CONSTRUCTION OF FOWLING-PUNTS. 461 



larger. This beam should be always 3in. wide and 

 i^in. thick. Another beam, 2in. wide and lin. 

 thick, should support forward end of after-deck. 



SURFACE VIEW OF DECK-RAFTER. 



Coaming. A piece of birch is very good in a 

 small punt, yellow pine or ash in a large one. Let 

 the forward ends of this coaming be supported 

 outside by neat copper or brass -in. thick angles ; 

 wood knees being heavy, cast shadows and throw 

 spray aboard. Posts take up room between the 

 fore ends of the coaming. With knees or angles 

 outside you have plenty of space to turn the big 

 gun about, and to see the fowl at either side of the 

 barrel without raising your head (see page 424). 



Stem and Stern. Elm, birch, or best oak (there 

 are two or three qualities of the latter wood). 



Strips on edges of floor to fasten sides to should 

 be of i|in. square yellow pine, and run the entire 

 length of the floor. 



Strips on inside edges of sides at top, to support 

 rafters, and nail edges of deck to, may be i Jin. square 

 yellow pine, and also reach from stem to stern. 



There must also be side-deck supporting knees 

 fastened to the sides, and to the other knees as 

 well, under the side-decks : their ends may pro- 

 ject towards the centre of the punt beyond the 

 decks just enough to fit the coaming down over 



