CHAPTER XXIII. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE PUNT-GUN. 



" Come, come ! Mr. Gunner ! 

 Prythee, Mr. Gunner, 

 A little more powder 

 Your shot doth require. 

 Fire ! Gunner, fire ! do, do !" 



Suffolk ditty. 



Every punter must carry an ammunition box, which should be made 

 to fit in a place assigned to it in the very stern of the punt, whereby 

 it assists, when containing ammunition, in counterpoising- the forepart 

 of the punt against the weight of the large gun. The interior of the 

 ammunition box may be fitted according to the punter's fancy, so as 

 to contain all the necessary requisites of powder, shot of various sizes, 

 gun-charger, oakum for wadding", extra caps, priming-tunnel, and 

 whatever else the sportsman may consider essential to his complete 

 equipment. The box must be perfectly tight, and water-proof; and 

 the powder should be kept in flasks or canisters. The punt-gun 

 ought always to be loaded with coarse-grain or battle powder ; and 

 for any gun carrying over four ounces at a charge, cannon-powder 

 the grains of which are about the size of tare-seed, is best. It is a 

 great mistake to load the punt-gun with fine-grained powder ; the gun 

 does not shoot so well with it as with the other : and if laid-by a few 

 days, it is highly probable the gun will not go off at all; or, if it does, 

 hang fire. When taken out on salt-water, fine- grain powder is soon 

 aftected, and loses much of its force ; it is also very liable to stick to 

 the sides of the barrel when loading, unless deposited at once and 

 directly in the chamber of the gun. Glazed powder is not desirable ; 

 on the contrary, the other is to be preferred, because of its greater 

 purity. 



There is no difficulty in loading with the battle powder, for by toss- 

 ing a charge in at the muzzle, and then raising the barrel slightly, 

 the powder rolls down to the chamber at once, rattling against 



