DRESSING FOR PUNTS AND CANOES. 411 



Have the outside of all your punts and canoes painted, 

 with the very best white lead; and to make them drab, 

 for sun or moon, use a little distemper colour, such as 

 the scenes of the theatres are painted with ; and this, 

 either with, or without size, may be mopped off in a 

 few minutes. Some of the gunners use a wet clod; 

 but you must beware of salt mud, as that would stain 

 your punt. 



For shooting off at sea, when there is a breeze, a tint 

 of lead colour has the best deception. But I seldom 

 use it, unless very light, for two reasons the one, that 

 it is a bad colour for shallow water ; and the other, 

 that no prudent man would go off to sea in a punt, 

 when there is so much "lop" as to darken the water. 



To stop a chink, or crack, force in, with a caulking 

 iron, some oakum, or stiff brown paper, before you 

 pour in any kind of mixture. Hot rosin, softened with 

 a little oil, does very well by itself, if you do not wish 

 to have the trouble of mixing the other ingredients. 



