66 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
Proceeding now northward along the coast, we next encounter
the four following decoys lying round the inlet known as Hamford
Water.
(23.) Old Moze Hall Decoy was in Beaumont-cum-Moze
parish near the N.W. extremity of Hamford Water. The pond was
nearly circular, 100 yards across, and had six pipes (now obliterated).
It was last worked in 1841. The case of Carrington v. Taylor,
already mentioned, had reference to this decoy.
(24.) Great Oakley Hall Decoy lay at the head of Oakley
Creek, in Great Oakley parish, about 300 yards N. from the last-named.
The pool was rectangular, and about one acre in extent. There were
six pipes. It has now been disused many years, but James Smith,
who acted as the last decoyman some fifty years ago, still lives (or
lately did so) at Harwich, though over eighty years old. Sir Ralph
Payne Gallwey describes him as the last of the old race of Essex decoy-
men, and he prints an interesting interview which Col. Leathes had
with him. Smith describes the enormous takes of fowl made by him-
self and his father (whose father before him had also acted as decoy-
man at this decoy) many years ago. He began work at the age of
fourteen. The largest take he ever remembers in one season was
700 dozen whole fowl—an enormous take for the size of the pond.
Supposing 300 dozen to have been half-fowl (i.e., Teal, Wigeon, Divers,
&c), we have the following as the result of one season's catch on a
single acre of water:—
Mr. Smith never remembers more than 18 dozen ducks (i.e., 212
birds) being taken in one drive. The rivalry between the Smiths and
the decoyman at Old Moze Hall was so keen that both decoys
eventually had to be given up.
(25.) Horsey Island Decoy, of which the pool and six pipes
may still be seen, is in the S.E. of Horsey Island, between the
Wade and Stand Creek, close to Walton Creek. It is in Kirby-le-
Soken parish and was worked by a man named Abraham Annis
up to about fifty years ago, when it was discontinued, owing to
the difficulty of supplying it with fresh water. On the 25-inch
ordnance map it is called " New Decoy Pond."