CHAPTER XXI. 



THE GUNNING-PUNT. 



" Behold his punt now ride the restless wave, 

 A little speck, scarce scanned from off the shore." 



T. HUGHES. 



A BOAT, for the purpose of carrying- one individual sportsman, with a 

 punt-gun, ammunition-box, shoulder-gun, and other requisites for 

 punting, should be just large enough to be safe and serviceable, but 

 nothing more. The smaller the object is made to appear on the 

 water, the greater will be the punter's chances of success, the more 

 convenient it will be to manage, the quicker he can make up to birds, 

 and the less will be the exertion necessary to propel it. 



The size of a wild-fowling punt, however, must be in some 

 proportion to the size of the gun intended to be used, and also in pro- 

 portion to the height and weight of the punter himself. 



The most useful sized punt-gun for general purposes, is that 

 carrying about \ Ib. of shot at a charge ; and, as there are more guns 

 in use on the coast of this size than any others, the recommendation 

 would seem to be confirmed. 



A punt to carry a gun of the description stated, with a man of from 

 ten to twelve stone weight, must be of the following dimensions : 



Length, over all 17 feet. 



Breadth, amidships 2 feet 10 inches. 



Ditto, ditto, at bottom 2 feet 8 inches. 



Depth at bows 4 inches. 



Ditto at stern 8 inches. 



A boat of this description may be built either with a flat-bottom 

 or a flat-floor the distinction being, that one is perfectly flat as the 

 bottom of a box which is termed "flat-bottomed;" the other, 

 though said to be " flat-floored," is built more like the bottom of a 

 skiff, i. e.j clench-built, and the sides do not commence from an angle 



