any one is up, you might always have left for you, over night, a crust of bread, or a biscuit, with a glass of milk, which, with a little sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and the yolk of an egg, may be made good in a moment. And this is better than what is called a " doctor" (rum and milk) j because you then dispense with taking spirit in a morning, the very bad habit of which should always be avoided, except in a country where the chances of ague might justify your taking a little purl ; Which, by the way, was recommended to me by one of the first medical gentlemen in the profession. Do not have recourse to any such liquors, unless ab- solutely required to defend your health against a pestilential climate ; or in case of being taken with a sudden chill ; when a small quantity of spirit and beer, mixed together, if not thought too disgusting a beverage, might sometimes prove one of the most powerful stimuli to warm you, of all things that an alehouse, or perhaps any other house, could afford. If going out, take it cold; if going to bed, you may have it warm ; for in the one case perspiration is as objectionable, as it would be desirable in the other. Sixthly, Never sit down in wet feet, or with wet clothes on any part of your body ; but, if a change is not at hand, keep in motion. 448 SUBSTITUTES FOR LUXURIES. or go to bed, till one can be procured. Or, if you want to start again, when refreshed, first wet your feet with either spirits, or essence of mustard, and then be as quick as possible in taking your refreshment. Many people prefer applying the spirit to the inside, instead. This is not so well : because spirit alone always flies to the head ; while strong beer, on the contrary, would \varm the body. I shall here conclude, under this head, with the multum in parvo advice of the great Dr. Boerhaave : Keep the BODY OPEN 3 the HEAD COOL; and the FEET WARM. Having now mentioned the few things that happen to occur to me, as deserving the small space they would occupy in the baggage of a sportsman, who we all know is sometimes in an exile, where he might die before he could get medical assistance; I shall just note down a few articles as desirable for his comfort, as the foregoing ones might prove for the preservation of his life ; viz. Canastre tobacco, or cigars *. Cayenne pepper. A pot of anchovies. A phial of lemon acid. A bottle of the best olive oil. With these ingredients, and half as much know- ledge as usually belongs to all our old campaigners, he may perfectly enjoy his dinner on fish, flesh, and fowl, in those wild places where they are most * The mildest, and perhaps the pleasantest, tobacco, for those who are not much used to smoking, is that called Syrian ; which (although to be had at a reasonable price of Mr. Ward, 1C, Piccadilly) is not so generally known as it deserves to be. SUBSTITUTES FOR LUXURIES. 449 abundant, but where we are the least able to have them dressed in perfection. For example : There is no better sauce for a wildfowl, plover, or snipe, than equal quantities of olive oil and lemon juice. Cayenne pepper, when mixed with a little vinegar, gives a fine relish to a phea- sant, or any other game. With good oil you can, in most places, during the fishing season, have a French salad made with the young leaves of the wild dandelion ; or, in the shooting season, a German salad, called in some parts of Germany, I believe, " ha r to f el salat" with slices of cold boiled waxy potatoes. Either of these, with a few onions, an anchovy, and two spoonsful of oil to every one of vinegar (or equal quantities of each to the German one), make a very good salad; or, at all events, a good substitute for one, where perhaps the lettuce, cress, or endive, are scarcely known to the inhabitants. Tarragon vinegar, for salads, is gene- rally preferred to the other vinegar. (Let me observe, by the way, that the chief art of dressing a salad consists in wiping per- fectly dry whatever it is made with, and cutting off the flabby parts from the leaves of the herbs.) If you have no good butter, for your fish, you will find, that with a little cayenne, a spoonful of the liquor from your anchovies, and some lemon, or vinegar, olirr oil, and mustard, it will be perfectly good. Nothing is better than a dish of small birds fried, and eat with oil arid lemon juice ; and if you have no good butter to fry them with, here again some oil must be your substitute. If you have no biscuits to eat with your wine, or, what you may drink for want of it, cut some slices of raw potatoe very thin ; have them broiled, or fried, brown and crisp with your oil, and sprinkled with a little Cayenne pepper; but, in dressing them, let the slices lie independent of each other, or they will become soft by fermentation. If you wish for a hash, or any thing dressed by way of variety from plain cooking, you can always give it a flavour, if you have cayenne, lemon, and anchovy. In short, the ingredients here named, as general G G 450 FINISHING ADVICE. acquisitions to your eating in comfort, will be found, I trust, some of the most useful ; and I therefore need add no more, as I neither profess, nor wish, to gratify the palate of an epicure ; but have merely attempted to show, how one man could make him- self comfortable, where another would starve, by the foregoing hints to young caterers and young sports- men. Having now said enough as to taking care of, and providing for, my young readers, we will suppose one of them to have arrived at the miserable hole alluded to, and that the first salutation, after the knock at his bed-chamber door, in the morning, is, " A wet day, sir /" and, instead of being able to pursue his sport, either after breakfast, or at noon (the most usual time for the weather to clear np, if it clears up at all), he is consigned a close prisoner to the pothouse; looking alternately to the wind- ward clouds, and the plastered walls of the room ; hearing, through a thin partition, the discordant merriment of drunken fellows ; and inhaling the breezes of a smoky wood fire, with the fumes of their shag tobacco ! In such a predicament, then, how can I prescribe for him? and in this predicament, I believe, there are very few sportsmen that have not often been. Why here again, then, I will endeavour to give him a little advice, though I hope he will not think I am beginning to write a sermon. I shall now first observe, that, of all things on earth, to make a man low spirited, unhappy, or nervous, is FINISHING ADVICE. 451 to get into a habit of idleness : and, although there are many young people that would pay little atten- tion, and perhaps laugh at me, if I told them that " idleness" was the " root of all evil," yet some, among those very persons, might listen most earnestly, when I remind them, that being nervous or low spirited is of all other things the most likely to put even a crack sportsman off his shooting; or to make a young angler whip off his flies ; or be too eager, and therefore unskilful, in killing his fish. Always, therefore, let him be employed, and think no more of the weather, till his man comes, with a smiling face, and says, " Sir, it will do again now /" when, if he is a man of genius, and has proper re- sources, he could almost have wished for another hour's rain, in order to complete that in which his mind was become absorbed. Supposing the hole in which, for the sake of a fe\v days' good sport, he is immured, contains neither books, nor newspapers ; nor even stationery good enough to write a few letters in comfort (which, by the way, he should always be enabled to do, by carrying a quire of paper, and a box of Bramah's portable pens), still there is no excuse for his being in sheer idleness. The mere pocket will always contain enough to employ suc- cessfully many a leisure hour. If he is studying any thing particular, he may be provided with some little volume, the most useful to his subject. If he draws, he may, at least, make a sketch of the hole he is in, for a laugh when he gets home ; or, if in another 452 FINISHING ADVICE. style, practise, according to his fancy. If he is a " musician," and away from an instrument, let him learn to do some exercises in harmony, for no man should be called a musician till he does know har- mony. If he is an author or a poet, he can never be at a loss : or, if nothing greater, perhaps he may be a merry fellow, who sings a good song over his bottle, and therefore, on this occasion, by being provided with a " Pocket Nightingale," he may stock himself with songs enough to enliven all his associates on his return. If he is a dry fellow, an enemy to the Muses, arid an admirer of only that which is tangible, he may in his retreat con over his pounds, shillings, and pence ; and be amused with sketching his affairs, and thinking of what will be most to his advantage. But if he is an idler, destitute of all resources why I will not say " Lord help him !" but let him help himself. Let me advise him to embrace, in this day, a moment for reflection, and consider it as an example, perhaps of many hours and days he may have to spend, at an age when he has no longer youth and vigour to distinguish himself among the field of sportsmen ; and make a determination to embrace some pursuit, that will be to him a source of future amusement ; and he will then, I think, have reason to consider this as one of the most suc- cessful days on his calendar. L I S T OF THE LONDON GUNMAKERS. Anderson & Co., 25, King Street, Soho. Baker, Ezekiel, 24, Whitechapel Road. Halt's & King, 29, Tavistoek Street, Covent Garden. Barnctt & Son, 134, Minories. Barton, J., 5, James Street, Haymarket. Beckwith, William Andrew, 58, Skinner Street, Snowhill. Beddowes, John, 7, Maiden Lane, Wood Street. Biven, A. F., 16, Regent Street. Blake, J. A., 252, High Street, Wapping. Blanch, John, 29, Gracechurch Street. Bond, E. & J., 45, Cornhill. Bond, William, 59, Lombard Street. Bowsted, F., 6, Little Alie Street, Goodman's Fields. Brand & Potts, 70, Minories. Egg, Durs, 1, Colonnade, Pall Mall. Egg, Joseph, 1, Piccadilly. Enty, John, 31, Chapel Street, Lisson Green. Fisher, Charles, 8, Prince's Street, Leicester Square. Forsyth & Co., 8, Leicester Street, Leicester Square. Gough, Daniel, 57, Houndsditch. Green, William, 31, Duke Street, Manchester Square. 454 LIST OF GUNMAKERS. Grierson, Charles, 10, New Bond Street. Gulley, Joseph, 254, Oxford Street. Hall, Collinson, 46, Upper Mary-le-bone Street. Harding, James, 99, Blackman Street, Borough. Hill, John, 168, Tooley Street, Borough. Homer, Thomas, 6, Queen Street, Tower Hill. Jackson, Richard, 28, Wigmore Street, Cavendish Square. Jackson, Geo., 15, White Hart Yard, Drury Lane. Lacy & Witton, 67, Threadneedle Street, and 68, Fen- church Street. Lambard & Butler, 22, Great Warner Street, Clerkenwell.