within these few years built a "lovely" crank punt, with only three boards, as light as possible: and he has contrived a prop for his gun that does away with all the re-action strain on a boat. For this reason, I think it worth showing as a good contrivance. No one kills so many birds on the mud as Read. He is a great doer, and a little talker; just the reverse of other. gunners. While Singer and Buckle, a few winters ago, were holding forth on their respective quays as to the numbers they had slaughtered, Read, with the rough set-out here shown, was bagging more than both of them together, putting on a face as long as Dragonetti's double bass, and complaining of the scarcity of birds, while his cargo of wigeon was wrapped up in a sail, to be stuffed by instalments into his pulled off water-boots; and thus smuggled ashore like a crop of contraband goods.

The bottom of the punt here shown is 10 feet long, and only 17 inches broad; the two very thin side planks flamming out to 31 inches at the gunwales. Varley has telescoped him in the act of pulling off his trigger; and chosen for a background a creek that bears my name; as I had it cut, at my own expense (about 40l.), for more than half a mile, in order that little boats may cross from Keyhaven to the Western Channel, without going two miles round, by Hurst; and there having to face the dangerous breakers which a good easterly wind causes in the Camber; as well as to escape the mile and a half pull up Keyhaven river, when the fresh-water sluices are opened from the "Mudlands."

I shall now dismiss Read with a sketch of his launching-gun, and his mode of fixing it,-by which it will be seen that there cannot be the least strain or jar, on any part of the punt, except just at the stem-piece.

A GUIDE TO CARPENTERS

POOLE CANOE.

227

(For shooting from the creeks, with a large shoulder gun.) The Poole canoe is built sharp at both ends, on the plan of the Greenland whale-boat, except being so flat at the bottom as to draw but about two inches of water, and so light as to weigh only from sixty to a hundred pounds. For this canoe, etc., see the plates and instructions, with the assistance of which a carpenter ought not to mistake in building one.

DIRECTIONS.

Dimensions. From stem to stern, 12 feet; length of bottom, 10 feet; bottom, at centre, 3 feet 2 inches; width at ditto, from gunwale to gunwale, 3 feet 7 inches; height, II inches at centre, rising to 13 ditto fore and aft; weight, about 100 lbs.

N.B.-Timbers yew or oak. Bottom to be three pieces of elm or pine, an inch thick. Each side one plank of elm, one-third of an inch thick. Caulk the seams with oakum: then pour in hot rosin, softened with a little oil to prevent it from cracking and paint the bottom (outside) with red lead.

CANOE FORESHORTENED.

For a guide to builders, if ordered inland or abroad.

SETTING POLE.

The bit of lead round fork makes it sink better.

Put your foot into C, with your heel hard against D; place one of the small ropes on each side the foot, and under C; then over it, and under D. Having done this, draw the ropes together, as tight as the foot can bear them, and tie them over your instep. These boards are, of necessity, larger, and fitted up with stronger rope than the others, because the Poole ground is so very soft.

But the Hampshire boards with our improvements of double splicing, and having strong pot-line, to "lash" over, are now by far the best, and the quickest to "ship and unship."

In making all canoes for gunning, the builder should be careful to have the bottoms of them a little rounded (say about half an inch of convex," amidships," for a bottom three feet broad); and, what is of still more consequence, a little kammelled," or sprung; that is, gradually rising "fore and aft," in order to "give them life." They will otherwise row miserably heavy, and when they get aground, suck the mud or sand so much, that, in order to get them off again, you might be forced to stand up; and this would frighten away the fowl. If, however, the bottom of a canoe is too much