Big Plain at Tamên, and the Little Plain at Chungkiajow, both on the Grand Canal-the former 10 and the latter 15 miles west of Kashing-came to be favourite shooting resorts. Prior to that year the sportsman rarely went afield, for the obvious reason that the open country was little else than a waving prairie, in which game found absolute security, seldom rising to, but nearly always running before, the gun. On the other hand, the almost endless ruins of the two cities of Kazay and Kashing furnished excellent sport. The ponds, especially of the latter city, were for many years the favourite haunts of the mandarin duck; deer and hares sported in the rubble; the coy partridge revelled in the thick brambles; while the morning air was vocal with the cock-cocking of a myriad pheasants. Hoochow soon became better known, and the Maychee Creek, by reason of the great size of the pheasants and the abundance of wild fowl found there, as also on account of its lovely surroundings, held for a long time a unique place in the opinion of sportsmen. In 1870 the praises of the Grand Canal beyond Soochow began to be sung. Larger bags were said to have been made at Changchow, Lincur and Tanyang, and in the Pennu and Pintahu Creeks, than had ever been made before; consequently, for the next few years the rush was to that enormous country lying between Wusieh and Chinkiang, 100 miles in length as the crow flies. And there is no doubt that this part of the country then literally swarmed with game. The pigs shot on the Fungsitan hills, near Wusieh, running down to the northern margin of the Tahu, often attained to a very great size, some of the heaviest animals scaling from 400 to 450 b ungralloched. But pig, like deer, are fast becoming scarce in those districts where but a few years ago they abounded. The apparently unappeasable desire of the shooter for new fields soon brought to light the great game districts of Tasejow, Kintang, and even Pejow, to the south, and these places have still a reputation to lose.

In 1872 it began to be imagined that the ordinary house-boat then in use was not commodious. enough, but surely the days of "three men in a boat" were as enjoyable as any of their successors have been. At the close of that year the two sister boats Undine and Lurline, built of teak, on modified Chinese lines, with broad bluff bows, were launched; and it speaks well for them that with care and a certain amount of keeping-up, they are among the best of the house-boats afloat to-day-commodious, luxurious, quick under yuloh, and good sailers with a free wind. Presumably, however, it is only a question of time when their style will be superseded by the sharp-bowed boat.

But it was in 1873 that a great stimulus was given to shooting by the appearance of the well-known Sportsman's Diary for Shooting Trips in North-China, a book which has so far sufficed for all the needs of sportsmen, and still retains its pride of place. Soon after its publication the first really big bag was made, and the particulars supplied to the writer by a member of the party, still in Shanghai, are as follows:-The shooting party consisted of six guns. It left Shanghai on the 4th December and returned on Christmas Day, 1873. Shooting did not actually commence until 10th December, at Pejow, and was confined to the Pasejow Creek, 10 li in length. The bag consisted of 1,629 head, made up of 74 deer, 1,497 pheasants, 47 ducks and teal, and 11 extras.

In the next year at the same place a well-known shooter, unhappily no more, bagged 171 head, nearly all pheasants, in three days, to his own gun. In 1875 the Nadoo country became known to sportsmen, and few better shooting spots have yet been discovered than the two barriers which sever the direct water communication with the Kuchen Lake, which lies in the Wuhu country. The reed beds of the Nadoo Creek and the hills at Sunpaboo and Sunsingboo for years abounded with wild pig. A favourite return journey from the Nadoo neighbourhood was viâ Leyang, Eshing and Wuchee, and across the south-western end of the Tahu to Hoochow; and an alternative route ran by way of Eshing, Santingkong and Fungsitan. Later years have seen Wuhu take premier position among shooting places, and justly so, for game is

there in great quantity of all kinds-pheasants, deer and hares, teal, duck and geese, and woodcocks sometimes in surprising numbers. In 1887, five guns in twenty-one days bagged 1,711 head; in 1889, five guns in twenty-one days bagged 2,049; and in 1892, four guns in twenty days bagged 1,060. A glance at the map will give some faint notion of the enormous extent of country and the various routes the sportsman may traverse, "untrammelled as the air," without meeting obstruction or annoyance of any kind.

It is only within the last three or four years that the attempt has been made to pursue the fowler's art in the neighbourhood of Shanghai in anything like a systematic manner. A certain amount of success has attended the effort, but a good deal remains to be done. Up-country, of course, fair bags are sometimes made either from lucky stalks, or, more probably, by "happening" on an unsophisticated company of mixed fowl. But the cream of the sport is to be had in the estuary of the Yangtze. On any good day, especially after frost and snow, when the birds have arrived, thousands and thousands of swan, geese, duck, widgeon, teal, etc., are to be seen drifting with the tide or standing in battalions on the oozebeds which fringe the Tsungming, Bush, Block House, Green, and other islands. A sight not soon to be forgotten is a herd of swans standing in line like well-drilled soldiers. The usual way in which wild fowl are approached is to sail up to them on the flood in the ordinary Woosung flat-bottomed craft-capital sea boats in heavy weather-until within the supposed range, and then pour in the ordnance. The water, however, is generally too rough to offer the chance of a really steady shot from the fragile punt.

But the subject of local wild-fowling will be found fully treated of further on by one who has prosecuted the fascinating sport with more or less regularity, system and success.

CHAPTER II.

NOTES ON THE NEARER LYING SHOOTING DISTRICTS.

BY THE EDITOR.

1.-WOO-SUNG (2)

GOOSUNG village lies practically at the mouth of the Whangpoo River, on the left bank, 38 li from Shanghai, and nearly due north of the Settlement. A fairly broad creek runs from the village to Kading (E), but though the quickest and pleasantest route to that city, the water is too shallow to allow of the passage of an ordinary house-boat for more than 12 li. On the right bank of the creek, and heading towards Paoshan (), are some inviting grass covers in which a few pheasants are occasionally to be picked up, and when woodcocks are about, they usually light in the neighbourhood after their passage across the Yangtze. During the 1894 season very fair sport was obtained on the Pootung side, opposite Woosung itself.

2.-KA-JOW().

The Kajow Creek is on the right bank of the Whangpoo, distant about 30 li from Shanghai. The town of Kajow is some two miles up the creek, and forms a good point of departure to the sea-wall, about three miles to the northward in a fairly direct line. Early in the season-that is, in October and part of November-the numerous graves are clothed with high grass and are a favourite resort of pheasants, and, when about, woodcocks seem rather to affect the copses and creek banks. The country is a dead flat, divided into big square areas by small creeks, eight to ten feet wide, which tax the jumping powers of all but the most active sportsmen. These same ditches and creeks, however, are a great protection to the hares which are so frequently met with about the Pootung promontory. In fact, one is more likely to pick up a brace or two of hares in a day in this neighbourhood than during a three weeks' trip in some of the favourite shooting districts. According to the nature of the crops and to the dampness of the ground are snipes in their seasons to be found, and some very large bags of spring birds have been made at one time or another between the town of Kajow and the Whangpoo.

3.-BATTERY CREEK ().

This creek is nearly opposite to the Point Hotel, and is 16 li from Shanghai. The country presents much the same appearance, and is of almost the same nature, as that around Kajow, except, perhaps, that it does not boast of so many creeklets. A patient, hardworking gun need seldom leave this neighbourhood without a small but varied bag. Leaving Shanghai early in the morning and returning in the evening, one can get a very pleasant day's outing, if the tides serve.

4.-CHANG-SHA JII 2).

Changsha is a walled city on an inner sea wall at the end of the creek, very generally misnamed the Arsenal Creek, but which is in reality the Changsha Creek, and about 45 li from Shanghai. Three high embankments or walls have to be crossed before the estuary of the Yangtze is reached. There is not, as a

rule, much game to be picked up, but if the weather is roughish from an easterly wind, wild fowl often fly inland and seek the shelter of the protected creeks.

All the way down the creek there are on both sides some fine copses, which, if carefully beaten, sometimes repay the sportsman's attention.

5.-SA-KONG (I).

Sakong is a village on the right bank of the Whangpoo, 60 li from Shanghai, in a nearly due south direction. On both sides of the Sakong Creek capital cover is to be found, and a large reed bed on the east side furnishes a safe retreat for pheasants. On the west are patches of broken ground, from which a fair number of birds are taken in the course of the season. But Sakong is, as a rule, rather neglected by gunners, who prefer for their week's end holiday a trip up the Soochow Creek, with its opportunities for a swim in clear water. Still, as a snipe spot in the early spring, and as a good place for pheasants in the early autumn, it is rather above the average of the usual "resorts."

6.–CHO-LIN (HA).

Cholin is a walled town on the Hangchow Bay. The easiest way to get to it is to take the Tucksing Creek, opposite Minghong. It is 100 li from Shanghai, and rather too far away for the usual weekly trip. Inside the town and close round the walls there used to be a good deal of that thick brambly cover so liked by pheasants. On the foreshore at low water, especially towards sundown, the pheasants may be seen scratching on the saltings, and even drinking from the brackish pools left by the ebbing tide. A strong southerly or easterly blow usually drives a fair show of wild fowl into the sheltered ponds and creeks. The country all round is too highly cultivated and there are too many bridgeless creeks to tempt the sportsman; but the place is worth a visit, if only to get a sniff of the sea breeze.

Five brace of pheasants in one day by one gun were bagged here in the autumn of 1894, and a fair number of large spring snipes in May of the same year,

7.-KIN-SHAN (I).

Kinshan is another of the walled cities situate on the Hangchow Bay. The nearest route to it is by the large creek which leaves the river opposite Soongkong (). Its characteristics are very much those of Cholin, and the nature of the shooting is the same. It is 120 li from Shanghai.

8.-CHA-POO (E àl).

This is a favourite place for picnic parties, when three or four days can be spent on the outing, but a steam-launch is indispensable if that time cannot be afforded. Chapoo is a walled city on the Hangchow Bay, 234 li from Shanghai, and is usually approached by Tunglimiaou and Bingoo (). A small water gate at the north wall will admit a sampan and its passengers into the city, and put the shooter on some capital sporting-looking ground at once. The bank on the inside of the western wall is covered with big

copses of high bamboos. On the east side of the city are a series of low well-grassed hills, from which capital views of the bay can be obtained. To the west, again, large stretches of cotton and bean fields afford good cover for pheasants, while some fair bags of snipes are occasionally heard of. In cold weather wild fowl frequent the city moat, and good management when after them is often well rewarded. Chapoo there is a really first-class fish market.

At

Bingoo is 40 li due north of Chapoo. There is capital cover on both sides of the creek between the two places, and, at times, a goodly show of pheasants. This remark applies also to the long stretch of 70 li from Bingoo to Tunglimiaou ( E G).

SOOCHOW CREEK.

9.-WONG-DOO (*).

Wongdoo boasts of the only bridge across the Soochow Creek after the Settlement is once cleared. It is 72 li distant, and the Four Waters-Sukongkeu (Z),—formed by the bi-section of the main creek by the Powwokong () and Big Trees Creeks (), are 12 li further westwards. The tide runs up to just beyond Wongdoo Bridge, and lowdahs generally try to time matters so as to get the benefit of the tide going and returning.

On the south side of Wongdoo Bridge, a couple of li inland, are the remains of an old buffalo feeding ground, which in former years was a favourite settling place of the migrating snipe; but draining and cultivation have now quite altered the condition of the ground. On the north side of the bridge, distant 2 li, lies the town of Wongdoo, at the head of the Fongtah (#) Creek. Either bank of the Soochow Creek from Wongdoo to the Four Waters may be profitably walked; and in the early season it is no uncommon thing to flush a dozen pheasants within those limits.

Three li above Wongdoo Bridge, running south, is a pretty but very tortuous, and in seasons very shallow, creek leading to Bokosan (), the first of those elevations which go by the name of "the Hills." A series of marshes lie at the feet of these hills, and harbour a fair lot of winter snipes when the ground is suitable. Here, too, on the slopes of the hills the first woodcocks of the season are generally

seen.

The Powwokong Creek is the route taken to Tsingpoo (). The creek known as the "Big Trees" Creek, from the Four Waters to Zemingdong, is a very favourite Sunday summer resort.

Further westward on the south side of the Soochow Creek is Satungkong (I), one of the routes to the Sitai Lake (). 20 li further up the creek is Lokopan (-in the "sixties" a great shooting country, but even now a pretty sure find for two or three brace of pheasants.

Sankongkeu () is a good spring and autumn snipe ground. At the south end of the Chintung Creek (), which here leaves the main waterway, lie the Sitai marshes, a place not often visited from being too far away for the week-end shooter, but if fairly wet a more or less sure find for the winter long-bill.

10.-TAI-TSAN ().

Taitsan is a large walled city, lying about three-fourths of a mile to the north of what is known as the Taitsan Creek. The quickest, but not the pleasantest, route to it is by way of Naziang, Kading and Nakong), 130 li. A more agreeable journey, and only 8 li longer, is via Wongdoo and Fongtah; but the pleasantest way is via Four Waters and Monksijow. There is not much to be done in the shooting