THE GUNNING-PUNT. 117 



as in a flat-bottomed boat, but are round as a whale-boat ; though it is 

 a great desideratum to maintain the floor throughout as flat as it con- 

 sistently can be, with due regard to shape ; and, when ingeniously 

 constructed, such is by far the best form of punt that can be used. 



Col. Hawker condemns all round-bottomed punts, such as are used 

 at Southampton and Itchen ferry, as on a bad construction ; and gives 

 as a reason that they have unsteady bearings. 



Now, without disputing the Colonel's assertion as to the South- 

 ampton and Itchen ferry gunning-punts, it is insisted that the reason 

 of round-bottomed punts having unsteady bearings is, because they 

 are too round at the bottom. If they be constructed with a long 

 flat-floor, as flat as it is possible to make a clench-built punt, it will 

 be safer, and even steadier, than a flat-bottomed punt. 



The punt under consideration should be built with a spring in her 

 bottom, fore and aft, of from 1 J to 2 inches ; or, in other words, the 

 bottom of the punt, as taken from stem to stern, should form a section 

 of a circle ; and this, whether a flat or round-bottom ; the object of 

 which is, that in going into very shallow-water, when the bottom of 

 the boat grazes the mud, it may nevertheless be pushed ahead many 

 yards further ; whilst a boat without any spring in her bottom would 

 be set fast. This is sometimes a great consideration, when punting 

 to birds on the ooze, as the tide flows towards them, when the success 

 of a shot may depend on the chance of being able to push the punt 

 a few yards farther ahead. 



The fore-part of the punt, from stem to cross-piece, should be 

 covered over with a very thin scantling of deal, as lightly as possible, 

 so as to add no more to the weight forward than absolutely necessary, 

 because of the heavy gun which has to be placed there. 



The cross-piece alluded to, is placed just abaft the scantling, and 

 marks the balance for tipping the gun. 



The covered part of the punt may be finished with a semicircle, if 

 the punter attaches any regard to appearances ; and the edge should 

 then be completed with a neat semicircular piece, rising an inch and 

 a-half or two inches from the scantling-deck, which affords a sufficient 

 screen to the punter when making up to birds. 



Another cross-piece of light wood should be placed athwart the 

 gunwale, about 2J or 3 feet from the stem, before the scantling is put 

 on ; this is for the purpose of fixing the rest for the outer-end of the 

 barrel. The rest should be a simple copper screw, with a small semi- 

 circular crutch in which to receive the barrel. It should be made in 



