beaten Brimstone in which is a great wad of Hemp and ends of Rope which being fired and thrown on board breaks upon the Deck with a stream of flame sending withal such a stench and noisome smoke that it not only indangers the Ship which it many times fires but forces the Men from their stations and gives the throwers an opportunity to enter Carcasses now much in use are made up with Leather and Canvas strongly bound glewed and pitched filled with a composition of Powder Brimstone Salt-peter Rozin Pitch Turpentine and the like and thrown out of Mortars and Engins The Art of making and preparing Artificial Fire-works for Recreation after the newest and best Invention in sundry forms and manners pleasant and profitable c. AS for Artificial Fire works there are sundry sorts relating to Recreation but in general I may reduce them under three heads viz. those that ascend in the Air those that expire on the Earth and such as swim in the water and these again I may as properly divide into three particular sorts viz. Those for the Air are the Balloon the Sky-rocket and the flying Saucission for the Earth the fiery Lances the ground Rocket and the ground Saucissions for the Water double and single Rockets Globes or Balls but before I proceed to the composition I shall say something of the Moulds c. If the caliber or bore of your Mould be an Inch in Diameter then ought it to be six Inches in length being made for a Rocket of the Air and the breech one Inch and a half the Broach being no less than 3 Inches long and in thickness a quarter of an Inch circumference the Rowler in this case must be three quarters of an Inch Diameter and the Rammer half an Inch being hollow at one end to receive the Broach for the carroush coffin must be loaded the Broach being in if the bore be two Inches Diameter the Rocket must be a Foot long if but half an Inch it must be in length but three Inches and so proportionable as it is more or less in the Diameter as also the Breech must be coherent or else they will never mount well In the composition of a Sky-Rocket the principal thing to be considered is an exact and proportionable mixture therefore for the composition of middle sized Rockets add no more than two ounces of Charcole to a pound of Powder both being bruised and searced through a fine Sieve of Lawn or such a like material with which fill your Rocket the Head and Broach being in putting in the Powder by degrees and pressing it down between each filling with your Rammer then try it and if it break or burn out too fast add more Charcole dust but if it burn dull and refuse to mount then add more Powder and so order it till you find it answer your expectation and for defect of Charcole you may use Seacole finely beaten but it will not make so bright a Tail for as the Powder forces the Rocket to mount so the Charcole makes the fiery train If you would have it sparkle much in mounting you may put some Salt-peter meal into it if you would have your Rocket give a Report after the Fuse is spent you must put a piece of Paper when it is three parts charged with the composition and making a hole in the middle of it put after it a Pistol charge or so much as will fill it of corned Powder unbruised and so doubling in the breech seal it down with wax pitch or glow observing always the Cases be well choaked in the Primer or you may for want of wax or the like choak the But end with a Cord and so cut it off To fire your Rocket for the Air fasten to it a straight wand sufficient to poise it and fix it with the mouth and the Tail of the wand downward upon some place above your height and so with a Fuse or Match give fire or by a Train you may fire six or seven together making them spread in the Air like fountains of fire Ground Rockets as to their Moulds are made in the manner of the former but the composition somewhat differs for in this case Powder dust and Salt-Peter-meal very fine sifted are required which must be forcibly rammed by degrees till within an Inch of the Top and then a Pistol charge of corned Powder being put in Choke up the end exceeding close with a small cord and cutting off what hangs over leave it picked In this manner Serpents commonly used to adorn great Fire-works are made but if you intend them to mount let your filling be only beaten Powder well fisted and if you design them with a Train then it will require some Charcole dust at least an ounce to six ounces of Powder To make the Resemblance of Golden Rain and Stars of divers sorts having filled a great Rocket for the Air with a charge of hard Powder make upon the breech of him a kind of a Gallery by drawing over a greater case or pasting on stiff paper then having filled about thirty or forty Goose quills or so many as it will hold with beaten Powder Brimstone and Salt-peter bore the end of the Rocket full of holes and paste them into that vacancy that they may not fall off till the Rocket is spent and then by some Powder scattered under them they taking fire will appear to those that are on one side of the like the streamers of a Comet or golden rain and to such as are under them like a show of fire As for Stars they are especially two sorts made of dry and wet Powder to make the first of these take a pound of Salt-peter half a pound of Brimstone a quarter of a pound of bruised Gun-powder beaten finely and well sifted sow up as much of this composition in a double Rag pierced full of holes as the quantity of a Walnut and wet the Rag over on the ourside with the Oyl of Petrolum fix of these six or eight upon the head of a great Rocket so that when it is at its highest they may take fire at what time they will expand themselves in flame and appear for a time to the Spectators like real Stars The second sort of Stars are compounded of Salt-peter half a pound of Brimstone and half a pound of Powder grosly bruised and wet with the Oyl of Petrolum and made up into Pellets as big as Wall-nuts dry them by rowling in the dust of dry Powder and fix five six or seven of them upon a great Rocket and send it up into the Air by which means when it is spent these Stars will fire yet will not blaze bright as the former but fall more like a body of Fire by reason of the Composition of moisture Stars there are of an other sort which give reports at the going off like Pistols and these are composed of Salt-peter Brimstone and Powder made into Wildfire with Aqua fortis and
Oyl of Tartar fastned to the heads of short Cases filled with dry Powder and of these a large Rocket will carry up eight or nine and give fire to them upon its expiring but they ought for the better securing them till they fire to be put into a great case one part of which may shut over the stern of the Rocket To make Fire-boxes â—ire-launces and Fountains of Fire observe the following directions The Fire-box consists of a great many small Rockets put into a great Cartoush which fired by Trains fly out one by one and sometimes altogether with prodigious noise and fury The Fire-launce in all respects is to be moulded as the ground Rocket only the Cartoush must be Past-board glewed as it is rolled and bound about with small Cords nor must there be any broach in it whilst it is a filling The Composition if you desire it to have a long firy train upon the Water must be one pound of Salt-peter half a pound of Brimstone-dust and half a pound of Powder all finely beaten together with two ounces of Charcole dust but if you would have it burn bright like a Candle then to one pound of Salt-peter and half a pound of Brimstone put a quarter of a pound of Powder and fasten to each of them a Rod in the nature of a Sky-Rocket and they will when fired live along while upon the Water and appear in a dark Night exceeding pleasant To make Trees or Fountains of Fire fix divers small Rockets on the head of a great one by running their Rods through a broad overbearing of â—ast-board and if they fire whilst the Rocket is ascending they will spring up and spread in streams of Fire resembling the branches of a Trâ—â— but if they fire when the Rocket is just spent and descending they will appear like the Streams of a Fountain in Fire A Fire-wheel or Gerondel is very pleasant especially to adorn the Angles of great Fire-works and is ordered after this manner Prepare a wodden Wheel in the fashion of a spinning Wheel but the rim some what narrower and fasten round it Rockets of the smallest size so that the tail of the one may by a train wraped up in Paper fire the head of the other when as the Wheel being put upon a pin of wood the Rockets will fire one by one and the force of them will carry it round with incredible swiftness till all be spent observe to put them upon the Wheel in the nature of a Wheel-band c. The Balloun is accounted the most excellent of all Fire works tending to Recreation and must be shot out of a Past-board Gun or Mortar to make which I have already given directions As for the making the Balloun you must prepare strong Paper or Past board and rowl it upon a wooden Rowler eight Inches in Circumference or somewhat more glewing it between every rowling then choak the Cartoush at one of the ends leaving a little hole for a port-fire which must be of durance by way of fuse till the Balloun can come to its height which done put in as many Serpents as the Cartoush will hold and amongst them three or four Saucissions to break it making them not to differ in length from the Serpents fill them with the Composition of the Air Rockets pressing the touch if dry strongly into the throats of each of them unless you make your fuse of Wild-fire and then it needs not observing ever to let the necks of the Saucissions to be longer than those of the Serpents that so they may all take fire before the Balloun is broken and upon the Crown of each place a considerable number of either sort of Stars and small quills of Brimstone-powder and Salt-peter then choak the other end as strongly as may be and prime it with stouple or Cotten-week dipped in wet Powder and afterward very well dryed again and so having charged your Mortar or Past-board Gun with the muzel mounted upwards â—end it into the Air and when it is at its height it will break and present divers delightful Figures representing sundry shapes and forms Flying Saucissions are made as to the Cartoush in the manner of a ground Rocket but the filling must be whole Powder except so much dust-Powder and Charcole as will serve for a port-fire till they can be delivered at their height in the Air which must be done out of Past-board Guns set in a Row upon a bench or piece of Wood and fired by a train underneath and they will give reports in the Air like Muskets The Guns must be made upon Rowlers of Wood with strong Past-board about a foot and a half or two foot in length worked in the rowling with Glew or well made Past-board and being corded over they must be choaked with a strong Cord at one end only leaving a small hole at the bottom to give fire as for the bore of each it must be proportioned to the Saucissions If you would have Rockets run upon a Line backward and forward you must choose a smooth and even line and stripe it over with Soap to make it run more glib fasten two Rockets of the Composition of the Sky Rockets head and tail one on the one side and the other on the other side of a small Cane through which the Line must pass so that when one is spent by running one way on the Line the other may fire and come back again and upon these you may place the forms of Dragons Ships or Men which in the Night-time will appear dreadful to the Beholders In case you are distressed for Match to use on these or the like Occasions take hempen Cords that have not been pitched or dawbed with Tar pull them to pieces and then twist the loose stuff to the bigness of a mans Thumb and boyl it in Wood-ly-ashes adding a small quantity of Salt-peter until the Lye be consumed then make it up and draw it through your hand holding part of the pieces or remainder therein twice or thrice and dry it in the Sun. Stopple or priming week is no other than Cotton-wool boiled in Water and Gunpowder and afterward dryed in the Sun or by the Fire And thus Reader I hope I have performed this undertaking to your Satisfaction FINIS
rout was by this time in all parts when as the English crying they fly they fly followed the chace with great slaughter the miserable Scots casting away their Weapons and crying out for Mercy which in the first fury or the pursuit the Souldiers being hot upon Execution few of them obtained so that our men using their own broad Swords which they had scattered against them 13003 of them are reputed to be slain and of Note the Lord of Loghemworth the Lord Fleming the Master of Greym the Master of Arskin and of the better fort about 1600 and 1500 were taken Prisoners the chief of which were the Lord Huntly Lord Chancellor of the Kingdom the Lords of Yester Hobby and Hamilton the Captain of Dun-Bar the Laird Wimms and a Brother to the Earl of Casselles It is further reported that many perceiving the pursuit grew hot and that they could not escape it fell down amongst the slain and counterfeiting themselves dead found means when the Pursuers were past by the shelter of the Night to get into the Woods and adjacent Towns and so secured themselves from the destroying Swords As for their Camp Baggage Ammunition and all of that kind they fell into the Hands of the English as likewise did many considerable Towns and strong holds but as for the young Queen she was before hand conveyed secretly into France The Scots grown obstinate thus dearly pay'd Because the happy Vnion they delay'd Which Heaven at last more kind than they brought on And made the long contending Nations one A Description of the Battel of Dreux fought in Normandy between Lewis of Burbon Prince of Conde and Aeneas Montmorency Constable of France Anno 1562. GReat Troubles arising in France about Religion soon after the Reformation spread wide in Christendom amongst others who took up Arms to assert and maintain it was Lewis of Burbon Prince of Conde to oppose whom Aeneas Montmorency drew out the French King's Forces and hasted into Normandy with all speed yet not so secretly but that the Prince with whom was Chastillion the Admiral had notice of his approach and thereupon consulted with his Associates what was best to be done who together all things being weighted resolved to give the Constable Battel though the Catholick Army much over-match'd the Hugonots in number of Foot consisting of 26000 whereas that of his own was scarce 11000 yet he had the advantage in Horse by almost a 1000 so that both Armies by this time being encamped within sight of each other the Morning following the Prince drew into the Field and ranged his Battel placing his Horse-men to the number of 4000 in the Vaunt-guard and himself led the Battel with Rechfocault taking to him a Squadron of light Horse-men led by Courays and posting on the other side the Cornets commanded by Monoy and Aveller with certain Reysters or German Horse committing the care of the Vaunt-guard to the Admiral with whom he joyned the Prince of Porcien supported by other Troops of Horse then followed a battalion of German Foot consisting of 4000 supported by 500 loose shot called Enfans Perdus who as the occasion requires are to march before the Battalion as the forlorn hope then another strong Battalion of 23 Ensigns consisting of French Foot-men whose charge it was to manage and guard the Ordnance being secured in the Flank by a Wing or Party of German Horse and in this Array he marched with a square Battel The Constable perceiving the Hugonot Army by the posture it was drawn into resolved to give Battel drew out likewise comitting to the Duke of Guise the Right Wing of the Advant-guard and next in order he placed the Battalion of the Spanish Foot and the old French Souldiers with four pieces of Canon of the Left Wing the Marshal of St. Andrews had the Charge and was guarded on the one side with a Battalion of Foot and on the other with a Squadron of Horse and the main Battel principally was composed of 17 Ensigns of French Foot and 22 Ensigns of Switzers the Constable himself commanded enclosing 18 pieces of great Ordnance and thus stood the Battels of the Catholicks in a great length or depth and the Battels of the Hugonots confronted them when Conde giving the Signal and Curay going before with his light Horse-men charged upon the Switzers where he found them left naked of Horse-men and with great fury broke in amongst them making a considerable slaughter of them though they at first by the help of their Ordnance made a stout resistance and the strength of their own Weapons but the shot flying thick as hail in their faces they were soon obliged to give ground and soon after not being able to sustain the charge of the Horsemens Launces they broke their array and scattered leaving their Ordnance behind them unguarded whilst those that had routed them ranged with great slaughter through the bloody Attacks not did the Admiral delay to charge the Constables battel whilst the Reysters did the like upon Avelle's Horse who were to support it but this beginning of good Success and Promise of Victory lasted not long for though the Constable was wounded and taken in the Charge his Battel being near over-set yet Avelle perceiving the Princes foot lest naked broke in amongst them and put them far and near to the rout so that not longer being able to make resistance in the disorder they were in they fled towards the Village of Blinvil at what time the Duke of Guise coming in with a strong reserve disordered the rest of the foot that yet stood firm as not having been charged though in entering amongst their Ranks many of his Horsemen together with their Horses were slain so that Avelle who kept his Troops firm being returned from the rout of the foot and perceiving the Prince's Horse disordered in pursuit of the Switzers he broke in so that the Prince himself was wounded over-born and taken Prisoner by him and his Troops put to the flight which was the only thing that put a stop to Victory 's declaring on the part of the Hugonots and gave the Duke of Guise an Opportunity to further his Advantage yet the Admiral made great resistance labouring all that in him lay to restore the battel in disputing for which the Marshal of St. Andrews was slain with divers others of Note and many were wounded yet the Admiral for want of Horse to second his Foot was in the end obliged to give ground yet the fight continued bloody and doubtful and greater had been the slaughter had not Night come and parted the Armies who otherwise as men resolute were resolved to have fought it out to the last Extremity In the last Encounter besides the Marshal of St. Andrews were slain Monbrun Son to the Constable the Lord Phinnes the Grand Prior and a Brother to the Guise Guire and Aenabault de' Brosses with divers others of Noble descent and amongst the wounded were the Dukes de Amaâ—â— and
Prisoners and a hot skirmish hapned between the Kings party and Essex's men near Causum Bridge wherein the former was worsted and obliged to retâ—â—â—t with some loss and in May divers sâ—â—â—mishes with various success hapned in the West between Sir Ralph Hopton who commanded there for the King and Sir Geo. Chudleige for the Parliament though the former for the most part had the advantage nor did Hostilities cease in other parts for in June divers skirmishes hapned between Prince Rupert and Essex the most material of which was in Chalgrave-field in Oxford-shire where the Prince furiously charging a body of the Parliament Horse routed it killing and wounding a great part of the Enemy and amongst the latter John Hambden who soon after dyed of his Wound as did some others and on the fifth of July Sir Ralph Hopton with a few Forces of the Kings under his Command engaged Sir William Waller who had double his number maintaining the fight from two in the Afternoon till about one the next Morning whereupon Waller perceiving him resolved to obtain the Victory or dye in the place left the field yet soon after being ashamed of the retreat he followed Sir Ralph to the Devises in Wilt-shire whither he was marched with a Resolution to set upon him of which the King having notice sent 1500 Horse from Oxford where he lay encamped to his assistance but upon the Comjunction Waller not thinking it convenient to try the event in that place drew off to Roundway-down but being hotly charged he was in a short time broken and disordered whereupon with his Horse he fled in great Confusion leaving his foot to the mercy of the Royallists who were most of them slain in the fight or taken Prisoners together with four pieces of Cannon all the Amunition and Baggage nine Cornets and 28 foot Colours so that by this fatal blow given on the 13th of July Waller having lost his Army most of the Horse deserting him in his flight he hasted to London with the lamentable story of his defeat Essex by this time with a powerful Army having relieved Glocester and surprized a Convoy of the Kings which fell into his hands through mistake marched to Newberry where the King remained as yet with his Army and had prepared to receive him in the best order the short time of notice would give leave or opportunity so that on the 20th of September 1643 both Armies confronting each other the charge was immediately sounded and seconded by the thundring of the Cannon and Vollies of small shot on either side whilst Prince Rupert with his Squadron forced the main battel and put it into great disorder but whilst he pursued his good fortune he found himself charged by two squadrons of Horse that descended from the Hill where till now they had been posted so that the fight was doubtful and bloody on all parts it being in many places brought to the Sword so that the Lord Jermin who commanded there a Regiment of horse for the King being over charged by number was obliged to force his way not without great hazard through the Battalions of foot yet was the fight maintained with considerable slaughter on either part till Night put an end to the fury both Armies keeping the field till the next day and then retired from each other as by consent The Persons of Note slain were the Earls of Carnarvan and Sunderland the Lord Viscount Faulkland and in all on both sides near six thousand In March Sir Thomas Fairfax and Mitton were set upon by Prince Rupert at Drayton in Shropshire and routed as likewise was Sir John Meldrum who had entred England with his Scotch Forces in favour of the Parliament forced to leave Newark which they had besieged with the loss of their Canon Ammunition and all their Baggage which was Relieved by Prince Rupert and only permitted to depart with their Lives But now Sir William Waller having gotten another Army Anno 1644 fell upon the Lord Hopton's Forces near Winchester at unawares and over-pow'ring him in number cut off divers of his men and obliged him to leave the field whereupon Winchester surrendred but Waller was soon after overthrown by the King's forces at Crop-ready Bridg and Essex with the gross of the Parliament Army blocked up in Cornwall and now the Earl of Newcastle being besieged in York Prince Rupert advanced with an Army of Horse and Foot to Relieve the City upon whose approach the Besiegers drew off and were upon their retreat hotly pressed and charged by a Sally from the Town when the Garrison under the command of the Earl joyning with the Prince they with conjunct Forces followed the Parliament forces to a place called Marston-Moor where both Armies drew up and with great sury joyned battel which continuing with much effusion of bloud for the space of four hours victory in the end declared against the Royalists and in this fight called by many the bloudy fight of Marston-Moor 9000 men on both sides are computed to be slain after which battel York surrendred and almost all the Towns in the North so that for a while nothing but Skirmishes happened But on the 27 of October both Armies meeting a second time near Newbury an obstinate fight ensued but the Royalists having done all that could be expected from true valour and still oppressed with fresh numbers of the Enemy were forced in the end to give way to necessity and leave the field in some disorder nor is it guessed that on both sides less than 4500 were slain after which nothing more happened in England this year but the skirmishing of Parties and taking of Towns and Castles but in Scotland the Marquess of Montross with inconsiderable forces raised by virtue of a Commission from the King routed divers Armies of the Covenanters putting all Scotland in fear of being Reduced to its obedience by his Prowess Anno 1645 Essex having laid down his Commission it was taken up by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Cromwel was made Lieutenant General most of the prime Officers of the Army being changed yet the King's party strugled strongly for the Royal cause though many finding things in a manner desperate had retired from the Army and passed the Seas for besides divers skirmishes Collonel Massey in April was routed by Prince Rupert at Lidbury with considerable loss But in June following the King's forces were defeated at Langport where about 200 were slain and 1400 taken Prisoners which occasioned soon after the surrender of Pomfret Scarborough Bath and Bridgwater yet in August the Parliaments Quarters with some slaughter on both parts were beaten up about Tame and the Scots defeated at Kielsieth in Scotland by Montross and in September Montross was defeated at Phillipphaugh in the said Kingdom and the King's forces in England were Routed on Routon heath near Chester and in October the Lord Digby was likewise defeated at Sherborn in the County of York and in March following the Lord Ashley was
direct line or under Mettal be sure to ram it with a good wad lest the Powder lying hollow and not full up to the Mettal burst it and that he may move or traverse his piece at pleasure he must have Crows of Iron Coins of Wood and take special care to know the depth of the Chamber or charging part he must likewise be furnished with a scale whereby he may know the force weight measure and carriage of his piece as also the proportion on the charge and the weight of the shot As for the Names of the greát Pieces commonly in use they are the Base the Rabanet the Faulconet the Faulcon the ordinary Minnion the Minnion of the largest size the Sacker the lowest sort the ordinary Sacker the Sacker of the oldest sort the lowest Demiculverin the eldest sort of Demiculverin the ordinary Demiculverin the Culverins of the best size ordinary Culverin Culverin of the largest size lowest Demicannon ordinary Demicannon Demicannon of the great size Cannon Royal or of the largest size and to these according to their weight and bore ought to be proportioned the charge of Powder and Shot and by that Rule likewise one may know how far a Piece will carry as suppose a Piece be eight foot long weighing 1500 weight and four inches Diamiter in the bore charge it for so much it requires with 4 pounds of Powder and it will carry a shot of 61. 160 paces of five foot to the pace provided it be not defective by Reason of Flaws or Hony-combs and so proportionable the rest of greater or lesser weight As for a true piece it is for the better distinction divided by Gunners into several parts and thus distinguished viz. the outward most part of the breech is called the Cascabel Deck the Ring next to the Touch-hole the base Ring and the space between the Touch-hole and the next Ring is called the Chamber or charging Cilinder and the second Ring the Ramforce Ring the third is called the Tronion or ballance Ring that next the Muzzle is called the Cornice Ring the Extreamity is called the Muzzle the top the Superficies and the whole length the chace by readily knowing which any assistant to a Gunner may understand what he is required to do As for Shot they are generally three sorts either Lead Iron or Stone according as the store can furnish or the Emergency requires and in these according to their weight there is a disproportion in bigness which to prevent trouble in a hasty Enterprize ought to be considered lest in weighing alike they prove especially the latter useless by being too big for your Piece and thus we consider them The proportion between Lead and Iron is six to nine so that a shot of Iron of six pound weight is as big as a shot of Lead weighing nine pound and the proportion between Iron and Stone is three to eight by which means a shot of thirty pound of stone is as big as a shot of eighty pound of Iron and so proportionable If there be any cracks flaws or honey-combs in a piece which not only hinder its carriage but many times indanger its breaking you may discover the former viz. stop the muzle and touch-hole of the Piece so soon as ever you have shot it off and if there be any such thing the smoke will come through insensible cranies but if it be defective by reason of the latter viz. honey-combs which are a sponginess or scaling of the metal within you must search it with a piece of candle in a long cleft stick or by reflecting the Sun-beams into it with a Looking-glass which will occasion so much light that one may thereby discover them though there is little remedy to be had in these cases for the bettering the Piece nor are they less to be discerned by striking the Piece with an Iron hand-spike in all parts for if it sound hoarse or jarring then are there flaws and defects but if it sound clear then account it a perfect Piece and to it you may accordingly proportion your charge for if the Piece be not sound or of no true bore you must beware of overcharging least you endanger your self and others As for Cartrages seeing they are very useful in loading Pieces when hot with often firing and not able otherways to indure the powder I shall speak something of them and their use Cartrages are usually made of stiff-paper or canvass upon a wooden Mould proportionable to the Piece in the form of a Rocket-cartoush but larger the first of these must be done by rowling the paper thick and pasting it in each rowling fixing to it a firm bottom and the last by sowing or glewing strong canvass in the like nature into the cavity put so much powder as is a sufficient charge for the Piece and stop it in lightly with paper or flax and so thrust the hard end foremost into the chamber of the piece leaving about an inch vacant that it may the better take air and so with a sharp priming Iron pierce it through the touch-hole and prime then follow it with your shot and discharge as you see occasion but by the way you must observe that your Cases be dry least by damping the powder they prevent its firing as also to make them according to the proportion of the piece that so without any difficulty they may be ready at hand on all occasions as for the Ramers Ladles and Sponges all the difficulty in them is to fit and proportion them to the respective pieces having good stuff in order thereto As for the wheels and carriages of pieces they ought to be much regarded especially in case of a march lest by their defect in breaking they hinder any extraordinary Enterprize and it as often happens for want of a true mounting wherefore take notice that one and a half the length of the cilender of the bore or chamber of the piece should be the length of the carriage and the depth four dâ—amiters of the bore or concave in the middle but at the end next the ground not above the thickness of the diamiter of the shot as for the wheels they ought to be strong and one half of the length of the piece in height if for Land-service but if for Sea a less proportion will serve As for the Turneons they must be so placed that the piece may stand true mounted lest a false shot be often made and in this case two thirds of the piece must appear above their Center nor must Cordage be wanting especially at Sea and those being strong ought to be four times the length of the piece and the britchings twice the length of the piece though great Pieces for fear of breaking loose and overswaying the Ship are often coined and braced so straight that they cannot give much way especially in case of a storm Now to charge and fire a piece dexterously and like a Gunner let those that undertake it observe this
them to advantage and to know to what particular ends they are designed according to the Antient and Modern Engenry c. AS for Fire-works of Warlike use especially in the siege of any Town c. they are commonly sent out of Brass Mortars or great Ordnance and some of those for Recreation out of Mortars made of Wood or strong Past-board and sometimes Canvas Those Mortars that are made of Brass are to be of the finest Mettal thereby to be free from cracks and flaws and in them it is to be observed that if any of their bores be ten Inches in the Diamiter the Mortar ought to be one foot nine Inches in length the Chamber to be loaden with Powder three Inches and a half Diamiter and five Inches deep the thickest of the Metal above the fire Port ought to be three Inches and a half and so by degrees to lessen or grow thinner to two Inches As for Mortars of Wood they are bored and turned much in the fashion of the former greater or lesser as occasion requires it but ought to be plated within and without with Tin or Copper or they will be always in danger of bursting and do but little Service Mortars of Past-board are made upon Rowlers glewed still in the rowling and corded over with Pitch and tarred Cords and having cut off both ends so that they may be smooth and even turn a foot and sholder to fasten the Trunk upon and in the middle thereof let your Chamber be made for the Powder strongly plated within and without and if the Mortar be six Inches diamiter the Past-board must be an Inch and three quarters thick and the Trunk about sixteen Inches long the Chamber two Inches Diamiter must be three Inches deep and when the Trunk is upon the breech of Wood it must be fastned on with Coopers Nails and corded over with pitch Cord leaving so much space as may serve to bore a Touch-hole but these are seldom used but in Fire-works of Recreation unless great necessity require them to throw small Bombs and that mostly on Ship-board but as for a Balloon one of them will carry it an exceeding hight A Granado in the first place is a hollow shell of Iron Brass and sometimes of Glass in which there is left a hole to put in a faucet or Pistol barrel to carry the fuse in the Composition is commonly Brimstone Salt-peter and dry Powder the quantity of each being left in the mixture to the Discretion of the Engenier as he intends either to fire or blow up any House c. and sometimes they are filled only with whole Powder as for the fuse it is to be proportioned to the length the Granado is to fly lest sooner expiring it fire the Granado and break it in the Air and is commonly made of Powder wet with Oyl of Petrolum but sometimes made of Charâ—ole Brimstone and Powder beaten and finely sifted In charging your Mortar you must consider what quantity of Powder will carry the Granado and so much being put into the Chamber press it down with a wad of Flax and after that place a Turf quite over it filling the bottom of the Mortar and so sling in your Granado by the help of Cords observing the fuse which must be charged into it within an Inch of the head stand directly in the middle when having primed and touched the fuse give immediately fire to the Mortar whose Touch-hole you must be sure to keep always in good order lest the fuse burn out before the Powder in the Chamber take fire and so indanger not only the breaking of the Mortar but the destroying of your self and others There are an other sort of Granados though to the same effect made of Canvas and strong Past-board wetted with Oyl of Spike or it may be done with Brandy or Water mold them upon a round ball of Wood with Glew and Pitch in each doubling and when they are well dryed cut them in half to take out the Ball then put them together with Glew and cover them over with other strong Canvas coated with Pitch and so bind them strongly together with Cords leaving a hole to charge at and for the fuse and these many times do the same Execution as Shells and ought to be managed the same way but are sometimes filled with Wild-fire Pitch Rosin c. being then rather designed to fire than blow up Hand Granados are in effect the same with the former though much less their Shells are made of concave Iron with a fuse of Paper Reed or Quills and sometime are made of Glass Earth or Wood but those for Sea are more commonly of Canvas or Past-board which are kept hollow by rowling upon a bottom of Twine and pasted or glewed still in the rowling till they become an Inch thick in the case when being dryed one end of the thread left at a hole for that purpose is drawn out many there are that stick pieces of Lead or half Musquet-bullets about them that when they burst those many forcibly scatter and wound the Enemy As for their Composition it is generally Powder Brimstone and Salt-peter but may be filled with dry Powder if occasion require it the fuse being at the same time made of Wild-fire and grafted in with Pitch or soft Wax leaving the head of it about a quarter of an Inch above the Shell There has been formerly used in firing Towns and Castles a strange way which is now altogether left off yet it may not be amiss to recite it viz. Instead of a Mortar the Engeniers were wont to dig a deep cavety in the Ground slant ways with the mouth of it towards the Town in the manner of a mouted Cannon bricking or stoneing it round in the form of a Well in the bottom of which they placed a Barrel or as much as was convenient of Powder laying Beams a cross over it and upon those Beams a quantity of Turf and Earth then having a huge Faggot of Timber prepared bound strongly with Iron-chains it was put into this place all on a fire and so by the means of a Train the Powder firing blew it into the place designed with great force the ground serving in those days instead of a Mortar but probably without any certain Aim The Sea-men for firing Ships were wont to make flaming Arrows in this sort viz. taking the head and shaft of a broad Arrow and the Iron of the head being very long they made an Oval-case of strong Canvas and Past-board glewing it firmly in all parts and this being filled with a composition of Salt peter Gun powder Brimstone made into Wildfire with the Oyl of Petrollum is fixed upon the neck of the head the case being punched full of holes and when fired and flung with a strong hand it will stick in the side mast of a Ship and if not suddenly prevented will set it on fire Stink-pots are made of Earth and filled with Tar Turpentine and