448 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



a tiny leather loop on an oar i8in. from the handle 

 end to fit this pin easily, and so that the oar will 

 hook on to it and the blade hang edgeways in the 

 water. Ship an oar thus on the leeside when the 

 wind is strong abeam, and acting as a lee-board 

 without in any way hindering the paddler ; the punt 

 can be shoved her course straight as an arrow 

 when set to birds in a side breeze. 



The number of deck beams given in plans does 

 not include the large gunbeam that ends fore-deck, 

 or the beam that supports fore end of after-deck. 

 The upper edges of the sides of a punt must join 

 the top of the stem and stern in quite a straight 

 line, or an ugly hog-backed shape is given, and one 

 that has no advantage in any way. One foot should 

 be the width between forward ends of coaming in 

 all punts, and about ift. 6in. between after ends in a 

 double, and ift. 4in. in a single. A good sea-boat 

 is a fine thing no doubt, but high decks and coam- 

 ings in a punt are very much against success in 

 procuring birds or getting near them. The width 

 of floor given in measurements means over all out- 

 side. 



The floor of a duck-punt should be perfectly 

 smooth and devoid of all projections outside, such 

 as keel or bilge pieces. These only act as obstruc- 

 tions when shooting fowl. 



Some punts are now built with the centre plank 

 the lowest, and the side floor-planks fastened to 

 and overlapping its edges a couple of inches. It 

 is, no doubt, a very strong and watertight method, 

 but has the great disadvantage of requiring more 

 water to float in than does an even floor. It 



