File:Wild Spain records of sport with rifle, rod, and gun, natural history and exploration (1893) (14749079981).jpg

Identifier: wildspainrecords00chaprich (find matches)
Title: Wild Spain ... records of sport with rifle, rod, and gun, natural history and exploration
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Chapman, Abel, 1851-1929 Buck, Walter John
Subjects: Hunting -- Spain Game and game-birds -- Spain
Publisher: London, Gurney and Jackson
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Arctic Winter in Southern Spain. Never in our experience of well-nigh a quarter of acentury had such extremes of cold been known in thissunny land as those of December, 1890. Nor will thedestruction wrought by that phenomenal wintei- beremedied for many a long year, as brown and blasted olive-yards, and thousands of acres of orange-groves, almostevery tree cut back to the bole and grafted as a lastresource, bear testimonj^ Here, in a sporting sense, is the report of that winter,and its effects on fowl and fowling. Dccemher 8th, 1890.—Not a drop of rain fell this year till the 2nd inst., andthe conditions for sport appeared as favourable as thoseof last year (already described above). Cold as Siberiawas our ride to Yasquezs dtoza (November 28), in theteeth of the bitter east wind which swept across the drymarisma, and cut into our very marrow. Valicnte Jielada ra caer cste noche ! say the keepers, and * The best day, walliing for snipe, December 4, 1889, produced232 snipe—six guns.
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■/I 72 WILDFOWLING IN THE WILDERNESS. 393 verily a terrible frost did fall that night: for when Caraballoawakened us at six in the morning, the poor fellows teethchattered, his limbs shook, and he declared that neverbefore had Dios made so cold a morning. M3 luck favoured me for once, and by lot, No. 5 wasplaced by the deeps of El Jondon, flanked by miles ofbamboo and cane-brakes of tropical dimensions. The oozeswere covered with ice, at first so thick as almost to bearthe horses; but as the water deepened, the ice broke andcut their fetlocks ; so we had to seek our posts on foot,dry shot for the first time on record. It fell to me tofire the signal-shot, so I took an opportunity of sendingto speedy end just nine teal with the two barrels. I hadnever before held the luckiest number; to-day I was in thefk)r and the nata of the fray; it will give some idea of thecharacter of the sport this day that, at times, it wasdesirable to decline all offers from the duck-tribe, and toreserve one

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