270 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
painted with red-lead inside and on the outside of the bottom, 
and white elsewhere. The white soon gets dirty, and becomes 
of a suitable colour for working after fowl. 
The question of recoil gear for the gun is one which should 
have had previous consideration. In all cases elevating gear, 
which will enable the gunner to raise or lower his gun bodily 
(this is not lifting or depressing the muzzle), should be fitted, 
and if a recoil spring is employed it is wise and safe to have in 
addition a stout rope breeching. The elevating gear in a 
properly constructed punt can always be fitted after the punt is 
completed. This gear is fixed through the gun-beam. 
Although all amateur gunning-punts are built on the same 
lines, a wide difference exists between the single and double- 
handed types as regards sizes and thicknesses of wood, etc. 
As I have not minutely referred to the various sizes, I here 
append detailed specifications for them. My remarks here in 
no way refer to professional punts, as these are in general an 
intermingling, according to locality, of small craft ranging 
from clinker-built unsafe gondolas, to smart, narrow, skiff-like 
boats, much resembling the recognised single amateur gunning- 
punts. : 
SPECIFICATION OF LARGE DOUBLE-HANDED GUNNING-PUNT TO CARRY GUN 
OF 180 LB. WEIGHT. 
Length é : : ; - 22 ft. qin. 
Length on bottom . é : .  2r ft. 
Beam over decks. : ‘ 4 ft. 2 in. 
Width across bottom (widest part) ‘i . 3 ft. 7 in. 
Depth of sides (vertical at widest part) . . 6 in. 
Height at stem ‘ F : 6} in. 
Height at stern , ; : 7% in. 
Width of cockpit (widest part) ‘ : 2 ft. 8 in. 
Length of cockpit . é .- 12 ft. 6 in. 
Length of afterdeck . : ; 3 ft. 3 in. 
Round on foredeck at gun-beam : : 43 in. 
Height from floor to top of gun-beam _ . - rf in. 
Height from floor to main deck rafter aft ‘ g in. 
Kammel on bottom . : : . 1h in. 
Spring on bottom. : : : 3 in. 
