HISTORY OF DECOYS. | |
| "South of the village is a noble swannery. . . . "It is the head of the Fleet Estuary, a long lagoon running 8 miles up behind the Chesel Beach from Portland mouth to Reeds End boat-house on the beach near Abbotsbury. . . . "In the open or broad part of the Fleet are kept 6oo or 700 Swans, | |
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| formerly 1,500. The Royalty anciently belonged to the Abbot, since to the family of Strangways, now to the Earl of Ilchcster." The revisers of the 3rd edition remark that at that date (1867) there existed 700 Swans on the Fleet. A great many still frequent this water Morden, 6 miles N. of Wareham, on the property of Miss Drax of Charborough Park. There used to be a Decoy here until 1856, when it ceased to be worked, and since then the shooting around it having been let, the place has been too much disturbed to admit of the Decoy being successfully carried on. | |