Then hold it fast with one Hand, and with one
Finger of the other, or with the handle of your
Knife Trace out the Form of its Position, that
it may rest Imprinted in the Earth; then with
your great Knife No. 7. cut along your Trace or
Border of your said Stick, and with your Hatch∣et
No. 6, cut out the Earth between the two Tra∣ces
or Lines a, 1, 8, 0, begining at the End j, and
finishing at 8 in such manner, that at the End j
the Earth may be taken out but one Inch over, [ 10]
and at the End 8 four or five Inches large, that
your Stick may be hid as it were in the said Gut∣ter.
This being finished, carry the other Stick
No. 1. (being the longer of the two) unto the
other End of your long Border, and plant it in
the self same fashion; then take your little Stick
No. 3. which drive into the Ground at the end of
your two Gutters, as 8 and 9, to hinder the two
main Sticks from beating into the Ground with [ 20]
the force of the Net. Your two Sticks No. 4.
also drive into the Ground about half a foot
from your Border at 1 and 3, a little inclining
Inwards; the intent being to prevent your main
Sticks from returning back when the Net is
strained until the Cord be pulled: besides, should
you place them Outwards upon the Lines 9, 6
and 8, 0, it were impossible to make your Net
play; for then the more you strain the Cord,
the closer would your main Sticks come under [ 30]
your Sticks No. 4. then remove all the loose Earth,
except an Handful or two, which lay on the two
Ends 5 and 7, the better to raise up the other
Ends of the main Sticks, and then your Platform
is ready fixed.
Now in case you make two other Gutters, as
2, 8 and 4, 9. on the other side of the Border,
opposite to your two first, then your Platform
will serve for two contrary Winds, viz. North and
South. I shall direct you how to dispose of the [ 40]
remainder of your Vtensils, in turning back to the
first Figure in this Chapter.
If you intend to take any Plovers, be on the
place where your Platform is ready made with
all your Implements early in the Morning; then
place the main Sticks in the little Gutters, and
take your Net on your left Shoulder, or Arm, and go
towards the Lodge, which is about fifteen or sixteen
fathom from your Platform, and there place the
Buckle which is at the End of the Cord of your [ 50]
Net, and so go backwards towards your Plat∣form,
letting the Cord trayl all along, and being
at the Stake or strong Peg S, fasten thereto the
Cord of the Pully T, so that the Pully be in a
direct line with the two Pieces of Wood Q, o;
then when you come to the form let your Net
it self fall by degrees, and still retiring back∣wards.
When you are at the Peg behind, which
is R, strain the Cord until it be right and strait,
and then fix it to the said Peg that it may not [ 60]
slip back.
I have also for the conveniency represented to
you, with what menner of Knot it is that you
should fasten your Cords on this occasion. Sup∣posing
that the Peg 7, be the Piece whereunto
you pretend to fasten your Cord 2, 4, take it in
one of your Hands at 1, and being over the Thread
2, to form the Buckle or Knot 5; which pass over the
Peg 7; then make another Bow or Buckle, as 6,
wherein the Thread 4 is passed under, and to
clap this Bow over your Peg upon the Top of
the other Bow; then strain the two ends 2 and 4,
and your Knot will be compleat, and you must
be very exact and ready at it.
When the End of the Cord of the Net is thus
fastned, lift up your man Stick P, Q, and place
the great End in the Gutter Q, drawing the Cord
of your Net towards your Border, and force it
into the Notch in the small end of your
main Stick, and let some Body hold it there;
But in case you have no help, lodge it in your
Gutter under the Peg P, and drive the sharp End
of the Billiard into the Ground upon it, to stay
there until you go to the other main Stick N, o,
and there fix your Cord into the Notch at the
End M. It must be so straitned, that a great
deal of strength may be used to get it into the
Notch; then place your main Stick in the Gutter
under the Peg N. Remove your Billiard from
your main Stick V, Q, and force your Net into
the Platform, so that it be hid under the Cord.
The next thing to direct you in is the placing
your Call-Plovers and Artificial Lapwings, which
must be disposed as you see the Cyphers 00000.
In case the Wind be not directly East, but in∣clined
a little towards the South; then your first
Pelt, or counterfeit Bird (which is nothing but
the Skin of a Bird stuft with Chaff, or the like)
marked 3, shall be placed half a foot from your
Border, and about eight or nine foot from the
End V, the rest you may range in such order as
they are designed by the Figure, at about two
foot distant from each other; whereas in case
the Wind be North-East, place your Birds a good
deal farther from the End V, that is to say, about
six foot further; because Wild-fowl always fly
against the Wind, and then as they pass over the
Stales, or Artificial Birds, that is betwixt them
and the hinder Stake R, it may so fall out that
they may pass under the Cord; for that will be
shorter by a third part when it is let loose, and
by a moity, if the Wind be strong, which you
must diligently observe when there is but little
Wind stirring. You may place two thirds of
the Birds behind your Net, and if it be strong,
one third part is enough, the rest should be
before, because Plovers will come where your
Birds are.
As for Lapwings, they must not be mixed
with your Plovers, but placed just by your
Gutters, as the Letters g, g import.
The next thing you are to dispose is your Live
Birds; if you intend to use two, drive them
one before, and the other behind; if you have
only one, place it behind in this manner: Force
your little piked Staff-C into the Ground, which
is tyed to the bigger End of the Rod, and then
hold up the little End F, to see if it stand right
with the Lodge, and if so, hold it a foot high
whilst you stick the two Pegs A, B, into the
Earth; then tye a live Lapwing unto it with
the Packthread about its Legs which Packthread
should be indifferent long, to the end the Lap∣wing
may not hurt it self; then put the Tail