not go too far forward up the bow or she will stop the "way" of the
punt. A steady pressure should be kept up while walking down the punt
once the pole is thrown into the water, and a strong push given at the
finish in the stern. If the pressure is too great at the commencement
of the stroke, by the time the stem is reached the bow will have run
out into the stream, so that, at the finish of the stroke, too much
force has to be used to bring the punt in again. This detracts from the
speed and causes a zig-zag course. As in "pricking," there should not
be too much steering. It is impossible, in "running" a punt, to steer
entirely without the effort being perceptible. Against a strong stream
and wind, and with a heavy load it is often far easier to "run." For
"pricking," the punter assumes a stationary position in the stern,
about a third of the way up the punt and facing the bow, while all the
weight to be carried is put in front of the punter. The pole must never
be reversed to bring the punt in or out, but kept the same side, that
is, in the shallow water nearest the bank. The pole should be thrown in
as near the side of the punt as possible without scraping it each time.
This enables the punter to keep an upright position, and exert more
force than if the pole were held far away from the punt.
A pole is taken out hand over hand, and should be recovered in as few
movements as possible. In racing especially a quick recovery is a very
great advantage. It should be taken out in two movements in shallow
water, so that a fast punter would be ready to throw in her pole for
the next push before a punter with a slow recovery had taken her pole
out of the water. Of course, in very deep water, two movements will be
found impossible.
In an ordinary way, and going up stream, the pole is thrown about
opposite to with the body, but going down, in a very strong stream the
pole should be thrown in some way in advance of the body, otherwise the
punter loses her grip on the ground in consequence of the stream
carrying the punt so rapidly on that the pole floats uselessly out in
the stream, and no time is given for the push. A punt can be stopped
dead by reversing the pole--not to the opposite side of the punt, but
by throwing it in in the opposite direction to that in which the punter
is pushing. A punt is sometimes considered somewhat awkward to turn,
but the distance of her own length is nearly enough in reality if she
is turned properly! When the "way" on her is stopped the pole should be
thrown in the other side, across the deck--the shoe pointing a long way
off from the punt, so that the pole slants right across, the punter
facing the stern. This stroke repeated once or twice will turn a punt
almost in her own water.
When crossing strong streams, the bow must be kept well up against the
stream, or the current will carry the punt right round. In a strong
wind the same precaution is necessary. It is sometimes easier in much
wind to push the punt backwards--the stern foremost, the punter
standing in the bow. A punt is not so much influenced by the wind with
all the weight in front, and is therefore easier to keep straight. If
the bow is out of the water, it is blown from one side to the other,
and it is often very difficult to steer. In the wash of a steamer
punters should keep away from the bank, or the punt may be swept on to
it, when it will probably ship water.
In going over new ground, it is well to be prepared for mud or loose
shingle. If there has been any dredging, the ground is always loose,
and it is easy to lose one's balance if quite unprepared for the ground
crumbling away under a hard push. The same thing takes place with an
unexpected deep hole, where the pole is flung in and cannot reach the
bottom.
If a punter be always prepared for these things, there is no danger,
but an unthinking beginner is apt to throw in her pole fiercely, and on
finding it stuck fast in the mud, she will probably fall in herself if
she clings to it valiantly but foolishly. Never cling to a pole
therefore--rather let it go. For this reason, or in case of
accidentally breaking a pole, punters should always carry an extra one
in the punt.
Some people have straps on the outside of their punts for extra poles,
but these are apt to be a nuisance in locks, and they spoil the trim
and neat appearance of a punt. Beware of a wooden bottom to a lock, for
the shoe of the pole may stick fast in the wood and the bow of the punt
swing round across the lock-gates.
A punt has one great disadvantage.
In a lock full of boats, perhaps half the number of people do not know
how to manage their own boats, and have not the least idea how to get
out of the lock. Therefore they are apt to dig their boat-hooks into
the nearest punt, if they can, and expect to be towed out. So, while
looking out for a wooden bottom to the lock, beware also of those
"boat-hooks fiends" who do not think it necessary to learn how to
manage their boats so long as they can splash about with a pair of
sculls, and trust to a punter guiding them safely out of locks.
Keep the pole between the punt and the side of the lock to avoid the
greasy sides.
Double punting, that is two persons punting together simultaneously, is
very effective on the river. To do this the punter may stand in various
ways, but I consider the best is for both punters to stand in the
stern, almost back to back, one a little in advance of the other, to
set the stroke. This necessitates hardly any steering, for, with a pole
on each side, the punt will keep itself straight if both strokes are of
equal strength. In turning, the inside one should hold the punt steady,
while the other pushes--the punt will then turn as on a pivot.
Some people stand at opposite ends of the punt, with both poles one
side, but I cannot recommend this method, because too much weight is
then thrown on to one side, and a punt will not travel well unless
properly balanced. In all double punting little or no steering should
be required if both work well together. But wherever the punters may
stand, the most important point is to keep time--perfect time. This is
a _sine qua non_ in all good double punting. Nothing looks so bad
as to see two persons double punting when quite regardless as to time.
Both poles must be recovered together and in the same number of
movements, otherwise it looks a scramble, and the poles appear to be of
different lengths.
The principle of steering is, of course, the same in double punting as
in "pricking" and "running," only that here the work is divided, the
business of one being to bring the bow in, the other to take it out.
Punters must never interfere with each other's stroke, and never seem
to be waiting. If the last stroke has been too strong, so that it has
sent the punt out of the ordinary course, or not strong enough, so that
she has run in, the punter should not wait till her fellow punter's
stroke has corrected the fault, but should throw in her pole in time
with the other, even if no pressure be required at all, just to keep
the time. The strongest punter should be at the back, if there be any
difference.
Punts vary from the heavy fishing ones to the narrow and unsteady
racing craft. But a useful punt for ordinary work is about 3 feet wide
and 26 feet long. The seat is arranged about 3 to 4 feet from the deck,
allowing just room for the punters to stand. This is, of course,
intended for "pricking" from the stern. A semi-racer, to hold one
person besides the punter, is about 22 inches or 2 feet wide, about 27
feet long. A racing punt about 16 or 17 inches wide and from 30 to 32
feet long.
Really the most important item to a punter is the pole, though many
inexperienced people give all their attention to their punts, while
they think almost any pole will do, in which they are very much
mistaken. The pole is, if anything, more important than the punt
itself. For my own part, I prefer to any other a made pole about 15 or
16 feet long. For hard work and long distances this is certainly the
best. Great attention must be paid to the shoe. If the prongs be too
close they will pick up stones continually, and probably split the pole
or break. The best shoe for ordinary work is shaped something like a
horse-shoe, but the prongs must not incline inwards on account of
stones. The prettiest and most graceful shoe is one with rather long
prongs, not too close, made of nickle-plated iron. The shoe should
always be heavy enough for the pole. Poles are made of various woods,
and steel tubing has been tried, but these, however, have not been
found very practical. Larch poles are apt to splinter, red larch are
better, but they are not very strong, and they are very difficult to
obtain, while they are seldom quite straight. Bamboo poles are very
well for a calm river, with little or no stream, but they are not much
use for hard work, they are so light that they are always inclined to
be top-heavy. All bamboos should have very heavy shoes, and even then
they must be heavily weighted in addition. It is almost impossible to
get them heavy enough at the bottom. A pole should sink at once, and
not require pushing down. It will be found that a bamboo has to be held
down, or it will rise of its own account and float out, giving no time
for the push. They are considered unbusiness-like by serious punters.
But sometimes at regattas they are found useful. The Henley course, for
instance, is very deep all the way along the meadow side, even quite
near the bank, therefore a long pole is necessary, and these are apt to
be very tiring and heavy when punting all day. A bamboo must never be
left out in a hot sun when it is wet, or it will crack between the
joints and when put back into the water will fill, so that the water
runs out over one's hands and arms. But of whatever kind the pole may
be it must be properly balanced, and not top-heavy. The lightest punt
will not make up for a badly-balanced pole. In racing this should be
remembered. It is customary to "prick" from the middle of the punt in
racing. A stroke called the overhand push is much used for speed. After
the first push is given, and the pole is bent with the chest, without
moving the back foot, only the heel of the front one, and, turning the
body, a second push is given. The advantage of this is that the punter
is able to push twice without taking the pole out of the water, and a
longer swing of the body is accordingly obtained. When women race, they
do so in ordinary punts, not in racing punts. There are not many
punting races open exclusively to ladies; in fact, as far as I can
ascertain, they are only included in the programmes of the regattas at
Goring and Streatly, at Wargrave and at Cookham, and the Thames Ditton
and Hampton Court Aquatic Sports. At the Maidenhead and Taplow Town
Regatta there is a Lady's and Gentleman's Double Punting Race, and
there is some talk of a Ladies' Punting Championship competition being
inaugurated at Maidenhead.
In spite of the paucity of punting races for ladies, however, there are
several ladies in various parts of the Thames whose style and speed
have won for them something more than local renown. For instance, at
Staines, there are Mrs Hamilton, Miss Kilby and Mrs George Hunter; at
Maidenhead, Miss Ethel Lumley and Miss Annie Benningfield; at Bray,
Miss Maud Lumley; at Hampton, Miss D. Hewitt, who in '91 won the
Ladies' Punting Competition at the Hampton Court and Thames Ditton
Aquatic Sports. In addition to these, there is Mrs Sharratt of Surly
Hall Hotel, better known, perhaps, as Miss Ada Morris, the daughter of
the lock-keeper at Bray, who has the reputation of being one of the
best punters, if not the best, on the Thames. Some people punt Canadian
canoes, but this, though pretty when well done, does not come under the
heading of serious punting.
The practice of paddling punts is often indulged in on crowded courses,
such as Henley in the regatta week, but this I need hardly say is never
done by good punters. Even there it is far better to use a long pole.
In conclusion, I think I may say that there is no prettier sight on the
whole river than a girl, neatly dressed, punting well and gracefully;
but, like riding, it is an exercise which must be done well. A
hot-looking girl struggling with her pole is a spectacle that must
excite anything but admiration from either the river or the bank. Good
style and ease, so important in punting, come only after much practice.
SYBIL SALAMAN.
THE END.
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