360 PUNT FOR A 



I did not build this punt till 1824, though the 

 model was made in 1 822. My reason for not naming 

 it before was, because I was unwilling to recommend 

 a plan of which I had not made some trial. 



Her bottom should kammelfore and aft about two 

 inches and three quarters, and be rounded " athwart 

 ships" about three quarters of an inch. The stern 

 may remain high, as here shown, but quite sharp, in 

 order to row, stern foremost, against a head sea. But 

 the bow, or stem, part should be cut down so low as 

 to be not more than four inches in height ; so that, 

 if she draws about three or four inches of water amid- 

 ships, she will just have a bearing, or draw about half 

 an inch of water, at the bow. The gun should rest 

 on a little prop (made of copper wire) about two inches 

 high, in order to keep it off the wet deck, and to pre- 

 vent the powder from burning the punt's bow, which 

 should project a foot beyond the muzzle of the gun, 

 and be covered with sheet copper. By the gun thus 

 being low, every thing is hid by the bulwarks ; and 

 by its pointing, as it lies, not more than fifteen yards 

 from the bow (or lower, if you put it on one side the 

 block), you can, if you get aground at the edge of a 

 creek, be enabled to fire low enough. Whereas if a 

 gun fixed very low down remained pointed at fifty or 

 sixty yards, the muzzle, on your shoving aground, 

 would be thrown up in the air, so that you could not 

 bear low enough to shoot at birds sitting on the rnud 

 or sand, unless you had the means of raising the but, 



