The Arte of shooting in great Ordnaunce Contayning very necessary matters for all sortes of Seruitoures eyther by Sea or by Lande Written by William Bourne CANTABO IEHOVAE QVIA BENEFECIT MIHI Imprinted at London for Thomas Woodcocke 1587. ⧠TO THE RIGHT honorable Lord Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwick Baron of Lisle of the most noble order of the Garter Knight Generall of the Queenes Maiesties Ordnaunce within her highnesse Realme and Dominions and one of her Maiesties most Honorable priuie Counsell William Bourne wisheth long life increase of Honor with al happy successe RIght woorthie and Noble Earle whereas I before this time haue writtē sundry simple Treatises whereof two of thē are extant in print thone called the Regiment of the Sea and the other the Treasure for Trauellers and now also this barbarous and rude thing called the Art of shooting in great Ordnaunce and as it is most cōmonly seen that euery person doth most cōmonly cōmend that thing wherein he is most expert and therefore some there are that doe most extoll Diuinitie and great reason it is that it should be so for that it teacheth vs both to know God and to instruct others also othersome doe most preferre Philosophie othersome the Lawe with such like as they are most delighted in Also other there are that doe not onely extoll them but wil make arguments and dispute whether of them are most commendable and most worthie to be preferred aboue the other There are also that after long disputation doe not onely assigne euery Science his seuerall laude and praise but also discourse whether of them are most necessarie for a common wealth And I am of that opinion and that no man can denie but that the Arte of shooting in great Ordnaunce is necessarie to be aduaunced for the defence and mainteynance of a Kingdome and countrey and the common wealth thereof Wherefore Right honorable being as one extraordinarily bolde I present the same vnto you for that I knowe your Lordshippe can truely descerne and iudge in these causes as one whose wisedome is not vnknowne hoping that your Honour will take this simple worke as my good will rather than the valour of the thing or the finenesse of the penning of the matter And thus I cease to trouble your Honorable Lordship any longer at this time desiring you to accepte this simple Booke at the handes of a poore Gunner as a true token of my good will towardes your Honour desiring God to prosper your Honor in all your doings in perfect health By your Honours humbly at commaundement William Bourne The Preface to the Reader GEntle Reader it is possible that you would maruel that I should write this booke called the Art of shooting in great Ordnance for two great causes the one is this first for that I haue not seene to most peoples iudgement so great experience in these affayres whereby you may thinke that I haue not knowledge sufficient to be a teacher in these matters And the second cause is this for that my order of teaching is contrary vnto all that haue taken vpon them to be teachers or instructers in these matters or affaires before time Therefore for to shew vnto you the cause that hath moued me to write this rude volūe is this for that we English men haue not beene counted but of late daies to become good Gunners and the principall point that hath caused English men to be counted good Gunners hath been for that they are hardie or without fear about their ordnance but for the knowledg in it other nations and countries haue tasted better therof as the Italians French and Spaniardes for that English men haue had but little instructions but that they haue learned of the Doutchmen or Flemings in the time of King Henry the eight And the chiefest cause that English men are thought to be good Gunners is this for that they are handsome about their Ordnance in ships on the Sea c. And furthermore I doe thinke it good to shewe vnto you three great causes besides diuers other small causes that the thing that hath letted or hindred English men to become cunning in the shooting of great Ordinance although diuers prooues haue beene made at sundrie times and Ordnance hath beene had into the fielde both in maister Bromefields time whē that he was Liefetenāt of the Ordnance at diuers times since and yet those prooues that haue beene made then were no proofes but to cause those Gunners that did see the experience of those profes to committe a further errour as touching the shooting in great Ordnance and the reason therof is this the first principal cause is that they did make their proofe with a Quadrant and so it ought to be that is to say the fourth parte of a Circle deuided into 90. equall partes which some simple Gunners will call a Triangle but there is no instrument so called but onely a Quadrant and the original of the making thereof is the fourth part of a Circle deuided into 90. equall partes what forme so euer that it hath And now the principal vse of the quadrant is to know what any peece will cast at the mount of euerie Degree and so from degree vnto degree vnto the best of the Rander And the cause that hath made the Gunners to commit error by the mounting of the peeces by the degree of the Quadrant hath beene this although that it be true that such a peece will cast the shot so many scores at the mount of so many degrees and yet whē that they haue made proofe therof they haue foūd it meere false yet the thing most true although somtime the shot hath flien a great deale further and sometime much shorter which causes were no other thing but the highnes or the lownes of the ground for that there is seldome any ground that you shall find leuell but it will be higher or lower then the ground that the peece standeth vpon as I doe more at large declare in the thirtenth chapter of the booke and yet in the time of seruice there is no vsing of the Quadrant but in some cases and then take a great large one for in a small you may soone commit errour And furthermore I doe know diuers that will haue instruments and yet be vtterlie voide of the vses of them for it is the reason of the person in the doing of any thing and not the instrumentes for in the doing of any thing if the person doth not consider of all thinges with him and against him he or they be apt to commit errour c. The second great cause is this in the vsing to giue leuell with a rule set out in inche partes but vnto this they cannot order it nor giue it no Method to know what any peece wil doe at any number of inches aduantage for the peeces doe differ in casting according vnto their lengths as I doe further shew in the booke Wherefore the
vse of the inche rule according as they doe vse it is to no other purpose but onely to seeke out what numbers of inches will reach the marke and that being knowne then to keepe the length of the marke with that peece And the necessariest thing that this kind of giuing of leuell in the time of seruice as being in a Castell Forte or Towne or such like the Gunner hauing charge of any peece is to beate al those markes that be apte to doe any seruice at and to know how manie inches will reach any marke c. but to become a cunning Gunner he shall neuer be although he should shoote 100. shottes euerie day through a yeere for that he neuer doth know by that meanes the distance of any marke but in euerie peece he must make a new proofe if that the peece be remoued or chaunged from that place Wherefore I haue made a table shewing how many inches and what part of an inch will make a degree and so vnto ten degrees whereby you may make a Methode to hit the length of the marke in anie peece at the first shot as it doth appeare in the eight chapter of the booke if so be that there were a true and exact table of proportion of the casting of the peece at the mount of euerie degree but I haue not had so greate proofe but that I may bee deceiued for I haue no other proofe but at my owne charges and my abilitie is able to doe nothing to make any proofe in those causes The third great cause is this I do know few Gunners yea none at all in respect that hath anie capacitie to know the distance vnto anie marke assigned if that the marke be such that they can not come vnto it directly by land and yet there be verie true and exact wayes to know the distance vnto anie marke assigned howsoeuer the thing is if that it may be seene by Geometrie perspectiue and the lacke therof amongst Gunners is the principallest point that doth deceiue thē so that these three things doe vtterly deceiue most men the first is this the height or lownes of the ground the second the length of the peece and the third not knowing the distance vnto the marke for their reason in these causes that they doe suppose can doe nothing that is to say to finde the distance vnto anie marke assigned by looking vpon the ground and that neuer can shew vnto them the distance vnto the marke but yet must be knowen either by the Scale or crosse staffe or else it must be knowen by the lines of Position which is shewed in a booke of mine that is extant in Print called the Treasure for Trauelers and also in a booke set forth by master Thomas Digges called Pantometria wher in those two bookes you shall finde meanes and waies both how to finde the true distance vnto the marke and also how much that the marke is hier ground or lower ground then the place that you are vpon and also the length of the line Hipothenusall whether it bee vppe the hill or downe the hill which is verie necessarie and profitable for all them that will vse to shoote in great Ordnance for to know as all Gunners Captaines and Leaders of men c. And now friendly Reader it is possible that some people will dislike of me for that I haue written this booke some of them for that they doe thinke that they haue better knowledge in those matters then I and other some perhaps may be offended for that they would not haue the thing knowen but amongst thēselues and othersome possible will be offended with me that are Gunners that are altogether without any knowledg in those causes that wold not haue their ignorāce knowen So by these meanes I am assured that I shal purchase a great number of enemies as I do know that I haue alreadie caused sundry people to enuie me as some Sea men do mislike of me for writing of my booke called the Regiment for the Sea and othersome of late are offended with me for the writing and setting forth of my booke called the Treasure for Trauelers but notwithstanding I doe see that it is needfull to be knowen vnto a number of them that be Gunners waying and considering with my selfe what a number there bee that will take vpon them to be Gunners yea and that maister Gunners that are not sufficient nor capable in those causes but are in respect altogether ignorant standing vpon no other thing but their antiquitie that they haue serued as Gunners so long time Wherefore I doe thinke it very necessarie for them to haue some good instructions but as farre as I can see euerie man maketh curtesie to doe the common wealth of our Realme of Englande any good therein and as far as I can perceiue that no people may better pleasure the common wealth in the time of seruice either by Sea or Land then may good Gunners against the face of our enimies for the Realme of England hath a great number of enimies for as we haue seene by daily experience that the Queenes progenitours aforetime were neuer long without warres yet we haue a most gratious and louing Prince raigning ouer vs which doth alw aies studie for peace and tranquillitie God graunt of his mercie that she may liue long and raigne ouer vs. Amen Yet nothwithstanding it is good for vs to studie in the time of peace how to defend our selues in the time of warres troubles as generally we prouide in haruest for to liue in the winter And for that cause haue I written this little treatise not to the intent to teach thē that be cūning but to giue instructiōs vnto thē that be of the simplest sorte c. Wherfore Gentle Reader beare with my rudenes for that I am so bold to be the first English man that put foorth any booke as touching these causes and it is possible that there be a number would looke that I shoulde haue giuen them place for that they are more worthy and skilfuller in these causes thinking that I am to simple for they doe not consider how that God doth giue his giftes as we see daily he giueth vnto one man riches and another man pouertie and one man to be a ruler and an other to be inferior one man wise prudent and an other ignorant one man beautifull and an other deformed one mā of a tall stature an other of a low stature one man strong and lustie and an other weake lame although that they be of one consanguinitie linitie or kindred such is the maruelous workes of God Wherefore men are not to be measured by elles but vy vertue for God is not partiall in his giftes for hee hath shed his most precious blood for the redemption of all mankind so that afore him all are one for we are all his creatures and the sheepe of his pasture and the workes of his handes
is for to hold the pouder to the inteÌ„t to put it into the peece and the â…– parts be put away to be open to turne the pouder into the peece And now furthermore for the lenght of the plate of the ladell heere is one thinge to be noted that euery nine balles or shot being layde close together and the plate being bent and cut off that breeadth before rehearsed and the plate in length to be cut off that number of ynches that the nine shottes dothe reache and that plate being equally filled with Sarpentine pouder wyll holde the iust weyghte in pouder that the shotte weyeth Therefore for the length of the plate of the Ladell thus you must vse it as followeth For to make a Ladell for a double Canon and the peece weying generally more or lesse 7000. or 8000. and the shott weying within little more or lesse 64. pounde that is but little more than one hundred of mettall vnto one pounde weyght of the shot therfore this peece may lack â…“ part of the weyght in pouder that the shot weyeth therefore they must cut the plate of the Ladell but. 3. times the length of the shot in ynches and partes of ynches and this Ladel twice equally filled shall be the dutie of the peece Then for to make a Ladel for a Demy Canon as the peece in mettall weyeth generally more or lesse 5000 or 5700. and the shotte weyeth more or lesse 34. pounde whiche is about an hundred and a halfe of mettall vnto one pounde weighte of the shotte therefore you must cutte the plate of the Ladell three shots or balles and a halfe high or 4. shots or balles high In ynches and partes of ynches according vnto the fortifying of the peece with the mettall and the Ladell twice equally filled to be the dutie of the peece And for to make a ladell for a double Culuering those peeces being double fortified with mettall and the peece waying generally more or lesse foure thousande or foure thousande eyght hundred and the shotte waying more or lesse 17. pounds that is about three hundred weight of mettall vnto one pounde weight of shotte Therefore you must cut the plate of the ladell in length about the height of fiue shotte or balles in ynches and partes this ladell being twice equally filled shall be the dutie of the peece And in like manner the demy Culuering and FalcoÌ„s and Falckonets be double fortifyed with metall therefore you must mak their ladell in length fiue shottes or balles in ynches or partes and that ladell twice equally filled shal be the dutie of the peece And furthermore some Sakars and Minions haue but two hundred weigth of mettall vnto one pounde weight of the shotte therefore you must cut the plate of the ladell in length but of foure shottes or balles a halfe high and that ladell twice equally filled shall be the dutie of the peece And furthermore now of late yeares they haue deuised a more stronger sorte of pouder and not without good cause why for the base pouder is not so good if that it should come vnto seruice as corne pouder or any other pouder is that hath receipt ynough and well wrought for the base pouder dothe heate and streyne the peece more than the good pouder doth for if it be rammed in hard theÌ„ because it is not so quicke in y e fiering it lyeth and bloweth in the breech of the peece before it can take fire so by that meanes it heateth and streineth the peece and halfe of the force of the pouder is gone before y e shotte be deliuered and then they must vse batement for to saue the peece Nowe whereas they shoote good pouder or cornepouder they take much lesse pouder and it sendeth the shotte quicker awaye and it dothe not heate the peece so fast for this we doe see by common experience that a little heat by long continuance doth heat more than a great heat by little continuance And furthermore in the shooting of good pouder they shall not shew theÌ„selues so often vnto their enemies And especially the pouder woulde be put in cartredges for in mine opinion it is a greate deale better for to charge a peace in time of seruice with a Cartredge than with a Ladell for diuers considerations as I doe more at large declarein the sixth Chapter And furthermore for to charge a peece w t corne-pouder or any other good pouder for the most parte therof two pounde will goe as farre as three pound of SerpeÌ„tine pouder As for example that double Culuering that requireth eyghteeÌ„e pounde of Serpentine pouder twelue pounde of reasonable corne pouder will serue according to the goodnes of the making of the pouder And furthermore vpon good considerations for diuers causes and especially for the Queenes Nauie they haue deuised to make their Ordnaunce shorter than the accustomed manner and so by that meanes they are lighter than the peeces before time made and yet as seruiceable as the longer in some points shooting that weight in pouder and y e shotte that the heauier doth in all poyntes as the other for that mettall that is taken from the length of the peece hurteth not the fortifiyng of the peece And as for the making of the Cartredges for any peece it is easie ynough to be done for the compasse of the shotte and the length of the Ladel shall â—ule that matter well ynough Nowe shall followe a rule to know the weyghte of the yron shotte by the height of the shotte A Table to knowe the weight of yron shotte A Shot of 2. ynches high doth wey 1. lb. 1. ounce ¾ A shot of 2. ynches ¼ high doth wey 1. lb. 9. ouÌ„ces â…“ A shot of 2. ynches d. high doth wey 2. lb. 2. ounces A shot 2. inches 3. quar high doth wey 2. lb. 14. ouÌ„ces A shot 3. ynches high doth wey 3. lb. 12. ounces A shot 3. inches a quar high doth wey 4. lb. 12. ouÌ„ces A shot 3. ynches d. high doth wey 6. lb. lacke 1. ounce A shot 3. ynches 3. quar high doth wey 7. lb. 5. ouÌ„ces A shot 4. ynches high doth wey 8. lb. 15. ounces A shot 4. inches a qua high doth wey 10. lb. 10. ouÌ„ces A shot 4. ynches d. high doth wey 12. lb. 10. ounces A shot 4. inches 3. qua high doth wey 14. lb. 14. ouÌ„ces A shot 5. ynches high doth wey 17. lb. 5. ouÌ„ces A shot 5. ynches a quar high doth wey 20 lb. 1. ounce A shot 5. ynches d. high doth wey 23. lb. 2. ounces A shot 5. inches 3. quar high doth wey 26. lb. 6. ouÌ„ces A shot 6. ynches high doth wey 30. pound A shot 6. ynches a quarter high doth wey 34. pound A shot 6. inches d high doth wey 38. pound A shot 6. inches three quar high doth wey 42. pouÌ„d A shot 7. ynches high doth wey 48. pound A shot 7. ynches a quarter high doth wey 53. pound A shot 7.
case can not lightly shoote a shippe vnder water neither betweene the wind and the water where that it is not on the Sea and especially if the Ship be at hand for that she lyeth leuell for looke how high that the peece is aboue the Sea so high shall the shotte hitte any thing aboue the water as farre as the peece can cast vppon the right line And for to make a shotte out of a Galley vnto a Shippe for to strike him vnder the water or betweene the wind and the water First waight the Sippe lying in the trough of the Sea when she doth begin to rise vppon the Sea and then in lyke manner when you do see that the Galleys head doth beginne to descende then giue fire vnto the peece and you shall make a perfite shotte Furthermore if the Galley be in fight with another Shyppe in a calme then the Shyppe will skant waue or stirre and then the Galley may play off and on at hir pleasure and then to make a shotte at hande is some matter for in a calme the Shyppes doe neither ryse nor fall but a little in comparison of any thing to the purpose neyther dothe the Galleys head either heaue nor set to any purpose if the Shippe be at hand to the intent or purpose to shoote a Shippe vnder the watter Therefore when you meane to strike a Shippe vnder the water with a Galley and dare not lay them aboorde then koyle your Cabels forwards with the trimming forwarde of your waightie geare into the Galleys head so lowe till it shall serue your turne by bringing also your men forwardes then by y e Steeradge with your Ores or with your Helme you may shoote against what part of the Shippe you will and so shoote hir vnder water at your pleasure CHAPTER 16. In what order to place Ordnaunce in Shippes ANd furthermore I do think it conueniente to shew you how to fit or place Ordnaunce in any Shippe this is to be considered first that y e cariag be made in such shot that y e peece may lie right in the middle of the port that the trockes or wheeles be not too hygh for if y e treckes be too high then it will keepe the cariage that it will not goe close vnto the Shippes side and by that meanes the peece will not scant go out of the porte excepte that the peece be of some reasonable length and also if that the Shyppe doe holde that waye the Trockes will alwayes rūne close to the Shyppes side so that if you haue any occasion to make a shotte you shall not bring the Trockes off from the Shyppes side but that it will rūne too again And the wheele or Trocke beyng very hygh it is not a small thinge vnder a Trocke wyll stay it but that it may runne ouer it c. And also if that the Trocke be hygh it wyll cause the peece to haue the greater reuerse or recoyle therefore the lower that the wheeles or Trockes be it is the better and so forth Alwayes prouided that the peece bee placed in the verye middle of the porte that is to saye that the peece lying leuell at poynte blancke and the Shyppe to bee vprighte wythout anye helding that it be as many inches from the lower syde of the porte beneath as it is vnto the vpper part aboue iustely And the deeper or hygher that y e portes bee vp and downe it is the better to make a shot for the heldyng of the Shyppe whether that it bee the lec syde or the weather syde of the Shyppe for if you haue anye occasyon to shoote eyther for wardes or backwards the steeradge of the Shyppe wyll serue the turne but if that the Shyppe dothe heelde muche then if that the peece bee lette by the lower parte of the porte then you muste needes shoote ouer the marke and if it bee lette by the vpper syde of the porte then you shall shoote shorte of the marke c. Wherefore when that the Carpenters dothe cutte out anye portes in a Shippe then lette them cutte them out deepe ynough vppe and downe c. And also it is verye euyll for to haue the Orloppe or Decke too lowe vnder the porte for then the carriage muste bee made verye hygh and that is verye euill in dyuers respectes for then in the shootyng off the peece it is apte to ouerthrowe and also by the labouring and the seelyng of the Shyppe and so foorth And furthermore you muste haue a consyderation for the fytting of youre Ordnaunce in the Shippes as thys the shorter Ordnaunce is beste to bee placed out at the Shippes syde for two or three causes as this Fyrste for the ease of the Shyppe for theyr shortenesse they are the lyghter and also if that the Shyppes shoulde heelde wyth the bearyng of a Sayle that you muste shutte the portes especially if that the Ordnaunce bee vppon the lower Orloppe and then the shorter peece is the easyer to bee taken in both for the shortenesse and the weyght also In lyke manner the shorter that the peece lyeth oute of the shyppes syde the lesse it shall annoy them in the tacklyng of the Shyppes Sayles for if that the peece doe lye verye farre oute of the Shyppes syde then the Sheetes and Tackes or the Bolynes wyll alwayes bee foule of the Ordnaunce whereby it maye muche annoy them in foule weather and so foorth And it is verye good for you to haue long Ordnaūce to bee placed righte oute of the Sterne of the Shyppe for two causes the one is this The peece muste lye verye farre oute of the porte or else in the shooting it may blowe vp the Counter of the Shyppes sterne And also the peece had neede be very large for else it will not go very farre out for the worke of a ships sterne hangeth very farre outwards from the decke or Orloppe vp to the port so that the carriage may be close belowe but not aloft c. And also if you haue any chasing peeces to shoote right forwardes then they must bee long Oronaunce in like manner so that you must fitte your Ordnaunce according vnto the place that it must lye in and also as is before rehearsed that it is not good for to haue the mountance or carredge to high Therefore if that the Orloppe or decke bee too lowe vnder the porte then it is good for you to make a platforme vnder the port that the trockes of the carredge may stand vpon And also when you doe take the measure of the porte from the decke or Orloppe to the end to fitte the mountance or carredge in height that the peece may lye right in the middle of the porte then you viewing the decke or Orlop and considering what height you will haue the wheele or Trocke and also marke whether or how that the Ships side doth hang inwards or outwards and also the Cambring of the decke or Orloppe and then you