Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-09-11
TRIP TO THE ORIENT
Clarence e. Edwords Touring the
Eastern Countries.
he IS OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN IN WEEK
LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL AP.
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.

LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL APP
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.
Soochow, China, March 2S-Wt
spent the day in the hunting
grounds of Pennu creek, which is
celebrated all over China as being
great hunting country. We
reached the creek in the early
morning, and two of us got ashore
and walked along the opposite
banks while the house boat went
on ahead. / had no sooner got
we'll ashore when big cock pleas
ant flushed and went whirring off
He dropped nicely and the hunting
continued until noon, when we
went aboard with fifteen pheasants,
nine quail and two rabbits. Pleas
ant shooting is not like any hunt
ing l have ever found in America.
Although the birds are much the
same as our prairie chicken and
grouse, they are seldom found in
coveys, generally being in pairs,
and sometimes there will be two
cocks and hen together. The
largest covey that l have seen was
five. The cock when full grown is
marvel in colors, while the hen is
very insignificant, being much like
ruffed grouse of the northern part
of the United States.
The novice in the sport of pleas
ant shooting quickly fines difficult
ties when he finds the birds. When
flushed the birds rise with terri
BILE roar of wings that sets the heart
of the initiated going like a trip
hammer. The bird usually rises
straight up for fifty yards before
taking a line away. He then takes
long, slanting, downward flight,
and in order to bag him it is neces,
sary to aim a little lower than he
is. The pheasant grows to an as
tonishing size, one being reported
as being six feet from tip of beak
to end of tail.
A pronounced characteristic OF
the common pheasant which
abounds here is its liking for do,
nestle fowl, and the pheasant cock
will frequently be found feeding
with chickens in the dooryards Of
the house. was standing in
hut when one of my coolies touch.
ed me on the shoulder and pointed
to a flock Of hens near the door. Ir
their midst was a beautiful cock
pheasant feeding in a most uncon
cerned manner. The hens seemed
to take his presence as a matter O
course. There was an old rooste
there who did not like the visito
from the wilds, and he was ruffiins
his feathers in q most pugnaclou
manner. was in hopes of seeing
a fight, as the natives say tn
pheasant is q vigorous fighter AM
generally kills the domestic cock
tffe return of the housewife fror
the paddy field, however, cause
the pheasant to take his way leis
urely to the other side of the field
where l followed him and bagge
| him.
The grand canal of China, int
which the Pennu creek runs, is
wonderful waterway, it being tn
bed Of the old Yangtse river, in
proved and dyked until it is now
perfect canal. This great cans
has hundreds of smaller canals rul
ming into it from all directions, an
they intersect the country to sue
an extent that one can travel q
over China in a houseboat. III
canals are crossed by numero'
bridges, generally built so stee
and high that it is impossible
cross them with animals and v
: hicles. Many places boast of fe
, ries, but generally the people Ii
, ing along the canals have their ow
; boats. Thousands upon Thousand
; of house boats, in which the nj
!, tives live, are to be found all aion
, these canals. The boathouse pol
, ulation of China will number we
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