212 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



hindrance to success ; and the cripple-chase, which immediately sue 

 ceeds an effectual shot, generally affords half an hour's amusement, 

 with plenty of sport for two or three shoulder-guns ; this is fre- 

 quently excessive good fun for the yachtsman's friends and com- 

 pagnons de voyage. 



The best position for using a swivel-gun aboard a yacht is, in the 

 fore-part of the vessel ; but in small yachts and such as are used for 

 other purposes than wild-fowling, the gun is generally fitted to a 

 chock, placed on the top of the yacht's cuddy j the sportsman then 

 stands below, just outside the gangway ; and in that position, by aid 

 of the swivel and recoil apparatus, he is enabled to shoot on the wind- 

 ward side of the sails, or indeed on either side, if the main-tack of 

 the sail be triced up ; it is usual, however, to shoot only on the wind- 

 ward side, particularly when the gun is placed abaft the mast. 



The advantages of being able to work the gun in front of the mast 

 are very many. In the first place the sportsman stands in a foremost 

 position, and is several yards nearer the birds than when abaft the 

 mast j he can shoot with equal facility from either bow, and very 

 much quicker than in the other position, because he has not to guard 

 against so many o'bstacles, as ropes and rigging, which are frequently 

 in the way on taking aim or firing from the aft-cabin gang-way. In 

 the next place it is seldom necessary for any of the crew to go in 

 front of the gun, when fitted for use over the bows of the yacht ; 

 whilst in the other position there is constantly some one or other of 

 the crew obliged to go forward in advance of the gun, to attend to 

 sails and ropes. 



When the swivel-gun is fitted to the yacht with recoil-spring and 

 other indispensable appendages, it may be employed with the facility 

 and certainty of a small shoulder-piece : a very little practice will 

 soon make the newest tyro familiar with its action, and enable him 

 to kill with tolerable success. The most difficult art he has to learn 

 is, to judge of distances : small objects on the open sea are so 

 deceptive to the eye, that a good deal of practice is necessary before 

 any one can correctly judge of gun-shot range on the open water. It 

 is laughable to see a novice at the sport, squandering away powder 

 and shot by banging at wild geese three hundred, four hundred, and 

 even five hundred yards distant ; and then wondering how it is he 

 does not kill, attributing the fault to the gun, which he perhaps con- 

 demns as of " no good." 



The stanchion-gun may be quickly and handily loaded aboard the 

 shooting-yacht, and generally without unshipping it, or casting off 



