156 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



Whilst the punt is employed during such severe frosts, the sides 

 and hottom are very liable to become corroded with ice. This must 

 be looked to, and the ice carefully removed, or it will alter the trim 

 of the punt, and, consequently, the range of the gun. But on no ac- 

 count should it be knocked off with force : such a proceeding assuredly 

 makes the punt leaky, as the sportsman will find, to his discomfort, 

 on the first thaw. 



Both the inside and outside of the gunning-punt must be kept 

 clear of ice and snow ; or the bearings of the gun will require to 

 be regulated afresh on every occasion when used. 



Gunning-punts should be dragged ashore, and placed under cover, 

 when not in use, during sharp weather. If exposed to frost and 

 snow, they soon fall out of trim ; and this is of more importance than 

 many would suppose. A punter who is careless about his boat will 

 frequently have the mortification of finding his gun lying at wrong 

 range ; when such is the case, as a natural result, he may as well 

 stay ashore, for he will kill nothing until the range and level of the 

 gun are re-adjusted. 



The dangers encountered by punters in drift-ice claim special atten- 

 tion. In my own experience, I never knew of a punter losing his 

 life in the ice, but I have seen men in most perilous positions, sur- 

 rounded by inextricable masses. Experienced persons, however, are 

 extremely cautious not to incur such risks. 



I remember once seeing a recklessly-adventurous young punter 

 in such a position that it was quite a miracle his punt was not 

 crushed to atoms between the floating masses of ice, and he buried 

 alive beneath its freezing influence. This man had very indiscreetly 

 gone out on a windy day far too much so for punting ; when, be- 

 sides, the drift-ice is rendered doubly dangerous, from the additional 

 force which the wind gives to its movements. The tide rose rapidly, 

 and rushed like a torrent up the river, bringing with it acres of 

 floating ice, which soon surrounded the incautious punter ; who in a 

 short time found himself quite beset, and totally unable to extricate 

 himself from its crushing grasp. During several hours he remained 

 in that helpless position, standing erect in the punt, and waving 

 signals of distress to people ashore. The force of the current drove 

 his boat many miles up the river, and thus assisted in binding it more 

 firmly than ever in the grasp of the ice. Whilst in this critical posi- 

 tion, the alarm of his friends ashore, as to his safety, became intense; 

 and, the tide being then shortly about to ebb, it was feared the con- 



