ARTIFICIAL FIRE-WORKS,

Improved to the MODERN PRACTICE,

From the MINUTEST to the HIGHEST Branches;

CONTAINING

  Aigrettes
  Amber-lights
  Balloons
  Batteries
  Chinese Fire-Ships
  Cohorns
  Cones
  Crackers
  Cascades
  Dodecadrons
  Ducks
  Earthquakes
  Flights
  Flyers
  Fountains
  Gerbes
  Globes
  Gold-Rain
  Grand Volutes
  Leaders
  Lights
  Mines
  Matches
  Mortars
  Marrons
  Moons
  Neptune’s Chariot
  Potts
  Pumps
  Rain-Fall
  Rockets
  Sea-Fights
  Silver-Rain
  Spur-Fire
  Squibs
  Stars
  Sky-Rockets
  Swans
  Swarms
  Thunder in Rooms
  Towering-Rockets, double and single
  Tourbillons
  Trees
  Water Fire-Works
  Wheels
  Yew-Trees

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.




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 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 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.




     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
  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;


          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


          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.


          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.


          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
  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
  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.




     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._                                     23
  _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.
  _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.
  _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
  _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
  _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
  _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.
  _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.
  _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
  _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,




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 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.

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 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 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.


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 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 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.”

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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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.


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.


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.


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 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.




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 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.


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
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                   Э
  Saltpetre                       Θ
  Brimstone                       Z
  Crude Sulphur                 C Z
  Charcoal                      C +
  Sea Coal                      C S
  Saw-dust or Beech-raspings    B R
  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.


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 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 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
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.


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.


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.


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.


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.

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 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.

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.


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.

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.


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.


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.

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.

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.


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 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.


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.

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.


  TAB. I.

  Weight | Diameter |powder.|Saltpetre| Brim  |charcoal.
  of the |  of the  |       |         | stone |
   ball. |  mould.  |       |         |       |
  -------+----------+-------+---------+-------+--------
  lb. oz.|in. 1. pts|lb. oz.| lb. oz. |lb. oz.| lb. oz.
  -------+----------+-------+---------+-------+--------
       ½ | 0   6  3 }       |         |       |
       1 | 0   7  8 }  0 15 |  0   0  | 0   0 | 0    2
         |          |       |         |       |
       2 | 0   9  7 }       |         |       |
       3 | 0  11  0 }  0 12 |  0   2  | 0   ½ | 0    1½
         |          |       |         |       |
       4 | 1   0  1 |       |         |       |
         |          |       |         |       |
       5 | 1   1  0 }       |         |       |
       6 | 1   1 10 }  1  3 |  0  12  | 0   4 | 0    1½
         |          |       |         |       |
       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 }       |         |       |
    3  0 | 2   3  7 }  0  0 | 60   0  | 2   0 |15    0
         |          |       |         |       |
    4  0 | 2   6  9 }       |         |       |
    5  0 | 2   8  8 }  0  0 | 64   0  | 8   0 |16    0
         |          |       |         |       |
    6  0 | 2  10  9 }       |         |       |
    8  0 | 3   2  6 }  0  0 | 35   0  | 5   0 |10    0
         |          |       |         |       |
   10  0 | 3   5  4 |  0  0 | 62   0  | 9   0 |20    0
         |          |       |         |       |
   12  0 | 3   7 10 }       |         |       |
   15  0 | 3  11  4 }  0  0 | 32   0  | 8   0 |16    0
         |          |       |         |       |
   17  0 | 4   1  5 }       |         |       |
   20  0 | 4   4  2 }  0  0 | 64   0  |12   0 |16    0
         |          |       |         |       |
   27  0 | 4   9  9 |       |         |       |
         |          |       |         |       |
   30  0 | 4  11  6 }       |         |       |
   40  0 | 5   5  1 }  0  0 | 30   0  | 7   0 |18    0
         |          |       |         |       |
   60  0 | 6   3  3 }       |         |       |
  100  0 | 7   5  3 }  0  0 | 30   0  |10   0 |20    0


  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  | Weight of |Saltpetre.|Brimstone.|Charcoal.
  diameter of|the rocket.|          |          |
  the mould. |           |          |          |
  -----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------
    Lines.   |lb. oz. dr.| ounces.  |  ounces. | ounces.
  -----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------
      6      |  0   0  4 }          |          |
      7      |  0   0  6 }    44    |     4    |   16
      8      |  0   1  1 }          |          |
             |           |          |          |
      9      |  0   1  5 }          |          |
     10      |  0   2  2 }    40    |     4    |   16
     11      |  0   3  0 }          |          |
             |           |          |          |
     12      |  0   3  7 }          |          |
     13      |  0   4  6 }    38    |     4    |   16
     14      |  0   6  1 }          |          |
             |           |          |          |
     15      |  0   7  4 }          |          |
     16      |  0   9  1 }     36   |     4    |   16
     17      |  0  11  0 }          |          |
             |           |          |          |
     18      |  0  13  1 }          |          |
     19      |  0  15  4 }     34   |     4    |   16
     19¼     |  1   0  0 }          |          |
             |           |          |          |
     21      |  1   7  1 |          |          |
             |           |          |          |
     24      |  1  15  1 |     32   |     5    |   16
             |           |          |          |
     30      |  4   0  0 }          |          |
     36      |  6   9  0 }     30   |     6    |   18
     72      | 55   8  0 }          |          |


  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     | Powder. | Saltpetre. | Brimstone. | Charcoal.
  composition.  |         |            |            |
  ------------- | ------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------
  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
   0   8 }      |         |            |            |

     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 }      |         |            |            |


  TAB. IV.

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

  Weight of   |Powder     |Saltpetre. | Brimstone. |   Charcoal.
  composition.|           |           |            |
  ------------| ----------|-----------|------------|------------
  lb.  oz.    | lb.  oz.  |  lb.  oz. |   lb.  oz. |    lb.  oz.
  ------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------
        1}    |           |           |            |
        2}    | 1    0    |           |            |    0    2
     or,      | 1    0    |  1    0   |            |    0    1
        3     |      4½   |  0    1   |            |    0    1
              |           |           |            |
        4}    |           |           |            |
        8}    | 4    0    |  1    0   |  0      ½  |    0    4
              |           |           |            |
              | 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   }|


  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  |Composition  |Composition |Composition  |Composition
  for a rocket |for a rocket |for a rocket|for a rocket |for a rocket
  of two pound.|of one pound.|of half a   |of four      |of one ounce
               |             |pound.      |ounces.      |and a half.
  -------------+-------------+------------+-------------+-----------
  Corrected by | Corrected,  |Corrected,  | Corrected,  | Corrected,
  M. F***,     | eleven      |seven ounces| six ounces  | one ounce
  one pound.   | ounces.     |and a half. | five drams. | 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|Height of the|Height of   |Height of the|Height of
  mould, nine  |mould, eight |the mould,  |mould seven  |the mould,
  inches and a |inches and   |seven inches|inches.      |four inches
  half.        |a half.      |and a half. |             |and a half.
  -------------+-------------+--------------------------+-----------
  Diameter of  | Diameter of |Diameter of |Diameter of  |Diameter of
  the mould,   | the mould,  |the mould,  |the mould,   |the mould,
  one in. seven| one inch    |one inch    |one inch     |nine lines.
  lines.       | five lines. |three lin.  |two lines.   |

                     French names for Sky Rockets.

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


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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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.


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 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 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 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.




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 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 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.

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

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

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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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.


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 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.

Melt in a glazed earthen pan some brimstone over a slow fire, and when
melted throw in some filings; which keep stirring about till they are
covered with brimstone, this you must do while it is on the fire; then
take it off, and stirr it very quick till cold, when you must roll it
on a board with a wooden roller, till you have broke it as fine as
corn powder; after which sift from it as much of the brimstone as you
can. There is another method of preparing filings, so as to keep two
or three months in winter; this may be done by rubbing them between
the strongest sort of brown paper, which before has been moistened
with linseed oil.

N. B. If the brimstone should take fire, you may put it out, by
covering the pan close at top: it is not of much signification what
quantity of brimstone you use, so that there is enough to give each
grain of iron a coat, but as much as will cover the bottom of a pan,
of about one foot diameter, will do for five or six pound of filings:
cast iron for gerbes may be preserved by the above method.


The Method of Driving or Ramming Sky Rockets, &c.

Rockets which are drove over a piercer must not have so much
composition put in them at a time, as when drove solid, for the
piercer, taking up great part of the bore of the case, would cause the
rammer to rise too high: so that the pressure of it would not be so
great on the composition, nor would it be drove every where equal: to
prevent which, observe the following rule; that for those rockets,
that are rammed over a piercer, let the ladle[5] hold as much
composition as when drove, will raise the drift one half the interior
diameter of the case, and for those drove solid to contain as much as
will raise it half the exterior diameter of the case: ladles are
generally made to go easy in the case, and the length of the scoop
about one and a half of its own diameter.

The charge of rockets must always be drove one diameter above the
piercer, and on it must be rammed one third of a diameter of clay,
through the middle of which bore a small hole to the composition, in
order that, when the charge is burnt to the top, it may communicate
its fire, through the hole, to the stars in the head: great care must
always be taken, to strike with the mallet, and with an equal force,
the same number of strokes to each ladle-ful of charge; otherwise the
rockets will not rise with an uniform motion, nor will the composition
burn equal and regular; for which reason they cannot carry a proper
tail, for it will break before the rocket has got half way up; instead
of reaching from the ground to the top, where the rocket breaks and
disperses the stars, rains, or whatever is contained in the head. When
you are ramming, keep the drift constantly turning or moving; and when
you use the hollow rammers, knock out of them the composition now and
then, or the piercer will split them: to a rocket of four ounces, give
to each ladle-ful of charge sixteen strokes: to a rocket of eight
ounces twenty-one strokes: to a rocket of one pound, twenty eight: to
a two pounder, thirty-six: to a four pounder forty-two: and to a six
pounder fifty strokes; but rockets of a larger sort cannot be drove
well by hand, but must be rammed with a machine made in the same
manner as those for driving piles, which are so very common to be
seen, that I shall here omit giving a description of them.

The method of ramming of wheel cases, or any other sort, in which the
charge is drove solid, is much the same as sky rockets; for the same
proportion may be observed in the ladle, and the same number of
strokes given, according to their diameters, all cases being
distinguished by their diameters; in this manner, a case whose bore is
equal to a rocket of four ounces is called a four ounce case, and that
which is equal to an eight ounce rocket an eight ounce case, and so
on, according to the different rockets.

Having taught the method of ramming cases in moulds; we shall here say
something concerning those filled without moulds, which method, for
strong pasted cases, will do extremely well, and save the expence of
making so many moulds. The reader must here observe, when he fills any
sort of cases, to place the mould on a perpendicular block of wood,
and not on any place that is hollow, for we have found by experience,
that when cases were rammed on driving benches, which were formerly
used, the works frequently miscarried, on account of the hollow
resistance of the benches, which often jarred and loosened the charge
in the cases; but this accident has never happened since the driving
blocks[6] have been used.

When cases are to be filled without moulds, proceed thus; have some
nipples made of brass or iron, of several sorts and sizes, in
proportion to the cases, and to screw or six in the top of the driving
block; when you have fixed in a nipple, make, at about one inch and a
half from it, a square hole in the block, six inches deep and one inch
diameter; then have a piece of wood, six inches longer than the case
intended to be filled and two inches square; on one side of it cut a
groove almost the length of the case, whose breadth and depth must be
sufficient to cover near half the case; then cut the other end to fit
the hole in the block, but take care to cut it so that the groove may
be of a proper distance from the nipple: this half mould being made
and fixed tight in the block, cut, in another piece of wood nearly of
the same length as the case, a groove of the same dimensions as that
in the fixed piece; then put the case on the nipple, and with a cord
tie it and the two half moulds together, and your case will be ready
for filling.

The dimensions of the above described half moulds, are proportionable
for cases of eight ounces; but notice must be taken, that they differ
in size in proportion to the cases.

Note, the clay, mentioned in this article, must be prepared after this
manner; get some clay, in which there is no stones nor sand, and bake
it in an oven till quite dry; then take it out and beat it to a
powder, and afterwards sift it through a common hair sieve, and it
will be fit for use.


Of the Proportion of Mallets.

The best wood for mallets is dry beech, though some have preferred
other sorts of woods and have likewise pretended to determine their
exact weight, which is not of much signification; however, for the
better instruction of those who have not made a great progress in this
art, I shall here give a good proportion for mallets; but at the same
time would have every practitioner know, that if he makes use of a
common mallet, of a moderate size, in proportion to the rocket,
according to his judgment, and if that rocket succeeds, he may depend
on the rest, by using the same mallet; yet it will be necessary that
cases of different sorts be drove with mallets of different sizes.

The following proportion of the mallets for rockets of any size, from
one ounce to six pound, may be observed; but as rockets are seldon
made less than one ounce, or larger than six pound, I shall leave the
management of them to the curious; but all cases under one ounce, may
be rammed with an ounce rocket mallet. Your mallets will strike more
solid, by having their handles turned out of the same piece as the
head, and made in a cylindrical form: let their dimensions be worked
by the diameters of the rockets: for example; let the thickness of the
head be three diameters, and its length four, and the length of the
handle five diameters, whose thickness must be in proportion to the
hand.


Of the Proportion of Sky Rockets, with the Manner of heading them.

Fig. 13. represents a rocket compleat without its stick, whose length
from the neck is five diameters one sixth; the cases should always be
cut to this length, after they are filled: M the head, which is two
diameters high, and one diameter one sixth and a half in breadth; N
the cone or cap, whose perpendicular height must be one diameter one
third. Fig. 14. is the collar to which the head is fixed; this is
turned out of deal or any light wood, and its exterior diameter must
be equal to the interior diameter of the head; one sixth will be
sufficient for its thickness, and round the outside edge must be a
groove; the interior diameter of the collar must not be quite so wide
as the exterior diameter of the rocket; when this is to be glued on
the rocket, you must cut two or three rounds of paper off the case,
which will make a shoulder for it to rest upon. Fig. 15, a former for
the head; two or three rounds of paper well pasted will be enough for
the head, which, when rolled, put the collar on that part of the
former marked O, which must fit the inside of it; then with the
pinching cord, pinch the bottom of the head into the groove, and tie
it with small twine. Fig. 16, represents a former for the cone. To
make the caps, cut your paper in round pieces, equal in diameter to
twice the length of the cone you intend to make; which pieces being
cut into halves, will make two caps each, without wasting any paper;
having formed the caps, paste over each of them a thin white paper,
which must be a little longer than the cone, so as to project about
half an inch below the bottom; this projection of paper, being notch’d
and pasted, serves to fasten the cap to the head.

[Illustration: PLATE. 1]

When you load the heads of your rockets with stars, rains, serpents,
crackers, scroles, or any thing else, according to your fancy;
remember always to put one ladle-ful of meal powder, into each head,
which will be enough to burst the head, and disperse the stars or
whatever is contained therein: when the heads are loaded with any sort
of cases, let their mouths be placed downwards; and after the heads
are filled, paste on the top of them a piece of paper, before you put
on the caps. As the size of stars often differ, it would be needless
to give an exact number for each rocket, but this rule may be
observed, that the heads may be nearly filled with whatever they are
loaded.


Of the Decorations for Sky Rockets.

Sky rockets bearing the pre-eminence of all fireworks, it will not be
improper to treat of their various kinds of decorations which are
directed according to fancy; some are headed with stars of different
sorts, such as tailed stars, brilliant stars, white stars, blue and
yellow stars, &c. some with gold and silver rain; others with
serpents, crackers, fire-scroles, marrons; and some with small
rockets, and many other devices, as the maker pleases.


  Dimensions and Poise of Rocket Sticks.

  Weight | Length of |Thickness|Breadth |Square at| Poize from
  of the |the stick. | at top. | at top.| bottom. |the point of
  rocket.|           |         |        |         |  the cone.
  -------+-----------+---------+--------+---------+-------------
  lb. oz.|  ft. in.  | Inches. | Inches.|  Inch.  |  ft.  in.
  -------+-----------+---------+--------+---------+-------------
   6  0  | 14   0    |  1·5    |  1·85  |  0·75   |   4   1·5
   4  0  | 12  10    |  1·25   |  1·40  |  0·625  |   3   9·
   2  0  |  9   4    |  1·125  |  1·    |  0·525  |   2   9·
   1  0  |  8   2    |  0·725  |  0·80  |  0·375  |   2   1·
      8  |  6   6    |  0·5    |  0·70  |  0·25   |   1  10·5
      4  |  5   3    |  0·3750 |  0·55  |  0·35   |   1   8·5
      2  |  4   1    |  0·3    |  0·45  |  0·15   |   1   3·
      1  |  3   6    |  0·25   |  0·35  |  0·10   |  11   0·
       ½ |  2   4    |  0·125  |  0·20  |  0·16   |   8   0·
       ¼ |  1 10½    |  0·1    |  0·15  |  0·5    |   5   0·5

The last column on the right in the above table, expresses the
distance from the top of the cone, where the stick, when tied on,
should ballance the rocket, so as to stand in an equilibrium on one’s
finger or the edge of a knife. The best wood for the sticks is dry
deal, made after the following manner; when you have cut and planed
the sticks according to the dimensions given in the table, cut on one
of the flat sides at top, a groove the length of the rocket, and as
broad as the stick will allow; then on the opposite flat side, cut two
notches for the cord, which ties on the rocket, to lay in; one of
these notches must be near the top of the stick, and the other facing
the neck of the rockets; the distance between these notches may easily
be known, for the top of the stick should always touch the head of the
rocket. When your rockets and sticks are ready, lay the rockets in the
grooves in the sticks and tie them on. Those who, merely for
curiosity, may chose to make rockets of different sizes, to what I
have expressed in the table of dimensions, may find the length of
their sticks, by making them for rockets, from half an ounce to one
pounds sixty diameters of the rocket long; and for rockets above one
pound, fifty or fifty-two diameters will be a good length; their
thickness at top may be about half a diameter, and their breadth a
very little more; their square at bottom is generally equal to half
the thickness at top. But, although the dimensions of the sticks be
very nicely observed, you must depend only on their ballance: for,
without a proper counterpoise, your rockets, instead of mounting
perpendicularly, will take an oblique direction, and fall to the
ground before they are burnt out.


The Method of Boring Rockets which have been drove solid.

Plate 2, Fig. 18, represents the plan of an apparatus, or lath, for
boring of rockets; A the large wheel which turns the small one B, that
works the reammer C: these reammers are of different sizes according
to the rockets; they must be of the same diameter as the top of the
bore intended, and continue that thickness a little longer than the
depth of the bore required, and their points must be like that of an
auger; the thick end of each reammer must be made square and all of
the same size, so as to fit into one socket, wherein they are fastened
by a screw D: E the guide for the reammer, which is made to move
backwards and forwards; so that after you have marked the reammer
three diameters and a half of the rocket from the point, set the
guide, allowing for the thickness of the fronts of the rocket boxes,
and the neck and mouth of the rocket, so that when the front of the
large box is close to the guide, the reammer may not go too far up the
charge; F, boxes for holding the rockets, which are made so as to fit
one in another; their sides must be equal in thickness to the
difference of the diameters of the rockets, and their interior
diameters equal to the exterior diameters of the rockets. To prevent
the rockets turning round while boring, a piece of wood must be placed
against the end of the box in the inside, and pressed against the tail
of the rocket; this will also hinder the reammer from forcing the
rocket backwards. G, a rocket in the box. H, a box that hides under
the rocket boxes to receive the borings from the rockets, which falls
through holes made on purpose in the boxes; these holes must be just
under the mouth of the rocket, one in each box, and all to correspond
with each other.

Fig. 19, is a front view of the large rocket box. I, an iron plate, in
which are holes of different sizes, through which the reammer passes;
this plate is fastened with a screw in the center, so that when you
change the reammer, you turn the plate round, but always let the hole
you are going to use be at the bottom; the fronts of the other boxes
must have holes in them to correspond with them in the plate. K, the
lower part of the large box, which is made to fit the inside of the
lathe, in order that all the boxes may move quite steady.

Fig. 20, is a perspective view of the lathe. L, the guide for the
reammer, which is set by the screw at bottom.

Fig. 21, a view of the front of the guide facing the reammer. M, an
iron plate, of the same dimensions as that on the front of the box,
and placed in the same direction, and also to turn on a screw in the
center. N, the rocket box, which slides backwards and forwards: when
you have fixed a rocket in the box, push it forwards against the
reammer; and when you think the scoop of the reammer is full, draw the
box back, and knock out the composition; this you must do till the
rocket is bored, or it will be in danger of taking fire; and if you
bore in a hurry, wet the end of the reammer now and then with oil to
keep it cool.

Having bored a number of rockets, you must have taps of different
sorts according to the rockets. These taps are a little longer than
the bore, but when you use them, mark them three diameters and a half
from the point, allowing for the thickness of the rocket’s neck; then,
holding the rocket in one hand, you tap it with the other. In order to
explain these taps, I have represented one by Fig. 22. They are made
in the same proportion as the fixed piercers, and are hollowed their
whole length.


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

Those sort of machines answer very well, but not so expeditious as the
lathe, nor are they so expensive to make; they may be worked by one
man; but the lathe will require three. Fig. 23, represents the
machine. O, the rocket boxes, which are to be fixed and not to slide
as those in the lathe. P Q, are guides for the reammers, that are made
to slide together, as the reammer moves forward: the reammers for
these sort of machines must be made of a proper length, allowing for
the thickness of the front of the boxes, and the length of the mouth
and neck of the case: on the square end of these reammers, must be a
round shoulder of iron, to turn against the outside of the guide Q, by
which means the guides are forced forwards. R, the stock which turns
the reammer, and while turning must be pressed towards the rocket, by
the body of the man who works it; all the reammers are to be made to
fit one stock. This machine as well as the lathe is made by the scale
in the same plate.


The Manner of making large Gerbes.

Fig. 24, represents a wooden former; 25, a gerbe compleat, with its
foot or stand. The cases for gerbes are made very strong, on account
of the strength of the composition; which, when fired, comes out with
great velocity; therefore, to prevent their bursting, the paper should
be pasted, and the cases made as thick at the top as at the bottom;
they ought also to have very long necks, for this reason; first, that
the particles of iron will have more time to be heated, by meeting
with greater resistance in getting out, than with a short neck, which
would be burnt too wide before the charge be consumed, and spoil the
effect: Secondly, that with long necks the stars will be thrown to a
great height, and will not fall before they are spent, or spread too
much; but, when made to perfection, will rise and spread in such a
manner as to form exactly a wheat-sheaf.

In the ramming of gerbes, there will be no need of a mould, the cases
being sufficiently strong to support themselves; but you are to be
careful, before you begin to ram, to have a piece of wood made to fit
in the neck; for if this be not done, the composition will fall into
the neck, and leave a vacancy in the case, which, as I said before,
will cause the case to burst as soon as the fire arrives at the
vacancy: you must likewise observe, that the first ladle of charge, or
two, if you think proper, be of some weak composition. When the case
is filled, take out the piece of wood, and fill the neck with some
slow charge. Gerbes are generally made about six diameters long, from
the bottom to the top of the neck; their bore must be one fifth
narrower at top than at bottom. The neck S is one sixth diameter and
three fourths long. T, a wooden foot or stand, on which the gerbe is
fixed. This may be made with a choak or cylinder, four or five inches
long, to fit the inside of the case, or with a hole in it to put in
the gerbe; both these methods will answer the same. Gerbes produce a
most brilliant fire, and are very when a number of them are fixed in
the front of a building, or a collection of fireworks.

N. B. Gerbes are made by their diameters, and their cases at bottom
one fourth thick. The method of finding the interior diameter of a
gerbe is thus: Supposing you would have the exterior diameter of the
case, when made, to be five inches, then, by taking two fourths for
the sides of the case, there will remain two inches and a half for the
bore, which will be a very good size. These sort of gerbes ought to be
rammed very hard.


Of small Gerbes or White Fountains.

Small gerbes may be made of four, eight ounces, or one pound cases,
pasted and made very strong, of what length you please; but, before
you fill them, drive in dry clay one diameter of their orifice high,
and when you have filled a case, bore a vent through the center of the
clay to the composition; the common proportion will do for the vent,
which must be primed with a slow charge. These sort of cases without
the clay, may be filled with Chinese fire.


To make Paste-board and Paper Mortars.

Fig. 26, a former, and 27, an elm foot for the mortar; 28, a mortar
compleat; these mortars are best when made with paste-board; your
paste-board must be well pasted before you begin; or, instead of
paste, you may use glue. For a coehorn mortar, which is four inches
two fifths diameter, roll the paste-board on the former one sixth of
its diameter thick; and, when dry, cut one end smooth and even, then
nail and glue it on the upper part of the foot; when done, cut off the
paste-board at top, allowing for the length of the mortar two
diameters and a half from the mouth of the powder chamber; then bind
the mortar round with a strong cord wetted with glue. U, the bottom
part of the foot, is one diameter two thirds broad, and one diameter
high; and that part which goes into the mortar is two thirds of it’s
diameter high. W, is a copper chamber for powder, made in a conical
form, and is one third of the diameter wide, and one and a half of its
own diameter long; in the center of the bottom of this chamber, make a
small hole a little way down the foot; this hole must be met by
another of the same size made in the side of the foot, as is shewn in
Fig. 28. If these holes are made true, and a copper pipe fitted into
both, the mortar when loaded will prime itself, for the powder will
naturally fall to the bottom of the first hole; then, by putting a bit
of quick-match in the side hole, your mortar will be ready to be
fired.

Mortars of five and a half, eight, and ten inches diameter, may be
made of paper, or paste-board, by the above method, and in the same
proportion; but if larger, it will be best to have them made of brass.
N. B. The copper chamber, must have a small rim round its edge with
holes in it, for screws to make it fast in the foot.




SECT. IV.


  The Manner of loading Air Ballóóns, with the Number of Stars,
    Serpents, Snakes, Rain-falls, &c. contained in Shells of each
    Nature.

As ballóóns are held in great esteem, by most admirers of fire works,
I shall here give a full description of them in every particular, in
so clear a manner, that a young practitioner may, by taking a little
pains, be pretty certain of succeeding the first trial.

When you fill your shells, you must first put in the serpents, rains,
stars, &c. or whatever they are composed of; then the blowing powder;
but the shells must not be quite filled; all those things must be put
in at the fuze hole; but marrons, being too large to go in at the fuze
hole, must be put in before the inside shell be joined. When the
shells are loaded, glue and drive in the fuzes very tight. Of these
fuzes we shall say more hereafter; but shall here give the diameter of
the fuze hole in ballóóns of each nature, which are as follows. For a
coehorn ballóón, let the diameter of the fuze hole be seven eighths of
an inch. For a royal ballóón, which is near five inches and a half
diameter, make the fuze hole one inch one eighth diameter. For an
eight inch ballóón, one inch three eighths: and for a ten inch
ballóón, one inch five eighths.

[Illustration: PLATE. 2]

Having proceeded thus far with the directions of loading ballóóns, I
shall in the second place give an account of the quantities and number
of each article, proper for shells of each nature; but it is to be
observed, that air-ballóóns are divided into four sorts, viz. first,
illuminated ballóóns; second, ballóóns of serpents; third, ballóóns of
reports, marrons, and crackers; and fourth, compound ballóóns.


For a Coehorn Ballóón illuminated.

                           oz.
  Meal powder              1½
  Corn powder              0½
  Powder for the mortar    2

Length of the fuze composition three quarters of an inch; one ounce
drove or rolled stars, as many as will nearly fill the shell.


For a Coehorn Ballóón of Serpents.

                            oz.
  Meal powder               1¼
  Corn powder               1
  Powder for the mortar     2¼

Length of the fuze composition thirteen sixteenths of an inch; half
ounce cases drove three diameters and bounced three diameters; and
half ounce cases drove two diameters and bounced four; of each an
equal quantity, and as many of them as will fit in easily, placed head
to tail.


For a Coehorn Ballóón of Crackers
and Reports.

                            oz.
  Meal powder               1¼
  Corn powder               0¾
  Powder for the mortar     2

Length of the fuze composition three quarters of an inch; reports
four, and crackers of six bounces, as many as will fill the shell.


For Compound Coehorn Ballóóns.

                           oz. dr.
  Meal powder              1    4
  Corn powder              0   12
  Powder for the mortar    2    4

Length of the fuze composition thirteen sixteenths of an inch; half
ounce cases drove three diameters and a half and bounced two, sixteen.
Half ounce cases drove four diameters and not bounced, ten. Blue
strung stars, ten. Rolled stars as many as will compleat the ballóón.


For Royal Ballóóns illuminated.

                            oz. dr.
  Meal powder               1   8
  Corn powder               0  12
  Powder for the mortar     3   0

Length of the fuze composition fifteen sixteenths of an inch; two
ounce strung stars, thirty-four: Rolled stars as many as the shell
will contain, allowing room for the fuze.


For Royal Ballóóns of Serpents.

                           oz. dr.
  Meal powder              1   0
  Corn powder              1   8
  Powder for the mortar    3   8

Length of the fuze composition one
inch; one ounce cases drove three and a half and four diameters, and
bounced two, of each an equal quantity, sufficient to load the shell.


Royal Ballóóns of Crackers and Marrons.

                                oz. dr.
  Meal powder                   1   8
  Corn powder                   1   4
  Powder for firing the mortar  3   0

Length of the fuze composition fourteen sixteenths of an inch; reports
twelve, and compleated with crackers of eight bounces.


For Compound Royal Ballóóns.

                               oz. dr.
  Meal powder                  1    5
  Corn powder                  1    6
  Powder for the mortar        3   12

Length of the fuze composition one inch; half ounce cases drove and
bounced two diameters, eight. Two ounce cases filled three eighths of
an inch with star composition, and bounced two diameters, eight.
Silver rain-falls, ten. Two ounce tailed stars, sixteen. Rolled
brilliant stars, thirty. If this should not be sufficient to load the
shell, you may compleat it with gold rain falls.


For eight inch Ballóóns illuminated.

                             oz. dr.
  Meal powder                2   8
  Corn powder                1   4
  Powder for the mortar      9   0

Length of the fuze composition one inch one eighth; two ounce drove
stars, forty-eight. Four ounce cases drove with star composition three
eighths of an inch and bounced three diameters, twelve; and the
ballóón compleated with two ounce drove brilliant stars.


For eight inch Ballóóns of Serpents.

                             oz. dr.
  Meal powder                2   0
  Corn powder                2   0
  Powder for the mortar      9   8

Length of the fuze composition one inch three sixteenths. Two ounce
cases drove one diameter and a half, and bounced two; and one ounce
cases drove two diameters, and bounced two and a half; of each an
equal quantity sufficient for the shell.

N. B. The star composition which is drove in cases that are bounced,
must be managed thus; first the cases must be pinched close at one
end, then the corn powder put in for a report, and the case pinched
again close to the powder, only leaving a small vent for the star
composition, which is drove at top, to communicate to the powder at
the bounce end.


REMARKS.

Ballóóns filled with crackers, reports, and marrons, make no great
show of themselves, nor are they very pleasing to the eye, for they
represent nothing more than a number of pale white flashes, followed
by a variety of reports; which altogether make but a very indifferent
appearance when fired with illuminated ballóóns, which are so
beautiful and brilliant, as to cast forth such lustre that will dazzle
the eyes of the spectators for some time; on this consideration, I do
not think it worth while loading shells of a large nature, with things
that afford so little pleasure: but they have a pretty good effect in
royal shells, when thrown among a number of air works, such as pots
des brins or flights of rockets, in order to alarm the people with a
thundering in the air. For they will not know from whence the reports
came, if fired exactly at the same time with the other works, and the
fuze made to carry a small fire. But if any one thinks proper to make
large ballóóns of this sort, it is only observing a proportion of the
blowing and firing powder, and the length of the fuze, for shells of
the same dimensions as those you intend to make. These kind of
ballóóns are lighter than any other sort, by reason of the crackers
being light of themselves, and not lying close in the shells. It must
be observed, when you fire light ballóóns, not to put so much powder
in the mortar as for heavy ones.


Compound Eight-inch Ballóóns.

                            oz. dr.
  Meal powder               2    8
  Corn powder               1   12
  Powder for the mortar     9    4

Length of the fuze composition one inch one eighth; four ounce cases
drove with star composition three eighths of an inch, and bounced
three diameters, sixteen. Two ounce tailed stars, sixteen. Two ounce
drove brilliant stars, twelve. Silver rain-falls, twenty. One ounce
drove blue stars, twenty: and one ounce cases drove and bounced two
diameters, as many as will fill the shell.


Another of Eight-inches.

                            oz. dr.
  Meal powder               2    8
  Corn powder               1   12
  Powder for the mortar     9    4

Length of the fuze composition one inch one eighth; crackers of six
reports, ten. Gold rains, fourteen. Two ounce cases drove with star
composition three eighths of an inch, and bounced two diameters,
sixteen. Two ounce tailed stars, sixteen. Two ounce drove brilliant
stars, twelve. Silver rains, ten: one ounce drove blue stars, twenty:
and one ounce cases drove with a brilliant charge two diameters and
bounced three, as many as the shell will hold.


Another of Eight-inches.

                            oz. dr.
  Meal powder               2   12
  Corn powder               2    0
  Powder for the mortar     9    0

Length of the fuze composition one inch one sixteenth; crackers of six
reports, ten. Gold rains, twenty. Two ounce cases drove with star
composition half an inch, and bounced two diameters sixteen. Two ounce
drove brilliant stars, two ounce drove blue stars, two ounce drove
coloured stars, two ounce drove tailed stars, large strung stars, and
rolled stars, of each an equal quantity, sufficient for the ballóón.


For a compound Ten-inch Ballóón.

                               oz. dr.
  Meal powder                   3  4
  Corn powder                   2  8
  Powder for the mortar        12  8

Length of the fuze composition fifteen sixteenths of an inch; one
ounce cases drove and bounced three diameters, sixteen. Crackers of
eight reports, twelve. Four ounce cases drove half an inch with star
composition, and bounced two diameters, fourteen. Two ounce cases
drove with brilliant fire one diameter and a quarter, and bounced two
diameters, sixteen. Two ounce drove brilliant stars, thirty. Two ounce
drove blue stars, thirty. Gold rains, twenty. Silver rains, twenty:
after all these are put in, fill the remainder of the case with tailed
and rolled stars.


For a Ten-inch Ballóón of three Changes.

                           oz. dr.
  Meal powder               3  0
  Corn powder               3  2
  Powder for the mortar    13  0

Length of the fuze composition one inch; the shell must be loaded with
two ounce cases, drove with star composition a quarter of an inch, and
on that one diameter of gold fire, then bounced three diameters; or
with two ounce cases first filled one diameter with gold-fire, then a
quarter of an inch with star composition, and on that one diameter and
a quarter of brilliant fire. These cases must be well secured at top
of the charge, lest they should take fire at both ends, but their
necks must be larger than the common proportion.


To make Ballóón Fuzes.

Fuzes for air ballóóns are sometimes turned out of dry beech, with a
cup at top, to hold the quick-match, as you see in Plate II. Fig. 28,
but if made with pasted paper, they will do as well: the diameter of
the former for fuzes for coehorn ballóóns, must be half an inch; for a
royal fuze, five eighths of an inch; for an eight inch fuze, three
quarters of an inch; and for a ten inch fuze, seven eighths of an
inch. Having rolled your cases, pinch and tie them almost close at one
end; then drive them down, and let them dry; before you begin to fill
them, mark, on the out side of the case, the length of charge
required, allowing for the thickness of the bottom; and when you have
rammed in the composition, take two pieces of quick-match, about six
inches long, and lay one end of each on the charge, and then a little
meal powder, which ram down hard; the loose ends of the match double
up into the top of the fuze, and cover it with a paper cap to keep it
dry. When you put the shells in the mortars, uncap the fuzes, and pull
out the loose ends of the match, and let them hang on the sides of the
ballóóns; the use of the match is, to receive the fire from the powder
in the chamber of the mortar, in order to light the fuze: the shell
being put in the mortar with the fuze uppermost, and exactly in the
center; sprinkle over it a little meal-powder, and it will be ready to
be fired. Fuzes made of wood must be longer than those of paper, and
not bored quite through, but left solid about half an inch at bottom;
and when you use them, saw them off to a proper length, measuring the
charge from the cup at top.


Of Tourbillons.

Having filled some cases within about one diameter and a half, drive
in a ladle full of clay, then pinch their ends close, and drive them
down with a mallet; when done, find the center of gravity of each
case, where you nail and tie a stick which should be half an inch
broad at the middle, and run a little narrower to the ends these
sticks must have their ends turned upwards, so that the cases may turn
horizontally on their centers: at the opposite sides of the cases at
each end, bore a hole close to the clay with a gimblet, the size of
the neck of a common case of the same nature; from these holes draw a
line round the case, and at the under part of the case bore a hole,
with the same gimblet, within half a diameter of each line towards the
center; then from one hole to the other draw a right line. This line
divide into three equal parts, and at X and Y, Fig. 29, Plate III.
bore a hole, then from these holes to the other two, lead a
quick-match, over which paste a thin paper. Fig. 30, represents a
tourbillon as it should lay to be fired, with a leader from one side
hole A, to the other B. When you fire tourbillons, lay them on a
smooth table, with their sticks downwards, and burn the leader thro’
the middle with a port fire. They should spin three or sour seconds on
the table before they rise, which is about the time the composition
will be burning, from the side holes to those at bottom.

To tourbillons may be fixed reports, in this manner; in the center of
the case at top, make a small hole, and in the middle of the report
make another; then place them together, and tie on the report, and
with a single paper secure it from sire, this being done your
tourbillon is compleated. By this method you may fix on tourbillons,
small cones of stars, rains, &c. but be careful not to load them too
much. One eighth of an inch will be enough for the thickness of the
sticks, and their length equal to that of the cases.


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

Mortars used for throwing aigrettes are generally made of paste-board,
of the same thickness as ballóón mortars, and two diameters and a half
long in the inside from the top of the foot; the foot must be made of
elm without a chamber, but flat at top, and in the same proportion as
those for ballóón mortars; these sort of mortars must also be bound
round with cord as before mentioned; sometimes eight or nine of these
sort of mortars, of about three or four inches diameter, are bound all
together so as to appear but one; but when they are made for this
purpose, the bottom of the foot must be of the same diameter as the
mortars; and only half a diameter high. Your mortars being bound well
together, fix them on a heavy solid block of wood: to load these
mortars, first put on the inside bottom of each, a piece of paper, and
on it spread one ounce and a half of meal and corn powder mixed; then
tie your serpents up in parcels with quick-match, and put them in the
mortar with their mouths downwards; but take care that the parcels do
not sit too tight in the mortars, and that all the serpents have been
well primed with powder, wetted with spirit of wine; on the top of the
serpents in each mortar lay some paper or tow; then carry a leader
from one mortar to the other all round, and then from all the outside
mortars into that in the middle; these leaders must be put between the
cases, and the sides of the mortar down to the powder at bottom: in
the center of the middle mortar, fix a fire-pump or brilliant
fountain, which must be open at bottom, and long enough to project out
of the mouth of the mortar; then paste paper on the tops of all the
mortars.

Mortars thus prepared are called a nest of serpents, as represented by
Fig. 31. When you would fire these mortars, light the fire-pump C,
which when consumed will communicate to all the mortars at once, by
means of the leaders. For mortars of six, eight, or ten inches
diameter, the serpents should be made in one and two ounce cases, six
or seven inches long, and fired by a leader, brought out of the mouth
of the mortar, and turned down the outside, and the end of it covered
with paper, to prevent the sparks of the other works from setting it
on fire. For a six inch mortar, let the quantity of powder for firing
be two ounces; for an eight inch, two ounces and three quarters; and
for a ten inch, three ounces and three quarters; care must be taken in
these as well as small mortars, not to put the serpents in too tight,
for fear of bursting the mortars. These sort of mortars may be loaded
with stars, crackers, &c.

If the mortars, when loaded, are to be sent any distance, or liable to
be much moved, the firing powder should be secured from getting
amongst the serpents, which would endanger the mortars, as well as
hurt their performance; to prevent which, load your mortars after this
manner; first put in the firing powder and spread it equally about;
then cut a round piece of blue touch-paper, equal to the exterior
diameter of the mortar, and draw on it a circle, equal to the interior
diameter of the mortar, and notch it all round as far as that circle;
then paste that part which is notched, and put it down the mortar
close to the powder, and stick the pasted edge to the mortar; this
will keep the powder always smooth at bottom, so that it may be moved
or carried any where, without receiving any damage. The large single
mortars are called pots des aigrettes.


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

These pots are made of paste-board, and must be rolled pretty thick;
they are usually made three or four inches diameter, and four
diameters long, and pinched with a neck at one end, like common cases;
a number of these are placed on a plank in the following manmer:
having fixed on a plank, two rows of wooden pegs, cut, in the bottom
of the plank, a groove the whole length under each row of pegs; then,
through the centre of each peg, bore a hole down to the groove at
bottom, and on every peg fix and glue a pot, whose mouth must fit
tight on the peg; thro’ all the holes run a quick-match, one end of
which must go into the pot, and the other into the groove, which must
have a match laid in it from end to end, and covered with paper, so
that when lighted at one end, it may discharge the whole almost
instantaneously: in all the pots put about one ounce of meal and corn
powder; then in some put stars, and others rains, snakes, serpents,
crackers, &c. when they are all loaded, paste paper over their mouths.
Two or three hundred of these pots being fired together, make a very
pretty show, by affording so great a variety of fires. Fig. 32, is a
range of pots des brins, with the leader A, by which they are fired.


Of Pots des Saucissons.

Saucissons are generally fired out of large mortars without chambers,
the same as those for aigrettes, only somewhat stronger: saucissons
are made of one and two ounce cases, five or six inches long, and
choaked in the same manner as serpents; half the number which the
mortar contains, must be drove one diameter and a half with
composition, and the other half two diameters, so that when fired they
may give two volleys of reports; but if the mortars be very strong,
and will bear a sufficient charge, to throw the saucissons very high,
you may make three volleys of reports, by dividing the number of cases
into three parts, and making a difference in the height of the charge:
after they are filled, pinch and tie them at top of the charge, almost
close; only leaving a small vent to communicate the fire to the upper
part of the case, which must be filled with corn powder very near the
top; then pinch the end quite close, and tie it; after this is done,
bind the case very tight with waxed pack-thread, from the choak at top
of the composition, to the end of the case; this will make the case
very strong in that part, and cause the report to be very loud:
saucissons should be rolled a little thicker of paper than the common
proportion. When they are to be put in the mortar, they must be primed
in their mouths, and fired by a case of brilliant fire, fixed in their
center.

The charge for these sort of mortars should be one sixth, or one
eighth, more than for pots des aigrettes of the same diameter.


To fix one Rocket on the Top of another.

When sky rockets are thus managed, they are called towering rockets,
on account of their mounting so very high. Towering rockets are made
after this manner; fix on a pound rocket a head without a collar; then
take a four ounce rocket, which may be headed or bounced, and rub the
mouth of it with meal powder wetted with spirit of wine, when done put
it in the head of the large rocket with its mouth downwards; but
before you put it in, stick a bit quick-match in the hole in the clay
of the pound rocket, which match should be long enough to go a little
way up the bore of the small rocket, in order to fire it, when the
large one is burnt out; the four ounce rocket being too small to fill
the head of the other, roll round it as much tow as will make it stand
upright in the center of the head: the rocket being thus fixed, paste
a single paper round the opening of the top of the head of the large
rocket. The large rocket must have only half a diameter of charge
rammed above the piercer, for if filled to the usual height, it would
turn before the small one takes fire, and entirely destroy the
intended effect; when one rocket is headed with another, there will be
no occasion for any blowing powder; for the force with which it lets
off, will be sufficient to disingage it from the head of the first
fired rocket. The sticks for these sort of rockets, must be a little
longer than for those headed with stars, rains, &c.


Of Caduceus Rockets.

Caduceus rockets in rising form two spiral lines, or double worm, by
reason of their being placed obliquely, one opposite the other; and
their counterpoise in their center, which causes them to rise in a
vertical direction. Rockets for this purpose, must have their ends
choaked close, without either head or bounce; for a weight at top,
would be a great obstruction to their mounting; though I have known
them sometimes to be bounced, but then they did not rise so high as
those that were not, nor do any Caduceous rockets ascend so high as
single ones; because of their serpentine motion, and likewise the
resistance of air, which is much greater than two rockets of the same
size would meet with, if fired singly.

By Fig. 33. you see the method of fixing these rockets: the sticks for
this purpose, must have all their sides equal, which sides should be
equal to the breadth of a stick, proper for a sky rocket of the same
weight as those you intend to use, and to taper downwards as usual,
long enough to ballance them, one length of a rocket, from the cross
stick; which must be placed from the large stick, six diameters of one
of the rockets, and its length seven diameters so that each rocket
when tied on, may form with the large stick an angle of sixty degrees.
In tying on the rockets, place their heads on the opposite sides of
the cross stick; and their ends on the opposite sides of the long
stick, then carry a leader from the mouth of one, into that of the
other. When these rockets are to be fired, suspend them between two
hooks or nails, then burn the leader through the middle, and both will
take fire at the same time. Rockets of one pound, are a good size, for
this use.


Of Honorary Rockets.

Honorary rockets are the same as sky rockets, except that they carry
no head nor report, but are closed at top, on which is fixed a cone,
then on the case, close to the top of the stick, you tie a two ounce
case, about five or six inches long, filled with a strong charge, and
pinched close at both ends; then in the reverse sides at each end,
bore a hole, in the same manner as in Tourbillons; from each hole,
carry a leader, into the top of the rocket. When the rocket is fired,
and arrived to its proper height, it will give fire to the case at
top, which will cause both rocket and stick, to spin very fast, in
their return, and represent a worm of fire, descending to the ground.

There is another method of placing the small case, which is by letting
the stick rise a little above the top of the rocket, and tying the
case to it, so as to rest on the rocket: these sort of rockets have no
cones.

There is also a third method, by which these kind of rockets are
managed, which is thus: In the top of the rocket fix a piece of wood,
in which drive a small iron spindle, then make a hole in the middle of
the small case, through which put the spindle; then fix on the top of
it a nut, to keep the case from falling off; when this is done, the
case will turn very fast, without the rocket: but this method does not
answer so well, as either of the former.

Fsg. 34. is a honorary rocket compleat. The best sized rockets for
this purpose are those of one pound.


To divide the Tail of a Sky Rocket, so as to form an Arch when
ascending.

Having some rockets made, and headed according to fancy, and tied on
their sticks; get some sheet tin, and cut it into round pieces, about
three or four inches diameter, then on the stick of each rocket, under
the mouth of the case, fix one of these pieces of tin; sixteen inches
from the rockets neck, and support it by a wooden bracket, as strong
as possible: the use of this, is, that when the rocket is ascending,
the fire will play with great force on the tin, which will divide the
tail in such a manner, that it will form an arch, as it mounts, (and
will have a very good effect if well managed) if there be a short
piece of port-fire, of a strong charge, tied to the end of the stick,
it will make a great addition; but this must be lighted, before you
fire the rocket.


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

Take six or any number of sky rockets, of what size you please; then
cut some strong pack-thread, into pieces of three or four yards long,
and tie each end of these pieces to a rocket in this manner. Having
tied one end of your pack-thread, round the body, of one rocket, and
the other end to another; take a second piece of pack-thread and make
one end of it fast to one of the rockets already tied, and the other
end to a third rocket, so that all the rockets except the two outside
ones will be fastened to two pieces of pack-thread; the length of
thread, from one rocket to the other, may be what the maker pleases;
but the rockets must be all of a size, and their heads filled with the
same weight of stars, rains, &c.

Having thus done, fix in the mouth of each rocket, a leader of the
same length; and, when you are going to fire them, hang them almost
close together, then tie the ends of the leaders together, and prime
them; this prime being fired, all the rockets will mount at the same
time, and divide themselves as far as the firings will allow; which
division they will keep, provided they are all rammed alike, and well
made. These sort of rockets, are called by some, chained-rockets.


Of Signal Sky Rockets.

Signal-rockets are made of several sorts, according to the different
signals intended to be given: but in Artificial Fireworks, two sorts
are only made use of, which are one with reports, and the other
without any thing, except the charge; but those for the use of the
Navy and Army, are headed with stars, serpents, &c.――――Rockets which
are to be bounced, must have their cases made one and a half or two
diameters longer, than the common proportion, and after they are
filled, drive in a double quantity of clay, then bounce and pinch
them, after the usual manner, and fix on each a cap.

Signal sky rockets without bounces, are nothing more than common sky
rockets, closed and caped: rockets of this sort are very light,
therefore do not require such heavy sticks as those with loaded heads,
for which reason, you may cut one length of the rocket, off the stick,
or else make them thinner.

Signal rockets with reports, are sometimes fired in small flights, and
often both these and those without reports, are used, for a signal, to
begin firing a collection of works; and occasionally, for many other
purposes.


How to fix two or more Sky Rockets on one stick.

Two, three, or six sky rockets, fixed on one stick, and fired
together, make a grand and beautiful appearance; for the tails of all
will seem but as one of an immense size, and the breaking of so many
heads at once, will resemble the bursting of an air ballóón; but the
management of this device, requires a skilful hand; therefore for the
encouragement of those who are fond of curious performances, I shall
give such instructions, that, if well observed, even by those who have
not made a great progress in this art, there will be no doubt, of the
rockets having the desired effect.

Rockets for this purpose, must be made with the greatest exactness,
all rammed by the same hand, in the same mould, and out of the one
proportion of composition; and after they are filled and headed, must
all be of the same weight; the stick must also be well made, (and
proportioned) according to the following directions: first supposing
your rockets to be half pounders, whose sticks are six feet six inches
long, then if two, three, or six of these are to be fixed on one
stick, let the length of it, be nine feet nine inches, then cut the
top of it, into as many sides, as there are rockets, and let the
length of each side be equal to the length of one of the rockets
without its head; and in each side, cut a groove (as usual,) then from
the grooves, plane it round, down to the bottom, where its thickness
must be equal to half the top of the round part. As the thickness of
these sort of sticks, cannot be exactly ascertained, I shall give a
rule which generally answers, for any number of rockets above two:
the rule is this; that the stick at top, must be thick enough when the
grooves are cut, for all the rockets to lay, without pressing each
other, though as near together as possible.

When only two rockets, are to be fixed on one stick, let the length of
the stick be, according to the last given proportion, but shaped after
the common method, and the breadth and thickness, double the
dimensions, given in the table page, 94. The point of poise, must be
in the usual place, (let the number of rockets be what they will): if
sticks made by the above directions, should be too heavy, plane them
thinner; and if too light, make them thicker; but always make them of
the same length.

When more than two rockets, are tied on one stick, there will be some
danger, of their flying up without the stick, unless the following
precaution be taken, for cases being placed on all sides, there can be
no notches, for the cord which ties on the rockets, to lay in;
therefore instead of notches, drive a small nail, in each side of the
stick, between the necks of the cases; and let the cord which goes
round their necks, be brought close under the nails; by this means,
the rockets will be as secure, as when tied on singly. Your rockets
being thus fixed, carry a quick-match without a pipe, from the mouth
of one rocket to the other; this match being lighted will give fire to
all the rockets at once.

Notwithstanding the directions already given, may be sufficient, for
the management of those sort of rockets; I shall here add an
improvment, of my own, on a very essential part of this device, which
is, that of hanging the rockets, to be fired; for before I hit upon
the following method, many of my essays, proved unsuccessful; but to
prevent such perplexities, instead of the old and common manner of
hanging them on nails or hooks, make use of this contrivance, have a
ring made of strong iron wire, large enough for the stick to go in, as
far as the mouths of the rockets, then let this ring be supported by a
small iron, at some distance, from the post or stand, to which it is
fixed; then have another ring, fit to receive and guide the small end
of the stick; rockets thus suspended will have nothing to obstruct
their fire; but when they are hung on nails or hooks, in such a
manner, that some of their mouths, are against or upon a rail, there
can be no certainty of their rising, in a vertical direction.


Of Sky Rockets without sticks.

To fire rockets without sticks, you must have a stand made in this
manner; get a block of wood, one foot diameter or there abouts, and
make the bottom of it flat, so that it may stand steady; in the center
of the top of this block, draw a circle two inches and a half
diameter, and divide the circumference of it into three equal parts;
then take three pieces of thick iron wire, each about three feet in
length, and drive them into the block, one at each point made on the
circle; when these wires, are drove in, deep enough to hold them fast,
and upright, so that the distance from one to the other, be the same
at top, as at bottom, the stand is compleat.

The stand being thus made, prepare your rockets after the following
method; take some common sky rockets, of any size, and head them as
you please, then get some balls of lead, and tie to each a small wire,
two, or two feet and a half long, and the other end of each wire, tie
to the neck of a rocket; these balls answer the purpose of sticks,
when made of a proper weight, which is about two thirds the weight of
the rocket; but when they are of a proper size, they will ballance the
rocket in the same manner as a stick, at the usual point of poize. To
fire these sort of rockets, hang them, one at a time, between the tops
of the wires, letting their heads rest on the points of the wires, and
the balls hang down between them; if the wires should be too wide, for
the rockets, press them together, till they sit, and if too close,
force them open: the wires for this purpose, must be softened, so as
not to have any spring, or they will not keep their position, when
pressed close or opened.


Of Rain-falls for Sky Rockets, Double and Single.

Gold and silver rain composition, are drove in cases, that are pinched
quite close at one end; if you roll them dry, four or five rounds of
paper will be strong enough, but if the are pasted, three rounds will
do, and the thin sort of cartridge paper is best for those small
cases; which in rolling you must not turn down the inside edge, as in
other cases, for a double edge would be too thick for so small a bore;
the moulds for rain falls, should be made of brass, and turned very
smooth in the inside; or the cases, which are so very thin, would tear
in coming out, for the charge must be drove in tight; and the better
the case sits the mould, the more driving it will bare. These moulds
have no nipple, but instead of which they are made flat; as it would
be very tedious and troublesome, to shake the composition out of such
small ladles, as are used for these cases; it will be necessary to
have a funnel made of thin tin, to fit on the top of the case, by the
help of which you may fill them very fast; for single rain falls for
four ounce rockets, let the diameter of the former be two sixteenths
of an inch, and the length of the case two inches; for eight ounce
rockets, four sixteenths, and two diameters of the rocket long; for
one pound rocket five sixteenths, and two diameters of the rocket
long; for two pound rockets, five sixteenths, and three inches a half
long; for four pound rockets, six sixteenths, and four inches and a
half long; and for six pounders, seven sixteenths diameter, and five
inches long.

Of double rain falls, there are two sorts; as for example, some appear
first like a star, and then as rain; and some appear first as rain and
then like a star: when you would have stars first; you must fill the
cases within half an inch of the top, with rain composition, and the
remainder with star composition; but when you intend the rain should
be first, drive the case half an inch with star composition, and the
rest with rain. By this method, may be made many changes of fire; for
in large rockets, you may make them first burn as stars, then rain,
and then again as stars, or they may first shew rain, then stars, and
afterwards finish with a report, but when they are thus managed, cut
open the first rammed end, after they are filled and bounced, at which
place prime them; the star composition for this purpose must be a
little stronger than for rolled stars.


Of Strung Stars.

First take some thin paper, and cut it into pieces of an inch and a
half square, or therabouts, then on each piece lay as much dry star
composition as you think the paper will easily contain; then twist up
the paper as tight as you can; when done, rub some past on your hands,
and roll the stars between them, then set them to dry; your stars
being thus made, get some flax or fine tow, and roll a little of it
over each star, then paste your hands and roll the stars as before,
and set them again to dry; when they are quite dry, with a piercer,
make a hole through the middle of each, into which run a cotton
quick-match, long enough to hold, ten or twelve stars, at three or
four inches from one another: but any number of stars may be strung
together by joining the match.


Of Tailed Stars.

Those sort of stars are called tailed stars, because there are a great
number of sparks issue from them, which represent a tail like that of
a comet; of those stars there are two sorts, which are rolled, and
drove; when they are rolled they must be moistened, with a liquor made
of half a pint of spirit of wine, and half a gil of thin size, of this
as much as will wet the composition enough, to make it roll easy; when
they are rolled, sift meal powder over them, and set them to dry.

When tailed stars are drove, the composition must be moistened with
spirit of wine only, and not made so wet as for rolling; one and two
ounce cases rolled dry, are best for this purpose; and when they are
filled, unroll the case within three or four rounds of the charge, and
all that you unroll cut off, then paste down the loose edge; two or
three days after the cases are filled, cut them in pieces five or six
eighths of an inch in length, then melt some wax, and dip one end of
each piece into it, so as to cover the composition; the other end must
be rubbed with meal powder wetted with spirit of wine.


Of Drove Stars.

Cases for drove stars, are rolled with paste, but are made very thin
of paper; before you begin to fill them, damp the composition, with
spirit of wine that has had some camphor dissolved in it; you may ram
them indifferently hard, so that you do not break, or sack the case,
and to prevent which they should fit tight in the mould: they are
drove in cases of several sizes, from eight drams to four ounces; when
they are filled in half ounce cases, cut them in pieces, of three
quarters of an inch in length; if one ounce cases, cut them in pieces
of one inch; if two ounce cases, cut them in pieces of one inch and a
quarter in length, and if four ounce cases, cut them in pieces one
inch and a half in length; having cut your stars of a proper size,
prime them at both ends, with wet meal powder; stars of this sort are
seldom put in rockets, they being chiefly intended for air ballóóns,
and drove in cases, to prevent the composition from being broke by the
force of the blowing powder in the shell.


Of Rolled Stars.

Rolled stars are commonly made about the size of a musket ball, though
they are rolled of several sizes, from the bigness of a pistol ball,
to one inch diameter; and sometimes they are made very small, but then
they are called sparks; great care must be taken in making of stars,
first, that the several ingredients be reduced to a fine powder;
secondly, that the composition be well worked and mixed together.
Before you begin to roll, take about a pound of composition, and wet
it with the following liquid, enough to make it stick together and
roll easy; spirit of wine, one quart, in which dissolve a quarter of
an ounce of isinglass; if a great quantity of composition be wetted at
once, the spirit, will evaporate, and leave it dry, before you can
roll it into stars; having rolled up one proportion, shake the stars
in meal powder, and set them to dry, which they will do in three or
four days. But if you should want them for immediate use, dry them in
an earthen pan over a slow heat, or, in an oven: it being very
difficult to make the stars all of an equal size, when the composition
is taken up promiscuously with the fingers; therefore I shall here set
down a method by which you may make them very exact, which is thus:
When the mixture is moistened properly, roll it on a flat smooth
stone, and cut it into square pieces, making each square, large enough
for the stars you intend; there is another method used by some to make
stars, which is by rolling the composition, in long pieces, and then
cutting off the star, so that each star will be of a cylindrical form;
but this method is not so good as the former, for to make the
composition roll this way, it must be made very wet, which makes the
stars heavy as well as weaken them. All stars must be kept as much
from air, as possible, otherwise they will grow weak and bad.


Of Scrolls for Sky Rockets.

Cases for scrolls, should be made four or five inches in length, and
their interior diameter three eighths of an inch; one end of these
cases must be pinched quite close, before you begin to fill, and and
when filled, close the other end, then in the opposite sides make a
small hole at each end, to the composition, in the same manner as in
Tourbillons; and prime them with wet meal powder: you may put in the
head of a rocket, as many of these cases as it will contain; these
cases being fired turn very quick in the air, and form a scroll or
spiral line. They are generally filled with a strong charge, as that
of serpents, or brilliant fire.


Of Swarmers or small Rockets.

Rockets which go under the denomination of swarmers, are those from
two ounces downards. These small rockets are fired sometimes, in
flights, and in large water-works, &c. Swarmers of one and two ounces,
are bored, and made in the same manner as large rockets, except when
headed, their heads must be put on without a collar; the number of
strokes, for driving one ounce rockets, must be eight; and for two
ounce rockets, twelve.

All rockets under one ounce, are not bored, but must be filled to the
usual height, with composition, which is generally composed, of fine
meal prowder four ounces, and charcoal or steel dust two drams; the
number of strokes for ramming these small swarmers, is not very
material, so as they are rammed true, and moderately hard. The necks
of unbored rockets, must be in the same proportion, as in common
cases.


Of the cause of sky Rockets rising.

[Illustration]

Having promised in the second section, to prove that the effect of sky
rockets, and proportion of their charge, depends on the size of the
cavity in the composition; I shall here endeavour to give a
mathematical demonstration thereof.

Let ABC be the hollow cone for the fire, AYCZB, the superficies of
that cone, all the lines OZ at right angles with BC, all the lines OY
at right angles with AC: now all the angles ZOY being towards R,
whether the angles ZOY are obtuse or acute, but the more acute the
better. The rays of fire ZO and YO issuing from the sides of the cone
BC and AC, and continually acting with the greater force one upon
another at O, forcing the whole BCA upward from the point R; and the
wider the cone is, (so as not to exceed one third at bottom, and one
sixth at top, of the exterior diameter of the rocket,) the greater
velocity will the rocket rise with.


Of Stands for Sky Rockets.

Care must be taken, in placing the rockets, when they are to be fired,
in order to give them a vertical direction at their first setting out;
which may be managed thus. Have two rails of wood, of any length,
supported, at each end, by a perpendicular leg, so that the rails be
horizontal, and let the distance from one to the other, be almost
equal to the length of the sticks of the rockets, intended to be
fired; then in the front of the top rail, drive square hooks at eight
inches distance from one another, with their points turning sideways,
so that when the rockets are hung on them, the points will be before
the sticks, and keep them from falling, or being blown off by the
wind; in the front of the rail at bottom, must be staples, drove
perpendicular under the hooks at top; through these staples, put the
small ends of the rocket sticks. Rockets are fired by applying a
lighted port fire, to their mouths.

N. B. When sky rockets are made to perfection, and fired, they will
stand two or three seconds on the hook before they rise, and then
mount up briskly, with a steady motion, carrying a large tail from the
ground all the way up, and just as they turn, break and disperse the
stars.


Of Girandole Chests, for flights of Rockets.

Girandole chests, are generally composed of four sides, of equal
dimensions, but may be made of any diameter, according to the number
of rockets, designed to be fired; its height must be in proportion to
the rockets, but must always be a little higher than the rockets, with
their sticks; when the sides are joined, six in the top, as far down
the chest as the length of one of the rockets with its cap on. In this
top, make as many square or round holes, to recieve the rocket sticks,
as you intend to have rockets, but let the distance between them, be
sufficient for the rockets to stand without touching one another; then
from one hole to another, cut a groove, large enough for a quick-match
to lay in: the top being thus fixed, put in the bottom, at about one
foot and a half distance from the bottom of the chest; in this bottom
must be as many holes, as in the top, and all to correspond, but these
holes need not be so large, as those in the top.

To prepare your chest, you must lay a quick-match, in all the grooves,
from hole to hole; then take some sky rockets, and rub them in the
mouth, with wet meal powder, and put a bit of match up the cavity of
each, which match, must be long enough, to hang, a little below the
mouth of the rocket; your rockets and chest being prepared, according
to the above directions, put the sticks of the rockets, through the
holes in the top and bottom of the chest, so that their mouths may
rest on the quick-match in the grooves; by which all the rockets, will
be fired at once; for by giving fire to any part of the match, it will
communicate to all the rockets, in an instant. As it would be rather
troublesome, to direct the sticks from the top, to the proper holes in
the bottom, it will be necessary to have a small door in one of the
sides, which when opened, you may see how to place the sticks. Flights
of rockets, being seldom fired at the beginning of any fireworks, for
which reason, they are in danger of being fired, by the sparks from
wheels, &c. Therefore to preserve them, a cover should be made to sit
on the chest, and the door in the side kept shut.


Of Serpents or Snakes for Pots des Aigrettes, Small Mortars, Sky
Rockets, &c.

Serpents for this use, are made from two inches and an half, to seven
inches in length, and their formers from three sixteenths, to five
eights of an inch diameter, but the diameter of the cases, must always
be equal to two diameters of the former: they are rolled and choaked
like other cases, and filled with composition from five eights of an
inch, to one inch and an half high, according to the size of the
mortars, or rockets, they are designed for, and the remainder of the
cases, bounced with corn-powder, and afterwards their ends pinched and
tied close: before they are used their mouths must be primed with wet
meal-powder.


Of Leaders, or Pipes of Communication.

The best paper for leaders, is a large sort of white paper, called
Elephant, which you cut into long slips, two or three inches broad, so
that they may go three or four times round the former, (but not more)
for when they are very thick, they are too strong for the paper which
fastens them to the works, and will sometimes fly off, without leading
the fire: the formers for these leaders, are made from two, to six
sixteenths of an inch diameter, but four sixteenths is the size
generally made use of; the formers are made of smooth brass wire; when
you use them, rub them over with grease, or keep them wet with paste,
to prevent their sticking to the paper, which must be pasted all over;
in rolling of pipes, make use of a rolling board, but use it lightly;
having rolled a pipe, draw out the former with one hand, holding the
pipe, as light as possible with the other, for if it press against the
former, it will stick and tear the paper.

N. B. Make your leaders of different lengths, or in cloathing of
works, you will cut a great many to waste. Leaders for marron
Batteries must be made of strong cartrige paper.




SECT. V.


Of Aquatick Fireworks.

All works that shew themselves in the water, are much admired by most
people who are fond of fireworks, particularly water rockets; but as
these seem of a very extraordinary nature to those who are acquainted
with this art, I shall endeavour to explain the method of making them,
in as full and easy a manner as possible, as well as other devices for
the water.


Of Water Rockets.

Water rockets may be made from four ounces, to two pound, but if
larger they are too heavy, so that it will be difficult to make them
keep above waters without a cork float, which must be tied to the neck
of the case, but the rockets will not dive so well with, as without
floats.

Cases for water rockets, are made in the same manner and proportion as
sky rockets, only a little thicker of paper; when you fill these
rockets which are drove solid, put in first, one ladle full of slow
fire, then two of the proper charge, and on that one or two ladles of
sinking charge, then the proper charge, then the sinking charge again,
and so on, till you have filled the case within three diameters; then
drive on the composition, one ladle full of clay, through which make a
small hole to the charge, then fill the case, within half a diameter
with corn powder, on which turn down two or three rounds of the case
in the inside, then pinch and tie the end very tight; having filled
your rockets, (according to the above directions) dip their ends in
melted rosin, or sealing wax, or else secure them well with grease.
When you fire these rockets, throw in six, or eight at a time; but if
you would have them all sink, or swim, at the same time, you must
drive them with an equal quantity of composition, and fire them all
together.


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

Pipes for this purpose, must be a little thicker of paper, than those
for land works; having rolled a sufficient number of pipes, and kept
them till thoroughly dry, wash them over with drying oil, and set them
to dry; but when you oil them, leave about an inch and a half, at each
end dry, for joints; for if they were oiled all over, when you come to
join them, the paste would not stick, where the paper is greasy; after
the leaders are joined, and the paste dry, oil the joints. These sort
of pipes will lay many hours under water, without receiving any
damage.


Of Horizontal Wheels for the Water.

First get a large wooden bowl without a handle, then have an octogon
wheel made of a flat board, eighteen inches diameter, so that the
length of each side will be near seven inches; in all the sides cut a
groove for the cases to lie in, this wheel being made, nail it on the
top of the bowl, then take eight four ounce cases, filled with a
proper charge, each about six inches in length. Now to cloath the
wheel with these cases, get some whitish-brown paper, and cut it into
slips, four or five inches broad, and seven or eight long, these slips
being pasted all over on one side, take one of the cases, and roll one
of the slips of paper, about an inch and a half on its end, so that
there will remain about two inches and a half of the paper hollow from
the end of the case, this case tie on one of the sides of the wheel,
near the corners of which, must be holes bored, through which you put
the pack-thread to tie the cases; having tied on the first case at the
neck and end, put a little meal-powder in the hollow paper, then paste
a slip of paper on the end of another case, the head of which put into
the hollow paper on the first, allowing a sufficient distance from the
tail of one, to the head of the other, for the pasted paper, to bend
without tearing; the second case tie on as you did the first, and so
on with the rest, except the last, which must be closed at the end,
unless it is to communicate to any thing on top of the wheel; such as
fire-pumps or brilliant fires, fixed in holes, cut in the wheel, and
fired by the last or second case, as the fancy directs: six, eight, or
any number may be placed on the top of the wheel, so that they are not
too heavy for the bowl.

Before you tie on the cases cut the upper part of all their ends,
except the last, a little shelving, that the fire from one, may play
over the other, without being obstructed by the case. Wheel cases,
have no clay drove in their ends nor pinched, but are always left
open, only the last, or those which are not to lead fire, which must
be well secured.


Of Mines for the Water.

For these sort of mines you must have a bowl, with a wheel on it, made
in the same manner, as the water wheel, only in the middle of the
wheel must be a hole, of the same diameter you design to have the
mine; those mines are nothing more than a tin pot, with a strong
bottom, and a little more than two diameters in length; your mine must
be fixed in the hole in the wheel, with its bottom resting on the
bowl; then loaded with serpents, crackers, stars, small water rockets,
&c. In the same manner as pots des aigrettes, but in their center, fix
a case of Chinese fire, or a small gerbe, which must be lighted at the
beginning of the last case on the wheel. These sort of wheels are to
be cloathed as usual.


Of Fire Globes for the Water.

Bowls for water globes, must be very large, and the wheels on them of
a decagon form, on each side of which nail a piece of wood four inches
long, and on the outside of each piece cut a groove, wide enough to
receive about one fourth of the thickness of a four ounce case; these
pieces of wood must be nailed, in the middle of each face of the
wheel, and fixed in an oblique direction, so that the fire from the
cases may incline upwards; the wheel being thus prepared, tie in each
groove a four ounce case, fill’d with a grey charge, then carry a
leader from the tail of one case to the mouth of the other.

Globes for these wheels, are made of two tin hoops, with their edges
outwards, fixed one within the other, at right angles. The diameter of
these hoops must be somewhat less than that of the wheel. Having made
a globe, drive in the center of a wheel, an iron spindle, which must
stand perpendicular, and its length, four or six inches more than the
diameter of the globe.

This spindle serves for an axis, on which the globe is fixed, which,
when done, must stand four or six inches from the wheel; round one
side of each hoop, must be soldered, little bits of tin, two inches
and a half distance from each other, which pieces must be two inches
in length each, and only fastened at one end, the other ends being
left loose, to turn round the small port fires and hold them on: these
port fires must be made of such a length, as will last out the cases
on the wheel. You are to observe that there need not be any port
fires, at the bottom of the globe within four inches of the spindle,
for if there were, they would have no effect, but only burn the wheel;
all the port fires, must be placed perpendicular from the center of
the globe, with their mouths outwards; and must all be cloathed with
leaders, so as all to take fire with the second case of the wheel;
which cases must burn two at a time, one opposite the other. When two
cases of a wheel begin together, two will end together; therefore the
two opposite end cases, must have their ends pinched and secured from
fire. The method of firing wheels of this sort, is, by carrying a
leader from the mouth, of one of the first cases, to that of the
other, which leader being burnt through the middle, will give fire to
both at the same time.


Of Odoriferous Water Ballóóns.

These sort of Ballóóns, are made in the same manner, as air Ballóóns,
but very thin of paper, and in diameter one inch and three quarters,
with a vent of half an inch diameter. The shells being made, and quite
dry, fill them with any of the following compositions, which must be
rammed in tight: these sort of Ballóóns, must be fired at the vent,
and put into a bowl of water. Odoriferous works, are generally fired
in rooms.


Composition I.

Salt petre two ounces, flower of sulphur one ounce, camphor half an
ounce, yellow-amber half an ounce, charcoal-dust, three quarters of an
ounce, flower of benjamin, or assa odorata half an ounce, all powdered
very fine; and mixed well together.


Composition II.

Salt petre twelve ounces, meal powder three ounces, frankincense one
ounce, myrrh half an ounce, camphor half an ounce, charcoal three
ounces, all moistened with the oil of spike.


Composition III.

Salt petre two ounces, sulphur half an ounce, antimony half an ounce,
amber half an ounce, cedar raspings a quarter of an ounce, all mixed
with the oil of roses, and a few drops of bergamot.


Composition IV.

Salt petre four ounces, sulphur one ounce, saw-dust of juniper half an
ounce, saw-dust of cypress one ounce, camphor a quarter of an ounce,
myrrh two drams, dryed rosemary a quarter of an ounce, cortex-elaterii
half an ounce, all moistened a little with the oil of roses.

N. B. Water rockets, may be made with any of the above compositions,
with a little alteration, to make them weaker, or stronger, according
to the size of the cases.


Of Water Ballóóns.

Having made some thin paper shells, of what diameter you please, fill
some with the composition for water ballóóns, and some after this
manner. Having made the vent of the shells pretty large, fill them
almost full with water rockets, marrons, squibs, &c. Then put in some
blowing powder, sufficient to burst the shells, and afterwards fix in
the vent a water rocket, long enough to reach the bottom of the shell,
and its neck to project a little out of the vent; this rocket must be
open at the end, in order to fire the powder in the shell, which will
burst the shell, and disperse the small rockets, &c. in the water.
When you have well secured the large rocket, in the vent of the shell;
take a cork float, with a hole in its middle, which fit over the head
of the rocket, and fasten it to the shell: this float, must be large
enough to keep the ballóón above water.


Of water Squibs.

Water squibs, are generally made of one ounce serpent cases, seven or
eight inches long, filled two thirds with charge, and the remainder
bounced; the common method of firing them, is thus: Take a water
wheel, with a tin mortar in its center, which load with squibs, after
the usual method, but the powder in the mortar, must be no more than
will just throw the squibs out, (easily into the water), you may place
the cases on the wheel, either obliquely, or horizontally; and on the
top of the wheel, round the mortar, fix six cases of brilliant fire,
perpendicular to the wheel; these cases, must be fired, at the
beginning of the last case of the wheels and the mortar, at the
conclusion of the same.


To represent a sea fight with small ships, and to prepare a fire-ship
for the same.

Having procured four, or five, small ships, of two, or three feet in
lenghth, (or as many as you design to fight) make a number of small
reports, which are to serve for guns. Of these, range as many as you
please, on each side of the upper decks; then at the head and stern of
each ship, fix a two ounce case, eight inches long, filled with a slow
port-fire receipt, but take care to place it, in such a manner, that
the fire may fall in the water, and not burn the rigging; in these
cases, bore holes at unequal distances, from one another, but make as
many in each case, as half the number of reports, so that one case may
fire the guns, on one side, and the other those on the opposite. The
method of firing the guns, is, by carrying a leader, from the holes in
the cases, to the reports on the decks; you must make these leaders
very small, and be careful in calculating the burning of the slow
fire, in the regulating cases, that more than two guns, be not fired
at a time. When you would have a broad-side given, let a leader be
carried to a cracker, placed on the outside of the ship, which cracker
must be tied loose, or the reports will be too slow; in all the ships
put artificial guns, at the port holes.

Having filled, and bored holes, in two port fires, for regulating the
guns, in one ship; make all the rest exactly the same; then when you
begin the engagement, light one ship first, and set it a sailing, and
so on with the rest, sending them out singly, which will make them
fire regularly, at different times, without confusion, for the time
between the firing of each gun, will be equal to that of lighting the
slow fires.

The fire ship, may be of any size, and need not be very good, for it
is always lost in the action. To prepare a ship for this purpose, make
a port fire equal in size, with them in the other ships, and place it
at the stern; in every port, place a large port fire, filled with a
very strong composition, and painted in imitation of a gun, and let
them all be fired at once by a leader from the slow fire, within two,
or three diameters of its bottom; all along both sides, on the top of
the upper deck, lay star composition about half an inch in thickness,
and one in breadth, which must be wetted with thin size, then primed
with meal powder, and secured from fire, by pasting paper over it; in
the place where you lay this composition, drive some little tacks with
flat heads, in order to hold it fast to the deck, this must be fired
just after the sham guns, and when burning will shew a flame all round
the ship; at the head take up the decks, and put in a tin mortar
loaded with crackers, which mortar must be fired by a pipe, from the
end of the slow fire; the firing of this mortar will sink the ship,
and make a pretty conclusion. The regulating port fire of this ship,
must be lighted at the same time, with the first fighting ship.

Having prepared all the ships for fighting; we shall next proceed with
the management of them, when on the water. At one end of the pond,
just under the surface of the water, fix two running blocks, at what
distance you chuse the ships should fight; and at the other end of the
pond, opposite to each of these blocks, under the water, fix a double
block; then on the land, by each of the double blocks, place two small
windlass’s; round one of them, turn one end of a small cord, and the
other end, put through one of the blocks; then carry it through the
single one, at the opposite end of the pond, and bring it back through
the double block, again, and, round the other windlass; to this cord,
near the double block, tie as many small strings, as half the number
of the ships, at what distance you think proper, but these strings,
must not be more than two feet in length each; the loose end of each
of these cords, make fast, to a ship, just under her bow-sprit; but if
tied to the keel, or too near the water, it will overset the ship.
Half the ships, being thus prepared, near the other double block, fix
two more windlass’s, to which fasten a cord, and to it tie the other
half of the ships, as before directed: when you fire the ships, pull
in the cord, with one of the windlass’s, in order to get all the ships
together; and when you have set fire to the first, turn that windlass,
which draws them out, and so on with the rest, till they are all out,
in the middle of the pond; then by turning the other windlass, you
will draw them back again, by which method you may make them change
sides, and tack about, backwards and forwards, at pleasure. For the
fire-ship, fix the blocks and windlass’s, betwixt the others, so that
when she sails out, she will be between the other ships: you must not
let this ship, advance, till the guns, at her ports take fire.


To fire Sky Rockets under water.

To fire sky rockets, under water, you must have stands made as usual,
only the rails must be placed flat, instead of edge ways, and have
holes in them for the rocket sticks to go through; for if they were
hung upon hooks, the motion of the water, would throw them off; the
stands being made, if the pond is deep enough, sink them at the sides,
so deep, that when the rockets are in, their heads, may just appear
above the surface of the water; to the mouth of each rocket, fix a
leader, which put through the hole with the stick; then a little above
the water, must be a board, supported by the stand, and placed along
one side of the rockets, then the ends of the leaders, are turned up
through holes made in this board, exactly opposite the rockets. By
this means, you may fire them singly, or all at once. Rockets may be
fired by this method, in the middle of a pond, by a Neptune, a swan, a
water wheel, or any thing else you chuse.


To represent Neptune in his Chariot.

In order to represent this, to perfection, you must have a Neptune
made (of wood, or basket work), as big as life, fixed on a float,
large enough to bear his weight; on which must be two horses heads,
and necks, so as to seem swiming, as they are shown by Fig. 35. For
the wheels of the chariot, there must be two vertical wheels, of black
fire, and on Neptune’s head a horizontal wheel, of brilliant fire,
with all its cases to play upwards. When this wheel is made, cover it
with paper, or, paste board, cut and painted like Neptune’s coronet;
then let the trident be made without prongs, but instead of them, fix
three cases of a weak grey charge, and on each horse’s head, put an
eight ounce case of brilliant fire, and on the mouth of each, fix a
short case of the same diameter, filled with the white flame receipt,
enough to last out all the cases on the wheels; these short cases must
be open at bottom, that they may light the brilliant fires; for the
horses eyes, put small port fires, and in each nostril, put a small
case filled half with grey charge, and the rest with port fire
composition.

If Neptune is to give fire, to any building on the water; at his first
setting out, the wheels of the chariot, and that on his head, together
with the white flames on the horses head, and the port fires in their
eyes and nostrils, must all be lighted at once; then from the bottom
of the white flames, carry a leader, to the trident. As Neptune is to
advance by the help of a block and cord, you must manage it so as not
to let him turn about, till the brilliant fires on the horses, and the
trident, begins, for it is by the fire from the horses, (which plays
almost upright) that the building, or work, is lighted; which must be
thus prepared. From the mouth of the case, which is to be first fired,
hang some loose quick match, to receive the fire from the horses. When
Neptune, is only to be shewn by himself, without setting fire to any
other works; let the white flames on the horses, be very short, and
not to last longer than one case of each wheel, and let two cases of
each wheel burn at a time.


To represent Swans and Ducks in the water.

If you would have the swans, or ducks, discharge rockets into the
water, they must be made hollow, and of paper, and filled with small
water rockets, with some blowing powder, to throw them out; but if
this is not done, they may be made of wood, which will last many
times. Having made and painted some swans, fix them on floats, then in
the places where their eyes should be, bore holes, two inches deep,
inclining downwards, and wide enough to receive a small port fire; the
port fire cases for this purpose, must be made of brass, two inches in
length and filled with a slow bright charge; in the middle of one of
these cases, make a little hole, then put the port fire, in the eye
hole of the swan, leaving about half an inch to project out, and in
the other eye put another port fire, with a hole made in it; then in
the neck of the swan, within two inches of one of the eyes, bore a
hole slantways, to meet that in the port fire; in this hole put a
leader, and carry it to a water rocket, that must be fixed under the
tail with its mouth upwards; on the top of the head, place two one
ounce cases, four inches in length each, drove with brilliant fire;
one of these cases must incline forwards, and the other backwards;
these must be lighted at the same time as the water rocket; to do
which, bore a hole between them, in the top of the swans head, down to
the hole in the port fire, to which carry a leader; if the swan be
filled with rockets, they must be fired, by a pipe, from the end of
the water rocket under the tail. When you set the swan a swiming light
the two eyes.


Of fire Fountains for the Water.

To make a fire fountain, you must first have a float made of wood,
three feet diameter, then in the middle of it, fix a round
perpendicular post, four feet in height, and two inches diameter;
round this post, fix three circular wheels, made of thin wood, without
any spokes. The largest of these wheels must be placed, within two, or
three inches of the float, and must be nearly of the same diameter.
The second wheel must be two foot two inches diameter, and fixed at
two feet distance from the first wheel. The third wheel must be one
foot four inches diameter, and fixed within six inches of the top of
the post: the wheels being fixed, take eighteen four, or eight ounce
cases, of brilliant fire, and place them round the first wheel, with
their mouths outwards, and inclining downwards; on the second wheel
place, thirteen cases of the same sort, and in the same manner, as
those on the first wheel; on the third wheel, place eight more of this
sort of cases, in the same manner as before, and on the top of the
post, fix a gerbe, then cloath all the cases, with leaders, so that
both they and the gerbe may take fire at the same time. Before you
fire this work, try it in the water, to see if the float be properly
made, so as to keep the fountain upright.




SECT. VI.


To make Crackers.

Cut some cartridge paper, into pieces, three inches and a half broad,
and one foot long; one edge of each of these pieces, fold down
lengthwise about three quarters of an inch broad; then fold the double
edge down a quarter of an inch, and turn the single edge back half
over the double fold; then open it, and lay all along the channel
which is formed, by the folding of the paper, some meal powder, then
fold it over and over, till all the paper is doubled up, rubbing it
down every turn; this being done, bend it backwards and forwards, two
inches and a half, or thereabouts, at a time, as often as the paper
will allow; then hold all these folds flat and close, and with a small
pinching cord, give one turn round the middle of the cracker, and
pinch it close, then bind it with pack-thread, as tight as you can
then in the place where it was pinched, prime one end of it, and cap
it with touch paper. When these crackers are fired they will give a
report, at every turn of the paper: if you would have a great number
of bounces, you must cut the paper longer, or join them after they are
made; but if they are made very long before they are pinched, you must
have a piece of wood, with a groove in it, deep enough to let in half
the cracker, this will hold it straight, while it is pinching. Fig.
36. represents a cracker compleat.


Of Single Reports.

Cases for reports are generally rolled on one and two ounce formers,
and are seldom made larger, but on particular occasions; they are made
from two, to four inches long, and very thick of paper; having rolled
a case, pinch one end quite close, and drive it down, then fill the
case with corn powder, only leaving room to pinch it at top, but
before you pinch it, put in a piece of paper at top of the powder:
Reports are fired, by a vent, bored in the middle, or at one end, just
as required.


Of Marrons.

Formers for marrons, are from three quarters of an inch, to one and a
half diameter; cut the paper for the cases, twice the diameter of the
former broad, and long enough to go three times round; when you have
rolled a case, paste down the edge, and tie one end close, then with
the former drive it down to take away the wrinkles and make it flat at
bottom, then fill the case with corn powder one diameter and a quarter
high, and fold down the rest of the case tight on the powder; the
marron being thus made, wax some strong pack-thread, with shoemakers
wax; this thread wind up in a ball, then unwind two, or three yards of
it, and that part which is near the ball, make fast to a hook; then
take a marron, and stand as far from the hook as the pack-thread will
reach, and wind it lengthwise round marron, as close as you can, till
it will hold no more that way; then turn it, and wind the pack-thread
on the short way, then lengthwise again, and so on till the paper is
all covered; then make fast the end of the pack-thread, and beat down
both ends of the marron, to bring it in shape. The method of firing
marrons, is by making a hole at one end with an awl and putting in a
piece of quick-match, then take a piece of strong paper, in which wrap
up the marron, with two leaders, which must be put down to the vent,
and the paper tied tight round them with small twine; these leaders
are bent on each side, and their loose ends tied to other marrons, and
are nailed in the middle to the rail of the stand, as may be seen by
Fig. 37. The use of winding the pack-thread in a ball, is, that you
may let it out as you want it, according to the quantity, the marron
may require; and that it may not be tied in knots, which would spoil
the marron.


Of Marron Batteries.

Those batteries, if well managed, will keep time to a march, or a slow
piece of musick. Marron batteries are made of several stands, with a
number of cross rails, for the marrons, which are regulated by
leaders, by cutting them of different lengths, and nailing them tight,
or loose, according to the time of the musick. In marron batteries you
must use the large and small sort of marrons, and the nails for the
pipes, must have flat heads.


Of Line Rockets.

Line rockets are made and drove in the same manner as sky rockets, but
have no heads, and the cases must be cut close to the clay; they are
sometmies made with six, or seven changes, but in general not more
than four, or five; the method of managing those rockets, is as
follows; first have a piece of light wood, the length of one of the
rockets, turned round about two inches and a half diameter, with a
hole through the middle lengthwise, large enough for the line to go
easily through; if you design four changes, have four grooves cut in
the swivel, one opposite the other, to lay the rockets in.

The mouths of the rockets being rubbed with wet meal powder, lay them
in the grooves, head to tail, and tie them fast; from the tail of the
first rocket, carry a leader to the mouth of the second, and from the
second to the third, and so on to as many as there are on the swivel,
making every leader very secure, but in fixing these pipes take care,
that the quick-match does not enter the bores of the rockets; the
rockets being fixed on the swivel, and ready to be fired, have a line
of a hundred yards in length, stretched and fixed up tight, at any
height from the ground, but be sure to place it horizontal; this
length of line will do for rockets of half a pound, but if larger, the
line must be longer, before you put up the line, put one end of it
through the swivel, and when you fire the line rocket, let the mouth
of that rocket which you fire first, face that end of the line where
you stand, then the first rocket will carry the rest to the other end
of the line, and the second will bring them back again, and so they
will run out and in according to the number of rockets: at each end of
the line, there must be a piece of flat wood, for the rocket to strike
against, or its force would cut the line. Let the line be well soaped,
and the hole in the swivel very smooth.


Of the different Decorations for Line Rockets.

To line rockets may be fixed many sorts of things, such as flying
dragons, mercuries, ships, &c. Or they may be made to run on the line
like a wheel, which is done in this manner; have a flat swivel, made
very exact, and on it, tie two rockets obliquely, one on each side,
which will make it turn round all the way it goes, and form a circle
of fire; the charge for these rockets, should be a little weaker than
common; if you would shew two dragons fighting, get two swivels made
square, and on each tie three rockets together, on the under side;
then have two flying dragons made of tin, and fix one of them on the
top of each swivel, so as to stand upright; in the mouth of each
dragon put a small case of common fire, and another at the end of the
tail; you may put two or three port fires of a strong charge, on one
side of their bodies, in order to shew them. This being done put them
on the line, one at each end; but let there be a swivel in the middle,
of the line, to keep the dragons from striking together; before you
fire the rockets light the cases on the dragons, and if care be taken
in firing both at the same time, they will meet in the middle of the
line, and seem to fight. Then they will run back, and return again,
with great violence, which will have a very pleasing effect. The line
for these rockets must be very long, or they will strike too hard
together.


Of Chinese Flyers.

Cases for flyers, may be made of different sizes, from one to eight
ounces; they must be made thick of paper, and eight interior diameters
long; they are rolled in the same manner as tourbillons, with a
straight pasted edge, and pinched close at one end; the method of
filling them is thus; the case being put in a mould, whose cylinder,
or foot, must be flat at top, without a nipple; fill it within half a
diameter of the middle, then ram in half a diameter of clay, and on
that as much composition as before, on which drive half a diameter of
clay, then pinch the case close, and drive it down flat; after this is
done, bore a hole, exactly through the center of the clay in the
middle, then in the opposite sides at both ends make a vent, and in
that side you intend to fire first make a small hole to the
composition near the clay in the middle, from which carry a quick
match covered with a single paper, to the vent at the other end; then
when the charge is burnt on one side, it will, by means of the quick
match communicate to the charge in the other, (which may be of a
different sort). The flyers being thus made, put an iron pin, that
must be fixed in the work on which they are to be fired, and on which
they are to run; through the hole in the middle, on the end of this
pin, must be a nut to keep the flyer from running off. If you would
have them turn back again after they are burnt; make both the vents at
the ends on the same side, which will alter its course, the contrary
way.


Of Table Rockets.

Table rockets are designed merely to shew the truth of driving, and
the judgment of a fireworker, they having no other effect, when fired,
than spinning round in the same place, where they begin; till they are
burnt out, and shewing nothing more than an horizontal circle of fire.

The method of making these sort of rockets, is as follows: Have a cone
turned out of hard wood, two inches and a half diameter, and as much
in height; round the base of it draw a line, on this line fix four
spokes, two inches in length each, so as to stand one opposite the
other; then fill four nine inch one pound cases, with any strong
composition, within two inches of the top, these cases are made like
tourbillons, and must be rammed with the greatest exactness.

Your rockets being filled, fix their open ends on the short spokes,
then in the side of each case bore a hole near the clay; all these
holes, or vents, must be made in such a manner, that the fire of each
case may act the same way; from these vents carry leaders to the top
of the cone, and tie them together. When you would fire the rockets
set them on a smooth table, and light the leaders in the middle, and
all the cases will fire together (See fig. 38.) and spin on the point
of the cone.

These rockets may be made to rise like tourbillons, by making the
cases shorter, and boring four holes in the under side of each at
equal distances from one another: this being done they are called
double tourbillons.

Note, all the vents in the under side of the cases must be lighted at
once; and the sharp point of the cone cut off, at which place make it
spherical.


To make Wheels and other Works incombustible.

It being necessary, when your works are new, to paint them of some
dark colour; therefore, if instead of which, you make use of the
following composition, it will give them a good colour, and in a great
measure prevent their taking fire so soon, as if painted. Take
brick-dust, coal ashes, and iron filings, of each an equal quantity,
and mix them together, with a double size, made hot. With this wash
over your works, and when dry wash them over again; this will preserve
the wood greatly against fire. Let the brick-dust, and ashes, be beat
to a fine powder.


Of Single Vertical Wheels.

There are different sorts of vertical wheels, some having their fells
of a circular form, others of an hexagon, octagon, or decagon form, or
any number of sides, according to the length of the cases, you design
for the wheel: your spokes being fixed in the nave, nail slips of tin,
with their edges turned up, so as to form grooves for the cases to ly
in, from the end of one spoke to another; then tie your cases in the
grooves, head to tail, in the same manner as those on the horizontal
water wheel, so that the cases successively taking fire from one
another, will keep the wheel in an equal rotation. Two of these wheels
are very often fired together, one on each side of a building, and
both lighted at the same time, and all the cases filled alike, to make
them keep time together, which they will do if made by the following
directions. In all the cases of both wheels, except the first, on each
wheel, drive two, or three ladles full of slow fire, in any part of
the cases, but be carefull to ram the same quantity in each case, and
in the end of one of the cases, on each wheel, you may ram one ladle
full of dead fire composition, which must be very lightly drove; you
may also make many changes of fire, by this method.

Let the hole in the nave of the wheel be lined with brass, and made to
turn on a smooth iron spindle. On the end of this spindle let there be
a nut, to screw off and on; when you have put the wheel on the
spindle, screw on the nut, which will keep the wheel from flying off.
Let the mouth of the first case be a little raised. See fig. 39.
Vertical wheels are made from ten inches to three feet diameter, and
the size of the cases must differ accordingly; four ounce cases, will
do for wheels, of fourteen, or sixteen inches diameter, which is the
proportion generally used. The best wood for wheels of all sorts, is a
light, and dry beech.


Of Horizontal Wheels.

Horizontal wheels are best when their fells are made circular; in the
middle of the top of the nave, must be a pintle, turned out of the
same piece as the nave, two inches long, and equal in diameter to the
bore of one of the cases of the wheel; there must be a hole bored up
the center of the nave, within half an inch of the top of the pintle;
the wheel being made, nail at the end of each spoke (of which there
should be six or eight) a piece of wood, with a groove cut in it to
receive the case. These pieces fix in such a manner, that half the
cases may incline upwards, and half downwards, and that when they are
tied on, their heads and tails may come very near together; from the
tail of one case, to the mouth of the other carry a leader, which
secure with pasted paper. Besides these pipes, it will be necessary,
to put a little meal powder inside the pasted paper, in order to blow
off the pipe, that there may be no obstruction to the fire, from the
cases. By means of these pipes, the cases, will successively take,
burning one upwards, and the other downwards. On the pintle, fix a
case of the same sort as those on the wheel; this case must be fired
by a leader, from the mouth of the last case on the wheel, which case
must play downwards: instead of a common case in the middle, you may
put a case of Chinese fire, long enough, to burn as long as two or
three of the cases on the wheel.

[Illustration: PLATE. 3]

Horizontal wheels are often fired two at a time, and made to keep
time, like vertical wheels, only they are made without any slow or
dead fire; ten or twelve inches will be enough for the diameter of
wheels, with six spokes. Fig. 40. represents a wheel on fire, with the
first case burning.


Of Spirali Wheels.

Spirali wheels are nothing more than double horizontal wheels, and are
thus made: The nave must be about six inches long, and somewhat
thicker than the single sort; instead of the pintle at top, there must
be a hole for the case to be fixed in; there must also be two sets of
spokes, one set near the top of the nave, and the other near the
bottom. At the end of each spoke cut a groove, wherein you tie the
cases, there being no fell; the spokes should not be more than three
inches and a half in length each from the nave, so that the wheel may
not be more than eight or nine inches diameter; the cases are placed
in such a manner, that those at top play down, and those at bottom to
play up, but let the third or fourth case play horizontally. The case
in the middle may begin with any of the others, you please; six spokes
will be enough for each set, so that the wheel may consist of twelve
cases, besides that on the top: the cases for these sort of wheels
need not be more than six inches in length each.


Of Plural Wheels.

Plural wheels are made to turn horizontally, and to consist of three
sets of spokes, placed in the following manner, six at top, six at
bottom, and four in the middle, which must be a little shorter than
the rest; let the diameter of the wheel be ten inches; the cases must
be tied on the ends of the spokes, in grooves cut on purpose, or in
pieces of wood, nailed on the ends of the spokes, with grooves cut in
them as usual; in cloathing these wheels, make the upper set of cases
play obliquely downwards, and them at bottom obliquely upwards, and
them in the middle horizontally. In placing the leaders, you must
order it so that the cases may burn thus: viz. first up, then down,
then horizontal, and so on with the rest, but another change may be
made, by driving in the end of the eighth case, two, or three ladles
full of slow fire, to burn till the wheel has stopped its course; then
let the other cases be fixed the contrary way, which will make the
wheel run back again: for the case at top, you may put a small gerbe;
and let the cases on the spokes be short, and filled with a strong
brilliant charge.


Of the Illuminated Spiral Wheel.

First have a circular horizontal wheel made two feet diameter, with a
hole quite through the nave; then take three thin pieces of deal,
three feet in length each, and three quarters of an inch in breadth
each; one end of each of these pieces, nail to the fell of the wheel,
at an equal distance from one another, and the other ends nail to a
block with a hole in its bottom, which must be perpendicular, with
that in the block of the wheel, but not so large. The wheel being thus
made, have a hoop planed down very thin and flat, then nail one end of
it to the fell of the wheel, and wind it round the three sticks in a
spiral line, from the wheel to the block at top; on the top of this
block fix a case of Chinese fire; on the wheel you may place any
number of cases, which must incline downwards and burn two at a time.
If the wheel should consist of ten cases, you may let the
illuminations and Chinese fire begin with the second cases; the
spindle for this wheel must be a little longer than the cone, and made
very smooth at top, on which the upper block is to turn, and the whole
weight of the wheel to rest, see fig. 41.


Of the Double Spiral Wheel.

For this wheel, the block, or nave, must be as long as the height of
the worms, or spiral lines, but must be made very thin, and as light
as possible. In this block must be fixed several spokes, which must
diminish in length, from the wheel to the top, so as not to exceed the
surface of a cone of the same height. To the ends of these spokes nail
the worms, which must cross each other several times; these worms
cloath with illuminations, the same as those on the single wheels, but
the horizontal wheel, you may cloath as you like. At top of the worm,
place a case of spur-fire, or an amber light, see fig. 42. This figure
is shewn without leaders, to prevent a confusion of lines.


Of Ballóón Wheels.

Ballóón wheels are made to turn horizontally, they must be made two
feet diameter, without any spokes, and very strong, with any number of
sides. On the top of a wheel range and fix tin pots, three inches
diameter and seven inches in height each, as many of these as there
are cases on the wheel; near the bottom of each pot, make a small
vent, into each of these vents carry a leader from the tail of each
case; some of the pots load with stars, and some with serpents,
crackers, &c. As the wheels turn, the pots will successively be fired,
and throw into the air a great variety of fires.


Of Fruiloni Wheels.

First have a nave made nine inches in length, and three in diameter,
near the bottom of this nave fix eight spokes, with a hole in the end
of each large enough to receive a two, or four ounce case. Each of
these spokes may be fourteen inches in length from the block; near the
top of this block, fix eight more, of the same sort of spokes, exactly
over the others, but not so long by two inches; as this wheel is to
run horizontally, all the cases in the spokes, at top, must play
obliquely upwards, and all them in the spokes at bottom obliquely
downwards. This being done, have a small horizontal wheel made with
eight spokes, each five inches in length from the block; on the top of
this wheel, place a case of brilliant fire; all the cases on this
wheel must play in an oblique direction downwards, and burn two at a
time, and those on the large wheel, four at a time, that is, two of
those in the top set of spokes, and two of them in the bottom set of
spokes.

The four first cases on the large wheel, and the two first on the
small wheel, must be fired at the same time, and the brilliant fire at
top, at the beginning of the last cases. The cases of the wheels may
be filled with a grey charge; when these wheels are compleated, you
must have a strong iron spindle, made four feet six in length, and
fixed perpendicular on the top of a stand; on this put the large
wheel, whose nave must have a hole quite through from the bottom to
the top. This hole must be large enough to turn easy round the bottom
of the spindle, at which place there must be a shoulder, to keep the
wheel from touching the stand; at the top of the spindle, put the
small wheel, and join it to a large one with a leader, in order to
fire them both together.


Of Port fires for Illuminations.

These sort of port fires, have their cases made very thin of paper,
and rolled on formers, from two to five eighths of an inch diameter,
and are made from two, to six inches in length; they are pinched close
at one end, and left open at the other; when you fill them, put in but
a little composition at a time, and ram it in lightly, so as not to
break the case. Three or four rounds of paper, with the last round
pasted, will be strong enough for these sort of cases.


Of Common port fires.

Common port fires are intended purposely to fire the works, their fire
being very slow, and the heat of the flame so intense, that, if
applyed to rockets, leaders, &c., it will fire them immediately. Port
fires may be made of any length, but are seldom made more than twenty
one inches in length; the interior diameter of port fire moulds,
should be ten sixteenths of an inch, and the diameter of the former,
half an inch. The cases must be rolled wet with paste, and one end of
them pinched, or folded down. The moulds should be made of brass, and
to take in two pieces lengthwise; then when the case is in the two
sides, they are held together by brass rings, or hoops, which are made
to fit over the outside. The bore of the mould must not be made quite
through, so that there will be no occasion for a foot. Those port
fires when used, are held in copper sockets, fixed on the end of a
long stick; these sockets are made like port crayons, only with a
screw, instead of a ring.


Of Cascades of Fire.

Cascades are made of any size, but one made according to the
dimensions of that shewn in plate 4. fig. 43. will be large enough for
eight ounce cases. Let the distance from A to B, be three feet; from B
to C, two feet six inches; and from C D, two feet; and let the cross
piece, at A, be four feet in length; then from each end of this piece,
draw a line to D; then make the other cross pieces of such a length as
to come within those lines. The top piece D, may be of any length so
as to hold the cases, at a little distance from one another, all the
cross pieces are fixed horizontally, and supported by brackets; the
bottom cross piece should be about one foot six inches broad in the
middle, the second one foot, the third nine inches, and the top piece
four inches; the cases may be made of any length, but must be filled
with a brilliant charge; on the edges of the cross pieces must be
nailed bits of wood, with a groove cut in each piece, large enough,
for a case to lie in, These bits of wood are fixed so as to incline
downwards, and that the fire from one teer of cases may play over the
other; all the cases being tied fast on, carry leaders from one to the
other, and let there be a pipe, hang from the mouth of one of the
cases, covered at the end with a single paper, which you burn to fire
the cascade.


Of the Fire-Tree.

To make a fire-tree, as shewn by fig. 44. you must first have a piece
of wood six feet in length, and three inches square, then at E, nine
inches from the top, make a hole in the front, and in each side, or
instead of holes you may fix short pegs, to fit the inside of the
cases. At F, nine inches from E, fix three more pegs; at G, one foot
nine inches from F, fix three pegs; at H, nine inches from G, at I,
nine inches from H, fix three pegs, inclining downwards, but all the
other pegs, must incline upwards, in order that the cases may have the
same inclination as you see in the figure; then at top place a four
inch mortar, loaded with stars, rains, or crackers. In the middle of
this mortar, place a case filled with any sort of charge, but let it
be fired with the other cases: a brilliant charge will do for all the
cases, but the mortar may be made of any diameter, and the tree of any
size, and on it any number of cases, provided they are placed in the
manner described.


Of Chinese Fountains.

To make a Chinese fountain, you must have a perpendicular piece of
wood, seven feet in length, and two inches and a half square. Sixteen
inches from the top; fix on the front, a cross piece, one inch thick,
and two and a half broad, with the broad side upwards; below this, fix
three more pieces, of the same width and thickness, at sixteen inches
distance from each other; let the bottom rail be five feet in length,
and the others of such a length, as to allow the fire pumps to stand
in the middle of the intervals of each other. The pyramid being thus
made, fix in the holes made in the bottom rail, five fire pumps, at
equal distances; on the second rail place four pumps; on the third,
three; on the fourth, two; and on the top of the post, one; but place
them all to incline a little forwards, that when they throw out the
stars, they may not strike against the cross rails; having fixed your
fire pumps, cloath them with leaders, so that they may all be fired
together, see fig. 45.


Of Illuminated Globes with Horizontal Wheels.

The hoops for these sort of globes, may be made of wood, tin, or iron
wire, about two feet diameter; for a single globe take two hoops, and
fasten them together, one within the other at right angles; then have
a horizontal wheel made, whose diameter must be a little wider than
the globe, and its nave six inches long, on the top of which the globe
is fixed, so as to stand three or four inches from the wheel; on this
wheel you may put any number of cases, fill’d with what charge you
like, but let two of them burn at a time; they may be placed
horizontally or to incline downwards just as you chuse. Now when the
wheel is cloathed, fix on the hoops as many illuminations as will
stand within two inches and a half of one another; these you fasten on
the hoops, with small iron binding wire, and when they are all on, put
on your pipes of communication, which must be so managed, as to light
them all with the second or third case on the wheel; the spindle on
which the globe is to run must go through the block of the wheel, up
to the inside of the top of the globe, where must be fix’d a bit of
brass or iron, with a hole in it to receive the point of the spindle,
on which the whole weight of the wheel is to bear, as is shewn by fig.
46. which represents a globe on its spindle. By this method may be
made a crown, which is done by having the hoops bent in the form of a
crown. Sometimes globes and crowns, are ordered so as to stand still,
and the wheel only to turn round; but when you would have the globe or
crown to stand still, and the wheel to run by itself, the block of the
wheel must not be so long, nor the spindle any longer than to just
raise the globe a little above the wheel; and the wheel cases, and the
illumination must begin together.


Of the Dodecaedron.

This piece is called a dodecaedron, because it nearly represents a
twelve sided figure, and is made thus. First have a ball turned out of
some hard wood, fourteen inches diameter, when done, divide its
surface into fourteen equal parts, from which bore holes, one inch and
a half diameter, perpendicular to the center, so that they may all
meet exactly in the middle; then let there be turned in the inside of
each hole a female screw, and to all the holes but one, must be made a
round spoke, five feet in length, with four inches of the screw at one
end, to fit the holes; then in the screw end of all the spokes, bore a
hole, five inches up, which must be bored slanting, so as to come out
at one side, a little above the screw; from which cut a small groove
along the spoke, within six inches of the other end, where you make
another hole through to the other side of the spoke; in this end fix a
spindle, on which put a small wheel, of three, or four sides, each
side six or seven inches in length; these sides must have grooves cut
in them large enough to receive a two or four ounce case; when these
wheels are cloathed, put them on the spindles, and at the end of each
spindle, put a nut to keep the wheel from falling off; the wheels
being thus fixed, carry a pipe from the mouth of the first case on
each wheel, through the hole in the side of the spoke, and from thence
along the groove and through the other hole, so as to hang out at the
screw end, about an inch. The spokes being all prepared in this
manner, you must have a post, on which you intend to fire the work,
with an iron screw in the top of it, to fit one of the holes, in the
ball; on this screw fix the ball, then in the top hole of the ball,
put a little meal powder, and some loose quick match; then screw in
all the spokes, and in one side of the ball bore a hole, in which put
a leader, and secure it at the end, and your work will be ready to be
fired. By this leader the powder and match in the center is fired,
which will light the match at the ends of the spokes, all at once,
whereby all the wheels will be lighted at one and the same time; there
may be an addition to this piece, by fixing a small globe, on each
wheel, or one on the top wheel only. A grey charge will be proper for
the wheel cases.


Of the Yew Tree of Brilliant Fire.

A yew tree of fire is represented by fig. 47. as it appears when
burning; first, let A be an upright piece of wood, four feet in
length, two inches broad and one thick; at top of this piece, on the
flat side, fix a hoop, fourteen inches diameter, and round its edge
and front place illuminations, and in the center a five pointed star;
then at E, which is one foot and a half from the edge of the hoop,
place two cases of brilliant fire, one on each side; these cases
should be one foot in length each; below these, fix two more cases of
the same size, and at such a distance that their mouths may almost
meet them at top; then, close to the ends of these cases, fix two more
of the same sort of cases; these must stand parallel to them at E. The
cases being thus fixed, cloath them with leaders; so that they, with
the illuminations and star at top, may all take fire together.


Of Stars with Points for Regulated Pieces, &c.

These sort of stars are made of different sizes, according to the work
for which they are intended; they are made with cases, from one ounce
to one pound, but in general are made with four ounce cases, four or
five inches in length; the cases must be rolled with paste, and twice
as thick of paper as a rocket of the same bore. Having rolled a case,
pinch one end of it quite close, then drive in half a diameter of
clay, and when the case is dry, fill it with composition, two or three
inches, according to the length of the cases, with which it is to
burn; at top of the charge drive some clay; for, as the ends of these
cases are seldom punched, they would be liable to take fire. Having
filled a case, divide the circumference of it at the pinched end close
to the clay into five equal parts; then bore five holes with a gimblet
about the size of the neck of a common four ounce case into the
composition; from one hole to the other, carry a quick match, and
secure it with paper; this paper must be put on in the manner of that
on the ends of wheel cases, so that the hollow part, which projects
from the end of the case, may serve to receive a leader from any other
work, in order to give fire to the points of the star. These sort of
stars may be made with any number of points.


Of the Fixed Sun with a Transparent Face.

To make a sun of the best sort, there should be two rows of cases, as
in fig. 48, which will shew a double glory, and make the rays strong
and full; the frame or sun wheel, must be made after the following
manner; have a circular flat nave made very strong, twelve inches
diameter; to this fix six strong flat spokes, A, B, C, D, E, F. On the
front of these fix a circular fell, five feet diameter. Within which
fix another fell, the length of one of the sun cases less in diameter;
within this fix a third fell, whose diameter must be less than the
second, by the length of one case and one third; the wheel being made,
divide the fells into as many equal parts as you would have cases
(which may be done from twenty four, to forty four;) at each division,
fix a flat iron staple; these staples must be made to fit the cases,
so as to hold them fast on the wheel; let the staples be so placed,
that one row of cases may lay in the middle of the intervals of the
other.

In the center of the block of the sun, drive a spindle, on which put a
small hexagon wheel, whose cases must be filled with the same charge,
as the cases of the sun; two cases of this wheel must burn at a time,
and begin with them on the fells; having fixed on all the cases, carry
pipes of communication from one to the other, as you see in the
figure, and from one side of the sun to the wheel in the middle, and
from thence to the other side of the sun. These leaders will hold the
wheel steady while the sun is fixing up, and will also be a sure
method of lighting both cases of the wheel together. A sun thus made
is called a brilliant sun, because the wood work is entirely covered
with fire from the wheel in the middle, so that there appears nothing
but sparks of brilliant fire; but if you would have a transparent face
in the center, you must have one made of paste board, of any size; the
method of making a face is, by cutting out the eyes, nose, and mouth,
for the sparks of the wheel to appear through; but, instead of this
sort of face, you may have one painted on oiled paper, or Persian
silk, strained tight on a hoop, which hoop must be supported by three
or four pieces of wire, at six inches distance from the wheel in the
center, so that the light of it may illuminate the face; by this
method you may have in the front of a sun Vivat rex, cut in paste
board, or Apollo painted on silk, but for a small collection of
fire-works, a sun with a single glory, and a wheel in front, will be
most suitable. Half pound cases, filled ten inches with composition,
will be a good size for a sun of five feet diameter; but if larger,
the cases must be greater in proportion.


Of three Vertical Wheels Illuminated, which turn on their own Naves
upon a Horizontal Table.

A plan of this is shewn by fig. 49. Let D be a deal table three feet
six inches diameter; this table must be fixed horizontally on the top
of a post; on the top of this post must be a perpendicular iron
spindle, which must come through the center of the table; then let A,
B, C, be three spokes joined to a triangular flat piece of wood, in
the middle of which make a hole to fit easily over the spindle; let E,
F, G, be pieces of wood, four or five inches in length each, and two
inches square, fixed on the under sides of the spokes; in these pieces
make holes lengthwise to receive the thin part of the blocks of the
wheels, which when in, are prevented from coming out by a small iron
pin being run through the end of each; K, L, M, are three vertical
octagon wheels, eighteen inches diameter each; the blocks of these
wheels must be long enough for three or four inches to rest on the
table, round which part drive a number of sharp points of wire, which
must not project out of the blocks more than one sixteenth of an inch;
the use of these points is, that when the blocks run round, they will
stick in the table, and help the wheels forward; if the naves be made
of strong wood, one inch will be enough for the diameter of the thin
part, which should be made to turn easy in the holes in the pieces E,
F, G. On the front of the wheels, make four or five circles of strong
wire, or flat hoops, and tie on them as many illuminations as they
will hold at two inches from one another; instead of circles, you may
make spiral lines cloathed with illuminations at the same distance
from one another, as those on the hoops: when illuminations are fixed
on a spiral line in the front of a wheel, they must be placed a little
on the slant, the contrary way that the wheel runs: the cases for
these wheels may be filled with any coloured charge, but must burn
only one at a time.

The wheels being thus prepared, you must have a globe, crown, or
spiral wheel, to put on the spindle in the middle of the table; this
spindle should be just long enough to raise the wheel of the globe,
crown, or spiral wheel, so high that its fire may play over the three
vertical wheels; by this means, their fires will not be confused, nor
will the wheels receive any damage from the fire of each other; in
cloathing this work, let the leaders be so managed, that all the
wheels may light together, and the illuminations after two cases of
each wheel are burnt.


Of the Illuminated Chandelier.

Illuminated works are much admired by the Italians, and indeed are a
great addition to a collection of works; for in a grand exhibition an
illuminated piece should be fired after every two, or three wheels, or
fixed pieces of common and brilliant fires, and likewise illuminated
works may be made cheap, quick, and easy.

To make an illuminated chandelier, you must first have one made of
thin wood; see fig. 50. The chandelier being made, bore in the front
of the branches, and in the body, and also in the crown at top, as
many holes for illuminations as they will contain, at three inches
distance from each other; in these holes put illuminations filled with
white, blue, or brilliant charge; having fixed in the port fires,
cloath them with leaders so that the chandelier and crown may light
together. The small circles on this figure represent the mouths of the
illuminations, which must project straight from the front.


Of the Illuminated Yew Tree.

First have a tree made of wood, such as is shewn by fig. 51. The
middle piece or stem, on which the branches are fixed, must be eight
feet six inches in height; at the bottom of this piece draw a line, at
right angles, two feet six inches in length at each side; then from L,
which is one foot six inches from the bottom, draw a line on each side
to C and D; these lines will give the length of the two first
branches. Then put on the two top branches parallel to them at bottom;
let the length of each of these branches be one foot from the stem;
from the ends of these two branches, draw a line to C and D; then fix
on five more branches at an equal distance from each other, and their
length will be determined by the lines A C and E D; when the branches
are fixed, place illuminating port fires on the top of each, as many
as you chuse: behind the top of the stem fasten a gerbe, or white
fountain, which must be fired at the beginning of the illuminations on
the tree.


Of Flaming Stars with Brilliant Wheels.

To make a flaming star, you must first have made a circular piece of
strong wood, about one inch thick and two feet diameter; round this
block fix eight points, two feet six inches in length each; four of
these points must be straight, and four flaming; these points being
joined on very strong and even with the surface of the block, nail tin
or paste board on their edges, from the block to the end of each,
where they must be joined; this tin must project in front eight
inches, and be joined where they meet at the block; round the front of
the block fix four pieces of thick iron wire, eight inches in length
each, equally distant from each other; this being done, cut a piece of
paste board round two feet diameter, and draw on it a star, as may be
seen in fig. 52. This star cut out, and on the back of it paste oiled
paper, then paint each point half red, and half yellow, lengthwise;
but the body of the star must be left open, wherein must run a
brilliant wheel, which is made as follows: Have a light block turned
nine inches long; at each end of it, fix six spokes, at the end of
each spoke put a two ounce case of brilliant fire; the length of these
cases must be in proportion to the wheel, and the diameter of the
wheel when the cases are on must be a little less than the diameter of
the body of the small star; the cases on the spokes in front must have
their mouths incline outwards, and them on the inside spokes must be
placed so as to form a vertical circle of fire. When you place your
leaders, carry the first pipe from the tail of one of the cases in
front to the mouth of one of the inside cases, and from the tail of
that to another in front, and so on to all the cases; your wheel being
made, put it on a spindle, exactly in the center of the star; this
spindle must have a shoulder at bottom, to keep the wheel at a little
distance from the block. This wheel must be kept on the spindle by a
nut at the end; having fixed on the wheel, fasten the transparent star
to the four pieces of wire; then when you fire the wheel, you will
first see nothing more than a common horizontal wheel; but when the
first case is burnt out, it will fire one of the vertical cases, which
will shew the transparent star, and fill the large flames and points
with fire; then it will again appear like a common wheel, and so on
for twelve changes.


Of Touch Paper for Capping of Serpents, Crackers, &c.

Dissolve, in some spirits of wine or vinegar, a little salt petre,
then take some purple or blue paper, and wet it with the above liquor,
and when dry it will be fit for use; when you paste this paper, on any
of your works, take care that the paste does not touch that part which
is to burn. The method of using this paper is by cutting it into
slips, long enough to go once round the mouth of a serpent, cracker,
&c. When you paste on these slips, leave a little above the mouth of
the case not pasted; then prime the case with meal powder, and twist
the paper to a point.

[Illustration: PLATE 4]


Of a Projected Regulated Piece of Nine Mutations.

A regulated piece, if well executed, is as curious a work as any in
fireworks; for it consists of fixed and moveable pieces on one
spindle, representing various sorts of figures, which take fire
successively one from another, without any assistance after lighting
the first mutation; but, for the better explanation of this piece, I
shall give a full description of the method of communicating the fire
from one mutation to the other, with a figure of each as they stand on
the spindle. Regulated pieces are made of many sorts, and of any
number of mutations, from two to nine, which is the greatest number I
ever knew a piece to consist of, except one of my own making, which
was composed of fifteen mutations, all different fires, and figures.
But, as an explanation of so large a piece would be very difficult to
comprehend, I shall omit it, leaving so many changes to those who have
made a great progress in this art, and only teach the manner of making
a piece of nine mutations, as shewn in Plate V, fig. 53. As it will be
necessary that every mutation should be separately explained, I will
first give the name of each, with the colour of fire, and size of the
case belonging to it: after which shall proceed, with the proportion
of each mutation, together with the nature of the spindle, and manner
of placing the leaders.


First Mutation

Is a hexagon vertical wheel, illuminated in front with small port
fires tied on the spokes; this wheel must be cloathed with two ounce
cases, filled with black charge; the length of these cases are
determined by the size of the wheel, but must burn singly.


Second Mutation

Is a fixed piece called a golden glory, by reason of the cases being
filled with spur-fire; the cases must stand perpendicular to the block
on which they are fixed, so that, when they are burning, they may
represent a glory of fire; this mutation is generally composed of
five, or seven two ounce cases.


Third Mutation

Is moveable, and is nothing more then an octagon vertical wheel,
cloathed with four ounce cases, filled with brilliant charge; two of
these cases must burn at a time: in this wheel you may make changes of
fire.


Fourth Mutation

Is a fixed sun of brilliant fire, consisting of twelve four ounce
cases; the necks of these cases must be a little larger than those of
four ounce wheel cases; in this mutation may be made a change of fire,
by filling the cases half with brilliant charge and half with grey.


Fifth Mutation

Is a fixed piece called the porcupine’s quills; this piece consists of
twelve spokes, standing perpendicular to the block in which they are
fixed; on each of these spokes, near the end, must be placed a four
ounce case of brilliant fire; all these cases must incline either to
the right or left, so that they may all play one way.


Sixth Mutation

Is a standing piece called the cross fire. This mutation consists of
eight spokes fixed in a block; near the end of each of those spokes,
must be tied two four ounce cases of white charge, one across the
other, so that the fires from the cases on one spoke, may intersect
the fire from cases on the other.


Seventh Mutation

Is a fixed wheel, with two circular fells, on which are placed sixteen
eight ounce cases of brilliant fire, in the form of a star: this piece
is called a fixed star of wild fire.


Eighth Mutation.

This is a beautiful piece, called a brilliant star piece, it consists
of six spokes, which are strengthened by two fells of a hexagon form
at some distance from each other; at the end of each spoke, in the
front, is fixed a brilliant star of five points; and on each side of
every star is placed a four ounce case of black or grey charge; these
cases must be placed with their mouths side ways, so that their fires
may cross each other.


Ninth Mutation

Is a wheel piece; this is composed of six long spokes, with a hexagon
vertical wheel at the end of each; these wheels run on spindles in the
front of the spokes; all the wheels are lighted together: two ounce
cases will do for these wheels, and may be filled with any coloured
charge.

After having spoke of the several parts of the regulated piece, each
by their proper names and colour of fire, I shall next proceed with
the proportion of every mutation, together with the method of
conveying the fire from one to the other, and the distance they stand
one from the other on the spindle.


First Mutation

Must be a hexagon vertical wheel, fourteen inches diameter; on one
side of the block, whose diameter is two inches and a quarter, is
fixed a tin barrel A, see fig. 53, Nᵒ. 1; this barrel must be a little
less in diameter than the nave; let the length of the barrel and block
be six inches. Having fixed the cases on the wheel, carry a leader
from the tail of the last case into the tin barrel through a hole made
on purpose two inches from the block; at the end of this leader let
there be about an inch or two of loose match, but take care to well
secure the hole wherein the pipe is put, to prevent any sparks falling
in, which would light the second mutation before its time, and confuse
the whole piece.


Second Mutation

Is thus made. Have a nave turned two inches and a half diameter, and
three long; then let half an inch of that end which faces the first
wheel be turned so as to fit easy into the tin barrel of the first
mutation, which must turn round it without touching; on the other end
of the block, fix a tin barrel B, Nᵒ. 2, this barrel must be six
inches in length, and only half an inch of it to fit on the block.
Round the nave fix five spokes, one inch and a half in length each;
the diameter of the spokes must be equal to a two ounce former; on
these spokes put five seven inch two ounce cases of spur fire, and
carry leaders from the mouth of one to the other, that they may all
light together; then from the mouth of one of the cases, carry a
leader, through a hole bored slantways in the nave, from between the
spokes, to the front of the block near the spindle hole; the end of
this leader must project out of the hole into the barrel of the first
mutation, so that when the pipe which comes from the end of the last
case on the first wheel flashes, it may take fire and light the second
mutation. To communicate the fire to the third mutation bore a hole
near the bottom of one of the five cases, to the composition, and from
thence carry a leader into a hole made in the middle of the barrel B;
this hole must be covered with pasted paper.


Third Mutation

May be either an octagon or hexagon wheel, twenty inches diameter; let
the nave be three inches and a quarter diameter, and three and a half
in length; one inch and a half of the front of the nave must be made
to fit in the barrel B. On the other end of the block fix a tin barrel
C, Nᵒ. 3; this barrel must be six inches and a half in length, one
inch of which must fit over the block. The cases of this wheel must
burn two at a time; and from the mouths of the two first cases carry a
leader, through holes in the nave into the barrel of the second
mutation, after the usual manner; but besides these leaders let there
be a pipe go across the wheel from one first case to the other, then
from the tail of one of the last cases, carry a pipe into a hole in
the middle of the barrel C; at the end of this pipe, let there hang
some loose quick match.


Fourth and Fifth Mutation.

We shall here speak of those two mutations under one head, as their
naves are made of one piece, which from E to F is fourteen inches; E,
a block four inches diameter, with ten or twelve short spokes, on
which are fixed eleven inch eight ounce cases; let the front of this
block be made to fit easy in the barrel C, and cloath the cases so
that they may all light together; and let a pipe be carried through a
hole in the block into the barrel C, in order to receive the fire from
the leader brought from the last case on the wheel. G, the nave of the
fifth mutation, whose diameter must be four inches and a half; in this
nave fix ten or twelve spokes one foot and a half in length each;
these spokes must stand seven inches distance from the spokes of the
fourth mutation; and at the end of each spoke tie a four ounce case,
as shewn by Nᵒ. 5; all these cases are to be lighted together, by a
leader brought from the end of one of the cases on Nᵒ. 4. Let F and H
be of the same piece of wood as E and G; but as much thinner as
possible, in order to make the work light.


Sixth and Seventh Mutation.

The blocks of these two mutations, are turned out of one piece of
wood, whose length from F to P is fifteen inches. L a block five
inches diameter, in which are fixed eight spokes, each two feet four
inches in length; at the end of each spoke tie two four ounce cases as
shewn by Nᵒ. 6; all these cases must be fired at the same time, by a
pipe brought from the end of one of the cases on the fifth mutation.
Let the distance between the spokes at L and those in the fifth
mutation be seven inches. M, the nave of the seventh mutation, whose
diameter must be five inches and a half; in this nave fix eight
spokes, and on the front of them two circular fells, one of four feet
eight diameter, and one of three feet eleven inches diameter; on these
fells, tie sixteen eight ounce or pound cases, in the same manner as
represented by Nᵒ. 7, and carry leaders from one to the other, so that
they may be all fired together; this mutation must be fired by a
leader brought from the tail of one of the cases on the sixth
mutation.


Eighth and Ninth Mutation.

The blocks of these may be turned out of one piece, whose length from
P to D must be twelve inches. O, the block of the eighth mutation,
which must be six inches diameter, and in it fixed six spokes, each
three feet in length; these spokes must be strengthened by a hexagon
fell within three or four inches of the ends of the spokes; close to
the end of each spoke, in the front, fix a five-pointed brilliant
star; then seven inches below each star tie two ten inch eight ounce
cases, so that the upper ends of the cases may rest on the fells, and
their ends on the spokes; each of these cases must be placed parallel
to the opposite fell, see Nᵒ. 8. NNN, &c. are the cases, and kkk, &c.
the stars.

The ninth mutation must be thus made; let D be a block seven inches
diameter; in this block must be screwed six spokes, six feet in length
each, with holes and grooves in them for leaders, in the same manner
as those in the dodecaedron; at the end of each spoke, in the front,
fix a spindle for a hexagon vertical wheel, ten inches diameter, as
shewn by Nᵒ. 9. When these wheels are on, carry a leader from each
into the block, so that they may all meet together; then lead a pipe
from the end of one of the cases of the eighth mutation, through a
hole bored in the block D, to meet the leaders from the vertical
wheels, so that they may all be fired together.

The spindles for large pieces are required to be made very strong, and
as exact as possible; for a piece of nine mutations, let the spindle
be at the large end one inch diameter, and continue that thickness as
far as the seventh mutation, and from thence to the fifth; let its
diameter be three quarters of an inch; from the fifth to the fourth,
five eighths of an inch; from the fourth to the second, half an inch;
and from the second to the end, three eighths of an inch: at the small
end must be a nut to keep on the first wheel, and at the thick end
must be a large nut, as shewn by the figure, so that the screw part of
the spindle being put through a post, and a nut screwed on tight, the
spindle will be held fast and steady; but you are to observe, that
that part of the spindle, on which the moveable pieces are to run, be
made long enough for the wheels to run easy without sticking; the
fixed pieces being made on different blocks, the leaders must be
joined, after they are fixed on the spindle. The best method of
preventing the fixed mutations from moving on the spindle, is, to make
that part of the spindle which goes through them square; but as it
would be difficult to make square holes through such long blocks as
are sometimes required, it will be best to make them in the following
manner; which is, to bore a round hole a little larger than the
diameter of the spindle, and at each end of the block over the hole,
fasten a piece of brass with a square hole in it to fit the spindle.


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

The sudden change of this piece is very pleasing, and gives great
surprize to those who are not acquainted with the contrivance. A wheel
for this purpose should be about three feet diameter, and its fell
circular, on which tie sixteen half pound cases filled with brilliant
charge; two of these cases must burn at a time, and on each end of the
nave must be a tin barrel of the same construction as those on the
regulated piece; the wheel being compleated, prepare the post or stand
after the following manner: first have a stand made of any height,
about three or four inches square, then saw off from the top, a piece
two feet in length; this piece join again at the place where it was
cut, with a hinge on one side, so that it may lift up and down in the
front of the stand, then fix on the top of the bottom part of the
stand, on each side a bracket; these brackets must project at right
angles with the stand, one foot from the front, for the short piece to
rest on; but these brackets must be placed a little above the joint of
the post, so that when the upper stand falls, it may lay between them
at right angles with the bottom stand, which may be done by fixing a
piece of wood, one foot in length, between the brackets and even with
the top of the bottom stand; then, as the brackets rise above the
bottom stand, they will form a channel for the short post to lay in,
and at the same time keep it steady without straining the hinge: on
the side of the short post opposite the hinge, nail a piece of wood;
this piece must be of such a length, that, when the post is
perpendicular, it may reach about one foot and a half down the long
post, to which being tied, it will hold the short stand upright; the
stand being thus prepared, in the top of it fix a spindle ten inches
in length; on this spindle put the wheel, then fix on a brilliant sun
with a single glory; the diameter of this sun must be six inches less
than that of the wheel. When you fire this piece, light the wheel
first, and let it run horizontally till four cases are consumed; then
from the end of the fourth case carry a leader into the ten barrel
that turns over the end of the stand; this leader must be met by
another brought through the top of the post, from a case filled with a
strong port-fire charge, and tied to the bottom post, with its mouth
facing the pack-thread which holds up the stand, so that when this
case is lighted, it will burn the pack-thread, and let the wheel fall
forward, by which means it will become vertical; then from the last
case of the wheel, carry a leader into the barrel next the sun, which
will begin as soon as the wheel is burnt out.


Of the grand Volute illuminated with a projected Wheel in Front.

First have two hoops made of strong iron wire, one of six feet
diameter, and one of four feet two inches; these hoops must be joined
to scroles A, A, A, &c. as shewn by fig. 54. These scroles must be
made of the same sort of wire as the hoops; on these scroles, tie with
iron binding wire as many illuminating port fires as they will hold,
at two inches distance from each other; these port fires cloath with
leaders, so that they may all take fire together; then let C be a
circular wheel of four spokes, three feet six inches diameter, and on
its fell tie as many four ounce cases head to tail, as will compleat
the circle, only allowing a sufficient distance between the cases,
that the fire may pass free, which may be done by cutting the upper
part of the end of each case a little shelving: on each spoke fix a
four ounce case about three inches from the fell of the wheel; these
cases are to burn one at a time, and the first of them to begin with
those on the fell, of which four are to burn at a time, so that the
wheel will last no longer than one fourth of the cases on the fell,
which in number should be sixteen or twenty; on the front of the wheel
form a spiral line, with strong wire, on which tie port fires, placing
them on a slant, with their mouths to face the same way as the cases
on the wheel; all these port fires must be fired with the second cases
of wheel. Let D, D, D, &c. be spokes of wood, all made to screw into a
block in the center; each of these spokes may be in length about four
feet six inches; in the top of each fix a spindle, and on each spindle
put a spirali wheel of eight spokes, such as are represented by E, E,
E, &c. The blocks of these wheels must have a hole at top for the
center cases, and the spindle must have nuts screwed on their ends,
which nuts should fit in the holes at top of the blocks, so that all
the wheels, must be put on before you fix in the center cases: as some
of these wheels by reason of their situation will not bear on the nut,
it will be necessary to have smooth shoulders made on the spindles for
the blocks to run on; the cases of these wheels are to burn double,
and the method of firing them is, by carrying a leader from each down
the spokes into the block in the center, in the same manner as those
in the dodecaedron, but the center case of each wheel, must begin with
the two last cases as usual; it is to be observed, that the large
circular wheel in front must have a tin barrel on its block, into
which a pipe must be carried, from one of the second cases on the
wheel; this pipe being met by another from the large block, in which
the eight spokes are screwed, will fire all the spirali wheels and the
illuminating port fires at the same time. The cases of the projected
wheel may be filled with a white charge, and those of the spirali
wheels, with a grey.


Of the Moon and Seven Stars.

Let fig. 55, be a smooth circular board, six feet diameter; out of the
middle of it cut a circular piece twelve or fourteen inches diameter,
and over the vacancy put white Persian silk, on which paint a moon’s
face, then let I, I, I, &c. be stars each four or five inches
diameter, cut out with five points, and covered with oiled silk: on
the front of the large circular board, draw a seven-pointed star, as
large as the circle will allow; then on the lines which form this
star, bore holes, wherein fix pointed stars. When this piece is to be
fired, it must be fixed upon the front of a post, on a spindle, with a
wheel of brilliant fire behind the face of the moon; so that while the
wheel burns, the moon and stars will appear transparent, and when the
wheel has burnt out, they will disappear, and the large star in front,
which is formed of pointed stars, will begin, being lighted by a pipe
of communication from the last case of the vertical wheel, behind the
moon; this pipe of communication must be managed in the same manner as
those in regulated pieces.


Of the Double Cone Wheel illuminated.

This piece is represented by fig 56. Let A, be a strong decagon wheel,
two feet six inches diameter; then on each side of it fix a cone B and
C; these cones are to consist of a number of hoops, supported by three
or four pieces of wood, in the manner of the spiral wheels; let the
height of each cone be three feet six inches, and on all the hoops tie
port fires horizontally, with their mouths outwards, and cloath the
wheel with eight ounce cases, all to play horizontally, two at a time:
the cones may be fired with the first or second cases. The spindle for
this piece must go through both the cones, and rise three feet above
the point of the cone at top, so that its length will be ten feet four
inches from the top of the post H, in which it is fixed, allowing four
inches for the thickness of the block of the wheel; the whole weight
of the wheel and cones must bear on a shoulder in the spindle, on
which the block of the wheel must turn; near the top of the spindle,
must be a hole in the front, into which screw a small spindle, after
the cones are on; then on this small spindle fix a sun D, composed of
sixteen nine inch four ounce cases of brilliant fire, which cases must
not be placed on a fell, but only stuck into a block of six inches
diameter; then in the front of this sun must be a circular vertical
wheel, sixteen inches diameter; on the front of this wheel form with
iron wire a spiral line, and cloath it with illuminations, after the
usual method; as this wheel is not to be fired till the cones are
burnt out, the method of firing it is as follows; let the hole in the
block, at the top of the uppermost cone, be a little larger than the
spindle which passes through it; then from the first case of the
vertical wheel before the sun, carry a leader down the side of the
spindle to the top of the block of the horizontal wheel, on which must
be a tin barrel; then this leader, being met by another brought from
the end of the last case of the horizontal wheel, will give fire to
the vertical wheel, as soon as the cones are extinguished; but the sun
D must not be fired, till the vertical wheel is quite burnt out.


Of Fire Pumps.

Cases for fire pumps, are made in the same manner as those for
tourbillons, only they are parted instead of being rolled dry. Having
rolled and dryed your cases, fill them in the following manner: first
put in a little meal powder, and then a star, on which ram lightly a
ladle or two of composition, then a little meal powder, and on that a
star, then again composition, and so on till you have filled the case.
Stars for fire pumps should not be round, but must be made either
square, or flat and circular, with a hole through the middle; the
quantity of powder for throwing the stars must increase as you come
near the top of the case, for if much powder be put at the bottom, it
will burst the case. The stars must differ in size, in this manner;
let the star which you put in first, be about one fourth less than the
bore of the case, but let the next star be a little larger, and the
third star a little larger than the second, and so on; let them
increase in diameter, till within two of the top of the case, which
two must fit in tight. As the loading of fire pumps is somewhat
difficult, it will be necessary to make two or three trials, before
you depend on their performance: when you fill a number of pumps, take
care not to put in each an equal quantity of charge between the stars,
so that when they are fired they may not throw up too many stars
together. Cases for fire pumps should be made very strong, and rolled
on four or eight ounce formers, ten or twelve inches in length each.


Of the Vertical Scroll Wheel.

This wheel may be made of any diameter, but must be constructed as
shewn by fig. 57, to do which proceed thus; have a block made of a
moderate size, into which fix four flat spokes, and on them fix a flat
circular fell of wood; round the front of this fell place port-fires;
then on the front of the spokes form a scrole, either with a hoop or
strong iron wire; on this scrole tie cases of brilliant fire, in
proportion to the wheel, head to tail, as in the figure; when you fire
this wheel, light the first case near the fell; then, as the cases
fire successively, you will see the circle of fire gradually diminish;
but whether the illuminations on the fell begin with the scrole or
not, is immaterial, that being left intirely to the maker.

N. B. This wheel may be put in the front of a regulated piece, or
fired by itself, occasionally.


Of Pin Wheels.

First roll some paper pipes, about fourteen inches in length each;
these pipes must not be made thick of paper, two or three rounds of
elephant paper being sufficient; when your pipes are thoroughly dryed,
you must have made a tin tube, twelve inches in length, to fit easy
into the pipes; at one end of this tube fix a small conical cup, which
being done, it is called a funnel, then bend one end of one of the
pipes, and put the funnel in at the other, as far as it will reach,
and fill the cup with composition; then draw out the funnel by a
little at a time, shaking it up and down, and it will fill the pipe as
it comes out; having filled some pipes, have made some small blocks,
about an inch diameter, and half an inch in thickness; round one of
these blocks wind and paste a pipe, and to the end of this pipe join
another, which must be done by twisting the end of one pipe to a
point, and putting it into the end of the other, with a little paste;
in this manner join four or five pipes, winding them one upon the
other, so as to form a spiral line; having wound on your pipes, paste
two slips of paper across them, to hold them together; besides these
slips of paper, the pipes must be pasted together.

[Illustration: PLATE 5.]

[Illustration: PLATE 6.]

[Illustration: PLATE. 7]

[Illustration: PLATE. 8]

There is another method of making these wheels, called the French
method; which is, by winding on the pipes without paste, and sticking
them together with sealing wax, at every half turn; so that when they
are fired, the end will fall loose every time the fire passes the wax,
by which means the circle of fire will be considerably increased. The
formers for these pipes are made from one and a half to four
sixteenths of an inch diameter, and the composition for them as
follows; meal powder eight ounces, salt petre two ounces, and sulphur
one; among these ingredients, may be mixed a little steel-filings, or
the dust of cast-iron; this composition should be very dry, and not
made too fine, or it will stick in the funnel. These wheels may be
fired on a large pin, and held in the hand with safety.


Of Fire Globes.

There are two sorts of fire globes, one with projected cases, and the
other with the cases concealed in the following manner; have a globe
made of wood, of any diameter you chuse, and divide the surface of it
into fourteen equal parts, and at each division bore a hole
perpendicular to the center; these holes must be in proportion to the
cases intended to be used; in every hole, except one, put a case
filled with brilliant, or any other charge, and let the mouths of the
cases be even with the surface of the globe; then cut in the globe a
groove, from the mouth of one case to the other, for leaders, which
must be carried from case to case, so that they may all be fired
together; this being done, cover the globe with a single paper, and
paint it. These sort of globes may be used to ornament a building.

Fire-globes with projected cases are made thus; your globe being made
with fourteen holes bored in it as usual, six in every hole, except
one, a case, and let each case project from the globe two thirds of
its length; then cloath all the cases with leaders, so that they may
all take fire at the same time. Fire-globes are supported by a pintle,
made to fit the hole in which there is no case.


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

Joining and placing of Leaders is a very essential part of fireworks,
as it is on the leaders, that the performance of all complex works
depend; for which reason I shall endeavour here to explain the method
of conducting pipes of communication, in as plain a manner as
possible. Your works being ready to be cloathed, proceed thus; cut
your pipes of a sufficient length to reach from one case to the other,
then put in the quick match, which must always be made to go in very
easy; when the match is in, cut it off within about an inch of the end
of the pipe, and let it project as much at the other end; then fasten
the pipe to the mouth of each case with a pin, and put the loose ends
of the match into the mouths of the cases, with a little meal powder;
this being done to all the cases, paste over the mouth of each two or
three bits of paper; the preceding method is used for large cases, and
the following for small cases and illuminations; first thread a long
pipe, then lay it on the tops of the cases, and cut a bit off the
under side, exactly over the mouth of each case, so that the match may
appear; then pin the pipe to every other case, but before you put on
the pipes, put a little meal powder in the mouth of each case; if the
cases thus cloathed be port-fires on illuminated works, cover the
mouth of each case with a single paper; but if they are choaked cases,
situated so that a number of sparks from other works may fall on them
before they are fired, secure them with three or four papers, which
must be pasted on very smooth, that there may be no creases for the
sparks to lodge in, which often set fire to the works before their
time; avoid, as much as possible, placing the leaders too near
together, or one across the other so as to touch, as it sometimes
happens that the flash of one will fire the other; therefore if your
works should be so formed, that the leaders must cross or touch, be
sure to make them very strong, and secure them well at the joints and
at every opening.

When a great length of pipe is required, it must be made by joining
several pipes together, in this manner; having put on one length of
match as many pipes as it will hold, paste paper over every joint; but
if a still greater length be required, more pipes must be joined, by
cutting off about an inch of one side of each pipe near the end, and
laying the quick match together, and tieing them fast with small
twine; after which, cover the joining with pasted paper.


The manner of placing Fireworks to be exhibited, with the order of
Firing.

Nothing adds more to the appearance of fireworks, than the placing
them properly; though the manner of placing them chiefly depends on
the judgment of the maker. I shall give such rules here, as have been
generally observed; for example, whether your works are to be fired on
a building, or on stands; if they are a double set, place one wheel of
a sort on each side of the building, and next to each of them towards
the center, place a fixed piece, then wheels, and so on, leaving a
sufficient distance between them, for the fire to play from one
without burning the other; having fixed some of your works thus in
front, place the rest behind them, in the center of their intervals;
the largest piece, which is generally a regulated or transparent
piece, must be placed in the center of the building, and behind it a
sun, which must always stand above all the other works: a little
before the building or stands place your large gerbes, and at the back
of the works, fix your marron batteries, pots des aigrettes, pots des
brins, pots des saucissons, air ballóóns, and flights of rockets; the
rocket stands may be fixed behind or any where else, so as not to be
in the way of the works.

Single collections are fired on stands, which stands are made in the
same manner as theodolite stands, only the top part must be long or
short occasionally; these sort of stands may be fixed up very soon
without much trouble. Having given sufficient instructions for placing
of fireworks, I shall proceed with the manner of firing them.


      Order of Firing.

   1. Two signal rockets,
   2. Six sky rockets,
   3. Two honorary rockets,
   4. Four caduceus rockets,
   5. Two vertical wheels illuminated,
   6. Two spiral wheels illuminated,
   7. Two transparent stars,
   8. A line rocket of five changes,
   9. Four tourbillons,
  10. Two horizontal wheels,
  11. Two air ballóóns illuminated,
  12. Two Chinese fountains,
  13. Two regulating pieces of four mutations each,
  14. Two pots des aigrettes,
  15. Three large gerbes,
  16. A flight of rockets,
  17. Two ballóón wheels,
  18. Two cascades of brilliant fire,
  19. Twelve sky rockets,
  20. Two illuminated yew-trees,
  21. Two air ballóóns of serpents, and two compound,
  22. Four tourbillons,
  23. Two Fruiloni Wheels,
  24. Two Illuminated Globes with Horizontal Wheels,
  25. One Pot des Saucissons,
  26. Two Plural Wheels,
  27. A Marron Battery,
  28. Two Chandeliers Illuminated,
  29. A Range of Pots des Brins,
  30. Twelve Sky Rockets,
  31. Two Yew-Trees of Fire,
  32. A Nest of Serpents,
  33. Two Double Cones Illuminated,
  34. A Regulating Piece of Seven Mutations, viz.,
      1. A Vertical Wheel Illuminated,
      2. A Golden Glory,
      3. An Octagon Vertical Wheel,
      4. Porcupines Quills,
      5. Cross Fires,
       6. A Star Piece with Brilliant Rays,
      7. Six Vertical Wheels,
  35. A Brilliant Sun,
  36. A Large Flight of Rockets.

When water-works are to be exhibited, divide them into several sets,
and fire one set after every fifth or sixth change of land and
air-works; and observe this rule in firing in a double set of works,
always to begin with sky-rockets, then two moveable pieces, then two
fix’d pieces, and so on, ending with a large flight of rockets, or a
marron battery; if a single collection, fire a fixed piece after every
wheel or two, and now and then some air and water-works.


Fountain of Sky-Rockets.

Plate 6th. Fig. 1st, represents a fountain of thirty rockets; let A,
be a perpendicular post, sixteen feet high from the ground, and four
inches square. Let the rail or cross piece C, be one foot six inches
in length, three inches broad, and one thick. The rail D, at bottom,
must be six feet in length, one foot broad, and an inch thick. F, and
G, are the two sides which serve to supply the rails D, E, H, I, C;
these sides are one foot broad at bottom, and cut in the front with a
regular slope, to three inches at top, but their back edges must be
parallel with the front of the pots A. The breadth of the rails E, H,
I, will be determined by the breadth of the sides; all the rails must
be fixed at two feet distance from each other, and at right angles
with the pots; having placed the rails thus; bore in the bottom rail,
ten holes at equal distances from each other, large enough to receive
easily the stick of a one pound rocket; in the back edge of this rail
cut a groove from one end to the other, fit to contain a quick-match,
then cut a groove in the top of the rail, from the edge of each hole,
into the groove in the back; in the same manner cut in the second rail
E, eight holes and grooves; in the third rail H, six holes and
grooves; in the fourth rail I, four holes and grooves; and in the top
rail two holes and grooves; B, a rail with holes in it to guide the
ends of the rocket sticks, this rail must be fixed six feet from the
rail D; the fountain frame being thus made, prepare your rockets thus;
tie round the mouth of each a piece of thin paper, large enough to go
twice round, and to project about an inch and a half from the mouth of
the rocket, which must be rubbed with wet meal-powder; in the mouth of
each Rocket put a leader, which secure well with the paper that
projects from the mouth of the case; these leaders must be carried
into the grooves in the back of the rails, in which lay a quick-match
from one end to the other, and cover it with pasted paper; holes must
be made in the rail D, to receive the ends of the sticks of the
rockets, in the rail E, and so on to the fourth rail, so that the
sticks of the rockets at top, will go through all the rails; the
rockets being so prepared, fix a gerbe or white flower-pot on each
rail before the post, with their mouths inclining a little forwards;
these gerbes must be lighted all at once; behind or before each gerbe,
fix a case of brilliant or slow fire, these cases must be filled so
that they may burn out one after the other, to regulate the fountain,
which may be done by carrying a leader, from the end of each slow or
brilliant fire, into the groove in the back of each rail; different
size rockets may be used in these fountains, but it will be best to
fill the heads of the rockets on each rail with different sorts of
things, in this manner, those at top with crackers, the next with
rains, the third with serpents, the fourth with tailed stars, and the
last flight with common or brilliant stars.


Palm-Tree.

This piece, though made of common fires, and of a simple construction,
has a very pleasing effect; owing to the fires intersecting so often,
that they resemble the branches of trees. Fig. 2d. let A, be a
perpendicular post of any thickness so that it be sufficiently strong
to hold the cases; let the distance from B to C, be two feet six
inches, and from C to D, two feet six inches, and let the length of
each cross piece be two feet; on each end of each, fix a five pointed
star, then fix on pegs made on purpose, twelve inch half pound cases
of brilliant fire, as in the figure, all the cases and stars, must be
fired at one time; this piece should be fixed high from the ground.


Illuminated Pyramid, with Archimedian Screws, a Globe and Vertical
Sun.

May be made of any size; one made according to the Dimensions of fig.
3d, will be a good proportion, whose whole height is twenty one feet;
from C to D, six feet, from E to F, nine feet, the space between the
rails must be six inches, and the rails as thin as possible, in all
the rails stick port-fires at four inches distance; the archimedian
screws G, K, are nothing more than double spiral wheels, with the
cases placed on their wheels horizontally instead of obliquely, the
vertical sun I, need not consist of more than twelve rays, to form a
single glory; the globe at top must be made in proportion to the
pyramid, which being prepared according to the preceding directions,
place your leaders so that all the illuminating port-fires, screws,
globe, and sun, may take fire together; the pyramid must be supported
by the two sides, and by a support brought from a pole, which must be
placed two feet from the back of the pyramid, in order that the wheels
may run free.


Rose-Piece and Sun.

A rose piece may be used for a mutation of a regulated piece, or fired
by itself, this piece makes the best appearance when made large; if
its exterior diameter be six feet it will be a good size; fig. 4,
shews the manner it appears before it is fired; let the exterior fell
be made of wood, and supported by four wooden spokes, all the other
parts on which the illuminations are fixed, must be made of strong
iron wire; on the exterior fell, place as many half pound cases of
brilliant charge as you think proper (but the more the better) for the
nearer the cases are placed, the stronger will be the rays of the Sun;
the illuminations should be placed within three inches of each other,
they must be all fired together and burn some time before the sun is
lighted, which may be done by carrying a leader from the middle of one
of the illuminations, to the mouth of one of the sun cases.


Transparent Stars with Illuminated Rays.

Plate 7, Fig. 5th, represents an illuminated star, let the diameter
from A to B, be two feet and from C to D, seven feet; first make a
strong circular back or body of the star, two feet diameter, to which
you fix the illuminated rays; in the center of the front of the body
fix a spindle, on which put a double triangular wheel, six inches
diameter, clothed with two ounce cases of brilliant charge; the cases
on this wheel must burn but one at a time; round the edge of the body
nail a hoop made of thin wood or tin, this hoop must project in front
six or seven inches; in this hoop cut three or four holes to let out
the smoke from the wheel; the star and garter may be cut out of strong
paste-board or tin, made in this manner, cut a round piece of
paste-board or tin, two feet diameter, on which draw a star, and cut
it out, then over the vacancy paste Persian silk; paint the letters
yellow; four of the rays yellow, and four red; the cross in the middle
may be painted half red, and half yellow, or yellow and blue; this
transparent star must be fastened to the wooden hoop by a screw, to
take off and on, the illuminated rays are made of thin wood, with tin
sockets fixed on their sides within four inches of each other; in
these sockets stick illuminating port-fires; behind the point of each
ray, fix a half pound case of grey, black, or chinese fire.

                      *     *     *     *     *

N. B. The illuminated rays to be lighted at the same time as the
triangular wheel, or after it is burnt out, which may be done by a tin
barrel being fixed to the wheel after the manner of those in the
regulated pieces, into this barrel correl a leader from the
illuminated rays, through the back of the star, which leader must be
met by another brought from the tail of the last case on the wheel.


Transparent Table Star Illuminated.

Fig. 6th, represents a table star, whose diameter from E to F, is
twelve feet, and from E to I, four feet, this proportion observed on
each side, will make the center frame four feet square, in this square
fix a transparent star, as shewn in the figure; this star may be
painted blue, and its rays made as those of the flaming stars
described in page 218, the wheel for this star may be composed of
different coloured fires, with a change or two of slow fire; the
wheels a, a, a, a, may be clothed with any number of cases, so that
the star wheel consists of the same; the illuminating port fires,
which must be placed very near each other on the frames, must be so
managed as to burn as long as the wheels, and lighted at the time.


The Regulated Illuminated Spirili Piece, with a projected Star Wheel
Illuminated.

This piece is represented by Fig. 7th, and is thus made; have a block
made eight inches diameter, in this block screw six iron spokes, which
must serve for spindles for the spiral wheels, these wheels are made
as usual, each one foot six inches diameter and three foot in height;
the spindles must be long enough to keep the wheels four or five
inches from one another; at the end of each spindle must be a screw
nut, on which the wheels that hang downwards will run, and on the
spindles which stand upwards must be a shoulder, for the blocks of the
wheels to run on.

                      *     *     *     *     *

The projected star wheel, must turn on the same spindle on which the
large block is fixed, this spindle must be long enough to allow the
star wheel to project a little before the spiral wheels; the exterior
diameter of the star wheel, must be three feet five inches, on this
wheel fix three circles of iron wire, and on them port-fires; on the
block place a transparent star, or a large five pointed brilliant
star, the cases on this wheel may burn four at once, as it will
contain near twice the number of one of the spiral wheels; the cases
on the spiral wheels, must be placed parallel to their fells, and burn
two at a time.


A New Figure Piece Illuminated with Five Pointed Stars.

The construction of this piece is very easy, as shewn by figure 8,
whose diameter from B to C, is eight feet, and from D to E, two feet,
the vertical wheel in the center, must be one foot diameter, and
consist of six four ounce cases of different coloured charge, which
cases must burn double; on the frames of this piece, six five pointed
brilliant or blue stars, rammed four inches with composition, let the
space between each star be eight inches; at each point of this piece,
fix a gerbe or case of chinese fire; when this piece is to be fired
let the gerbes, stars, and wheel be lighted at the same time.


The Star Wheel Illuminated.

This beautiful new invented piece, is shewn in Plate 8, fig. 9, its
exterior fell is made of wood, three feet six inches or four feet
diameter, within this fell, form with iron wire, three circles, one
less than the other, so that the diameter of the least may be about
ten inches; place the port-fires on these fells, with their mouths
inclining outwards, and the port-fires on the points of the star, with
their mouths projecting in front; let the exterior fell be clothed
with four ounce cases of grey charge, these cases must burn four at a
time, and be lighted at the same time as the illuminations.


Pyramid of Flower-pots.

Fig. 10, represents this curious piece, which must be made thus; let
the distance from A to B, be six feet, and from one rail to the other
two; on the bottom rail, fix five paper mortars, each three inches and
a half diameter, these mortars load with serpents, crackers, stars,
&c.

In the center of each mortar fix a case of spur fire; on the second
rail fix four mortars, so as to stand exactly in the middle of the
intervals of them on the bottom rail; on the third rail place three
mortars; on the fourth two; and on the top of the posts one; the
bottom rail must be six feet in length; all the mortars must incline a
little forwards, that they may easily discharge themselves, and the
spur-fires rammed exactly alike that the mortars may all be fired at
the same time, having prepared your pyramid according to the
preceeding directions, carry pipes of communication, from one
spur-fire to the other.


The Illuminated Regulating Piece.

Fig. 11, represents one half of this piece; A, A, A, A, are flat
wooden spokes, each five feet in length, and at the end of each, place
a vertical wheel, ten inches diameter, clothed with six four ounce
cases of brilliant fire, these cases must burn but one at a time; on
two of the spokes of each wheel, place two port-fires, which must be
lighted with the first case of the wheel; on each spoke A, A, &c.
behind the wheels place six cases of the same size as them on the
wheels; these cases must be tied across the spokes with their mouths
all one way, and be made to take fire successively one after the
other, so that they may assist the whole pieces to turn round.

The diameter of the wheel B, must be two feet six inches, and its fell
made of wood, which must be fixed to the large spokes, on this wheel
place twenty four cases of the same sort as them on the small wheels,
these cases must burn four at a time; in this wheel make three circles
with iron wire, and on them place illuminating port-fires, as shewn in
the figure; the star points on the large spokes may be made of thin
ash hoops, the diameter of these points close to the center wheel must
be eleven inches; on these points place port-fires, at three inches
and a half distance, one from the other.

Fig. 12, represents the blocks of this piece, the diameters of these
blocks at A and B, must be eight inches and C and D, four inches and a
half, the length of each, of these blocks must be six inches; at the
small ends of these blocks fix an iron wheel five inches diameter,
which wheels must have teeth, to turn the wheel E, this wheel which is
fixed on a small spindle screwed into the large spindle which goes
through the two blocks, and on which they run.

                      *     *     *     *     *

Supposing fig. 11, to be on the block A, in fig. 12, and to turn to
the right, and another piece of the same construction on the block B,
with its fires placed so as to turn it to the left, you will find them
move very true and fast, by the help of the three iron wheels, which
serves to regulate their motions, as well as to assist them in
turning; let the iron circles in the front of the great wheels be of
different diameters so that when fired there may appear six circles,
when this piece is fired, all the wheels and illuminations must be
lighted at one time.


To Fix a Sky-Rocket with its Stick, on the top of another.

Rockets thus managed make a pretty appearance, by reason of a fresh
tail being seen when the second rocket takes fire, which will mount to
a great height; the method of preparing these rockets is thus, having
filled a two pounder, which must be filled only half a diameter above
the piercer, and in its head not more than ten or twelve stars; the
stick of this rocket must be made a little thicker than common, and
when made, cut it in half the flat way, and in each half make a
groove, so that when the two halves are joined, the hollow made by the
grooves may be large enough to hold the stick of a half pound rocket,
which rocket make and head as usual, the stick of this rocket put into
the hollow of the large one, so far that the mouth of the rocket may
rest on the head of the two pounder; from whose head carry a leader
into the mouth of the small rocket, which being done, your rockets
will be ready for fireing.


A New Method of placing Leaders.

The placing leaders, on small cases or illuminations, is a much
quicker, stronger, and more expeditious way than that of using pins,
which method has been practised till very lately. Your port-fires
being filled within about three eighths of an inch of the top, bore
with an awl a hole through each side of the case close to the
composition, then fill the mouths of the cases with meal powder wetted
with spirit of wine, when you have thus prepared your cases, fix them
on your works, then take an empty leader, and lay it on the mouths of
as many cases as it will reach, then with your finger nail, mark the
leader exactly in the middle of the mouth of each case, then at each
mark with a pair of Scissars, cut a bit out of the pipe, so that when
you put in the quick-match, it may be seen; this being done, lay the
leader on the cases again with that side on which the match is seen
downwards; then take some small twine, and put it through the holes in
the mouths of the cases, and tie on the leader; do this to every case
and then cover them with single pasted paper; by making use of the
above method your works may be made very clean, there being no
occasion to put dry meal powder in the mouths of the cases which
always soils the works and prevents the paste from sticking.

In this treatise, I have taught the method of rolling, pinching, and
filling all sorts of cases, the manner of pulverizing, mixing, and
preparing, all compositions used in artificial fire-works; also the
method of placing leaders, clothing wheels, fixed pieces, &c. in so
plain a manner, that all fire-works may be made without any further
instructions. A variety of pyrotechnical representations only depends
on the genius of the maker, by fixing different cases and fires on
works of various forms, of which there are many more.

But as those I have given are the principal, I shall conclude, till I
have an opportunity of extending this work, which will depend on the
approbation it meets with.




                         _FINIS._



Footnotes:

     [1] A line is the twelfth part of an inch.

     [2] Traité des feux d’artifice, par M. F***.

     [3] The nipple and cylinder to bear the same proportion
         as those for rockets.

     [4] A round bit of brass, equal in length to the nick
         of the case, and flat at the top.

     [5] A copper scoop with a wooden handle.

     [6] A piece of hard wood in the form of an anvil block.




Transcriber’s Note

This book was written in a period when many words had not become
standardized in their spelling. Words may have multiple spelling
variations or inconsistent hyphenation in the text. Obsolete words and
misspellings were left unchanged; however, corrections noted in the
Errata were corrected in the text.

Footnotes were renumbered sequentially and were moved to the end of
the book. The “Contents of the Additions” was moved to the end of the
Table of Contents and the table of Errata was moved from middle of the
Table of Contents to follow it.

Obvious printing errors, such as backwards, upside down, or partially
printed letters, were corrected. Final stops missing at the end of
sentences, lists, and abbreviations were added. Duplicate words and
syllables at line endings or page breaks were removed.

Other Changes:

  Commas used as a decimal point were changed to mid-dots in tables.
  In the Table of characters, pg 30, substituted ∩. for the symbol
    for Gum (a partial circle with a dot in the center).
  Capitalized column and section headers.
  For consistency, added missing stops after item numbers in “Order
    of Firing” list, and added missing commas at end of each item
    in the list.
  Excess punctuation was removed.

Noted, but not changed:

  Inconsistent use of stop at end of alpha groups of Subscriber Names.
  Inconsistent use of stop at end of column heads in tables.
  Inconsistent use of commas and stops after figure numbers.
  Inconsistent use of stops in the illustrations after the word “Plate” and the following number.
  Inconsistent use of Roman numerals for Plate numbers in the text while
    the plates use Arabic numbers.
  “It’s” is sometimes used for “its.”
  Commas are occasionally used unexpectedly.