line until Koolunchun (), on the Nakong Creek, is passed. Then the country begins to appear dotted with copses, which gradually increase in size as Taitsan—a favourite haunt of the woodcocks-—is approached. There is a capital stretch of country outside the city walls, extending from the west to the south and east gates-a sure find for pheasants, especially towards evening. The west and north portions of the city are for the most part built over; the rest is given up to old graveyards, ruins, ponds well margined with grass, and a few sprucely kept gardens. Thick flag grass covers the fine wall embankments until cut down late in the season, January and February. A lovely creek leads from the north-west gate to Changzu (), and capital cover is to be found for 5 or 6 li up on its western side. Mixed bags are the order of the day at Taitsan-pheasants, woodcock, teal, hare, and, occasionally, winter snipe. On the marshes which lie to the west of the city, on both sides of the broad creek leading to Quinsan, are to be picked up quail, hare and pheasants; and in their season snipes and a few wild fowl. 3 li to the west of the marshes is a favourite spring snipe feeding ground. The country round Taitsan is very pretty.

These, of course, do not exhaust all of the near shooting spots. Fair sport is often to be had for the whole length of the Powwokong Creek, some 30 li. The Big Trees Creek is a great favourite with some shooters, while there are likely bits of ground from the Widows' Monuments to Lokopan, a distance of 28 li, on both sides of the Soochow Creek. Again, the Fongtah Creek, 30 li in length, connecting Wongdoo and Nakong, leads through a good-looking country, the best shooting being quite close up to the town of Fongtah.

11. THE HILLS: FENG-WAN-SHAN (A).

Three routes may be taken to the Hills. The nearest but a very objectionable way is up the Sicawei Creek, via Cheepoo and Cheeking. A preferable trip is via Wongdoo and the creek a few li above it, leading to Bokosan, a little over 95 li. With a steam-launch, or a fair north-east breeze, viá the Miao Pagoda, near Soongkong, is the pleasantest way of reaching the Hills, though the round is rather long-150 li.

12.-KA-ZAY AND KA-SHING,

These centres have for many years enjoyed an honourable sporting reputation. They are both walled cities in the adjoining province of Chekiang, and neither has quite recovered from the effects of the Taiping Rebellion, which took place thirty-four years ago. The quickest means of reaching these places is with a steam-launch, and this can be done without going to the great expense of chartering one, or of putting oneself under the obligation of borrowing, for there is regular daily native steam communication between Shanghai and Hangchow, via Kazay and Kashing, and a tow is to be had for the modest sum of $10.

En route to the former city, a place worth stopping at is Fungking, 180 li from Shanghai. It is a long straggling town with broken ground on both sides of it, its north-east end terminating in a large reed bed. A few pheasants and a hare or two can usually be got here, and frequently teal. The walk from Fungking () to Chunsingway (), 12 li, especially the east bank of the creek, will certainly put weight on the game rail.

A good morning's shooting may be obtained between Chunsingway and Kazay, 9 li, on the south side of the creek.

KA-ZAY (嘉善).

Kazay, 201 li from Shanghai, is often passed by in the shooter's hurry to get on to Kashing, but good and varied bags often reward the less impetuous sport. The city is intersected by a creek running from east to west. On the north side and within the walls is a long stretch of rubble ground, much in favour with pheasants at evening time. On the east side of the city is a great graveyard, and on the north a series of copses bordering a fine broad waterway-covers seldom beaten in vain. The land on the south of the city, including a long reed bed and a graveyard-gruesome memento of the Rebellion-is usually shot over as the house-boats wind round the walls. At the west gate is a broad creek running south, well worth working.

KA-SHING (嘉興).

Kashing, 237 li from Shanghai and 36 from Kazay, is deservedly a very popular shooting centre. A few years ago, fair sport was to be had among the ruins and rubble at the east of the city, but these are now being rapidly improved off the ground for the macadamisation of the roads of the "Model Settlement." Good shooting is to be found at Chuleway) and Sintung (ii), or Sinzang as it is sometimes called, to the north-west; in the Tamên Creek; at Dongkiajow, at the north end of the once Big Plain; between Tamên Bridge and Poyu, on the south of the Grand Canal; and again further westward from Chungkiajow to Sunjow. A bag might easily include pheasants, teal, duck, bamboo partridges, snipes, woodcocks, quails, golden plover, lapwings, and possibly deer, but these last are now getting very

scarce.

Leaving the small lake at the south of the city you enter the Haiee Creek (), a broad and straight piece of water, running in a S.S.E. direction. 30 li down is Sweedong (X), well remembered by the two high stone arched bridges close together. There is good shooting ground all round, especially on the west hand, on the two creeks leading to Poyu. Though the sweet potato vines, which are highly cultivated here, are a safe shelter for pheasants, their long tendrils so hamper the shooter that he is rather glad than otherwise when a friendly stubble field gives him easier walking. There is not much shooting further south until you pass Esingjow, and steer abruptly east to Haiee, some 20 li distant. A suggestive country lies on either side of this lovely creek, great grass fields, fine copses, ponds, generally good food crops, and the protection afforded by numberless creeks.

To the north of Kashing, beyond Sintung, there is not much in the way of sport, as the whole country is given over to mulberry cultivation.

13.-HAI-EEE).

This walled city, still bearing traces of the Rebellion, is on the Hangchow Bay, in the centre of as fair a country as one could well wish to see. To the south lies a large grass plain dotted with copses, extending to the foot of the Wongdahien hills. Formerly it was prolific with game, and the writer remembers seeing nineteen different kinds for sale in the open market in the city, and that only three years ago. In the spring capital snipe shooting may be had, and during a hard winter a good bag of wild fowl might be made without difficulty; while the great sea wall affords an unrivalled opportunity for flight shooting had the gunner only the patience to give it a trial. But the sportsman may always look forward

to a delightfully varied bag-pheasant, deer, woodcock, bamboo partridge, hare, duck, widgeon, teal, snipe, quail, and, as likely as not, a goose; while the walking is of the pleasantest kind.

There are two ways of getting to Haiee: one by way of Bingoo, turning off at Pasaling, and entering the Haiee Creek at Sanlijow(); the other is via Kashing, as above described.

14.-HANG-CHOW (H).

Hangchow, at the south-west end of the Grand Canal, is 454 li from Shanghai, and a tow by native steam-launch may be had for a charge of $13.

It is a place of the greatest interest, as will be seen from Bishop Moule's notes further on; but as a sporting district it is scarcely attractive enough, unless big game were the shooter's object. The hills all round, up to Datching, Hukong and Bingjow, are mostly covered with scrub oak, with bases of pine and bamboo copses. Pheasants here are more often heard than seen, but the covers hold partridge, deer, and the graceful muntjac, while wild-fowl of all kinds flight in from the Tsientang River.

15.-HOO-CHOW (MH).

Hoochow, 150 li due north of Hangchow, 148 li north-west of Kashing, and some 15 li from the southern end of the Tahu, was generally taken en route to the shooting districts west of the lake, but of late has not been much visited. There is a series of ponds, stretching many a li to the west of the city, whose sedgy margins at one time swarmed with pheasants, and whose surfaces were darkened by flocks of unwary fowl. The ponds still remain, but the creek banks have been given up to the mulberry tree and high farming. Six li south-west of the city begins the lovely Maychee Creek. At Dongkow the scrubcovered hills run sheer down to the water, and are well worth seeing. The creek-broad and clear, with a shingly bottom which makes the water look almost blue,—after passing through a long mulberry district, finally ends at the base of some low rolling hills. Hard weather and a northerly wind would probably bring in a lot of wild fowl. As regards game, the shooter might rely on getting pheasant, partridge, deer and various kinds of wild-fowl, but possibly not in any great quantity. The Maychee pheasants are famous for their size, the birds often running to a weight of 4 lb.

CHAPTER III.

THE MORE REMOTE SHOOTING DISTRICTS.

BY THE EDITOR.

HE old route to the Nadoo () country was by way of Hoochow, Lezar (), and Kapoo), thence by steering a due north course, on the western edge of the Tahu, up to Wuchee, where a stay for a day's shooting was generally made, mostly in the great reed beds which characterise the district. The creek leading from Wuchee () to Eshing, though broad, is very shallow at places, and house-boats are, in consequence, often delayed. The nearer routes are by Wusieh and the northern end of the Tahu to Santingkong, or by Lozar and Hujow.

1.-E-SHING (1).

Eshing is a walled city, and at the same time, unfortunately, a great depot for the game brought in by native shooters for the Shanghai market; it is situate between two small lakes, called respectively the East and West Lakes (Tungdong and Sidong). On the north and east sides are some low hills, which harbour a few deer and woodcocks, but the pheasants are chiefly to be found in the reedy swamps which surround the city. As a shooting spot it suffers by comparison with many of the places lying to the west of it, but a couple of days can even now be both pleasantly and satisfactorily spent there. The creek leading from the East Lake to Santingkong runs nearly north-east in a straight line. On the east bank is a stretch of some 25 li of as attractive looking a woodland country as can be found, bordered on its eastern flank by many miles of reed beds. For a lady shooter no walking could be more agreeable.

To the north of Eshing, between Jeelingjow (A) and Hujow (H), very fair sport was once to be had, and possibly some might be had there now, for the wooded hills and the large grass-fields certainly warrant the belief.

2.-LE-YANG (B).

Leyang lies at the south end of the Pejow () Creek, 90 li west of Eshing. The intermediate country has never been properly explored and worked, but only tapped, and presents a grand opportunity for the enthusiast. The creeks that intersect the great swamps and reed beds should allow of the explorer getting well back behind the covers, and probably "happening" on some really "soft place." Leyang used to be a very good shooting centre, especially round the east and north sides of the town: it is seldom visited now. The creek from Leyang to Nadoo, 40 li, runs between two rather high embankments; in fact, the land to the north of the creek is one great sequence of swamps, enclosed by high banks, on the top of which are good foot-paths. These enclosures are generally worth a trial for pheasants or teal. At night they are great feeding places for fowl.

3.-NA-DOO (DE).

Nadoo is a town lying to the south of the creek bearing its name. Opposite to the town on the north side is a big reed bed, at whose western end is the creek leading to the formerly celebrated Sunpaboo. Proceeding westwards, Satamiaou, on the south bank, is reached, and a small creek brings one to the hills, 12 li distant.

4.-HU-Kow (T).

Hukow is 40 li west of Nadoo. The main creek, which runs through a big piece of swamp ground, is spanned here by a one-arch stone bridge. There is fair shooting all about, but the best probably will be found on the south side. Passing Hukow, a creek trends southward 12 li to the town of Maitsu, lying at the foot of a high and solitary hill, capped with the inevitable joss-house. At the eastern base of the hill is a pretty ravine, on whose sides box, tea, and scrub oak flourish, and it usually turns out a good find. From the summit of the hill the Tananhu), or Great South Lake, may easily be seen. 40 li westward of Hukow is the famed Tungpa (), or Eastern Barrier, built to prevent the inflood of the waters of the Kuchen Lake. House-boats can proceed no further than this; but by crossing the barrier you can get a native boat, which will convey you to the Hsiapa, or Lower Barrier, about 20 li westward. All this country is highly favoured of sportsmen, and though the bags are not as big now as they were, yet they are sufficiently large to satisfy the average shooter. It is no uncommon thing to come across parties of native shooters for the Shanghai market, varying in number from 3 to 12 guns; and as these men are dependent for their existence in the winter months on the result of their spoils it is not difficult to imagine that they beat the covers thoroughly, and do not indulge in many fancy shots. This was once a noted country for pig, but they are seldom met with now, though pheasants, deer, hares. and woodcocks are always to be found, and the sportsman not unfrequently "happens" on duck and teal. It was for years the scene of many a big shoot, but nowadays there is a growing tendency to "cross the bar," and get into what is rather improperly called the Wuhu country. Returning to Leyang, the shooter's next effort will possibly be to make for Pejow.

5.-PE-JOW (*).

Just to the south and west of the town is the celebrated Pasijow Creek, the scene of the great bag of 1873, when, as before mentioned, 1,629 head, 1,497 of which were pheasants, were accounted for by the Groom party. Haitsu (), 30 li, and Choksijow(), 30 li further to the west, on the same creek, should not be passed when one is in their neighbourhood.

6.-KIN-TANG ( H).

It is quite possible to get to Kintang by the Choksijow Creek, but the usual route is to return to Pejow, and then shape due north, 54 li. Kintang has always enjoyed a great reputation as a sure find for the sportsman, and it is even now one of the most popular of shooting districts. The walled city of Kintang is bounded on the south-east side by a pretty lake and a great grass plain; on the north by large swamps; and on the north-west to south-west by tracts of broken ground, with plenty of copses, some of them of great size, and lagoons and ponds in any number-a perfect haven of safety for game of every description. The best shooting is to be had to the south-east and north-west of the city. A nice trip in this neighbourhood is to Mowsan, some 60 li distant, a cluster of rather high hills, a good landmark from a long distance.