296 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



obtained, even with such a heavily laden little boat as a motor 

 gunning-punt. The question of speed, however, is entirely 

 one of power in the craft, yet our aim should be to get the 

 highest results for the least expenditure, or, in other words, the 

 greatest efficiency as economically as possible. I think seven 

 miles an hour a good, all-round speed, under favourable 

 conditions, with five miles an hour against a slight breeze and 

 tidal currents. The many ways in which a motor-punt is to 

 be worked will depend much upon the design of the boat, and 

 also the nature of the fowling ground. It would be useless 

 to give anything but general advice upon the matter, so varied 

 are the circumstances in punt-shooting. In the case of a 

 deep-water punt, i.e. with a draught of, say, 8 in. or 9 in., the 

 only method of obtaining land shots in shallows, is to get 

 up speed, raise the propellers, and run in as near as possible. 

 After this the punt can be worked as an ordinary one if not 

 fitted with gear to propel her in shallows — of course, always 

 allowing for the inconvenience of being unable to run in 

 very shallow water, owing to draught. The chief claim of 

 the up-to-date motor-punt is adaptability to deep-water 

 shooting. 



I give here a sketch and some details of a shallow-draught 

 motor launch also. The chief work such a launch may be 

 employed to fulfil is that of following a gunning-punt on large 

 open waters where a punt may at any moment be subject to 

 danger. Besides serving this purpose, the launch can be used 

 for pleasure trips, fishing, and running on to fowl at sea. 

 In the side view we show a large swivel-gun mounted on the 

 fore-deck. Although this launch has been designed with as 

 low a freeboard as is compatible with safety, it must not be 

 supposed that she will be as good a craft for nearing wildfowl 

 as a duck-punt, yet there is no doubt she will run closer to 

 fowl than a sailing-boat of similar size. A mechanical-power 

 craft of fair speed can generally be more successfully managed 



