364 PUNT FOR A 



by those, who, whatever they may fancy, are not finished 

 masters of their business. 



All gunning-punts should be as flat as possible in the 

 bottom (except having the necessary " kammelling," to 

 " give them life") ; by which they draw far less water, 

 and are so stiff, that it becomes impossible to capsize 

 them. If an accident did happen, it would be by their 

 filling and sinking, but not upsetting, as the before- 

 mentioned boats might do ; and, as a still further guard 

 against which, these boats may be decked all the way 

 from " stern to mid-ships," and half way round the 

 sides. 



The most destructive gunning-punt, for one hand, 

 that I had seen up to 1824 (when I adopted my new 

 plan), was about nine inches high, and drew scarcely 

 two inches of water, with a man and his gun. This 

 punt should be full three feet broad, from about a yard 

 before the stern ; decked all the way from the gunning- 

 bench to the bow ; and so sharp forward, that, when 

 required, the bow may be shoved for several feet up the 

 edge of the ground, so as for the gun to be raised at 

 the but, rested on the " stem," and fired over the mud, 

 before the tide flows high enough for a large gun to 

 bear in the ordinary way. But, as in this case the 

 recoil must be checked by the shoulder, I have only 

 superficially described the punt, knowing, of course, that 

 very few who shot for pleasure would adopt the system. 

 Moreover, by fully explaining it, I should, instead of 

 serving sportsmen, be only taking the bread from 

 Buckle, the man who showed me the minutiae of it, to 

 put into the mouths of his rivals, whom he says he will, 

 and, I believe, he safely may, give seven years to find it 



