large rayes to dart from the Fuzees there is accustomed to mix with the Composition some small quantity of powdered Glass grosly beaten filings of Iron Sawdust One may also represent fire of divers colours as we have shewed before in the fifth Chapter but more particularly thus if you put a certain portion of Camphire in your Composition you will see in the Air a certain fire which will appear white pale and of the colour of Milk if you put Greek Pitch which is a light yellow Pitch used in Plaisters called Pix Burgundy it will represent unto you a red flame and of the colour of Brass if you put in Sulphur the fire will appear blew if Sal-Armoniack the fire will appear Greenish if from Crude Antimony the flame will be Red Yellowish and of the Colour of Honey if the filings of Ivory be added they will render a Silver-like White and shining flame yet something inclining to a Livid Plumbous colour if the powder of Yellow Amber be added the fire will appear of the same colour with the Citrine lastly if black Pitch be added it will throw forth an obscure smoaky fire or rather a smoak that is black and thick which will darken all the Air. CHAP. XIV Of Odoriferous Aquatick Balls CAuse to be made by a Turner Balls of wood hollow within about the bigness of a Wild Apple which you must fill with some one of these Compositions hereunto annexed and they being all prepared and charged you may throw them into the water after they are lighted but it ought to be done in a Chamber or close place that the fume may be the better kept together and this must be done with some small end of our Match made of prepared Flax or Hemp to the end that the Composition which is shut up in the Globe may take fire with the greater facility The Compositions are these that follow viz. Take Salt-Peter Storax Calamite one Dram Incense one ounce Mastick one ounce Amber half an ounce Civet half an ounce of the Sawings of Juniper wood two ounces of the Sawings of Cypress wood two ounces Oyl of Spike one ounce Make your Composition according to the Art and Method given Or Take of Salt-Peter two ounces of Flower of Brimstone Camphire half an ounce powder of yellow Amber half an ounce Coals of the Teile tree one ounce Flower of Benjamin or Assa sweet half an ounce Let the matters that may be beaten be powdered afterwards well mingled and incorporated together CHAP. XV. Compositions to Charge Globes or Balls that will burn as well under as above water FIrst take Salt-Peter reduced into fine meal 16 l. Sulphur 4 l. of the sawings of wood which hath been first boyled in a Nitrous water and afterwards well dryed 4 l. Of good Corned powder half a pound of the powder of Ivory 4 ounces Or thus Salt-Peter 6 l. Sulphur 3 l. of beaten powder 1 l. Filings of Iron 2 l. of Burgundy pitch half a pound Or thus Salt-Peter 24 l. of beaten powder 4 l. Sulphur 12 l. of Sawdust 8 l. of yellow Amber half a pound of Glass beaten in gross powder half a pound of Camphire half a pound For that which concerns the manner of preparing all these Compositions it differs nothing from what we have prescribed in the making of Rockets only 't is not necessary that the materials be so subtilly beaten powdered nor sifted as for those Fuzees but nevertheless to be well mixed one among another Care must be taken that they be not too dry when you charge the Globes or Balls and for that purpose they may be moistned with Linseed-oyl Oyl of Olives Petrole Hemp-seed Nuts or any other fatty humour that is receptible of fire Note that amongst all these Compositions of matters that will burn in the water which I have here proposed from my own particular experience every one may make them as pleaseth himself best provided he always take the materials in proportion one to the other as they ought But nevertheless I shall counsel you to experience from time to time your Compositions for the greater surety before you expose them to the publick view of the world It is also amongst the rest very necessary that you learn the force and strength of every material you put into the Compositions whereby you may at your pleasure know how to alter and vary your proportion as you shall judg fit CHAP. XVI Of Stars and fiery Sparks called by the Germans Stern-veuer and Veuerputzen I Have shewed the Composition of Stars in Chap. 5. I have also shewed the way of making them up and their use and also I have shewed the manner of giving to them various Colours as in the 22 Rule of the 13 Chapter where I had an intent to say no more of these things But finding in Master Cazimier's Artillery these Compositions which I judge may prove very excellent therefore I thought good to insert them that I might leave out nothing that might make more perfect any thing we treat of First you must know that between fiery Sparks and Stars there is this difference that the Stars are greater and are not so soon consumed by the fire as the Sparks are but do subsist longer in the Air and do shine with greater substance and with such a light that by reason of their great splendor they are in some manner comparable with the Stars in the Heavens They are prepared according to the following Method Take Salt-Peter half a pound Sulphur two ounces Yellow Amber powdered one Dram Antimony Crude one Dram of beaten Powder three Drams Or Take Sulphur two ounces and a half Salt-Peter four ounces Powder subtilly powdered four ounces Olibanum Mastick Christal Mercury sublimate of each four ounces White Amber one ounce Camphire one ounce Antimony and Orpiment half an ounce All these materials being well beaten and well sifted they must be mixt together with a little Glue or Gum-water made with Gum-Arabick or Tragacant then make them into small Balls about the bigness of a Bean or small Nut which being dryed in the Sun or in a Pan by the fire may be kept in a convenient place for such uses as we have spoken of in the fifth Chapter of this Book You must only remember that when you would put them into Rockets or Recreative Balls they must be covered on all sides with prepared Tow of which we have shewed the way of preparing in the seventh Chapter of the first Part of our Fire-works Sometimes Fire-Masters are aecustomed to take in the places of these little Balls a certain proportion of melted matters of which we have spoken in the first Part of Fire-works But if these do not please you by reason of their swarthy colour but you rather desire to see them yellow or inclining somewhat to white then take of Gum-Arabick or Tragacant four ounces powder it and pass it through a Sieve of Camphire dissolved in Aqua-vitae two ounces Salt-Peter a pound and a
the right or the left hand whether weakly or strongly and so accordingly to give or abate the advantage or disadvantage which judgment and discretion will induce you thereunto and the help of the Rules following Now we will come to the use of a Morter and that in this example following Suppose an Enemy be approached to the Basis or foot of a Wall or a Bulwark and there is a rooting and begins to make a Mine and having Chambred his Powder intends to blow it up and that there is no other means left you to repulse and hinder their egress and regress into it but by shooting out of your Morters some Granadoes Fire-Balls Stones and Rubbish among them or at least by casting many Hand-Granadoes down upon them To do this either by force or policy it behoveth a good Canonier or Fire-worker to know first as hath been taught how far his Morter will carry a Granado or any solid thing else which shall be shot out of it being set upon such and such a degree and elevation as the Morter Figure will shew you As for Example take your aim level with the mould or mouth of your Morter noted A upon the Quadrant and it will carry 200 paces where you see the Granado falls upon the letter A but your morter being elevated to the mark B it then will carry its Bullet 487 paces if to the second C then 755 paces if to the third D it will carry 937 paces if to the fourth E then 1065 paces if to the fifth elevation F then 1132 paces if to the sixth G which is in the midst of the Quadrant and lyes then upon its highest elevation it will carry 1170 paces as you may see by the several falls of the Bullets upon every Letter The second Figure shews you a Morter casting a Granado upon a Castle as you may see by the Example Another Table of Diego Uffanoes for Morter Pieces with their Randoms made for every degree between the Level and 90 degrees as followeth Deg. Pac. Deg. 0 100 89 1 122 88 2 143 87 3 364 86 4 285 85 5 204 84 6 224 83 7 243 82 8 262 81 9 280 80 10 297 79 11 314 78 12 331 77 13 347 76 14 363 75 15 377 74 16 392 73 17 406 72 18 419 71 19 432 70 20 445 69 21 457 68 22 468 67 23 479 66 24 490 65 25 500 64 26 510 63 27 518 62 28 524 61 29 526 60 30 534 59 31 539 58 33 543 57 34 549 56 34 552 55 35 558 54 36 562 53 37 568 52 38 573 51 39 477 50 40 580 49 41 582 48 42 583 47 43 584 46 44 582 Â 45 582 Â A Morter Shooting upon a Castle How you are to use the Quadrant afore described for a Morter as you may see by the falling of the Granado uppon the Lettors THE Compleat Gunner THE THIRD PART OF ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS THe number of artificial Fire-works which are practised as well in Armies upon Land in the attacquing and defence of places as in defence of Ships at Sea whereby warlike Executions may be performed are many and various according to the ingenuity of the Fire-Master And the wayes of preparing them are so many as it is impossible for us in this room we have allotted to prescribe all that are known We shall therefore be contented to make choice of some of the best and principal things among so great a number but more particularly of some most admirable inventions and we shall give a Chapter to every kind of Fire-work considering they differ among themselves both in fashion and effect and every one hath its name which is particularly applyed to it But before we begin with our composition we shall begin with the particulars and their preparation unto this work whereby they may be the more exalted and have the greater efficacy The more principal materials that is Peter Charcoal and Sulphur are mentioned at large in my first part of Gunnery and therefore we shall proceed CHAP. I. To prepare Oyl of Sulphur TAke a good quantity of clarified Sulphur the way of Clarification we have shewed before melt it over a very gentle fire in an Earthen or Copper Vessel then take old red Tyles that have been already used in buildings or if you cannot find such take new Tyles that are well baked and that have not taken dirt break them in pieces as small as a Bean and throw them into melted Brimstone then mingle your Brimstone with the remaining fragments of the Bricks until they have drank up all the Sulphur then let them be put into a Limbeck upon a Furnace to distil and after the Oyl is drawn according to a Chymical order it will be very excellent and above all have a very combustible quality proper to the Compositions of artificial fires To prepare Oyl or Balsam of Sulphur Fill a long body of Glass full of Sulphur well powdered then pour upon it Oyl of Turpentine or Oyl of nuts or Juniper in such a quantity that the oyl with the Sulphur may fill but the half part place it in an Iron Kettle with Sand round about it and a small heat for 8 or 9 hours and you will see that the Oyl of Turpentine will convert the Brimstone into a red Oyl as fiery and combustible as before There are those that take the following matter to the preparing the oyl of Sulphur to the end it may be rendered more combustible viz. Sulphur 1 l. of quick Lyme half a pound of Sal-armoniac 4 ounces Above all this the Chymists know how to prepare a certain oyl of Sulphur which they call a Balsam of which the virtues are so admirable that they admit not any body either living or dead to be touched with putrifaction but will conserve it in so perfect and entire state that neither the pernicious Influences of the celestial bodies nor that corruption which the Elements produce nor that which reduces things into their Principles can any way damnifie it if anoynted with it There is also from it prepared a certain fire as Tritemius teacheth with flowers of Sulphur Borax and Brandy-wine which will remain many years without extinguishing of it self Others that are knowing do attest that a Lamp may be filled with such like Oyl from whence all that are within the Light of it will appear as if they had no heads There is another way of making Oyl of Sulphur which is very admirable and excellent which is prepared thus Incorporate well together an equal proportion of Sulphur and Salt-Peter reduce them into most subtile Powder and pass it through a fine sieve then put them into an Earthen Pot that hath never been used and pour upon them Vinegar made of White-wine or Aqua-vita as much as will cover the Powder Close the Pot in such manner that no air may any wise enter and put it thus in any hot place so long time until all the vinegar be digested
lighted blow it out and there remains none but a burning Coal CHAP. VIII Of certain Antidotes excellent and approved against the burning of Gun-powder Sulphur hot Iron melted Lead and other like accidents drawn from the particular Experiments of Cozimu Nowicz SECTION I. BOyle Hogs grease in common water over a most gentle fire the space of some time then take it from the Fire and let it cool and after expose it to the fair and clear weather three or four nights after having put it into an Earthen pot melt it again upon a small fire and being melted strain it through a Cloath into cold water after wash it many times with good clean and fresh water until it come as white as snow this done put it into a glazed pot to serve you at your occasions The use is thus you must annoint the burnt part as soon as you can and you will see a quick and admirable effect SECT II. Take Plaintain water Oyl of Nuts of Italy of each as much as you please SECT III. Take Mallows water Rose water Plume Allum of each as much as is necessary and mix them well together with the white of an Egg. SECT IV. Take a Lixivium made of Calx Vive and common water add to it a little Oyl of Hempseed Oyl Olive and some whites of Eggs mingle all well together and annoint the burnt place with this Composition All these Oyntments cure burnings without causing any pain These I have often experimented upon my self Some Receipts from divers Authors Take Oyl of Olives Oyl of sweet Almonds Liquid Vernish each one part juice of Onions two parts with these chase the part affected If there be already blisters raised and Ulcerations in the parts this following Oyntment is most excellent Boyle a great quantity of the second Rind of Elder tree in Oyl of Olive then pour it through a Linnen cloath add to it a little after two parts of Cerus or burnt Lead of Lytharge of Gold of each one part put them into a Leaden Morter and then stir them about and mix them so that they become in the form of a Linament Take melted Lard pour it into two Ounces of Morrel water and one Ounce of Oyle of Saturn then mingle them well together this Remedy is soveraign Take the Mucilage of the Roots of Henbane and of the Flowers of Poppies of each one Ounce Salt Peter one Ounce mingle them all with Oyl of Camphire and make a Linament according to Art Or take the juyce of Oynions rosted in embers two Ounces Nut Oyle one Ounce mingle them all well together Or take of the Leaves of Ivy two m. or handfuls well beaten up with Plantain water Oyl Olive one pound make all boyl with four Ounces of good white Wine until the Consumption of the whole Wine at the end of the decoction add Wax as much as is necessary to give him the form and consistency of a Linament Again take old Lard let it be melted over the flame and poured into two Ounces of the juyce of Beets and Rue of the Cream of Milk one Ounce Mucilage of Quince-seeds and Gum Tracanth of each an Ounce and a half mix them well together and make thereof a Linament This remedy is none of the worst we took it from Joseph Quercetanus in libro Sclopetrio CHAP. IX Of Hand Granadoes THe Hand Granadoes respecting their form are Globically or perfectly round and hollow in their interior part in manner of a Sphere they are called Hand Granadoes or Handy Granadoes because they may be grasped in the hand and thrown to the Enemies and if we should dwell upon the denominations of the Latine we may call them as they do Granades Palmares they are commonly of the bigness of a Bullet of Iron of 5 6 and 8 l. they weigh sometimes 1 l. and sometimes one pound and a half some are of two pounds and others of three pounds there is given to these sort of Globes the names of Granadoes by reason of the great resemblance they have with the Fruit Punique which we call Pom-granad for as these do shut up in their rinds a great quantity of grains so our Military Globes are filled with a number of Grains of Powder almost innumerable the which having received the Fire do break into a thousand and a thousand shivers leaping against the Enemy and piercing if it could all such things as it meets opposing its violence They are generally made of Iron or Copper carrying in its Diameter about three Ounces being about the length of a Barly Corn in thickness of Metal they are filled commonly with Gun-Powder and sometimes of other Compositions there is added to its Orifice a small Pipe commonly called a Fuse which is filled with a matter or Composition that is slack or slow in burning but nevertheless very susceptible of the Fire and capable to hold fire some time for fear that it should break in the hands of those that mannage it and intend to throw it There is amongst Fire-Masters accounted three sorts of Hand Granadoes the first and most common are made of Iron others are made of Brass allayed with other Metals in the melting the third sort is of Glass If you cause them to be made of Iron take such as is most fragile and as little wrought as possible you can get if you will cast them of Copper you must allay six pound of Copper with two pounds of Tyn and half a pound of Marcasite or you may put one part of Tyn with three parts of Lattin or of Auricalque Those that are made of Iron are in thickness about the ninth part of the Diameter those that are made of Brass must have one tenth part of the Diameter in thickness of Metal Lastly such which you cause to be made of Glass must have one seventh part of their Diameter in their thickness The largeness of the Orifice in which you must put in your Fuse made of Wood whose upper part must be about 2 9 the Diameter of the Granado and the small hole in the Fuse should have the largeness of 1 18 of the same Diameter the rest of the capacity of the Shell must be filled with well grain'd Powder the length of the Fuse must be about â…” of the Diameter and the top must be broad and a little rounding like a Hemisphere the hollow and inner part of the Fuse must be about 1 9 Diameter at the small or inner end and â…” at the outer end Men do generally fill the void place with Powder ground most subtilly which must be moistned with Gum-water or dissolved glue that it may joyn the better As for the Fuses they must be filled or charged with one of the Compositions hereunder written afterward you must fasten it well and close with Tow or Okham and the Pyrotechnian Lute which the Germans call Kit which is made of four parts of Ship Pitch two parts of Colophonia one part of Terrebinthe and one part of
together tye it fast on that place take out the Former let it dry and it is done when the hole is contracted together make it so wide as is before taught with a round bodkin which you must provide for that purpose CHAP. II. How to make Compositions for Rockets of any size THese ways which I will teach you I take them not upon trust out of every Author but such as are men of known experience as that Casimier before spoken of and others of the like repute And first for Rockets of 1 ounce you must use only Cannon-powder dust being beaten in a Morter and finely sifted and this will rise swift and will make a great noise but carries no tayl Those of most beauty in their operation are made of 1 ounce of Charcoal-dust eight ounces of Powder this Composition will hold for Rockets of one two or three ounces but for those of four take three ounces of Charcoal-dust to one pound of Cannon-powder dust continuing that Rule until you come to Rockets of ten ounces and from thence to Rockets of a pound for there used to be one pound of Powder-dust to 4 ounces of Charcoal-dust But for better satisfaction observe these Rules For Rockets of one pound Take Powder 18 l. Salt-Peter 8 l. Charcoal 4 l. Sulphur 2 l For Rockets of two or three pound Take of Salt-Peter 60 l. Coal 15 l. Sulphur 2 l. For Rockets of four or five pound Take of Salt-Peter 64 l. Coal 16 l. Sulphur 8 l. For Rockets of six seven or eight pound Salt-Peter 35 l. Coal 10 l. Sulphur 5 l. For Rockets of nine or ten pound Salt-Peter 62 l. Coal 20 l. Sulphur 9 l. For Rockets from eleven to fifteen pound Salt-Peter 32 l. Sulphur 8 l. Coal 16 l. For Rockets from sixteen to twenty pound Salt-Peter 42 l. Coal 26 l. Sulphur 12 l. For Rockets from thirty to fifty pound Salt-Peter 30 l. Coal 18 l. Sulphur 7 l. For Rockets from sixty to a hundred pound Take Peter 30 l. Sulphur 10 l. Coal 10 l. CHAP. III. To fill the Rockets with this Composition PLace the mouth downwards where it was choaked and with a knife put in so much as you can of the receits provided for that size at one time then put down your Rammer which must be longer and narrower than the Former or Rouler upon which you made the Cases and with a hammer of a pound weight give three or four indifferent knocks then put in more composition with your knife until it be full at every time knocking the like as before with the Rammer until the composition come within one diameter of the bore of the top there put down a peece of pastboard and knock it in hard prick three or four little holes therein then put fine pistol powder in almost to the top and upon that another cap of paper upon which put a peece of leather that it may be tyed on the top of the Rocket and fast glued on then get a streight twig and bind it upon the Rocket with strong packthred it must be no heavier than being put upon your finger two or three fingers breadths from the mouth of the same it may just ballast the Rocket then it is prepared for use CHAP. IV. How to give fire to one or more Rockets SEt your Rockets mouth upon the edge of any peece of timber battlement of a wall top of the Gunners carriage wheel or any dry place whatsoever where the rod or twig may hang perpendicular from it then lay a train of powder that may come under the mouth thereof give fire thereunto and you have done But if you would fire more Rockets than one that as one descendeth the other may ascend by degrees make this composition following of Roch peter 8 ounces Quick Brimstone 4 ounces and fine Powder dust 2 ounces which lay in a line from one Rocket to another they being placed ten inches or a foot one from another give fire to this composition and it will work your desire by causing one to mount into the air when the other is spent but before you place your Rockets remember to prick them with the bodkin CHAP. V. Divers and sundry Compositions for Stars A Composition for Stars of a blew colour mixed with red TAke of Powder mealed 8 ounces Salt-Peter 4 ounces Quick Brimstone 12 ounces Meal all these very fine and mix them together with two ounces of Aqua-vitae and half an ounce of Oyl of Spike which let be very dry before you use it Another Composition which maketh a white and beautiful fire Take Powder 8 ounces Salt-Peter 24 ounces Quick Brimstone 12 ounces Camphire 1 ounce Meal these Ingredients and incorporate them Now to meal your Camphire take a brass pestle and morter wet the end of the pestle in a little of the Oyl of Almonds and it will meal to powder then keep it close from the air else it will become of no use Another white fire which lasteth long Take Powder 4 ounces Salt-Peter 16 ounces Brimstone 8 ounces Camphire 1 ounce Oyl of Peter 2 ounces Meal those that are to be mealed and mix them according to the former directions CHAP. VI. The manner of making Stars and to use them TAke little four square peeces of brown paper which fill with the composition you approve of best of the three last taught so double it down rouling it until you make it round about the bigness of a nut or bigger according to the size of your Rocket that you intend them for prime them withdrawing thorow them Cotton-week and they are prepared You may also make them after this manner you must have a rouler which must be as big as an ordinary arrow which shall be to roul a length of paper about it and with a little glue past it round when it is dry draw out the rouler and fill it by little and little with a thimble still thrusting it down every filling of a thimble with the rouler which being filled cut it in short pieces about half an inch long then having in readiness either hot glue or size mingled with red lead dip therein one end of your short peeces lest they take fire at both ends together and because that it may not so easily blow out these being thus finished set them to dry until you have occasion to use them and then putting the open end in powder on the top of the Rocket in that place after the first pastboard or cover is placed in a Rocket next the composition where I taught you before to put powder for to make a report which now you must leave out to place in these Stars after this manner make two or three holes in that pastboard which prime with powder-dust and thereupon put a little Pistol powder to blow the Stars out when the Rocket is spent after the powder put as I have said before the open ends of these Stars down upon that powder when you have put them