138 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



a gfunning-punt — it is not a practice to be encouraged. If 

 caught in a squall with a big gun aboard, draw it in and lash 

 it to the ring-bolts fixed fore and aft of the cockpit floor. 

 Should the squall become too bad to hope to stick any longer 

 to the gun, the gun-float (a thing which should always be 

 carried — a copper cylinder, three inches diameter and eight 

 inches long, with thirty yards of strong cord) should be 

 attached to the grapnel, the line from the latter to a trunnion 

 of the gun or some arranged and convenient loop, and the 

 gun quietly slid, breech end first, astern. All this can be seen 

 to by the puntsman while the gunner keeps the punt head to 

 sea. We are speaking of double punts, for no other, as a rule, 

 will venture far on open waters. Although it is hard lines to 

 part with valuable articles, they count as naught compared 

 with human life. The gun, by grappling, can be retrieved 

 with a boat, if you live to tell where it lies. 



Never lift a big gun with a punt. Punts are too light 

 for such work. Personally we regret to state that it has 

 twice been our fate to part with the big gun ; but on the 

 worst occasion the tide receded below the spot where we 

 so gently, yet timidly, deposited the gun to save our lives. 

 If a punt is swamped on an incoming tidal shore, and you 

 intend to stick to her, first get the big gun out ; then she 

 will float better. All oars, hand-guns, seats, poles, etc., 

 must be stowed under the fore-deck. The oars and poles 

 will assist to float her. Unless this is done half your gear 

 will float, and you will lose it. A light mooring line of 

 about six fathoms should always be carried. Attach this 

 to the towing line and tow her in as the tide lifts her. If 

 the ground is muddy and soft stand in the punt and bale 

 the water out of her. She will wash in. A well-made large 

 punt will float full of water. We have seen a punt broken 

 and completely waterlogged float and carry her big gun 

 (150 lb.), but she laboured heavily, and sank and rose several 



