458 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



suitable wood that can be used in a punt, provided 

 it be kept carefully painted ; if not well coated, it 

 soon gets heavy from water soakage. Fir is also 

 tough, and is capital stuff to use for decks, or even 

 sides, if it can be procured perfectly sound, but as 

 a floor-plank it rags and frays in a short time. 

 The smallest and lightest of all these crafts (see 

 foot of page 469), after several years' careful work, 

 is as good as ever. The fowler I gave her to says 

 she is tight as a bottle, and he is now using a i6oz. 

 charge and 8olb. gun in her. 



The deck of this craft at first consisted of longi- 

 tudinal strips Jin. thick, lin. wide, and 2 in. apart, 

 placed from the stem across the deck-rafters to the 

 stern, and covered with duck, save a little sheet 

 copper just under the flash of the muzzle. This 

 punt had not the usual ribbons fastened over the 

 joints of the bottom planks, but tarred canvas 

 instead. Yet with all her lightness she now, after 

 eight years' service, stands the recoil of a heavier 

 gun and charge than I built her for. So much for 

 a very light punt being unable to carry a big gun 

 safely, without any aid to check recoil but the ordi- 

 nary rope-breeching, such as long stocks under the 

 shooter's arm, assistant springs, and what not be- 

 sides. As to a light punt breaking her back, or 

 bending, so she would, or a racing boat either for 

 that matter, if improperly placed on a cart or rock. 

 But in the water such an accident would never 

 happen, and for the water is she intended, and when 

 on land careful management. Though she will 

 answer for a skilful fowler to kill birds in, I do not 

 pretend she would do for a " bargee " to pull to 



