Artificial Fire-Works,

Improved to the Modern Practice,

From the Minutest to the Highest Branches;

CONTAINING

Aigrettes Globes Silver-Rain

Amber-lights Gold-Rain Spur-Fire

Balloons Grand Volutes Squibs

Batteries Leaders Stars

Chinese Fire-Ships Lights Sky-Rockets

Cohorns Mines Swans

Cones Matches Swarms

Crackers Mortars Thunder in Rooms

Cascades Marrons Towering-Rockets,

Dodecadrons Moons double and single

Ducks Neptune’s Chariot Tourbillons

Earthquakes Potts Trees

Flights Pumps Water Fire-Works

Flyers Rain-Fall Wheels

Fountains Rockets Yew-Trees

Gerbes Sea-Fights

With all their Ingredients, Compositions, Preparations, Machines, Moulds, and Manner to make them, refining Salt-Petre, and to extract it from damaged Gunpowder, &c.

With about 100 of the principal Figures beautifully engraved on Copper Plates.

The SECOND EDITION.

With the Addition of many new and beautiful Fire-Works, and 3 large Copper-Plates.

By ROBERT JONES,

Lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

LONDON:

Printed for J. Millan, near Whitehall. (Price 7s, 6d.)

Mdcclxvi.

TO SIR CHARLES FREDERICK, KNIGHT OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE BATH, SURVEYOR GENERAL OF HIS MAJESTY’S ORDNANCE, AND FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, AT LONDON. THIS TREATISE ON ARTIFICIAL FIREWORKS IS HUMBLY INSCRIBED BY HIS MOST OBEDIENT

AND MUCH OBLIGED

HUMBLE SERVANT,

ROBERT JONES.

v

PREFACE.

I shall not pretend to say any thing here concerning the origin of Fireworks; those who are willing to be better informed of that point, may have recourse to the treatise of M. F***, on that subject, who has handled this point in a most elaborate manner; and perhaps it may be no displeasing surprize to the reader, to find that, while he imagines himself only concerned about an invention which, he could not have thought to have subsisted above 422 years, he is carried gradually back to the age of Augustus, and from thence to the time of the Trojan war.

It is sufficient for me that Fireworks have subsisted a long time, and still continue to do so among the politest nations of both Europe vi and Asia. I am very well aware that it may here be objected, there are already treatises published on this subject, and some of those voluminous ones; but then those are either translations from the French and Italian authors, &c. which in themselves are both imperfect and erroneous; or else they are very small abridgments, and those little, not of the art itself, only on some particular branches of it.

I have endeavoured, in the following treatise, to avoid prolixity as much as possible without being obscure; the rules I have laid down, are as plain as was in my power to make them, and I have endeavoured to carry the reader in by the most gradual manner, from the minutest circumstances to the highest, and have been careful to vii keep to the subject I first proposed, only as an Essay on Artificial Fire-works. I own I cannot help reflecting with some kind of chagrin, that, whenever we have had occasion for any of these sort of diversions to be exhibited in England, we have almost always had recourse to foreigners to execute them; if this has been owing to the ignorance of our own people on this subject, I shall be very happy if it is in my power to correct it; if it is only owing to that prevailing fondness we entertain for every thing that is foreign, I know no remedy for that evil but time and experience.

June 20, 1765.

viii

ix

SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.

A.

Colonel Amherst Lumney Arnold, Esq; Captain Anderson Mr. Thomas Ardesoif Thomas Appreece, Esq; Lieutenant Abbot Mr. Nenon Armstrong John Archbold, Esq;

B.

Sir Richard Betenson, Baronet Lieutenant-General Belford Lieutenant-Colonel Brome Captain Buchannan Captain Richard Bowles Charles Booth, Esq; Captain Burt Captain Bothwick Captain Basset Captain Henry Balfour Captain Henry Brasier Christopher Bath, Esq; Captain Bettesworth Lieutenant Blomfield Lieutenant Bellew x Lieutenant Barbutt Lieutenant Bruere Lieutenant Burton Lieutenant Brady Lieutenant Burgh Lieutenant Burrows Lieutenant Brietzcke Lieutenant Barber Lieutenant Browne Ensign Bertie Mr. Bertie —— Burk, Esq; Mr. Burford.

C.

Lieutenant-Colonel Chenevix Lieutenant-Colonel Cleaveland Lieutenant-Colonel Carlton Major A. Campbell The Honourable Lucius Ferdinand Cary Captain Campbell Captain Clark Captain Charlton Thomas Cunningham, Esq; John Cockburn, Esq; Cecil Calvert, Esq; John Cathcart, Esq; Partrick George Craufurd, Esq; Lieutenant Chapman Lieutenant Richard Chapman Thomas Chowne, Esq; —— Cooke, Esq;

xi

D.

Lieutenant-General Durand Sir Charles Davers Colonel Desaguliers Lieutenant-Colonel Dalling Major Dade Captain Debbeig Captain Dixon Captain Desbrisay Captain Davis George Durant, Esq; Henry Pelham Davis, Esq; Lieutenant Durnford Lieutenant Dixon Lieutenant Douglass Lieutenant Downing Mr. Decosta

E.

Lieutenant-General Elliot Sir John Eyles Styles, Baronet —— Edmonds, Esq.

F.

Sir Charles Frederick, Knight of the Bath William Farrell, Esq; William Charles Farrell, Esq; Captain Christopher French Captain Fuller Captain French

xii

G.

The Right Honourable the Marquiss of Granby Lieutenant-Colonel Godwin Captain Gordon Captain Garth Captain Gray Captain George Lieutenant Garstin Lieutenant Grose Lieutenant Gossip John Henry Grose, Esq; Jacob Grose, Esq; Mr. Gresse

H.

Lieutenant-Colonel Howe Sir Samuel Hillier, LL. D. The Honourable Charles Hamilton, Esq; Captain Hayes Captain Hedges Captain Harcourt —— Hillersdon, Esq; John Hughson, Esq; John Harrison, Esq; Lieutenant Hill Lieutenant Handcock Mr. Alexander Hope Ensign Harcup.

xiii

I.

Major James Captain Innis Captain Jefferys Thomas Jones, Esq; Captain Jones.

K.

Major General Keppel Captain Kennedy Lieutenant King Ensign Keith Doctor Kennedy

L.

The Right Honourable Lord Viscount Ligonier Captain Leslie Captain Lewis Lieutenant Leith Lieutenant Lawson Lieutenant Lemoine Lieutenant Henry Hastings Lloyd Ensign Lechmore Ensign Leigh Mr. Lepremaudaye Mr. George Lambert Mr. John Lampard.

xiv

M.

General Monckton Colonel Montresor Sir William Mansel, Baronet Captain Marsh Lieutenant-Colonel Monypenny Ensign Maccarthymore Robert Morley, Esq; James Moss, Esq; John Muller, Esq;

N.

Colonel Nugent Mr. Nichols.

O.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ord.

P.

Sir Mark Parsons, Baronet Colonel Pearson Lieutenant-Colonel Pattison Lieutenant-Colonel Philips Lieutenant-Colonel Pepper Captain Parkhill Captain Pringle Captain Peach Lieutenant Paterson xv James Philips, Esq; Charles Philips, Esq; James Powel, Esq; Lieutenant Pearse Lieutenant Pocock George Parker, Esq;

R.

His Grace the Duke of Rutland The Right Honourable Lord Romney Captain Reynolds Lieutenant Ratcliff Lieutenant Rosat Lieutenant Robertson Lieutenant Robison.

S.

Sir Harry Seaton Colonel Skinner Major Straton Major Skey Captain Stewart Captain Skyner Lieutenant Strachan Cornet Sievright —— Stevenson, Esq;

T.

Lieutenant Timms Lieutenant Thomas xvi Mr. David Thomas Zachariah Taylor, Esq;

V.

Mr. George Villeneuve.

W.

Major General Williamson Lieutenant-Colonel Walsh Major Wrightson Captain Wilkie Captain Williamson Captain Walker Lieutenant Williams —— Lieutenant Williams John Willis, Esq; —— Ward Esq; John Westrope, Esq; Richard Stranton Wilmot, Esq; Mr. Wise.

xvii

CONTENTS

SECTION I.

Of Salt-petre. Pag. 1

How to refine Salt-petre. 2

How to pulverise Salt-petre. 3

How to extract Salt-petre from damaged Gun-powder. ibid.

Of Sulphur or Brimstone. 5

How to prepare Charcoal for Fireworks. 6

To make Artificial Camphor. 7

To make the Oil of Camphor. 9

Of Benjamin. 10

Of Gun-powder and its Original. 11

Of the Composition for Gun-powder of different Sorts. 13

To restore damaged Gun-powder to its proper Strength. 16

Of Silent-powder, commonly called White-powder. 19

To make Silent-powder. 20

To make Gun-powder of different Colours. 21

To make Gun-powder white. 22

To make Powder red. ibid.

To make yellow Powder. 23

To make green Powder. ibid.

To make blue Powder. 23xviii

To make Pulvis Fulmanans or Thunder in a Room. 24

Sect. II.

Of the Spur-fire. 26

The Composition for the Spur-fire. 28

Characters, or Significant Signs, for distinguishing the different Ingredients used in Fireworks. 29

How to meal Gun-powder, Brimstone, and Charcoal. 31

To prepare Cast Iron for Gerbes, white Fountains, and Chinese Fire. 32

Charges for Sky-rockets, &c. 34

For Rockets of four Ounces. ibid.

For Rockets of eight Ounces. ibid.

For Rockets of one Pound. ibid.

For Sky-rockets in General. 35

For large Sky-rockets. ibid.

For Rockets of a middling Size. ibid.

Compositions for Rocket Stars. 36

For white Stars. ibid.

For blue Stars. ibid.

Coloured or variegated Stars. ibid.

For brilliant Stars. ibid.

For common Stars. 37

For tailed Stars. ibid.

For drove Stars. ibid. xix

For fixed pointed Stars. 37

Stars of a fine Colour. 38

Gold Rain for Sky-rockets. ibid.

Silver Rain. ibid.

For Water-rockets. 39

A sinking Charge for Water-rockets. 40

For Wheel Cases, from two Ounces to four Pound. ibid.

A slow Fire for Wheels. 42

A dead Fire for Wheels. ibid.

For standing or fixed Cases. ibid.

For Sun Cases. 43

For a brilliant Fire. ibid.

For Gerbes. 44

Chinese Fire. ibid.

Charges for Tourbillons. ibid.

For four Ounce Tourbillons. ibid.

For eight Ounce Tourbillons. ibid.

For large Tourbillons. 45

For Water Ballóóns. ibid.

For Water Squibs. ibid.

For Mine Ports or Serpents. 46

Port Fires for firing Rockets, &c. ibid.

Port Fires for Illuminations. 47

For Cones or Spiral Wheels. ibid.

For Crowns or Globes. ibid.

For Air Ballóón Fuzes. ibid.

Serpents for Pots des Brins. 48

For Fire Pumps. ibid.

For a slow white Flame. ibid. xx

For Amber Lights. 49

For Lights of another Sort. ibid.

For a red Fire. ibid.

For a common Fire. ibid.

To make an artificial Earthquake. 50

A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Siemienawicz. 52

A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from M. F***. 53

A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Hanzelet. 54

A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Henrion. 55

A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Saint Remy, with improvements by M. F***. 56

Remarks on the foregoing Tables. 57

Compositions for Stars of different Colours. 60

For Stars that carry Tails of Sparks. 61

Another sort of Stars, which yield some Sparks. 62

For Stars of a yellowish Colour. ibid.

Stars of another Sort. 63

Of the Colours produced by the different Compositions. ibid.

For a white Flame. 64

For a blue Flame. ibid.

For a Flame inclining to red. 65 xxi

Of such Ingredients as shew themselves in Sparks when rammed in choaked Cases. ibid.

How to make Cotton Quick-match. 66

Ingredients for the Match. 68

Sect. III.

Of Sky-rocket Moulds. 69

A Table of Dimensions for Rocket Moulds, in which the Rockets are rammed solid. 72

Of Moulds for Wheel-cases, or Serpents. 73

How to roll Rockets and other Cases. 74

To make Tourbillon Cases. 78

To make Ballóón Cases, or Paper Shells. 79

Of the Method of mixing Compositions. 82

How to preserve Steel or Iron Filings. 83

The Method of driving or ramming of Sky-rockets, &c. 85

Of the Proportion of Mallets. 90

Of the Proportion of Sky-rockets, with the manner of heading them. 91

Of the Decorations for Sky-rockets. 93

A Table of Dimensions and Poise of Rocket-sticks. 94

The Method of boring Rockets which have been drove solid. 96 xxii

Of a Hand Machine used for boring of Rockets instead of a Lathe. 99

The Manner of making large Gerbes. 101

Of small Gerbes or white Fountains. 103

To make Paste-board and Paper Mortars. 104

Sect. IV.

The Manner of loading Air Ballóóns. 106

Of Coehorn Ballóóns. 108

Of Coehorn Ballóóns. 109

Of Royal Ballóóns. 110

Of Royal Ballóóns. 111

Of eight Inch Ballóóns. 112

Remarks on Ballóóns. 113

Of eight Inch Ballóóns. 115

Of an eight Inch Ballóón. 116

Of a Compound ten Inch Ballóón. 117

Of a ten Inch Ballóón of three changes. 118

To make Ballóón. ibid.

Of Tourbillons. 120

The Manner of making Mortars, for throwing Aigrettes and loading and firing the same. 122

The Manner of making, loading, and firing of Pots des Brins. 125

Of Pots des Saucissons. 127

To fix one Sky-rocket on the top of another. 128 xxiii

Of Caduceus-rockets. 130

Of Honorary-rockets. 131

To divide the Tail of a Sky-rocket, so as to form an Arch when Ascending. 133

To make several Sky-rockets rise together, in the same direction, and equally distant from each other. 134

Of Signal Sky-rockets. 135

To fix two or more Sky-rockets on one Stick. 136

Of Sky-rockets without Sticks. 140

Of Rain-falls for Sky-rockets, double and single. 141

Of strung Stars. 144

Of tailed Stars. ibid.

Of drove Stars. 146

Of rolled Stars. 147

Of Scrolls for Sky-rockets. 148

Of Swarmers or small Rockets. 149

Of the Cause of Sky-rockets rising. 150

Of Stands for Sky-rockets. 151

Of Girandole Chests for Flights of Rockets. 152

Of Serpents or Snakes for Pots des Aigrettes, small Mortars, Sky-rockets, &c. 155

Of Leaders or Pipes of Communication. ibid.

Sect. V. xxiv

Of Aquatick Fireworks. 157

Of Water Rockets. ibid.

To make Pipes of Communication, which may be used under Water. 159

Of Horizontal Wheels for the Water. ibid.

Of Mines for the Water. 161

Of Fire Globes for the Water. 162

Of odoriferous Water Ballóóns. 164

Of Water Ballóóns. 166

Of Water Squibs. 167

To represent a Sea-fight with small Ships, and to prepare a Fire-ship for the same. 168

To fire Sky-rockets under Water. 172

To represent Neptune in his Chariot. 173

To represent Swans and Ducks in the Water. 175

Of Fire-fountains for the Water. 177

Sect. VI.

To make Crackers. 179

Of single Reports. 180

Of Marrons. 181

Of Marron Batteries. 183

Of Line Rockets. ibid. xxv

Of the different Decorations for Line Rockets. 185

Of Chinese Flyers. 186

Of Table Rockets. 188

To make Wheels and other Works incombustible. 189

Of single Vertical Wheels. 190

Of Horizontal Wheels. 192

Of Spirali Wheels. 193

Of Plural Wheels. 194

Of the illuminated Spiral Wheel. 195

Of the double Spiral Wheel. 196

Of Ballóón Wheels. 197

Of Fruiloni Wheels. 198

Of Port-fires for Illuminations. 200

Of common Port-fires. ibid.

Of Cascades of Fire. 201

Of the Fire Tree. 202

Of Chinese Fountains. 203

Of illuminated Globes with Horizontal Wheels. 205

Of the Dodecaedron. 207

Of the Yew Tree of Brilliant Fire. 209

Of Stars with Points for regulated Pieces, &c. 210

Of the fixed Sun with a Transparent Face. 211

Of three Vertical Wheels illuminated, which turn on their Naves upon a Horizontal Table. 214 xxvi

Of the illuminated Chandelier. 216

Of the illuminated Yew Tree. 217

Of flaming Stars with Brilliant Wheels. 218

Of Touch-paper for Capping of Serpents, Crackers, &c. 220

Of a projected regulated Piece of Nine Mutations. 221

To make a Horizontal Wheel change to a Vertical Wheel with a Sun in Front. 234

Of the Grand Volute illuminated, with a projected Wheel in Front. 236

Of the Moon and Seven Stars. 239

Of the double Cone Wheel illuminated. 240

Of Fire Pumps. 242

Of the Vertical Scroll Wheel. 243

Of Pin Wheels. 244

Of Fire Globes. 246

To thread and join Leaders, with the Method of placing them on different Works. 247

The Manner of placing Fireworks to be exhibited, with the Order of Firing. 250

CONTENTS to the Additions.

PAGE

To make a Fountain of Sky Rockets 253

The Palm Tree 255

The Rose Piece and Sun 256

Transparent Stars with Illuminated Rays 256

Transparent Table Star Illuminated 257

Regulated, Illuminated Spiriti Piece, with a projected Star Wheel Illuminated 258

New Figure Piece illuminated with five pointed Stars 259

Star Wheel Illuminated 259

Pyramid of Flower-pots 259

Illuminated Regulating Pieces 260

To fix a Sky-Rocket with its Stick on the top of another 261

New method of placing Leaders 262

ERRATA.

Pag. 16. lin. 6. for salt, read salt-petre

30. 12. for ising glass, read isinglass

35. 11. for midling, read middling

47. 15. for ballóóns, read ballóón

86. 26. insert: to a rocket of eight ounces twenty-one strokes.

115. 5. for one eighth, read one inch one eighth

152. 24. for griandole, read girandole,

ibid. 25. for griandole, read girandole,

172. 19. for hoops, read hooks,

203. 8. add at I, nine inches from H, fix three pegs.

243. 18. for scrole, read scroll,

1

A

TREATISE

ON

Artificial Fireworks.

SECT. I.

Of Saltpetre.

Saltpetre being the principal ingredient in fireworks, and a volatile body, by reason of its aqueous and aërial parts, is easily rarified by fire; but not so soon when foul and gross, as when purified from its crude and earthy parts, which greatly retard its velocity: therefore, when any quantity of Fireworks are intended to be made, it would be necessary first to examine 2 the saltpetre; for if it be not well cleansed from all impurities, and of a good sort, your works will not have their proper effect, neither will it agree with the standing proportions of compositions: but to prevent accidents I shall proceed with the method of refining it.

How to refine Saltpetre.

Put into a copper, or any other vessel, one hundred weight of rough nitre with about fourteen gallons of clean water, and let it boil gently for half an hour, and as it boils take off the scum; then stir it about in the copper, and before it settles put it into your filtring bags, which must be hung on a rack, with glazed earthen pans under them in which must be sticks laid across for the crystals to adhere to; it must stand in the pans for two or three days to shoot, then take out the crystals and let them dry: the water that remains in the pans boil again for an hour, and strain it into the pans as before, and the saltpetre will be quite clear and transparent; if not, it wants more refining, to do which proceed as usual, till it is well cleansed of all it’s earthy parts.

3

N. B. Those who do not chuse to procure their saltpetre by the above method, may buy it ready done, which for fireworks in general will do equally as well.

How to pulverise Saltpetre.

Take a copper kettle whose bottom must be spherical, and put into it fourteen pound of refined saltpetre, with two quarts or five pints of clean water; then put the kettle on a slow fire, and when the saltpetre is dissolved, if any impurities arise, skim them off, and keep constantly stirring it with two large spatulas, till all the water exhales; and when done enough, it will appear like white sand, and as fine as flour; but if it should boil too fast, take the kettle off the fire, and set it on some wet sand, which will prevent the nitre from sticking to the kettle. When you have pulverised a quantity of saltpetre, be careful to keep it in a dry place.

How to extract Saltpetre from damaged Gun-Powder.

First you must have some filtring bags, hung on a rack, with glazed earthen pans 4 under them, in the same manner as those for refining saltpetre: then take any quantity of damaged powder, and put it into a copper, with as much clean water as will just cover it; and when it begins to boil take off the scum, and after it has boiled a few minutes, stir it up; then take it out of the copper with a small hand kettle for that purpose, and put some into each bag, beginning at one end of the rack, so that by the time you have got to the last bag, the first will be ready for more; continue thus, till all the bags are full; then take the liquor out of the pans, which boil and filter, as before, two or three times, till the water runs quite clear, which you must let stand in the pans for some time, and the saltpetre will appear at top. Now to get all the saltpetre entirely out of the powder, take the water from the saltpetre already extracted, to which add some fresh water and the dregs of the powder that remain in the bags, and put them together in a vessel, to stand as long as you please, and when you want to extract the nitre, you must proceed with this mixture as with the powder at first, by which means you will draw out all 5 the saltpetre; but this process must be boiled longer than the first.

Of Sulphur, or Brimstone.

Sulphur is by nature the food of fire, and one of the principal ingredients in gunpowder, and almost in all compositions of fireworks; therefore great care ought to be taken, of its being good and brought to the highest perfection. Now to know when the sulphur is good, you are to observe that it be of a high yellow, and if, when held in one’s hand, it crackles and bounces, it is a sign that it is fresh and good: but as the method of reducing brimstone to a powder, is very troublesome to do, it is better to buy the flower ready made, which is done in large quantities, and in great perfection: but when a grand collection of fireworks are to be made, the strongest and best sulphur to use, is the lump brimstone ground in the same manner as gun powder, which we shall treat of in the following part of the treatise.

6

How to prepare Charcoal for Fireworks.

Charcoal being a preservative by which the saltpetre and the brimstone is made into gun-powder, by preventing the sulphur from suffocating the strong and windy exhalation of the nitre. There are several sorts of wood made use of for this purpose; some prefer hazle, others willow and alder; but there being so little difference, you may make use of either which is most convenient to be got. And the method of burning the wood is this: Cut it in pieces about one or two feet long, then split each piece in four parts; scale off the bark and hard knots, and dry them in the sun or in an oven, then make in the earth a square hole, and line it with bricks, in which lay the wood, crossing one another, and set it on fire; when thoroughly lighted and in a flame, cover the hole with boards, and fling earth over them close, to prevent the air from getting in, yet so as not to fall among the charcoal, and when it has lain thus for twenty-four hours, take out the coals and lay them in a dry place for use. It is to be observed that 7 charcoal for fireworks must always be soft and well burnt, which may be bought ready done.

To make Artificial Camphor.

Camphor, in the Materia medica, “is a body of a particular nature, being neither a resin, nor a volatile salt, nor an oil, nor a juice, nor a bitumen, nor a gum, but a mixed substance, dry, white, transparent and brittle, of a strong and penetrating smell. The Indians distinguish two kinds of it, a finer and a coarser; the finer is the produce of Borneo and Sumatra, is very rare, and is hardly ever sent into Europe; the coarser is the Japonese kind, which is the common sort, both in the Indies and in Europe.

“The camphor, which we meet with in the shops, is also of two kinds, differing in regard to the degree of their purity, and distinguished by the name of rough and refined camphor. The tree, which produces camphor, is a species of bay tree, every part of which abounds with camphor; but is not collected from 8 it in the manner of resins, but by a sort of chemical process.--The natives of the place where the trees grow, cut the wood and roots into small pieces. And put them into large copper vessels, which they cover with earthen heads, filled with straw; they give a moderate fire under them, and the camphor is raised in form of a white downy matter, and retained among the straw; when the process is over, they shake it out of the straw, and knead it into cakes. These cakes is are not very compact, but easily crumbled to pieces; they are moderately heavy, of a greyish or dusky reddish white in colour, of a pungent smell and acrid taste, and are what we call rough camphor.

“Refined camphor must be chosen of a perfectly clean white colour, very bright and pellucid, of the same smell and taste with the rough, but more acrid and pungent.--It is so volatile that merchants usually inclose it in lin-seed, that the viscosity of that grain may keep its particles together.”

9

Now there is also an artificial camphor for fireworks, which I shall here give you the method of making; take of gum sandarach pulverised two pound, and of distilled vinegar enough to cover it; put them together in a glass phial, and set it for twenty days in warm horse dung. Then take it out again, and pour it into another phial, with a large mouth to it; and expose it to the sun for a month, and you will have a concreted camphor in form of the crust of bread, and something like the natural camphor: which when you use must be ground to a powder with a little spirits of wine in a mortar. Though we have here taught the method of making artificial camphor, I would not recommend it to those who chuse to make their works to perfection, the natural camphor, being by far the best.

To make the Oil of Camphor.

The oil of camphor, which is sometime used to moisten compositions, is produced by adding to some camphor a little oil of sweet almonds, and working them together in a brass mortar, till it turns to a green oil.

10

N. B. Those works that have any camphor in their compositions, should be kept as much from air as possible, or the camphor will evaporate.

Of Benjamin.

Benjamin is a resin (much used by perfumers, and sometimes in medicine); it is brought from the Indies, where it is found of different sorts; and distinguished by the following colours, viz. yellow, grey, and brown, but the best is that which is easy to break and full of white spots.

Benjamin is also one of the ingredients in odoriferous fireworks, when reduced to a fine flour; which may be done by observing the following directions. Put into a deep, and narrow earthen pot, three or four ounces of benjamin grossly pounded, cover the pot with paper, which tie very close round the edge; then set the pot on a slow fire, and once in an hour take off the paper, and you will find some flower sticking to it, which return again in the pot; this you must continue till the flower appears 11 white and fine. There is also an oil of benjamin, which is sometimes drawn from the dregs of the flour; it affords a very good scent, and may be used in wet compositions.

Of Gun-powder and its original.

Gun-powder being a principal ingredient in fireworks, it will not be improper to give a short definition of its strange explosive force, and cause of action, which, according to Dr. Shaw’s opinion, of the chemical cause of the explosive force of gun-powder, is as follows. “Each grain of powder consisting of a certain proportion of sulphur, nitre, and coal, the coal presently takes fire, upon contact of the smallest spark: at which time both the sulphur and the nitre immediately melt, and by means of the coal interposed between them, burst into flame; which spreading from grain to grain, propagates the same effect almost instantaneously: whence the whole mass of powder comes to be fired; and as nitre contains both a large proportion of air and water, which are now violently rarified 12 by the heat, a kind of fiery explosive blast is thus produced, wherein the nitre seems, by its aqueous and aërial parts, to act as bellows to the other inflammable bodies, sulphur and coal, to blow them into a flame, and carry off their whole substance in smoke and vapour.”

After having spoke of the nature of powder, I shall in the next place proceed to its original, though somewhat uncertain; but it is imagined to have been invented in the time of Alexander the great, as Philostratus speaks of a city near the river Hypasis in the Indies, that was said to be impregnable and its inhabitants relations of the gods, because they thew thunder and lightning on their enemies; but this perhaps might be the effect of gun-powder, which, not being known by any other people, might very well be said to be thunder and lightning.

This conjecture has been confirmed by some travellers, who assert that it was used in the East Indies, particularly in the Philippine Islands about the year 85, which is 1265 years before it was known in Europe, where they say 13 it was not known till 1350, though, it is said, there is mention made of gunpowder in the registers of the chambers of accounts in France, as early as the year 1338, and Friar Bacon mentions the composition of powder in express terms, in his treatise De nullitate magiae, published at Oxford in the year 1216; but we find from most accounts, that the Germans have the honour of the invention, as is commonly reported.

I should give a description of a machine for the trying of gun powder, but they being so common, it would be needless; yet, would have all those who practice this art, know, that, when they make sky rockets with powder, that it must be of the best sort; but as to wheels, and other common works, any powder will do, only be careful that it is quite dry.

Of the Compositions for Gun-powder of different sorts.

Having treated of the nature of powder, and its original, I shall here give the proportion of each ingredient, necessary for composing the different sorts 14 of gun-powder, it being proper that every one who makes use of powder, should know of what it is composed. Therefore in the first place; I shall set down the several compositions mentioned In Casimir Siemienowicz’s grand art of artillery, in which there are six sorts, viz.

I. Saltpetre one hundred pound, sulphur twenty five pound, and coal twenty five pound.

II. Saltpetre one hundred pound, sulphur eighteen pound, and coal twenty pound.

III. Saltpetre one hundred pound, sulphur twelve pound, and coal fifteen pound.

IV. Saltpetre one hundred pound, sulphur twenty pound, and coal twenty four pound.

V. Saltpetre one hundred pound, sulphur fifteen pound, and coal eighteen pound.

VI. Saltpetre one hundred pound, sulphur ten pound, and coal eight pound.

15

Mr. Belidor, in his Hydraulics, speaks of a composition for gun powder which is as follows, to thirty pound of saltpetre, add five pound of sulphur, with as much coal: but the proportion of the several ingredients for powder, are to be found best by experience. For tho’ there has been so much practice in making powder, there has not yet been ascertained a standing proportion of the nitre, sulphur, and coal; but it is hoped that in time this great and noble invention will be much improved, and that the different, and best quantity of every ingredient, will be determined. At the powder mills they generally allow for wasting, in making up, one pound and a half in a hundred. And their mixture for a hundred weight of good powder is thus: To seventy-six pound and a half of saltpetre, well refined and dry’d, twelve pound and a half of coal, and as much sulphur, all which added together makes one hundred one pound and a half, which when worked up will nearly weigh one hundred. As it is most certain that gun-powder is capable of being improved, I shall not omit any particular that may be of service to such 16 ingenious gentlemen as are willing to make experiments; for which reason we shall here insert another composition for powder, mentioned by an author on this subject, whose name I have forgot, but the composition is thus: Refined salt-petre five pounds, sulphur one pound four ounces, and charcoal seven ounces and a half.

But notwithstanding you may have a good proportion of ingredients, the powder will not always be the same, for there is a great deal depends on their being well incorporated, corned and dry’d, the method of which will be taught in the next article.

To restore damaged Gun-powder to its proper strength.

It is most certain, that, if powder be kept long in a damp place, it will become weak and moist, and great part of it will be formed into hard lumps, which is a certain sign of its being damaged. When powder is thus found, you will also see at the bottom of the barrel some saltpetre, which, by being wet, will separate from the sulphur and coal, and always 17 fall to the bottom of the vessel wherein the powder is contained, and settle there in the form of a white downey matter; but the only method to prevent this, is to move the barrels as often as convenient, and place them on their opposite sides or ends, to which they before stood: but although ever so great care be taken of powder, and it be kept as dry as possible, length of time will greatly lessen its primitive strength.

Therefore when any of the above mentioned accidents happen to your powder, you may recover it by applying to the directions here given; for example, if you imagine that the powder has not received much damage, proceed thus. Spread it on canvas, or dry boards, and expose it to the sun, then add to it an equal quantity of good powder, and mix them well together, and, when thoroughly dry, barrel it up, and put it in a dry and proper place. But if gun-powder be quite bad, the method to restore it is as follows; first, you must know what it weighed when good; then, by weighing it again, you will find how much it has lost by the separation and evaporation of the saltpetre; then add 18 to it as much refined saltpetre, as it has lost in weight, but as a large quantity of this would be difficult to mix, it will be best to put a proportion of nitre, to every twenty pound of powder; when done, put one of these proportions into your mealing table, and grind it therein, till you have brought it to an impalpable powder, and then searce it with a fine sieve; but if any remain in the sieve that will not pass through, return it to the table, and grind it again, till you have made it all fine enough to go through the sieve; being thus well ground and sifted, it must be made into grains in the following manner, first you must have some (copper wire sieves) made according to what size you intend the grains should be; these are called corning sieves or grainers, which being provided, fill them with the powder composition, then shake them about, and the powder will pass through the sieve formed into grains. Having thus corned your powder, set it to dry in the sun; and when quite dry, searce it with a fine hair sieve in order to separate the dust from the grains. This dust may be worked up again with another mixture; so that none of the 19 powder will be wasted: but sometimes it may so happen, that the weight of the powder when good cannot be known; in which case add to each pound an ounce or an ounce and a half of saltpetre, according as the powder is decayed, and then grind, sift, and granulate it as before directed.

N. B. If you have a large quantity of powder, that is very bad, and quite spoiled; the only way is to extract the saltpetre from it, according to the usual manner: for powder thus circumstanced, would be very difficult to recover.

Of Silent Powder, commonly called White Powder.

It would be rather absurd for any one to imagine, that it is possible for gunpowder to have any effect without some report, when it is plain and well known, that the sound does not proceed from the powder only, but from the air being rarified by the expansion of the powder.

From whence it is evident, that any composition acting with the same explosive force as gun-powder, would certainly 20 produce the same effect, in every respect. However as for such sort of powder I never had any proof, nor ever knew any experiment made of it, but have so little opinion of it, that I should not have given it a place in this work, had it not been treated of by some authors of note; and at the same time giving every one, who is fond of this art, an opportunity of making experiments, and of knowing every thing belong thereto.

To make Silent Powder.

For the first sort, mix two pound of borax, with four pound of gun-powder.

2d. Add half a pound of lapis-calaminaris, and half a pound of borax, to two pound of powder.

3d. To six pound of gun-powder, half a pound of calcined moles, with as much borax of Venice.

4th. To six pound and a half of saltpetre, eight pound and a half of sulphur, and half a pound of the second bark of an elder tree, burnt and ground to a powder, with two pound of common salt.

21

There are also many other methods of making powder silent, according to report, by using camphor or touchwood instead of charcoal, or by adding to the common powder burnt paper, hay seed, &c. When any of these ingredients are to be mixed with common powder, grind them together, and make them into grains.

To make Gun-powder of different Colours.

Notwithstanding the repeated trials and experiments made by the greatest artists, to add to the strength of gun-powder, all have proved without success, and most of them have agreed that the present powder will not admit of a fourth ingredient; therefore it is evident, that any thing being mixed with the present composition of gun-powder, would rather reduce it’s strength than add to it; consequently coloured powder must be weaker than black; so that the making of powder of different colours, is only a fancy that serves to please the curious, without any other effect.

22

To make Gun-powder white.

To six pound of salt-petre, add one pound of the pith of an elder tree, well dryed and pulverised, with a sufficient quantity of brimstone to make it into powder, which you will find in the composition of gun-powder, or an ounce of the salt of tartar, calcined till it comes white, and then boiled in clear water, till the water is all evaporated.

To make Powder red.

Boil in water some brasil wood or Vermillion and a pound of chopped paper; and, when boiled for some time to draw out the colour, dry and meal it with a pound of sulphur, and eight pound of saltpetre.

Or, to six pound of saltpetre, put one pound of sulphur, and half a pound of amber, and blood stone one pound.

23

To make Yellow Powder.

Take eight pound of saltpetre, and one pound of sulphur, to which add one pound of wild saffron, that has been boiled in aqua vitæ, and afterwards made dry and mealed.

To make Green Powder.

Boil two pound of rotten wood, with some verdegrease in aqua vitæ, then dry and pound it, and mix it with a pound of sulphur, and ten pound of salt-petre.

To make Blue Powder.

Boil some indigo in aqua vitæ, with a pound of the bark of a young linden tree, then dry and reduce it to a powder, and mix it with a pound of brimstone, and eight pound of saltpetre.

24

To make Pulvis Fulmanans, or Thunder in a Room.

This composition is very simple, yet has a very curious effect; it is made of three parts of saltpetre, two of salt of tartar, and one of sulphur, all ground to a fine powder, and well incorporated together. As the effect of this powder is quite different to that of gun-powder, so is there a different method of firing it, which is thus: Put about two tea spoonfulls of it into a fire-shovel, or iron ladle, and set it over a slow fire, and when it is quite hot, it will go off with a violent report. There is something surprising in the nature of this composition; for as the common powder acts every way equal, and makes the greatest noise when confined, this, on the contrary, acts only downwards, and makes the strongest report when not confined.

There is another sort of fulminating powder, called fulmanans aurum, on account of there being gold mixed in its composition, which is done by a chemical 25 preparation; but as the preparing of the ingredients require a tedious and expensive process, I shall omit the method of doing it, and let those who chuse to make chemical experiments refer to authors on that subject, by whom they will find the manner of making this powder fully explained. It is said one grain of fulmanans aurum, when made to perfection, and held on the point of a knife, over a candle, will make a report louder than a musket.

26

SECT. II.

Of the Spur-Fire.

This fire is the most beautiful and curious of any yet known, and was invented by the Chinese, but now is in greater perfection in England, than in China; and as it requires a great deal of trouble to make it to perfection, it will be necessary that young beginners should have full instructions in every particular; therefore care ought to be taken that all the ingredients be of the best sort, that the lamp-black is not damp and clodded, and that the saltpetre and brimstone are thoroughly refined. This composition is generally rammed in one or two ounce cases, about five or six inches long, but not drove very hard; and these cases must have their concave stroke struck very smooth, and the choak or vent not quite so large as the usual proportion; this charge, when driven 27 and kept a few months, will be much better than when just rammed, but will not spoil, if kept dry, in many years.

Now as the beauty of this composition cannot be seen at so great a distance as brilliant fire, it has a better effect in a room than in the open air, and may be fired in a chamber without any danger; for it is of so innocent a nature, that, though with an improper phrase, It may be called a cold fire; and so extraordinary is the fire produced from this composition, that, if well made, the sparks will not burn a handkerchief, when held in the midst of them; you may hold them in your hand while burning, with as much safety as a candle; and if you put your hand within a foot of the mouth of the case, you will feel the sparks like drops of rain. When any of these spur-fires are fired singly, they are called artificial flower pots; but some of them placed round a transparent pyramid of paper, and fired in a large room, make a very pretty appearance.

28

The Composition for the Spur-fire.

Saltpetre four pound eight ounces, sulphur two pound, and lamp-black one pound eight ounces.

Or, saltpetre one pound, sulphur half a pound, and lamp-black four quarts.

As the spur-fire composition is very difficult to mix, and the manner of doing it quite different from any other, I shall here treat of it separately; for example, the saltpetre and the brimstone must be first sifted together, and then put into a marble mortar, and the lamp-black with them, which you work down by degrees, with a wooden pestle, till all the ingredients appear of one colour, which will be something greyish, but very near black; then drive a little into a case for tryal, and fire it in a dark place; and if the sparks, which are called stars, or pinks, come out in clusters, and afterwards spread well without any other sparks, it is a sign of its being good, otherwise not; for if any drossy sparks appear, and the stars not 29 full, it is then not mixed enough; but if the pinks are very small, and soon break, it is a sign that you have rubbed it too much.

N. B. This mixture, when rubbed too much, will be too fierce, and hardly shew any stars at all; and, on the contrary, when not mixed enough, will be too weak, and throw forth an obscure smoke, and lumps of dross, without any stars. The reason of this charge being called the spur-fire, is because the sparks it yields have a great resemblance to the rowel of a spur, from whence it takes it’s name.

Characters, or significant Signs, for distinguishing the different Ingredients used in Fireworks.

Meal Powder M

Corned Powder

Saltpetre

Brimstone Z

Crude Sulphur C Z

Charcoal C +

Sea Coal C S

Saw-dust or Beech-raspings B R 30

Steel or Iron-filings S x

Brass-dust B x

Glass-dust G x

Tanners-dust of Bark T x

Cast Iron C I

Antimony Crude C A

Camphor x

Yellow Amber A Y

Lapis Calaminaris L S

Gum

Lamp Black B L

Isinglass G I

Spirit of Wine W

Spirits of Turpentine S T

Oil of Spike P O

The use of the above characters is, that by the help of them, the different receipts may be contracted to so small a compass, that they may all be contained in one leaf of a pocket book, which is much less than any table that has yet been invented. These signs are also very convenient for those who travel.

31

How to meal Gun-powder, Brimstone, and Charcoal.

There have been many methods used to grind these ingredients to a powder for fireworks, such as large mortars and pestles, made of ebony, and other hard wood; likewise horizontal mills with brass barrels; but none of these methods has proved so effectual and speedy as the last invention, that of the mealing table, which is represented in Plate 1. Fig. 1. This table it made of elm, with a rim round it’s edge, four or five inches high; and at the narrow end, A, is a slider, which runs in a groove and forms part of the rim; so that when you have taken out of the table, as much powder as you conveniently can, with the copper shovel Fig. 2. you may sweep all clean out at the slider A. When you are going to meal a quantity of powder, observe not to put too much in the table at once; but when you have put in a good proportion, take the muller Fig. 3. and rub it therewith till all the grains are broke, then fearce it, in a lawn sieve 32 that has a receiver and top to it; and that which does not pass through the sieve, return again to the table and grind it more, till you have brought it all fine enough to go through the sieve. Brimstone and charcoal are ground in the same manner as gun-powder, only the muller must be made of ebony, for these ingredients being harder than powder, would stick in the grain of elm, and be very difficult to grind; and as the brimstone is apt to stick and clod to the table, it would be best to keep one for that purpose only, by which means you will always have your brimstone clean and well ground.

To prepare Cast-Iron for Gerbes, White Fountains, and Chinese Fire.

Cast-iron being of so hard a nature, as not to be cut by a file, we are obliged to make use of the following method to reduce it into grains, though somewhat difficult to perform; but if we consider what beautiful sparks this sort of iron yields, no pains should be spared to granulate such an essential material, to do 33 which you must proceed thus: get at an iron foundry some thin pieces of iron, such as generally runs over the moulds, at the time of casting: then have a square block made of cast iron, and a square hammer of the same metal, about four pound weight; then, having covered the floor with cloth, or something to catch the beatings, lay the thin pieces of iron on the block, and beat them thereon with the hammer, till you have reduced them into small grains, which afterwards searce with a very fine sieve, in order to separate from them the fine dust, which is sometimes used in small cases of brilliant fire, instead of steel dust; and when you have got out all the dust, sift what remains with a sieve a little larger, and so on with sieves of different sizes, till the iron will pass through about the bigness of small bird shot: your iron being thus beat and sifted, put each sort into wooden boxes or oiled paper, to keep it from getting rust. When you use any of this iron, observe that you make a difference in its size, in proportion to the cases for which the charge is intended; for the coarse sort 34 of it is only designed for very large gerbes, of six or eight pound weight.

Charges for Sky-Rockets, &c.

For Rockets of Four Ounces.

Mealed powder one pound four ounces, saltpetre four ounces, and charcoal two ounces.

For Rockets of Eight Ounces.

I. Meal powder one pound, saltpetre four ounces, brimstone three ounces, and charcoal one ounce and a half.

II. Meal powder one pound and a half, and charcoal four ounces and a quarter.

For Rockets of One Pound.

Meal powder two pound, saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone four ounces, charcoal two ounces, and steel filings one ounce and a half.

35

For Sky Rockets in general.

I. Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound, and charcoal one pound and a half.

II. Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound and a half, charcoal one pound twelve ounces, and meal powder two ounces.

For large Sky Rockets.

Saltpetre four pound, meal powder one pound, and brimstone one pound.

The following Compositions may be used for Rockets of a middling size.

I. Saltpetre eight pound, sulphur three pound, meal powder three pound.

II. Saltpetre three pound, sulphur two pound, meal powder one pound, charcoal one pound.

36

Compositions for Rocket Stars.

For White Stars.

Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre twelve ounces, sulphur vivum six ounces, oil of spike two ounces, and camphor five ounces.

For Blue Stars.

Meal powder eight ounces, saltpetre four, sulphur two, spirits of wine two, and oil of spike two.

Coloured, or variegated Stars.

Meal powder eight drams, rochpetre four ounces, sulphur vivum two ounces, and camphor two ounces.

For Brilliant Stars.

Saltpetre three ounces and a half, sulphur an ounce and a half, and meal powder three quarters of an ounce. This composition must be worked up with spirits of wine only.

37

For Common Stars.

Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, antimony four ounces and three quarters, isinglass half an ounce, camphor half an ounce, and spirits of wine three quarters of an ounce.

For Tailed Stars.

Meal powder three ounces, brimstone two ounces, saltpetre one ounce, and charcoal (coarsely ground) three quarters of an ounce.

For Drove Stars.

I. Saltpetre three pound, sulphur one pound, brass dust twelve ounces, and antimony three ounces.

II. Saltpetre one pound, antimony four ounces, and sulphur eight.

For fix’d Pointed Stars.

Saltpetre eight ounces and an half, sulphur two ounces, and antimony one ounce and ten drams.

38

Stars of a fine Colour.

Sulphur one ounce, meal powder one ounce, saltpetre one ounce, camphor four drams, oil of turpentine four drams.

Gold Rain for Sky Rockets.

I. Saltpetre one pound, meal powder four ounces, sulphur four ounces, brass dust one ounce, saw dust two and a quarter, and glass dust six drams.

II. Meal powder twelve ounces, saltpetre two ounces, and charcoal four.

III. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, glass dust one ounce, antimony three quarters of an ounce, brass dust a quarter of an ounce, and saw dust twelve drams.

Silver Rain.

I. Saltpetre four ounces, sulphur, meal powder, and antimony, of each two ounces, and half an ounce of sal prunellae.

II. Saltpetre half a pound, brimstone two ounces, and charcoal four.

39

III. Saltpetre one pound, brimstone a quarter of a pound, and antimony six ounces.

IV. Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone one ounce, powder two ounces, and steel dust three quarters of an ounce.

For Water Rockets.

I. Meal powder six pound, saltpetre four pound, brimstone three pound, and charcoal five pound.

II. Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces and a half, and charcoal six ounces.

III. Saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, and charcoal twelve ounces.

IV. Saltpetre four pound, brimstone one pound eight ounces, and charcoal one pound twelve ounces.

V. Brimstone two pound, saltpetre four pound, and meal powder four pound.

VI. Saltpetre one pound, meal powder four ounces, brimstone eight ounces and a half, and charcoal two ounces.

VII. Meal powder one pound, saltpetre three pound, brimstone one pound, seacoal one ounce, charcoal eight ounces and a half, saw dust three quarters of 40 an ounce, steel dust half an ounce, and coarse charcoal a quarter of an ounce.

VIII. Meal powder one pound twelve ounces, saltpetre three pound, sulphur one pound eight ounces, charcoal twelve ounces, saw dust two ounces.

A sinking Charge for Water Rockets.

Meal powder eight ounces, charcoal three quarters of an ounce.

For Wheel Cases, from two Ounces to four Pound.

I. Meal powder two pound, saltpetre four ounces, and iron filings seven ounces.

II. Meal powder two pound, saltpetre twelve ounces, sulphur four, and steel dust three ounces.

III. Meal powder four pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.

IV. Meal powder eight ounces, saltpetre four, saw dust one ounce and a half, and sea coal three quarters of an ounce.

41

V. Meal powder one pound four ounces, brimstone four ounces ten drams, saltpetre eight ounces, glass dust two ounces and a half.

VI. Meal powder twelve ounces, charcoal one ounce, saw dust half an ounce.

VII. Saltpetre one pound nine ounces, brimstone four ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.

VIII. Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and sea coal two ounces.

IX. Saltpetre two pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder four pound, and glass dust four ounces.

X. Meal powder one pound, saltpetre two ounces, and steel dust three ounces and a half.

XI. Meal powder two pound, and steel dust two ounces and a half, with two ounces and a half of the fine dust of beat iron.

XII. Saltpetre eleven pound thirteen ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and charcoal six ounces.

42

A slow Fire for Wheels.

I. Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce and a half.

II. Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone one ounce, and antimony one ounce six drams.

III. Saltpetre four ounces and a half, brimstone one ounce, and mealed powder one ounce and a half.

A dead Fire for Wheels.

Saltpetre one ounce and a quarter, brimstone a quarter of an ounce, lapis-calaminaris a quarter of an ounce, and antimony two drams.

For standing or fixed Cases.

I. Meal powder four pound, saltpetre two pound, brimstone and charcoal one pound.

II. Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, and steel dust eight ounces.

III. Meal powder one pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces.

43

IV. Meal powder one pound, and steel dust four ounces.

V. Meal powder two pound and a half, brimstone four ounces, and seacoal six ounces.

VI. Meal powder three pound, charcoal five ounces, and saw dust one ounce and a half.

For Sun Cases.

I. Meal powder eight pound and a half, saltpetre one pound two ounces, steel dust two pound ten ounces and a half, and brimstone four ounces.

II. Meal powder three pound, saltpetre six ounces, and steel dust seven ounces and a half.

For a Brilliant Fire.

Meal powder twelve pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, and steel dust one pound and a half.

44

For Gerbes.

Meal powder six pound, and beat iron two pound one ounce and a half.

Chinese Fire.

Saltpetre twelve ouces, meal powder two pound, brimstone one pound two ounces, and beat iron twelve ounces.

Charges for Tourbillons.

For four ounce Tourbillons.

Meal powder two pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.

For eight ounce Tourbillons.

Meal powder two pound, and charcoal four ounces and three quarters.

45

For large Tourbillons.

Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and beat iron eight ounces.

N. B. Tourbillons may be made very large, and of different colour’d fires, only you are to observe, that the larger they be, the weaker must be the charge; and, on the contrary, the smaller they be, the stronger must be their charge.

For Water Ballóóns.

I. Saltpetre four pound, brimstone two pound, meal powder two pound, antimony four ounces, saw dust four ounces, and glass dust one ounce and a quarter.

II. Saltpetre nine pound, brimstone three pound, meal powder six pound, rosin twelve ounces, and antimony eight ounces.

For Water Squibs.

I. Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one pound.

46

II. Meal powder one pound, and charcoal nine ounces.

For Mine-ports or Serpents.

I. Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one ounce.

II. Meal powder nine ounces, and charcoal one ounce.

Port-fires for firing Rockets, &c.

I. Saltpetre twelve ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.

II. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.

III. Saltpetre one pound two ounces, meal powder one pound and a half, and brimstone ten ounces. This composion must be moistened with one gill of linseed oil.

IV. Meal powder six ounces, saltpetre two pound two ounces, and brimstone ten ounces.

V. Saltpetre one pound four ounces, meal powder four ounces, brimstone five ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.

47

VI. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder two ounces.

Port-fires for Illuminations.

Saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder six ounces.

For Cones or Spiral Wheels.

Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone six ounces, meal powder fourteen ounces, and glass dust fourteen ounces.

For Crowns or Globes.

Saltpetre six ounces, brimstone two pound, antimony four ounces, and camphor two ounces.

For Air Ballóón Fuzes.

I. Saltpetre one pound ten ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound six ounces.

II. Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound eight ounces.

48

Serpents for Pots des Brins.

Meal powder one pound eight ounces, saltpetre twelve ounces, and charcoal two ounces.

For Fire Pumps.

I. Saltpetre five pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound and a half, and glass dust one pound.

II. Saltpetre five pound eight ounces, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound eight ounces, and glass dust one pound eight ounces.

For a Slow White Flame.

I. Saltpetre two pound, sulphur three pound, antimony one pound.

II. Saltpetre three pound and a half, sulphur two pound and a half, meal powder one pound, antimony half a pound, glass dust four ounces, brass dust one ounce.

N. B. These compositions, driven one inch and a quarter in a one ounce case, will burn one minute, which is much 49 longer time than an equal quantity of any composition will last, that has yet been made public.

For Amber Lights.

Meal powder nine ounces, and amber three ounces. This charge may be drove in small cases, for illuminations.

For Lights of another Sort.

Saltpetre three pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound, antimony ten ounces and a half. All these ingredients must be mixed with the oil of spike.

For a Red Fire.

Meal powder three pound, charcoal twelve ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.

For a Common Fire.

Saltpetre three pound, charcoal ten ounces, and brimstone two ounces.

50

To make an Artificial Earthquake.

Mix the following ingredients to a paste with water, and then bury it in the ground, and in a few hours the earth will break and open in several places. The composition: Sulphur four pound, and steel dust four pound.

Having laid down, under the preceding heads, the different compositions used in fireworks by our modern artists; I shall, in the next place, give some tables of charges that were formerly used, according to the several accounts given by those authors from whom they are collected: but if the reader will consider, he will find the charges in these tables to be very uncertain, by comparing their method of determining the size and weight of rockets, and the proportions of ingredients thereto, with the method taught in this work, which is so plain, easy, and certain, that I have never yet known it fail; and doubt not, but that it will be so allowed by all who chuse to make a tryal thereof.

51

The subsequent table is taken from Siemienowicz, wherein is specified the different charges of sky rockets, from half an ounce to one hundred pound; the charges being calculated in proportion to the weight of a leaden ball of the same diameter as the bore of each mould; which bores are divided into inches and lines[1], and each line into twelve equal parts, according to the French method.

52

TAB. I.

Weight of the ball. Diameter of the mould. powder. Saltpetre Brimstone charcoal.

lb. oz. in. 1. p^ts lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz.

½ 0 6 3 } 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 2

1 0 7 8

2 0 9 7 } 0 12 0 2 0 ½ 0 1½

3 0 11 0

4 1 0 1

5 1 1 0 } 1 3 0 12 0 4 0 1½

6 1 1 10

7 1 2 7

8 1 3 4

9 1 3 11

10 1 4 5

11 1 5 0

12 1 5 5

13 1 6 0

14 1 6 5

16 1 7 3 18 0 8 0 2 0 4 0

2 0 2 0 3 } 0 0 60 0 2 0 15 0

3 0 2 3 7

4 0 2 6 9 } 0 0 64 0 8 0 16 0

5 0 2 8 8

6 0 2 10 9 } 0 0 35 0 5 0 10 0

8 0 3 2 6

10 0 3 5 4 0 0 62 0 9 0 20 0

12 0 3 7 10 } 0 0 32 0 8 0 16 0

15 0 3 11 4

17 0 4 1 5 } 0 0 64 0 12 0 16 0

20 0 4 4 2

27 0 4 9 9

30 0 4 11 6 } 0 0 30 0 7 0 18 0

40 0 5 5 1

60 0 6 3 3 } 0 0 30 0 10 0 20 0

100 0 7 5 3

53

TAB. II.

The following table is taken from a late French author[2], whose method of regulating the charges is according to the interior diameter of the mould, which he divides into lines.

Interior diameter of the mould. Weight of the rocket. Saltpetre. Brimstone. Charcoal.

Lines. lb. oz. dr. ounces. ounces. ounces.

6 0 0 4 } 44 4 16

7 0 0 6

8 0 1 1

9 0 1 5 } 40 4 16

10 0 2 2

11 0 3 0

12 0 3 7 } 38 4 16

13 0 4 6

14 0 6 1

15 0 7 4 } 36 4 16

16 0 9 1

17 0 11 0

18 0 13 1 } 34 4 16

19 0 15 4

19¼ 1 0 0

21 1 7 1

24 1 15 1 32 5 16

30 4 0 0 } 30 6 18

36 6 9 0

72 55 8 0

54

TAB. III.

A table of charges for sky-rockets in which the charges are adapted in proportion to the weight of composition contained in each rocket, after the method of Hanzelet.

Weight of composition. Powder. Salt- petre. Brim- stone. Char- coal.

lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz.

0 1½ 0 4 0 1

or, 1 0 0 1½ 0 1½

0 2 0 4 0 1

or, 0 4 0 ½

0 4 } 1 0 0 4 0 4

8 0

or, 0 3 0 10 0 1 0 3

0 10 0 3½ 0 1 0 3½

1 0 1 0 0 1 0 2

or, 1 4 0 2 0 3½

3 0 1 14 7 7½ 0 11

6 0 } 31 0 4 8 10 0

7 0

8 0 } 8 0 1 8 2 12

10 0

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TAB. IV.

A table collected from Henrion, whose method of adjusting the charges is the same as in the preceding table.

Weight of composition. Powder. Salt- petre. Brim- stone. Char- coal.

lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz.

1 }1 0 0 2

2

or, 1 0 1 0 0 1

3 4½ 0 1 0 1

4 }4 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 4

8

1 8 0 4 0 2

or, 1 0 0 4 0 1

3 ½ 0 10 0 3½

8 ⎫⎧0 2 ⎫

⎬2 5 0 0 ⎨steel dust ⎬0 6

10 ⎭⎩0 2 ⎭

12 17 0 0 4 | 0 3½ | 0 7

14 ⎫⎧0 3 ⎫

⎬2 8 0 9 ⎨steel dust ⎬0 3

15 ⎭⎩0 3 ⎭

1 0 1 0 0 0 | 0 1 | 0 3

2 0 0 2 0 12 | 0 1 | 0 3

3 0 ⎫⎧1 4 ⎫

⎬0 0 8 0 ⎨steel dust ⎬2 2

10 0 ⎭⎩0 2 ⎭

56

TAB. V.

A table of charges for sky rockets, taken from the Memoires D’Artillerie de M. de Saint Remy, with improvements by M. F***.

Composition for a rocket of two pound. Composition for a rocket of one pound. Composition for a rocket of half a pound. Composition for a rocket of four ounces. Composition for a rocket of one ounce and a half.

Corrected by M. F***, one pound. Corrected, eleven ounces. Corrected, seven ounces and a half. Corrected, six ounces five drams. Corrected, one ounce five drams.

lb. oz. lb. oz. lb. oz. oz. oz.

Pow. 2 0 1 0 1 4 5 8 or 9

Saltp. 1 0 12 12 1 ⅕

Brimst. 5 2 1 ¼

Charc. 4 3 ½ ½ or 1

Steel-d. 2 2

Height of the mould, nine inches and a half. Height of the mould, eight inches and a half. Height of the mould, seven inches and a half. Height of the mould seven inches. Height of the mould, four inches and a half.

Diameter of the mould, one in. seven lines. Diameter of the mould, one inch five lines. Diameter of the mould, one inch three lines. Diameter of the mould, one inch two lines. Diameter of the mould, nine lines.

French names for Sky Rockets.

Double Marquise. Marquise. Grosse de partement. De partement. Fusie de Caisse.

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Remarks on the foregoing Tables.

In table the first, we find that the compositions for all rockets under one pound are made chiefly of gun-powder and charcoal, which method has been long proved erroneous in many respects: first, that rockets made with such charges will not keep long without spoiling; secondly, that they are very uncertain in performing their proper effect; thirdly, they will carry but a short tail, with a black and smoaky fire.

We also find those charges for rockets above one pound, that are composed of saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal, to be too strong; by which we should imagine that, at the time when they were used, the piercers did not bear the same proportion to the rockets, as those made use of by our present artists; for it is on the size of the cavity in the composition, that the effect of the rocket and proportion of the charge depends: which we shall endeavour to shew hereafter.

Table the second is given, by the author, as an improvement on the first; wherein he takes notice of the charges 58 being too many in number; he has therefore reduced them to seven only, which, according to his opinion, are sufficient for rockets of any size: he also observes, that the ingredients are expressed in unequal quantities; which he has likewise laid down in a more regular order. By the same author’s account, rockets were made in France, not many years since, with the compositions mentioned in his table. I shall not here pretend to say, that rockets were not made with the charges given in the above-mentioned table; yet can affirm, by practice and experience, that several of them will not agree with our present moulds.

As to the method prescribed in the third and fourth tables, it is difficult to determine whether we shall praise or condemn it, as they were wrote when the art of making fireworks was in it’s infancy; as may be seen by their strange method of determining the proportion of ingredients, and weight of rockets, by the quantity of composition contained in each case; which must have required a very nice calculation, for at that time, they had not fixed upon an exact length for rockets, but made them 59 from six to nine diameters long: all which differ so much from our modern practice, that I never thought it worth the trouble of making a trial: but am of opinion, that very few of the charges will answer.

In table the fifth, the compositions are in proportion to the weight of the rocket, with it’s head and stick, all compleat; which head and stick together are equal to the weight of the rocket, according to the improvement made by M. F***, as may be seen by the second column from the top; he also has added the diameters to the moulds, in proportion to their height, allowing each six diameters, which supposing to be right, the rockets will be nearly reduced to half their weight given in the first column. On the charges in this table I have made no experiment, therefore cannot recommend them as proof.

Having already given a variety of charges for sky-rockets, in the preceding tables, which are collected from the principal authors on this subject, together with remarks on the same; I shall, in the next place, according to my promise 60 of not omitting any thing that may be of service to the reader, add some compositions for rocket-stars of several colours, as inserted by former authors.

Compositions for Stars of different Colours.

I. Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre two ounces, brimstone two ounces, steel dust one ounce and a half, and camphor, white amber, antimony, and mercury-sublimate, of each half an ounce.

II. Rochepetre ten ounces, brimstone, charcoal, antimony, meal powder, and camphor, of each three quarters of an ounce, moistened with oil of turpentine. These compositions are made into stars, by being worked to a paste with aqua vitæ, in which has been dissolved some gum-tragacanth; and after you have roll’d them in powder, make a hole through the middle of each, and string them on quick-match, leaving about two inches from one to the other.

III. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, yellow amber one ounce, antimony one ounce, and powder three ounces.

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IV. Brimstone two ounces and a half, saltpetre six ounces, olibanum or frankincense in drops four ounces; mastick, and mercury-sublimate, of each four ounces; meal powder five ounces; white amber, yellow amber, and camphor, of each one ounce; antimony and orpiment half an ounce each.

V. Saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and meal powder eight ounces, moistened with potrolio-oil.

VI. Powder half a pound, brimstone and saltpetre, of each four ounces.

VII. Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce.

For Stars that carry Tails of sparks.

I. Brimstone six ounces, antimony crude two ounces, saltpetre four ounces, and rosin four ounces.

II. Saltpetre, rosin, and charcoal, of each two ounces; brimstone one ounce, and pitch one ounce.

These compositions are sometimes melted in an earthen pan, and mixed with chopped cotton match, before they 62 are rolled into stars, but will do as well if wetted, and worked up in the usual manner.

Another Sort of Stars, which yield some Sparks.

I. Camphor two ounces, saltpetre one ounce, meal powder one ounce.

II. Saltpetre one ounce, ditto melted half an ounce, and camphor two ounces. When you would make stars of either of these compositions, you must wet them with gum water, or spirit of wine, in which has been dissolved some gum-arabick, or gum-tragacanth, that the whole may have the consistence of a pretty thick liquid; having thus done, take one ounce of lint, and stir it about in the composition till it becomes dry enough to roll into stars.

For Stars of a yellowish Colour.

Take four ounces of gum-tragacanth or gum-arabick, pounded and sifted thro’ a fine sieve, camphor dissolved in brandy two ounces, saltpetre one pound, sulphur 63 half a pound, coarse powder of glass four ounces, white amber one ounce and a half, and orpiment two ounces. All these ingredients being well incorporated, make them into stars after the common method.

Stars of another Sort.

Take a pound of camphor and melt it in a pint of spirit of wine over a slow fire; then add to it a pound of gum-arabick that has been dissolved; with this liquor, mix one pound of saltpetre, six ounces of sulphur, and five ounces of meal powder; and after you have stirred them well together, roll them into stars proportionable to the rockets for which you intend them.

Of the Colours produced by the different Compositions.

As variety of fires adds greatly to a collection of works, it is necessary that every artist should know the different effect of each ingredient; for which reason, I shall here explain the colours 64 they produce of themselves; and likewise how to make them retain the same when mixed with other bodies: as for example, sulphur gives a blue, camphor a white or pale colour, saltpetre a clear white, yellow amber a colour inclining to yellow, sal-armoniac a green, antimony a reddish, rosin a copper colour, and greek-pitch a kind of bronze or between red and yellow. All these ingredients are such as shew themselves in a flame, viz.

For a white Flame.

Saltpetre, sulphur, meal powder, and camphor, the saltpetre must be the chief part.

For a blue Flame.

Meal powder, saltpetre, and sulphur vivum, the sulphur must be the chief part: or, meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, spirit of wine, and oil of spike; but let the powder be the principal part.

65

For a Flame inclining to Red.

Saltpetre, sulphur, antimony, and greek-pitch, the saltpetre the chief part.

By the above method may be made various colours of fire, as the practitioner pleases; for, by making a few trials, he may cause any ingredient to be predominant in colour.

Of such Ingredients as shew themselves in Sparks when rammed in choaked Cases.

The set colours of fire produced by sparks are divided into four sorts, viz. the black, white, grey, and red; the black charges are composed of two ingredients, which are meal powder and charcoal; the white of three, viz. saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal; the grey of four, viz. meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal; and the red of three, viz. meal powder, charcoal, and saw dust.

There are, besides these four regular or set charges, two others, which are distinguished 66 by the names of compound and brilliant charges; the compound charge being made of many ingredients, such as meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, charcoal, saw dust, seacoal, antimony, glass dust, brass dust, steel filings, cast iron, tanner’s dust, &c. or any thing that will yield sparks; all which must be managed with discretion. The brilliant fires are composed of meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and steel dust; or with meal powder and steel filings only.

How to make Cotton Quick-match.

Quick-match is generally made of such cotton as is put in candles, of several sizes, from one to six threads thick, according to the pipes it is designed for, which pipe must be large enough for the match, when made, to be pushed in easily without breaking it. Having doubled the cotton into as many threads as you think proper, coil it very lightly into a flat-bottomed copper or earthen pan; then put in the saltpetre and the liquor, and boil them together about twenty minutes; after which, coil it again into another pan, as is shewn in Fig. 4. and 67 pour on it what liquor remains; then put in some meal powder, and press it down with your hands, till it is quite wet; afterwards place the pan before the wooden frame, Fig. 5, which must be suspended by a point in the center of each end; and place yourself before the pan, tying the upper end of the cotton to the end of one of the sides of the frame.

When every thing is thus got ready, you must have one to turn the frame round, while you let the cotton pass through your hands, holding it very lightly, and at the same time keeping your hands full of the wet powder; but if the powder should be too wet to stick to the cotton, put more in the pan, so as to keep a continual supply till the match is all wound up; you may wind it as close on the frame as you please, so that it does not stick together; when the frame is full, take it off the points, and sift dry meal powder on both sides the match, till it appears quite dry: in winter the match will be a fortnight before it is fit for use; when it is thoroughly dry, cut it along the outside of one of the sides 68 of the frame, and tie it up in skains for use.

N. B. The match must be wound tight on the frames.

Ingredients for the Match.

Cotton one pound twelve ounces, saltpetre one pound, spirit of wine two quarts, water three quarts, isinglass three gills, and meal powder ten pound. To dissolve four ounces of isinglass, take three pints of water.

69

SECT. III.

Of Sky-rocket Moulds.

As the performance of rockets depends much on their moulds, it is requisite to give a definition of them and their proportions, which are as follows: They are made and proportioned by the diameter of their orifice, which is divided into six equal parts: as for example, Fig. 6. represents a mould made by its diameter A B, its height from C to D is six diameters and two thirds; from D to E is the height of the foot, which is one diameter and two thirds; F the choak, or cylinder, whose height is one diameter and one third; it must be made out of the same piece as the foot, and fit tight in the mould; G an iron pin that goes through the mould and cylinder, to keep the foot fast; H the nipple, which is half a diameter high, and two thirds thick, and of the same 70 piece of metal as the piercer I, whose height is three diameters and a half, and at the bottom is one third of the diameter thick, and from thence tapering to one sixth of the diameter: the best way to fix the piercer in the cylinder, is to make that part below the nipple long enough to go quite through the foot, and rivet it at the bottom. Fig. 7. is a former or rowler for the cases, whose length, from the handle, is seven diameters and a half, and its diameter two thirds of the bore A B; 8. the end of the former, which is of the same thickness and one diameter and two thirds long, the small part; which fits into the hole In the end of the rowler when the case is pinching, is one sixth and a half of the mould’s diameter thick. Fig. 9, the first drift, which must be six diameters from the handle, and this as well as all other rammers must be a little thinner than the former, to prevent the sacking of the paper, when you are driving in the charge: in the end of this rammer is a hole to fit over the piercer; the line K marked on this is two diameters and one third from the handle, so that when you are filling the 71 rocket, this line appears at top of the case; you must then take the second rammer, 10, which from the handle is four diameters; and the hole for the piercer is one diameter and a half long. Fig. 11. is the short and solid drift which you use when you have filled the case as high as the top of the piercer.

It is to be observed, that all rammers must have a collar of brass at the bottom, to keep the wood from spreading or splitting; and that the same proportion be given to all moulds, from one ounce to six pound. I mentioned nothing concerning the handles of the rammers; however, if their diameter be equal to the bore of the mould, and two diameters long, it will be a very good proportion; but the shorter you can use them the better, for the longer the drift, the less will be the pressure on the composition, by the blow given with the mallet.

72

A Table of Dimensions for Rocket Moulds, in which the Rockets are rammed solid.

Weight of rockets. Length of the moulds without their feet. Interior diameter of the moulds. Height of the nipples.

lb. oz. Inches. Inches. Inches.

6 0 34· 7 3· 5 1· 5

4 0 38· 6 2· 9 1· 4

2 0 13· 35 2· 1 1· 0

1 0 12· 25 1· 7 0· 85

0 8 10· 125 1· 333 &c. 0· 6

0 4 7· 75 1· 125 0· 5

0 2 6· 2 0· 9 0· 45

0 1 4· 9 0· 7 0· 35

0 ½ 3· 9 0· 55 0· 25

6 drams 3· 5 0· 5 0· 225

4 drams 2· 2 0· 3 0· 2

The diameter of the nipple must always be equal to that of the former.

I have omitted the thickness of the moulds, it being very immaterial, provided they are substantial and strong.

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I would not advise any one who makes rockets for his private amusement, to ram them solid, for it requires a very skilful hand, and an expensive apparatus for boring them, which will be shewn herereafter. Driving of rockets solid is the most expeditious method, but not so certain as ramming them over a piercer, which I have found by experience.

Of Moulds for Wheel Cases, or Serpents.

Fig. 12. represents a mould in which the cases are drove solid; L the nipple[3], with a point[4] at top, which, when the case is filling, serves to stop the neck, and prevent the composition from falling out, which without this point it would do; and, in consequence, the air would get into the vacancy in the charge, and at the time of firing cause the case to burst. These sort of moulds are made 74 of any length or diameter, according as the cases are required, but the diameter of the rollers must be equal to half the bore, and the rammers made quite solid.

How to roll Rocket and other Cases.

Sky rocket cases are to be made six and a half of their exterior diameter long, and all other cases that are to be filled in moulds must be as long as the moulds, within half its interior diameter.

Rocket cases, from the smallest to four or six pound, are generally made of the strongest sort of cartridge paper, and rolled dry; but the large sort are made of pasted paste-board. As it is very difficult to roll the ends of the cases quite even, the best way will be to keep a pattern of the paper for the different sorts of cases, which pattern should be somewhat longer than the case it is designed for, and on it marked the number of sheets required, which will prevent any paper being cut to waste: having cut your papers of a proper size, and 75 the last sheet for each case with a slope at one end, so that when the cases are rolled it may form a spiral line round the outside, and that this slope may always be the same, let the pattern be so cut for a guide: before you begin to roll, fold down one end of the first sheet, so far that the fold will go two or three times round the former; then, on the double edge, lay the former with its handle off the table, and when you have rolled on the paper, within two or three turns, lay, on that part which is loose, the next sheet, and roll it all on.

Having thus done, you must have a smooth board, about twenty inches long, and equal in breadth to the length of the case; in the middle of this board must be a handle placed length-ways; under this board lay your case, and let one end of the board lay on the table; then press hard on it, and push it forwards, which will roll the paper very tight; do this three or four times before you roll on any more paper: this must be repeated every other sheet of paper, till the case is thick enough; but if the rolling board be drawn backwards, it will loosen the paper: you are to observe, 76 when you roll on the last sheet, that the point of the slope be placed at the small end of the roller. Having rolled your case to fit the mould, push in the small end of the former F, about one diameter from the end of the case, and put in the end piece within a little distance of the former; then give the pinching cord one turn round the case, between the former and the end piece; at first pull easy, and keep moving the case, which will make the neck smooth, and without large wrinkles; when the cases are hard to choak, let each sheet of paper (except the first and last in that part where the neck is formed) be a little moistened with water: immediately after you have struck the concave stroke, bind the neck of the case round with small twine, which must not be tied in a knot, but fastened with two or three hitches.

Having thus pinched and tied the case so as not to give way, put it into the mould without it’s foot, and, with a mallet, drive the former hard on the end piece, which will force the neck close and smooth; this being done, cut the case to its proper length, allowing from the neck to the edge of the mouth 77 half a diameter, which is equal to the height of the nipple; then take out the former, and drive the case over the piercer with the long rammer, and the vent will be of a proper size. Wheel cases must be drove on a nipple with a points in order to close the neck, and make the vent of the size required; which, in most cases, is generally one fourth of their interior diameter: as it is very often difficult, when the cases are rolled, to draw the roller out, you may make a hole through the handle, and put in it a small iron pin, by which you may easily turn the former round, and pull it out. Fig. 17. shews the method of pinching cases; P a treddle, which, when pressed hard with the foot, will draw the cord tight, and force the neck as close as you please; Q a small wheel or pully, with a groove round it for the cord to run in.

Cases are commonly rolled wet, for wheels and fixed pieces; and when they are required to contain a great length of charge, the method of making those sort of cases is as follows: Your paper must be cut as usual, only the last sheet must not be cut with a slope; having 78 your paper ready, paste each sheet on one side, then fold down the first sheet as before directed, but be careful that the paste does not touch the upper part of the fold, for if the roller be wetted, it will tear the paper in drawing it out: in pasting the last sheet, observe not to wet the last turn or two in that part where it is to be pinched, for if that part be damp, the pinching cord will stick to it, and tear the paper; therefore, when you choak those cases; roll a bit of dry paper once round the case, before you put on the pinching cord; but this bit of paper must be taken off after the case is choaked. The rolling board, and all other methods, according to the former directions for the rolling and pinching of cases, must be used to these as well as all other cases.

To make Tourbillon Cases.

Those sorts of cases are generally made about eight diameters long, but if very large, seven diameters will be sufficient: tourbillons will answer very well from four ounces to two pound, but when larger there is no certainty. The cases 79 are best rolled wet with paste, and the last sheet must have a streight edge, so that the case may be all of a thickness: when you have rolled your cases, after the manner of wheel cases, pinch them at one end quite close; then, with the rammer, drive the ends down flat, and afterwards ram in about one third of a diameter of dryed clay. The diameter of the former for these cases must be the same as for sky rockets.

N. B. Tourbillons are to be rammed in moulds without a nipple, or in a mould without its foot.

To make Balóón Cases, or Paper Shells.

First you must have an oval former turned of smooth wood; then paste a quantity of brown or cartridge paper, and let it lay till the paste has quite soaked through; this done, rub the former with soap or grease, to prevent the paper from sticking to it; then lay the paper on in small slips, till you have made it one third of the thickness of the shell intended; having thus done, set it 80 to dry, and when dry, cut it round the middle, and the two halves will easily come off; but observe, when you cut, to leave about one inch not cut, which will make the halves join much better than if quite separated; when you have some ready to join, place the halves even together, and paste a slip of paper round the opening to hold them together, and let that dry; then lay on paper all over as before, every where equal, excepting that end which goes downwards in the mortar, which may be a little thicker than the rest; for that part which receives the blow from the powder in the chamber of the mortar consequently requires the greatest strength: when the shell is thoroughly dry, burn a round vent at top, with square iron, large enough for the fuze: this method will do for balóóns from four inches two fifths, to eight inches diameter; but if they are larger, or required to be thrown a great height, let the first shell be turn’d of elm, instead of being made of paper.

For a ballóón of four inches two fifths, let the former be three inches one eighth diameter, and five inches and a half long. For a ballóón of five inches and 81 a half, the diameter of the former must be four inches, and eight inches long. For a ballóón of eight inches, let the diameter of the former be five inches and fifteen sixteenths, and eleven inches seven eighths long. For a ten inch ballóón, let the former be seven inches three sixteenths diameter, and fourteen inches and a quarter long. The thickness of a shell for a ballóón of four inches two fifths, must be half an inch. For a ballóón of five inches and a half, let the thickness of the paper be five eighths of an inch. For an eight inch ballóón seven eighths of an inch. And for a ten inch ballóón, let the shell be one inch and one eighth thick.

Shells that are designed for stars only, may be made quite round, and the thinner they are at the opening the better; for if they are too strong, the stars are apt to break at the bursting of the shell: when you are making the shell, make use of a pair of calibers, or a round gauge, so that you may not lay the paper thicker in one place than another; and also to know when the shell is of a proper thickness; ballóóns must always be made to go easy into the mortars.

82

Of the Method of mixing Compositions.

The performance of the principal part of fireworks depends much on the compositions being well mixed; therefore great care ought to be taken in this part of the work, particularly in the compositions for sky rockets. When you have four or five pounds of ingredients to mix, which is a sufficient quantity at a time (for a larger proportion will not do so well), first put the different ingredients together, then work them about with your hands, till you think they are pretty well incorporated; after which put them into a lawn sieve with a receiver and top to it; and if, after it is sifted, any remains that will not pass through the sieve, grind it again till fine enough; and if it be twice sifted it will not be amiss; but the compositions for wheels and common works are not so material, nor need not be so fine. But in all fixed works, from which the fire is to play regular, the ingredients must be very fine, and great care taken 83 in mixing them well together; and observe that, in all compositions wherein are steel or iron filings, the hands must not touch, nor will any works, which have iron or steel in their charge, keep long in damp weather, without being properly prepared, according to the directions given in the following article.

How to preserve Steel or Iron Filings.

It sometimes may happen, that fireworks may be required to be kept a long time, or sent abroad; neither of which could be done with brilliant fires, if made with filings unprepared; for this reason, that the saltpetre being of a damp nature, it causes the iron to rust, the consequence of which is, that when the works are fired, there will appear but very few brilliant sparks, but instead of them a number of red and drossy sparks, and besides, the charge will be so much weakened, that if this should happen to wheels, the fire will hardly be strong enough to force them round: but to prevent such accidents, prepare your filings after the following manner.