CHAPTER XXII. 



PUNT-GUNS. 



" Praise in old time the sage Prometheus won, 

 Who stole ethereal radiance from the sun ; 

 But greater he, whose bold invention strove 

 To emulate the fiery bolts of Jove." 



Translation by MILTON. 



IMPROVEMENTS have gone to such an extent of late years in guns 

 of every description, that there is now no difficulty in obtaining a 

 sound and useful gun for any purpose required. If the fowler wishes 

 to become acquainted with the arts and contrivances of fitting and 

 stocking, or even casting and making, a gun, there are many treatises 

 on the subject, to some or one of which we would refer him. For 

 the purposes of this work, it will only be necessary to make a few 

 remarks on what is considered, from experience, to be the most 

 useful sort of gun j and the best, the safest, and most convenient 

 methods of fitting, placing, and elevating it, for the punt ; and those 

 also regarding the stanchion- gun, for the shooting-yacht. 



And first, of the Punt-gun : 



It is a great desideratum to have the punt-gun no heavier than 

 necessary, because of the inconvenience of shifting and loading a 

 heavy gun : nevertheless, it must be of sufficient size and substance 

 to carry three-quarters of a pound of shot, if intended for wild-goose 

 shooting, or for use on the open coast j but, if required merely for 

 duck and widgeon, and for the general purposes of inland sport, a 

 gun carrying half-a-pound of shot will be found most suitable. The 

 length of barrel is immaterial : about six feet and a-half is as good 

 and useful a length for a punt-gun as any, and just as effective as one 

 of seven feet and upwards. 



It is very desirable that the lock of a punt-gun should be safe and 

 secure, or accidents of the most lamentable nature may occur ; and 



