130 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



always found the simplest plan to be, on drawing the charge, merely 

 to raise the breach-end of the gun, giving it a tap, when the shot 

 will directly run down into the charger, the shot bag, or whatever 

 may be placed to receive it. The object of the loading-spoon appears 

 to be simply for depositing the powder in the chamber, in a dry and 

 pure condition, that no particle of it may stick to the sides of the 

 barrel in its passage down. I maintain that this may be done more 

 effectually, and in less than half the time required under Colonel 

 Hawker's plan, by the simple and ordinary means of loading ; which 

 I now purpose to explain. 



To Load the Punt- Gun. 



Cast-off the lashings and gun breechings, and carefully slide the 

 but-end of the gun to the stern of the punt ; bring the ammunition- 

 box forward, so as to have it handy; let the muzzle of the gun 

 be slightly elevated, resting on the cross-piece of the punt, or 

 on the midships of the gunnel ; take the loading-rod, and, if at all 

 wet, wipe it carefully with a bit of oakum ; then take a small hand- 

 ful of oakum,and roll it on to the spiral- worm of the loading-rod; 

 with this, well wipe the interior of the barrel ; and the gun will 

 shoot all the better if you take a second piece of oakum and wipe 

 out the barrel a second time. This done ; take the charger which 

 should be made of copper or tin a simple tube of conical form, the 

 small end fitting easily into the muzzle of the gun, but the base 

 sufficiently large to prevent more than half the tube entering the 

 barrel ; carefully measure a charge of cannon powder, pouring it 

 directly from the canister into the charger ; toss it immediately into 

 the barrel; raise the muzzle, and it will all roll rattling down into the 

 chamber of the gun without the aid of a loading-spoon or any such 

 useless incumbrances. Then take another handful of oakum clean and 

 dry roll it firmly into a ball, thrust it into the barrel, and ram it home 

 on the powder ; then load with shot in precisely the same manner, 

 except that the oakum wadding placed over the shot should consist 

 of only half the quantity of that used for the powder. 



Having loaded the barrel with powder and shot, carefully slide 

 the gun back again into its berth, and secure it to the breechings. 

 Then, if it goes with copper tubes instead of gun-caps, there is 

 nothing else to do but merely slip in the tube and all is ready for 

 action ; but with a percussion nipple a little more remains to be done. 



