CHAPTER XXII, 



PUNT-GUNS. 



" Praise in old time the sage Prometheus won, 

 Who stole ethereal radiance from the sun ; 

 But greater he, whose hold invention strove 

 To emulate the fiery bolts of Jove." 



Translation hy Milton. 



Improvements have gone to such an extent of late years in g-uns 

 of every description, that there is now no difficulty in obtaining- a 

 sound and useful gun for any purpose required. If the fowler wishes 

 to become acquainted with the arts and contrivances of fitting and 

 stocking, or even casting and making, a gun, there are many treatises 

 on the subject, to some or one of which we would refer him. For 

 the piu'poses of this work, it will only be necessary to make a few 

 remarks on what is considered, ft*om experience, to be the most 

 useful sort of gun ; and the best, the safest, and most convenient 

 methods of fitting, placing, and elevating it, for the punt ; and those 

 also regarding the stanchion-gun, for the shooting-yacht. 



And first, of the Punt-gun : 



It is a great desideratum to have the punt-gun no heavier than 

 necessary, because of the inconvenience of shifting and loading a 

 heavy gun : nevertheless, it must be of sufficient size and substance 

 to carry three-quarters of a pound of shot, if intended for wild-goose 

 shooting, or for use on the open coast ; but, if required merely for 

 duck and widgeon, and for the general purposes of inland sport, a 

 gun carrying half-a-pound of shot will be found most suitable. The 

 length of barrel is immaterial : about six feet and a-half is as good 

 and useful a length for a punt-gun as any, and just as effective as one 

 of seven feet and upwards. 



It is very desirable that the lock of a punt-gun should be safe and 

 secure, or accidents of the most lamentable nature may occur j and 



