STANCHION GUN. 357 



who has seen the punt in question. Many boat- 

 builders have seen it, and ridiculed the idea of not 

 being able to go home and make precisely the same 

 thing. Several, however, have been built by them 

 to order, and, as yet, not one has been done right, 

 though, of course, much like it in appearance. 

 There is not a boat-builder in a thousand who well 

 understands punts, as the best gunners generally 

 make their own, and keep the secret to themselves ; 

 or, at all events, from the boat-builders, who would 

 otherwise be making them for every shooter in the 

 port. The best way, therefore, is to get an able gunner 

 to find head, and a good inland carpenter, w r ho works 

 much better and neater at this light board work than 

 a boat-builder, to find hands and tools. I never 

 could get a punt without faults, till I did this. 



Having treated further, perhaps, than was ne- 

 cessary on shooting punts in general, I shall now 

 endeavour to explain the kind of one that I have 

 found to answer best, taking in consideration com- 

 fort, safety, and every other point requisite for those 

 sportsmen to whom is offered this part of the book. 



NEW PLAN FOR A GUNNING-PUNT. 



I HAVE now a punt on a new plan, completed since 

 the third edition, which, as far as I can yet judge, 

 beats all the others. The plan in question is to have 

 the punt decked over in every part, except leaving 

 just room for the shooter to lie, and the man to work 



