PUNT FOR A STANCHION GUN. 355 



late years been found out, that, now-a-days, but little 

 can be done without one, on any part of the English 

 coast. 



PUNT 

 FOR THE USE OF A STANCHION GUN. 



A GUNNING-PUNT, which is very narrow, although 

 it may row fast, is extremely dangerous, and will not 

 answer for going in shallow water, which is the grand 

 object, in order to get up to the birds before the tide 

 has flowed high enough to drive them off their legs, 

 and disperse them. 



All round-bottomed punts, such as are used at 

 Southampton and Itchen Ferry, and most of those 

 at East Yarmouth, are on a bad construction, except 

 merely to sail about with a shoulder-gun ; because 

 they have such unsteady bearings, and are so built, 

 that the gun, and the man's head who fires it, must 

 appear considerably above the gunwale. The con- 

 sequence is, that he frightens away half the birds 

 which he ought to kill ; and can never regulate his 

 gun for shooting in the dark. In short, clincher and 

 carvel built boats are only used by those, who, what- 

 ever they may fancy, are not finished masters of their 

 business. 



All gunning-punts should be as flat as possible in 

 the bottom (except having the necessary " kam- 

 melling," to give them life") ; by which they draw 

 far less water, and are so stiff, that it becomes im- 

 possible to capsize them. If an accident did happen 



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