DUCK-PUNTS. 337 



" No smoking on board a shooting yacht or duck- 

 punt/' is a warning I have often heard, and seen 

 written. Was there ever such nonsense ? You 

 might as well condemn the cooking stove. Pow- 

 der in a punt, if properly kept in its ammunition- 

 box, should be free from all possibility of explosion, 

 even though a fire were lit in her centre. As well 

 might it be said, " Do not go near a loaded gun 

 with a cigar in your mouth for fear of exploding it." 

 The only possible chance of danger from smoking 

 would be caused by a madman alone, who might 

 unlock an ammunition box or drawer and allow 

 the ashes to drop from his cigar into the powder 

 canister. But madmen do not usually go fowling, 

 I am glad to say, nor do fowlers carry loose 

 powder in their pockets, or dry it in saucepans 

 over the fire. 



To keep duck-punts in summer place them in 

 as cool a place as possible, avoiding draughts, which 

 are as bad as a. hot sun for warping timbers. The 

 simplest plan is to block them up a few inches off 

 the ground in such a way that the natural spring 

 is retained fore and aft in the bottom. An old 

 sail or tarpaulin thrown over is a good preserver 

 from the destructive elements, heat and cold. If 

 a punt is kept on a waggon built to fit her, she 

 can be moved anywhere from sun or rain by one 

 man, and will be free from all chance of straining. A 

 wooden cover is a necessity, and it should be cut 

 in two at the centre, and slightly curved, to prevent 

 water resting. If in one piece, it is very cumbersome. 

 Do not lock a punt cover, or some rascal will sooner 

 or later smash it open to see if there are guns or 



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