DEVON AND SOMERSET. 355 



of extensive mudbanks and shifting quicksands, 

 they are sometimes very hard to secure, even 

 when drowned by the hounds. The tishermen's 

 boats from Steart and Combwich are not always 

 at hand when wanted, and the particularly high 

 tides which occur on this coast run with great 

 force up the river to Bridgewater, or return 

 with a rush that is apt to carry the strongest 

 rower or swimmer far down stream. 



In the Spring of 1900 a hind crossed the 

 water near Black Rock and was pulled down 

 by the hounds amid the mud flats adjoining 

 the Pawlett Hams. The present master of the 

 Wells Harriers, divesting himself of his hunting 

 coat, volunteered to swim across the ebbing 

 tide, and after a very muddy landing secured 

 the hind and brought her back to the Otter- 

 hampton bank. The flat bottomed boats which 

 are used on this coast are of a singular shape 

 which has been found exactly suitable to the 

 circumstances with which they have to cope. 

 With raised ends, after the manner of a cocked 

 hat, they have a flat floor, on which a three- 

 legged stool not unfrequently does duty for a 

 thwart. With a stii¥ short mast and a lug sail 

 these boats will tack remarkably close to the 

 wind, heeling over so as to make the angle 

 between their flat bottoms and raised sides take 

 the place of the keel in an ordinary boat. In 

 running before the wind they will glide over 



