296 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 
obtained, even with such a heavily laden little boat as a motor 
gunning-punt. The question of speed, however, is entirely 
one of power in the craft, yet our aim should be to get the 
highest results for the least expenditure, or, in other words, the 
greatest efficiency as economically as possible. 1 think seven 
miles an hour a good, all-round speed, under favourable 
conditions, with five miles an hour against a slight breeze and 
tidal currents. The many ways in which a motor-punt is to 
be worked will depend much upon the design of the boat, and 
also the nature of the fowling ground. It would be useless 
to give anything but general advice upon the matter, so varied 
are the circumstances in punt-shooting. In the case of a 
deep-water punt, i.e. with a draught of, say, 8 in. or g in., the 
only method of obtaining land shots in shallows, is to get 
up speed, raise the propellers, and run in as near as possible. 
After this the punt can be worked as an ordinary one if not 
fitted with gear to propel her in shallows—of course, always 
allowing for the inconvenience of being unable to run in 
very shallow water, owing to draught. The chief claim of 
the up-to-date motor-punt is adaptability to deep-water 
shooting. 
I give here a sketch and some details of a shallow-draught 
motor launch also. The chief work such a launch may be 
employed to fulfil is that of following a gunning-punt on large 
open waters where a punt may at any moment be subject to 
danger. Besides serving this purpose, the launch can be used 
for pleasure trips, fishing, and running on to fowl at sea. 
In the side view we show a large swivel-gun mounted on the 
fore-deck. Although this launch has been designed with as 
low a freeboard as is compatible with safety, it must not be 
supposed that she will be as good a craft for nearing wildfowl 
as a duck-punt, yet there is no doubt she will run closer to 
fowl than a sailing-boat of similar size. A mechanical-power 
craft of fair speed can generally be more successfully managed 
