Pictures of life in Mexico/Volume 1/Chapter 13
CHAPTER XIII.
WILD FOWL SHOOTING.
The rivers of Mexico are, for the most part, mean, shallow, and unnavigable. In the arid regions they frequently dry up altogether, until they are again recruited by the copious falls of the rainy season; while even the principal streams are often muddy, narrow, and fit for sailing-purposes only near their mouths, where they deepen and widen preparatory to entering seas and lakes. Those lakes, however, are noble additions to the scenery; and in a great measure supply the place of rivers in many favoured districts. On the road from the Venta de Cardova to the capital, in the Valley of Mexico, for instance, the volcanic path lies between the great lakes of Chalco and Tezcuco; and the waters with their varied borders, and the banks with their deserted marshes, and feathery inhabitants nestling in the mud, afford the traveller a continued theme of interest and amusement; while they are serviceable to the poor inhabitants of the neighbourhood in various ways.
Imagine yourself elevated on a little calzada, or causeway, a few feet higher than the side of a lake, at the distance of about seven miles from the city of Mexico. To the north, you behold a series of flats (upon which a white salt sediment is occasionally visible), speckled with innumerable wild ducks. On the south, you perceive that the water reaches further over the flats, and flows more briskly on their margin. And on turning to survey the magnificent rocks and mountains behind you, the city itself, enclosed by rich groups of trees, lies opposite. It is, upon the whole, a singular and very attractive scene.
An astonishing number of the ducks above mentioned are slaughtered daily by the inhabitants of the district; and the sport is distinguished by several peculiar features.
One of the most formidable fowling-pieces imaginable is employed on the occasion. A number of musket-barrels are ranged together on one clumsy wooden stock, or sometimes a number of common stocks and barrels are secured together; and such an infernal machine will sweep down a whole flock of wild-fowl at one discharge. The residents often proceed in troops on a duck-slaying excursion, for their subsistence in a great measure depends upon such supplies.
It was once my fortune to join a party of this kind at a distance up the country, on the borders of a small lake towards the north. There was a narrow shambling stream, not worthy of the name of river, flowing into it; on the banks of which we journeyed, till we came in sight of the district frequented by our destined prey.
We were eight in number. The dog was an animal of a very peculiar species, unlike any with which English sportsmen are familiar. Neither pointer, setter, nor retriever, he yet possessed the sagacious qualities of all; he was taller than the general run of such creatures; and walked erect upon two legs: in short; he was a black man,—a Mexican Zambo! This poor, despised mortal was most happy to accompany a shooting party—as was his habit—in the capacity of cur, for a small fee and a portion of the sporting proceeds. His ingenuity in putting up the game at the right moment, in making expressive but silent signals, and in collecting the birds lately shot, was extraordinary. I confess it was sorely against my feelings to behold a fellow creature take such offices upon him; but I had no power to interfere in the affair, and if I had, he would have regarded it, most likely, as an oppression and an injury.
The Zambo's patron was a withered, high dried, half-Spaniard, named Stiazza, with prodigiously long hair and moustachios, a bilious face, slender, tough, and supple limbs, and a blind eye—lost by an accident while hunting. He was almost wholly encased in leather; his broad hat, short round jaceti, pantaloons and their accessories, were all leather; and it needed no very high stretch of imagination to fancy that his skin was leather too. How he contrived to endure the weight of his apparel in such hot weather, was a mystery only to be accounted for by considering the force of habit. This individual was the owner of a shooting machine containing nine barrels, which he could fire at once, and which he had christened, in a pet manner, "Don Bolo." He appeared quite as fond of this Bolo as though it had been a wife or child; and was most proud to tell of his exploits in connection with it—how many ducks and wolves Bolo had slain, and how many times Bolo had been the means of preserving his valuable life.
His companion, José Pantido, was a Mestizo of a yet darker shade of colour, whose life had been spent either upon the prairies, or in the neighbourhood of the lakes. He was less in stature than his comrade, but infinitely more important in manner. He had a fowling-piece composed of five barrels; and his clothes were in a hopelessly ragged state. This latter circumstance, however, did not interfere with the grandeur of his style: wretchedly poor and degraded as he was, he affected to patronize the rest, and was the braggart of the party. Not an adventure by flood or field, but José had experienced it in his own person; and to hear him describe the miraculous escapes and feats of bravery in which he had figured, was truly astounding. I could not but observe, however, that his fellow-traveller Stiazza leered upon him from time to time out of his solitary eye, with evident incredulity and secret contempt.
Two other sportsmen followed after, with lean and hungry faces, and awfully expressive features. They were miserably destitute; and the expedition was of moment to them, as they had left their families behind almost in a state of starvation. Their ragged clothing and emaciated visages, spoke volumes for the precarious and indolent life it was their choice to lead.
I loitered behind with the three remaining, who happened to be by several shades more "respectable" than the foregoing; and had, like myself, joined the party for no other purpose than amusement. They were armed with two guns, and one machine with a number of barrels; and were dressed, like me, in loose serapés, and leathern high boots and inexpressibles. I was, moreover, content with a common fowling-piece.
We travelled on in amiable companionship beside the stream, till we arrived at the lake; by which time the sun was high in the heavens, rendering the sheet of water too vividly bright to be gazed at by the strongest eye, and causing the numerous leaves and bulrushes along the banks to droop their heads beneath his rays. When we arrived at a particular point upon the margin of the lake, where it was a thought muddier than elsewhere, our sagacious Zambo began to prick up his ears, and look as knowing as a canine substitute might have done under the circumstances. At sight of some indistinct spots upon the marsh in the distance, he motioned us to stop; then advancing noiselessly and stooping, he waited, inviting us to follow him in the same manner.
So soon as we were at his side, and the three infernal machines and all the guns were in readiness to bear upon the spot, he ran forward, hallooed loudly, and clapped his hands. Immediately up sprung such a flock of wild ducks as I had never seen before upon the wing: they actually seemed to darken the air around us for several minutes. Bang went the guns and machines—away flew the main body of ducks—and off ran the Zambo to secure the killed and wounded. A goodly number of birds were pouched by our hungry and ragged comrades, as the result of this first onset: though many, as might be imagined, were too badly riddled with shot to be of any value even to them.
Slowly and silently we sallied forth to our next attack. It was this time upon the bend of a bank, interspersed with one or two shrivelled trees; and if the ground had been slimy before, it was muddy and slippery in a tenfold degree on this spot. Staggering and plunging, we went over the marsh; and many a helping hand had to be given by laughing comrades to one another. We stopped suddenly at length, on a signal from our Zambo; who once more went before us, and clapped his hands and hallooed, as usual. Another volley was fired as the birds arose, and a fearful slaughter ensued amongst them. Shouts of glee ascended from the sportsmen, on their great success; and the affair was hailed as a glorious proof of skill and marksmanship. The voice of the Zambo rose loudest in approval, and his exertions to collect the scattered unfortunates were immense. I stepped aside to the right, with two of my companions, to look at the lake; which opened to our view at that particular angle for a considerable distance; returning in a little while to rejoin our comrades who had gone on in another direction.
Arriving at the scene of the last discharge, we fancied we could hear our companions calling to us; and quickened our steps accordingly. As we passed the trees, however, we seemed most unaccountably to leave the outcries behind us also. We returned to the spot in alarm, but nothing could we hear; we were about to proceed once more, chiding ourselves for taking needless trouble, when we perceived something black slightly projecting above the mud between the trees. One of my companions was about to fire upon the seeming excrescence of mud, in sport; but I held his hand, for I observed it move itself at the instant: presently it feebly rose yet more above the surface, and a man's head was distinguishable, while the most appalling cries of distress were heard to issue from it. "Yeogh! Yeogh! Todopoderoso! Yeogh! Misericordioso! Yeogh!" exclaimed the dark, muddy looking projection.
After gazing wistfully for a moment in the direction, we burst into a most uproarious peal of laughter at our discovery.—It was the Zambo! He had been climbing a tree to pick up a bird just shot, and leaning over too far, had lost his balance, and was soused into the deep layer of mud; so that nothing but his head—all of an uniform shape and colour from the slush—was to be seen. His employer and comrades had completely overlooked him; and but for our coming to his assistance, he would certainly have been suffocated. We released him promptly, but with difficulty, from his perilous position: and as we set him upon the bank to shake himself, never did I see either dog or man in such a plight before!
My companions made several other fierce onslaughts on the ducks, until more than a sufficient quantity were bagged; and I was wearied with the sport long before I could prevail on my comrades to relinquish it. I noted, however, that Stiazza became more triumphant than ever on the subject of his cherished Bolo and its successes; that José Pantido was more disposed to extol his own skill and hardihood, than before; that the ragged hunters gazed with savage ardour upon the booty they had accumulated; and that the Zambo—warned by his late adventure—was most especially careful of again spilling himself among* the marshes.
We finished the day, by selecting a dry place a little distance from the lake; lighting a fire upon the ground; cooking half a dozen of our victims over it, and making a hearty meal: then stretched ourselves on our serapés—those of us who had any—as the preliminary to a night's repose.
We retraced our steps on the following morning—after enjoying a few stray shots by the way, intending to arrive at the hamlet whence we set out, before noon. Every individual of the troop was in the highest possible spirits: the sportsmen were again boasting of their weapons and their aim; the emaciated ones joyful that they were provided with a large supply of food for their families; and I, happy that my stay in that portion of the country was drawing to a close. We had even arranged to have a sumptuous repast together off our prey, when we should arrive; and all was exultation, noise, and merriment.
We had scarcely made our way, however, to the neighbourhood of the rocks which reared themselves midway on our journey, when we were surrounded and attacked by a dozen ladrones, armed to the teeth. We had little in our possession worth stealing; but the robbers were evidently in need. On their first appearance the valorous José Pantido took to his heels, together with the Zambo; the latter escaping scot-free, while the former was knocked down and captured.
Stiazza and I made some attempts at resistance, effectually demolishing the sombreros of at least three of our opponents; but we were quickly overpowered by numbers. The rest surrendered at discretion—very quiet discretion, indeed. The vagabonds eased us of the little money we had on our persons; stripped us of our serapés, hats, and belts; took our wild-ducks and fowling-pieces—including the infernal machines; and then laid us, in no very considerate manner, upon the ground, and bound our limbs in such a way, that a considerable time elapsed before we could rid ourselves sufficiently to travel homewards.
On our arrival at the hamlet in the evening, I never saw grief and indignation more sincere than that of Señor Stiazza for the loss of his dearly beloved Bolo; nor regret more earnest than that of the ragged sportsmen with the hungry faces, for their cruel deprivation of the allotted spoil.