GUNNING-PUNT. 371 



This punt will certainly row past the other as fast as 

 if she was moored ; and is much lighter. But I can 

 always get at least twenty yards nearer to birds with 

 the large one, because, from her breadth, she admits of 

 so much lower a deck; and in her I can fire while 

 quite out of sight ; whereas, with the rope breeching, I 

 must put my shoulder to the but, and thereby show my 

 head to the birds. In rough weather, too, these narrow 

 crafts are such " wet boats " as to make shooting more 

 a misery than a pleasure. All punts of this kind should 

 have no iron about them. All the nails, and every thing 

 required in metal, should be of wrought copper, for 

 which reason they cannot be completed in the best 

 manner without considerable expense. 



Let me now conclude this narcotic essay on punt- 

 building by a reference to a new plate, executed, under 

 my directions, by Mr. Varley and Mr. Adlard; with 

 a scale of dimensions, which will, I trust, be found 

 more agreeable than troubling my readers with marks 

 of reference. 



EXPLANATION. 



N.B. Except the detached part of the gun, all here shown is 

 according to the scale ; though the lower view of the punt is, by 

 the perspective, a little thrown out of the proportion for measuring, 

 as well as of her " rakish" (or prettily shaped) appearance. But 

 this has been done in order to show some of the inside. 



1. Broadside of the punt, shut up for the night; or for travelling 



on the carriage. 



2. Moveable support for gun. 



3. Enlarged view from part of the gun, as shipped in the block, 



showing the detonating lock, and the cannon-metal stock. 



4. Travelling carriage on lancewood springs. The fore pieces 



take off (as shown by dotted lines), and then you have only 

 to drag the hind wheels, (see chain ;) roll your punt up, 



B B 2 



