372 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



water with soft ooze, the boards, if self-acting, will 

 sink just enough to hinder the punt from taking 

 a sudden turn when perhaps most required for a 

 shot. The smoother and freer from obstruction the 

 bottom of a duck-punt can be kept, the better she 

 will act for shooting. In a fresh breeze without a 

 wave, you can now and then sail down upon fowl, 

 especially geese, with astonishing success ; but a 

 strong wind usually means, for a punt, lumpy water, 

 which kills the shot, and if the birds are allowed 

 to rise, the aim is jerky and uncertain. If but a 

 light air, the approach is too slow, and the fowl 

 have too much time to take notice of the sail, 

 while you do not bear down upon them with 

 that deceptive speed that is conducive to a 

 shot. At such and most times the usual method 

 of approach would answer far the best* You 

 might, except for the variety of it, ten times out 

 of twelve, paddle or scull on fowl easier than 

 when everything is favourably disposed for sail- 

 ing. A sail, as a third hand in a punt, is at 

 times most useful, I admit, helping you, when the 

 wind is fair, over many a long mile homeward, or 

 on your way. It should be of such a size that 

 a very strong breeze would not place you in 

 jeopardy of a capsize. Sailing in a punt in rough 

 water, for reasons before shown, is most unsafe. 

 She is apt to plough under at any moment, and be 



case exactly when up, and the case for it must be covered at the top 

 to prevent its being forced up out 6f a line with the punt's floor. 



* In some places, on very favourable days, you can sail right up to 

 the fowl. You at once think, what a clever plan it is ; but on such 

 occasions you would, did you try it, almost pull up to them, and 

 scull or paddle best of all. 



