Punch (8.1845)

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

95

GAME FORTIFICATIONS.

Deeply impressed -with the philanthropic argimients of Mr.
Grantley Berkeley, that the evils of the Game Laws arise
from the indifference of those who do not rigidly preserve, and who
thereby throw open their plantations as a sort of normal schools for

any number of cannon may be mounted at the pleasure of the game-
preserver. The keepers are always to mount guard, with muskets
double loaded with ball-cartridge. It is, too, confidently believed
that the bayonet—a weapon hitherto strangely disregarded—may be

poachers, we here present to those public-spirited landlords who , used with great effect upon the poacher. We know that Mr.

know the rights of game, and are nobly prepared with the blood of
their servants to defend them (there have been only forty game-
keepers as yet murdered), a rude sketch of a fortification. Of course,

BsdiKELEY has a gentlemanly prejudice in favour of " a punch on
the head ;" but we think a few inches of cold steel will be found
even more efficacious than a Berkeley's fist.

THE BRITISH NAVY QUESTION.

"We understand that, with the view of ascertaining the available
force of the British Navy, the following questions have been sent
round to the whole of the Thames Steam Marine, and as wre have
seen one of the documents, after its being returned to the proper
office, we give it with the answers appended to it by the captain of
the boat, which is understood to be one of the effective force of
the Chelsea Fourpennies :—

Q. How does she stow her provisions ?—A. She keeps her ginger-
beer in one of the seats of the cabin.

Q. Does she ride easy at her anchors ?—A. She has only got one
anchor, which she shares with two other vessels.

Q. How does she stand under her sails ?—A. If she had any sails
she could not stand at all, but would inevitably tip over.

Q. How does she carry her lee-ports?—A. She carries no ports,
but half-a-dozen ginger-beers and two British brandies.

Q. Does she roll easy or uneasy in the trough of the sea ?—A. "We
are not aware of any trough that is large enough to try her in. A
horse-trough would be too narrow.

Q. Does she pitch easy ?—A. The best pitch has always been used,
and it adheres very well to the outside of her.

Q. Is she, generally speaking, an easy or uneasy ship ?—A- When
the word is given to ease her, she is a tolerably easy ship.

Q. How does she steer ?—A. With a wheel.

Q. How does she wear and stay ;—A. She wears pretty well,
though the paint gets rubbed off by constant collisions. She generally
stays where you leave her.

Q. How does she behave lying-to 1—A. Her behaviour when lying-
to is extremely quiet and respectable.

Q. How does she behave before the wind ?—A. Just as she would
behind its back.

Q. Is she, generally speaking, a well-built, strong ship, or does she
show any symptoms of weakness ?—A. Her only weakness consists
in her shedding tears over the passengers from her funnel.

Q. Has she been ashore, or has she struck the ground ?—A. She
sleeps ashore every night after her exertions of the day, and strikes
the ground about twice during each passage.

Departure from the Metropolis.

The building at King's Cross left town last month in several carts and
pair. The place of its destination is not exactly known, but it is supposed
to have gone the way of all bricks and mortar, as the first floor has lately
been seen in tha neighbourhood of London repairing the public roads.
The poor tenement, says our informant, appeared quite broken up in con-
sequence of this severe blow. The ghost of the statue of George the
Fourth occasionally visits at midnight, we have been told, the spot
where formerly he was so cruelly executed.

GROSS SUPERSTITION.

There is a merchant in the City, in the full possession of his intellect,
who actually believes that the Income Tax will last only three years
I longer !