The gentleman's recreation in four parts, viz. hunting, hawking, fowling, fishing : wherein these generous exercises are largely treated of, and the terms of art for hunting and hawking more amply enlarged than heretofore : whereto is prefixt a large sculpture, giving easie directions for blowing the horn, and other sculptures inserted proper to each recreation : with an abstract at the end of each subject of such laws as relate to the same.

Of the FOWLING-PIECE and the STALKING-HORSE.

THat is ever esteemed the best Fowling-piece which hath the longest Barrel, being five foot and a half or six foot long, with an indifferent bore, under Har∣quebuss.

Provide the best sort of Powder as near as you can, and let it not be old, for keeping weakens it much, especially if it grow damp; therefore when you have occasion to use it, dry it well in a Fire-shovel, and sift it through a fine Searcher to take away that dust which hindreth the more forcible effects, and fouleth your piece.

Let your Shot be well sized, and of a moderate big∣ness; for if it be too great, then it scatters too much: if too small, it hath not weight nor strength sufficient to do execution on a large Fowl.

Shot being not to be had at all times, and in all places, suitable to your occasions and desires, I shall therefore here set down the true process of making all sorts and sizes under Mould-shot.

Take what quantity of Lead you please, and melt it down in an Iron Vessel, and as it melts keep it stir∣ring with an Iron-Ladle, and clear it of all impurities whatsoever that may arise at the top by skimming them off. Then when the Lead begins to be of a

greenish colour, strew on it Auripigmentum finely pow∣dered, as much as will lie on a Shilling to 12 pound of Lead. Then stir them together, and the Auripigmen∣tum will flame.

Your I adle ought to have a Notch on one side of the Brim for the more easie pouring out of the Lead, and the Ladle ought to remain in the melted Lead, that the heat may be agreeable to it, to prevent all incon∣veniencies which may happen through excess of heat or cold. Then try your Lead by droping it into wa∣ter. If the drops prove round, then the temper of the heat is right; but if the Shot have Tails, then there is want both of heat and Auripigmentum.

Then take a Copper-plate about the size of a Tren∣cher-plate, with an hollowness in the midst about three inches compass, with about forty holes bored accor∣ding to the size of the Shot you intend to cast. The hollow bottom should be thin, but the thicker the brim the better, because it will longer retain the heat. Place it on an Iron frame over a Bucket of water, about four Inches from it, and spread burning Coals on the plate to keep the Lead melted upon it.

Then take up some Lead and pour it gently on the Coals on the plate, and it will force its way through the holes into the water, and form it self into Shot. Thus do till all your Lead be run through the holes of the plate: observing to keep your Coals alive, that the Lead may not cool, and so stop up the holes. Whilst you are casting your Shot, another person may catch some of the Shot with another Ladle, placed four or five inches (underneath the bottom of the plate) in the water, and by that means you may discern if there are any defects in your process, and rectifie them.

The chief business is to keep your Lead in a just de∣gree of heat, that it be not so cold as to fill up the holes, nor so hot as to make the Shot crack. To remedy

the coolness of your Lead and plate, you must blow your Coals; to remedy the beat, you must refrain working till it be cool enough, observing, that the cooler your Lead, the larger your Shot; the hotter, the smaller.

When you have cast your Shot, take them out of the water and dry them over the fire with a gentle heat, and be sure to keep them continually stirred that they melt not. When they are dry you are to sepa∣rate the great Shot from the small, by the help of Sieves made on purpose, according to their several sizes. If you would have very large Shot, you may with a stick force the Lead to trickle out of your Ladle into the wa∣ter without the plate.

If it stop on the plate, and yet the plate be not too cool, give but the plate a little knock, and it will run again. Take care that none of your Instruments be greasie. When you have separated your Shot, if any prove too large for your purpose, or any ways imper∣fect, 'tis only your pains lost, and it will serve again at your next operation.

In shooting, observe always to shoot with the wind, if possible, and not against it; and rather side-ways, or behind the Fowl, than full in their faces.

Next, observe to chuse the most convenient shelter you can find, as either Hedge, Bank, Tree, or any thing else which may abscond you from the view of the Fowl.

Be sure to have your Dog at your heels under good command, not daring to stir till you bid him, having first discharged your Piece: for some ill-taught Dogs will upon the snap of the Cock presently rush out, and spoil all the sport.

Now if you have not shelter enough, by reason of the nakedness of the Banks and want of Trees, you must creep upon your hands and knees under the Banks,

and lying even flat upon your Belly, put the nose of your Piece over the Bank, and so take your level; for a Fowl is so fearful of man, that though an Hawk were soaring over her head, yet at the sight of a man she would betake her self to her wing, and run the risque of that danger.

But sometime it so happeneth that the Fowl are so shie, there is no getting a shoot at them without a Stal∣king-horse, which must be some old Jade trained up for that purpose, who will gently, and as you will have him, walk up and down in the water which way you please flodding and eating on the Grass that grows therein.

You must shelter your self and Gun behind his fore∣shoulder, bending your body down low by his side, and keeping his body still full between you and the Fowl: being within shot, take your level from before the fore∣part of the Horse, shooting as it were between the hor∣ses Neck and the water; which is much better than shooting under his Belly, being more secure, and less perceiveable.

Now to supply the want of a Stalking-horse, which will take up a great deal of time to instruct and make fit for this exercise, you may make one of any pieces of old Canyas, which you must shape into the form of an Horse, with the head bending downwards as if he gra∣zed. You may stuff it with any light matter; and do not forget to paint it of the colour of an horse, of which the brown is the best; and in the midst let it be fix'd to a Staff with a sharp Iron at the end, to stick into the ground as you shall see occasion, standing fast whilst you take your level.

It must be made so portable, that you may bear it with ease in one hand, moving it so as it may seem to graze as you go. Let the stature of your artificial Stal∣king-horse be neither too low nor too high; for the

one will not abscond your body, and the other will be apt to frighten the Fowl.

Instead of this Stalking-horse, you may fashion out of Canvas painted an Ox or Cow: and this change is necessary, when you have so beaten the Fowl with your Stalking-horse, that they begin to find your de∣ceit, and will no longer endure it, (as it frequently falls out.) Then you may stalk with an Ox or Cow, till the Stalking-horse be forgotten, and by this means make your sport lasting and continual.

Some there are that stalk with Stags or Red-Deer form'd out of painted Canvas, with the natural Horns of Stags fixt thereon, and the colour so lively painted, that the Fowl cannot discern the fallacy; and these are very useful in low Fenny grounds, where any such Deer do usually feed; and are more familiar with the Fowl, and so feed nearer them than Ox, Horse, or Cow: by which means you shall come within a far nearer di∣stance.

There are other dead Engines to stalk withal, as an artificial Tree, Shrub, or Bush, which may be made of small Wands, and with painted Canvas made into the shape of a Willow, Poplar, or such Trees as grow by Rivers and Water-sides; for these are the best.

If you stalk with a Shrub or Bush, let them not be so tall as your Tree, but much thicker; which you may make either of one entire Bush, or of divers Bushes interwoven one with another, either with small Wi∣thy-wands, Cord, or Pack-thread, that may not be dis∣cerned: and let not your Bush exceed the height of a man, but be thicker than four or five, with a Spike at the bottom to stick into the ground whilst you take your level.