368 IMPROVED NEW PLAN FOR A 



and when the open part is closed with oiled Russia 

 duck, which, by means of two large holes in it, is lashed 

 round the waists of the shooters, she becomes a com- 

 plete life-boat. But this " Esquimaux," as we call it, I 

 never had occasion to use but once ; and then more for 

 trial than from necessity. It, however, makes a de- 

 lightful covering in bad weather. This punt may be 

 made air-tight, and a regular life-boat without the cover. 

 But, on this plan, I found that we were much incon- 

 venienced, for want of room to " stow" away the mast, 

 oars, gunrods, &c., and therefore I opened her again all 

 the way under the deck. 



This punt should be rounded, athwartships, about an 

 inch, and " sprung fore and aft" at least three inches. 

 Mine is about four, by which she has more " life in a 

 sea ;" and I put on a little wooden shoe, just under her 

 bow, which holds her on steady when you run her nose 

 aground ; and saves her from rubbing when landing on 

 a gravelly shore. I have of course also a defence of 

 thin sheet copper. 



Except a few little cross-pieces of well seasoned oak, 

 the floors and timbers should Reformed together out of 

 one piece of tough ash. In order to make these fit 

 without a vacuum, the sides must of course be filled up 

 with angle-pieces. These should be cut to rather a 

 square shape, where the sides and bottom meet, and of 

 course be round inside, in order to meet the hoop 

 timbers. These angle-pieces, being merely to fill up 

 the space, require no strength, and therefore a long 

 piece of deal, or, in short, the lightest wood, is best 

 for them. Light bottom-boards are of course required, 

 in order to protect the timbers, &c., and with them we 

 can have sheepskins, rugs, or many other things more 



