Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-08-05
Shephedown Jefferson County, West Virginia Thursday August 1915
A Submarine Duck Hunt.

Several kilometres from Mexico City lie
three lakes, Tezcoco, Xochimilco, and
Chalco. In certain seasons OF the year
great flocks of wild ducks settle there TO
feed on the small fish and the abundan:
green stuff that grows about the margin;
| TO build their nests, lay their eggs, and
raise their families.
The ducks remain day or so without
being molested. Then some fine morn
ngyoumay observe numbers OF calabazas,
or pumpkins, floating on the placid sur
face of the water.
The ducks, naturally, regard these float
ing pumpkins with suspicion, and flying
aloft, voice their disapprovalin no uncer-
tain terms; but as the pumpkins drift aim
lessly and hamlessly about, they lose all
sense of fear. Once more they settle on
the water, and swim in and out uncon-
cernedly among the vegetables.
If you watch closely you will soon see
that the pumpkins are sure to float in
the direction OF the swimming ducks,
whether the wind be blowing toward
them or not; that no matter how erratic
may be the course of the clustered pump
kinS, they are never separated, and that
when one is detached, itinyariably floats
toward the shore; and that duck after
duck will, apparently, suddenly dive after
a fish, disappear, and fail to reappear.
Strange as these things appear, there is
very simple explanation.
Close to the W later stands the iacals OF
the poems, from whose fields have come
the pumpkins and into whose pockets
goes the money for many brace OF ducks
served TO Americans at the Country Club
at Cherubusco, or the Hotel Guadiola or
the Cafe Colon in Mexico City.
The natives take the pumpkins OF the
waters edge during the night and set
them adrift; long strings prevent the
clusters from drifting too far away from
the shore. Thus they are left until the
ducks become accustomed to the sight OF
them.
All the lakes have firm smooth bottoms,
shelving from the shore more or less uni
formly to the centre. The extreme depth
of Chaco is ten feet. The average depth
is from four and half TO five or SIX feet.
When the men and boys are ready to
begin operations, they draw the calabazaS
near the shore. Each one OF the hunters
has provided himself with an extra large
pumpkin. He has scooped il out and cut
three or four sits in the rind. This he
puts on over his head, helmetwise, and
ties il with twine under his arms.
Squatting down in the water until only
their heads are above the surface, the
hunters, wearing nothing but breech-
cloth and belt from which hang innumer-
able nooses of stout twine, wade out until
they reach the clusters of floating pump
kinS.
The hunters wade about-swimming
when out OF their depth-and watch the
ducks through the Sits in their head
pieces, as the captain OF man-of-war
observes the enemy through the Slit OF the
coming tower. When they get among
the birds. they seize one by the feet, and
with a sudden jerk pull il under before If
can utter sound OF warning TO its fel-
lows.
The men hang the ducks by the neck
from the nooses at their bells, and as
soon as every moose is pulled they wade
ashore, where they turn the game over
to the women and girls, who at once pre-
pare the birds for market. Part OF the
feathers are used for stuffiHg pillows for
hotels and the residences OF the richer
class, while the remainder are dyed many
different colors, 10 be used in the MeXi-
can featherwork, in which the Mexicans
excel the world.