156 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



rope (five-inch) passes through a hole in the punt's stem, and 

 is fastened to trunnions on the gun. The gun has a plug in its 

 muzzle. Under the gun and over the ropes may be noted the 

 movable gun-rest. Immediately below the gun-breech is the 

 punter's magazine as in the sketch previously figured. To 

 the left, under the fore-deck, is stowed mast and sail, setting- 

 pole, boat-hook, and leather breech-cap. This latter, when in 

 use, covers the gun-breech and keeps spray from the action. 

 Fixed to the gun-beam is the mast-ring (step in punt-floor), to 

 the left of the gun-crutch. Under the gun may be seen the 

 back recoil check-rope, which is fastened to a ring in the punt- 

 floor. Another of these ring-bolts is fitted aft of the cockpit. 

 Just in front of the gunner's cripple-stopper is the pulley carry- 

 ing the elevating rope. The cripple-stoppers, which should 

 be single guns, are suspended in their hangers from the cockpit 

 coaming. On the left side of the cockpit is lying a small four- 

 prong punter's grapnel, with line and snap-hook. To the 

 right is a pair of wood mud-pattens. The small flat-boards are 

 the punters' seats. On the starboard side aft, the coaming is 

 removed. Oars are out in their crutches, which latter are 

 screwed into sockets on the side-decks. A scull is resting in 

 the sculling or setting spur. On the same side, a little further 

 forward, is the sailing-spur or crutch. To the stern chock is 

 fixed the towing tackle. 



In our sketch herewith we figure simple sail for single- 

 handed punt. Although the drawing is to scale, sizes are 

 appended, so that error may not easily occur. The measure- 

 ments are for a sail to suit a full-size single-handed punt of 

 about eighteen feet in length. For smaller craft the sail should 

 be less accordingly. This sail, and modifications of it, is of 

 fairly general use with single-handed punters. The mast foot 

 and step should be round, to allow the sail a free movement. 

 The halyard is rove over two pulleys in the mast, the fall 

 end extending aft of the cockpit, where in the hand of the 



