DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS OF THE GUNNING-PUNT. 273 



of October, 1881, a day which strewed the N.E. coast with 

 the bodies of fishermen and the shattered wrecks of their 

 vessels. The morning broke fine, but the barometer having 

 rapidly dropped to 28 40', the Northumbrian men did not 

 put to sea. Those of Eyemouth and Burnmouth, a few miles 

 to the northward, set sail as usual, and encountered the full 

 fury of the cyclone, with the melancholy result that 170 lives 

 were lost, and the manhood of the latter village all but 

 annihilated. 



The following is my brother's description of that terrible 

 day : " Launched the punt at seven and poled up the North 

 Slakes with the flood, picking up a couple of Godwits with 

 the small gun. The day was fine, though rather windy, and 

 the sky was full of white fleecy clouds. About eleven o'clock 

 we made out a large flight of Wigeon, splashing and gambol- 

 ling by the edge of a mud-bank. They were very restless, 

 rising at 300 yards without any warning ; they made several 

 impetuous gyrations in the air, sometimes passing close over 

 the punt, where we lay flattened on the bottom-boards ; but 

 so unsettled were they (probably conscious of the coming 

 storm), that, though frequently splashing into the water 

 almost within shot, they never allowed time to execute the 

 necessary manceuvres for a shot with the big gun. At noon 

 we anchored to have our lunch, before going into action 

 again. The weather had not altered fleecy clouds still 

 hastening across the sky from the westward. But now a 

 small black cloud seemed to rise from the northern horizon. 

 Quickly it rose and increased in magnitude. Hardly had we 

 observed its ill-omened appearance, than a horrible roaring 

 noise was borne down upon us. Up went the Wigeon and 

 away to the southward, followed by a string of Grey Geese, 

 driving before the wind at enormous velocity. At these I 

 sent a No. 1 wire-cartridge, and remember distinctly hearing 

 it patter against their strong quills as they hastened before 

 the cyclone ; now a flock of Oyster-catchers, now a score of 

 Godwits hurried past. The rushing noise increased in 

 violence. We could now see its advance, as the once tran- 

 quil waters were lashed up into seething foam some 500 

 yards to windward. ' Be quick, sir ! jump out, and hold on 



