EXPENSES. 439 



on this ever-important head. As I have elsewhere 

 said, when fowling is extensively undertaken, and 

 pride is shown in keeping guns, punt, and gear in 

 perfect order, it is no sport for a light purse to 

 engage in. There is a slovenly method of duck- 

 shooting as well as in other sports, such as leaky 

 unpainted punts, and dirty, stock-shaking guns, 

 rusty cripple-stoppers, and above all unsuitable 

 clothes. All these items, when as they should be, 

 not only add largely to sport, but to comfort as 

 well. Appearance and order in a duck-punt are 

 more necessary than some might fancy possible. 

 There needs be a place for everything, a well-known 

 and exact one too, and one taught by experience to 

 be the best, and everything must be in that place, 

 down to the smallest article on board. I hear men 

 at times point to professional fowlers or anglers, and 

 say how such folk with dirty punts, inferior guns, 

 and common fishing-rods and tackle, excel gentle- 

 men with their more perfect appliances. So they 

 might ; but if they do, it is from their long-taught 

 and superior knowledge of " where " and " how," as 

 well as their never-flagging exertions. But look at 

 this piece of wisdom in another light. Let the 

 poor men use punts, guns and tackle in perfect 

 order, which they can't afford to do, how much more 

 successful would they then be to what they are / so 

 let nothing, whether time or money, if you can 

 afford both, be spared in reason to keep all in per- 

 fect order. 



List of articles required in double-handed shoot- 

 ing : Punt, punt-gun, two single shoulder-guns, 

 gun-crutch, gun-elevator, shifting hand-rest ; two 



