374 BOAT SHOOTING, UNDER SAIL. 



A boat for this work should have plenty of bear- 

 ings, and have as little keel as she can well go to 

 windward with, in order to get, at times, within shot 

 of the mud and sands, and also to run through a 

 harbour at spring-tides, without getting aground. 

 You should, therefore, for this sport, always make 

 choice of a, day when the wind is off the land, and a 

 time when the tide is flowing; as you have then no 

 danger of filling your boat with the hollow sea of a 

 lee shore, or running her so fast aground as not to be 

 able to get her off immediately. In following wild- 

 fowl under sail, command, as much as you can, a 

 windward birth, in order to bear down on them at 

 pleasure ; and if they rise out of shot against wind, 

 as they usually do, luff up directly, and try to head 

 them for a cross shot. As the gun, when on one 

 tack, is in the way of the jib, you must have the 

 man who attends the jib-sheets always in readiness 

 to haul the weather one to windward ; but this 

 must be done only just before you want to fire, or 

 you deaden the boat's way. Take care also to let the 

 sheet be under the barrel of the gun, in order that 

 your line of aim may be clear of every thing. In this 

 pursuit, when the more wind sometimes the more 

 sport, never go with less than three good hands; 

 and be careful, in squally weather, not to make too 

 fast the main-sheet, as nine-tenths of the misfortunes 

 that we hear of have occurred from this very cir- 

 cumstance. 



While on this subject, it may be useful information 



