CR UISING-PADDLE. 433 



themselves are perhaps inconveniently stowed away 

 under the deck. It may even be used with a small 

 spur fixed to ship into the coaming. It can be 

 let go of, or laid down in an instant, to fire at 

 wounded birds, after a shot from the big gun, which 

 an oar cannot without being brought inboard or 

 placed ath wart-ship when it rolls about, whilst your 

 man in the stern continues to paddle and twist you 

 about as may be necessary to retrieve the cripples. 

 An oar, if " get-at-able," is more powerful to push 

 up to the wounded ; but then you have to reduce the 

 strength of your stroke to keep match with your 

 man paddling in the stern. If he had an oar, when 

 you laid yours down to fire, he could not manage 



LONG ASH PADDLE, OF IMPROVED SHAPE, FOR GENERAL USE IN 

 SHALLOW WATERS ABOARD FOWLING-PUNTS WHEN NOT SETTING 

 TO FOWL. 



Total length, 6ft. 4-in. Blade, 2ft. loin, long, and 6in. broad at 

 widest ; Jin. thick at edge, fin. at centre, -|in. at point. Handle 2f in. 

 broad at hollow for hand ; ^in. thick inside hollow. Neck of handle, 

 i^in. diameter. If this shaped paddle be used in a double-handed 

 punt for actual working up to fowl it can be similar in shape, but 

 i ft. 6in. shorter in handle, and blade $in. broad. 



the punt or direct it, as with a paddle, whilst you 

 are finishing off the pensioners. All oars and 

 paddles that are used in a duck-punt should be quite 

 straight ; if spoon-shaped, they will soon give under 

 the severe strain of constant shoving against the 

 bottom in shallow water which they will have to 



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