Definition.

Literally signifies the art of fire, and is derived from πυρ, "fire," and τέχνη, "art." The term is now, however, generally confined to denote the art of making artificial fire-works, which has become a particular trade.

As this art depends chiefly on chemical principles, and as the objects about which it is employed afford some of the most gratifying spectacles on occasions of public rejoicing, we have not considered it unworthy of a place in our Encyclopaedia; and we shall endeavour to give such an account of the operations and principles of the art as may satisfy those who wish to practise it by way of rational amusement.

Of the origin of artificial fire-works nothing certain appears to be recorded. We know that in Europe their invention is of a recent date, and appears due to the Italians. The use of fire-works in China seems to have been very general long before their invention in Europe, and that ingenious people have carried these exhibitions to a degree of perfection which European artists have yet scarcely attained. The following description of a Chinese display of fire-works by one of the gentlemen who accompanied Lord Macartney's embassy to Pekin, will give our readers some idea of the state of the art among that people.

"The fire-works in some particulars, exceeded anything of the kind I had ever seen. In grandeur, magnificence, and variety, they were, I own, inferior to the Chinese fire-works we had seen at Batavia, but infinitely superior in point of novelty, neatness, and ingenuity of contrivance. One piece of machinery I greatly admired; a green chest of five feet square was hoisted up by a pulley to the height of 50 or 60 feet from the ground; the bottom was so constructed as then suddenly to fall out, and make way for 20 or 30 strings of lanterns enclosed in the box to descend from it, unfolding themselves from one another by degrees, so as at last to form a collection of at least 500, each having a light of a beautifully coloured flame burning brightly within it. This deviation and development of lanterns (which appeared to me to be composed of gauze and paper) were several times repeated, and every time exhibited a difference of colour and figure. On each side was a correspondence of smaller boxes, which opened in like manner as the others, and let down an immense net-work of fire, with divisions and compartments of various forms and dimensions, round and square, hexagons, octagons, and lozenges, which shone like the brightest burnished copper, and flashed like prismatic lightning, with every impulse of the wind. The diversity of colours indeed with which the Chinese have the secret of cloathing fire seems one of the chief merits of their pyrotechny. The whole concluded with a volcano, or general explosion and discharge of fuses and stars, squibs, bouncers, crackers, rockets, and grenades, which involved the gardens for above an hour after in a cloud of intolerable smoke."

Till of late the French and Italian makers of fire-works works much excelled our British artists, and even now, though the practice of the art is well understood among us, its principles are almost entirely unknown; and no English work of any respectability has appeared on the subject. In France, the art has been more fortunate, and several men of eminent literary abilities have concurred to make it an object of their attention. It will be sufficient, in proof of this, to mention the names of Ozanam and Montucla. The following works are recommended by the latter, as containing the best account of this amusing art; viz.

Traité des Feux d'Artifice (Treatise on Artificial Fire-Works), by M. Frezier, a new edition of which appeared in 1745.

Traité des Feux d'Artifice pour le Spectacle et pour la Guerre, (Treatise on Artificial Fire-Works, employed in Exhibitions and in War), by M. Perrinet d'Orval.

Manuel d'Artificier, (Artificial Fire-Work-Maker's Manual), published at Paris in 1757, by Father d'Incarville.

Indeed most of the written information which we possess on the making of fire-works, is derived from the French; and many of these productions still retain French names, such as gerbes, balloons, marroons, tourbillons, fuscions, &c.

We shall divide this article into two chapters; in the first of which we shall consider the apparatus required for forming the cases or shells of artificial fire-works, and the materials employed in their construction; and in the second we shall describe the different kinds of fire-works and the most approved methods of constructing them.

**Chap. I. Of the Apparatus and Materials employed in making Fire-Works.**

**Sect. I. Of Apparatus.**

The apparatus used in making fire-works consists chiefly of solid wooden cylinders, called formers, for rolling the cases on; similar cylinders either of wood or metal for ramming down the composition; moulds for holding the cases while filling, a machine for choking or contracting the cavity of the cases, another for grinding the materials, and a particular apparatus for boring some cases after they are filled.

We shall begin with describing the moulds, as on the size of these depends that of the formers and rammers.

As the performance of rockets depend much on their moulds, it is requisite to give a description of them and their proportions: They are made and proportioned by the diameter of their orifice, which is divided into equal parts. Fig. 1 represents a mould made by its diameter AB; 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 choke 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 is an iron pin that goes through the 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 it is one-third of the diameter thick, from thence tapering to one-sixth of the diameter. The piercer is an iron pin rising from the nipple, and intended to prelude a vacancy in the centre of the charge.

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 bottom. Fig. 2. Fig. 2. is a former or roller for the cases, whose length from the handle is seven diameters and a half, and its diameter two-thirds of the bore. Fig. 3. is a part attached to Fig. 3. 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 roller when the case is pinching is one-sixth, and one half of the mould's diameter thick. Fig. 4. the first drift or rammer, Fig. 4. 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 sticking of the paper when 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 filling the rocket, this line appears at top of the case; you must then take the second rammer, (fig. 5.) which from the handle is four diameters, and the hole for the piercer is one diameter and a half long. Fig. 6. is the short and solid drift which is used when fig. 5, &c. the case has been filled as high as the top of the piercer.

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

The following are the dimensions for rocket moulds, when the rockets are rammed solid.

| Weight of Rockets | Length of the moulds without their feet | Interior diameter of the moulds | Height of the nipples | |-------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|----------------------| | lb. oz. | Inches | inches | inches | | 6 | 34.7 | 3.5 | 1.5 | | 4 | 38.6 | 2.9 | 1.4 | | 2 | 13.35 | 2.1 | 1.0 | | 1 | 12.25 | 1.7 | 0.85 | | 0 8 | 10.125 | 1.333 | 0.6 | | 0 4 | 7.75 | 1.125 | 0.5 | | 0 2 | 6.2 | 0.9 | 0.45 | | 0 1 | 4.9 | 0.7 | 0.33 | | 0 ½ | 3.9 | 0.55 | 0.25 | | 6 dram. | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.225 | | 4 dram. | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 |

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

We shall now show the method of finding the diameters or calibres of rockets, according to their weight; but we must first observe, that a pound rocket, is that Apparatus, just capable of admitting a leaden bullet of a pound weight, and so of the rest. The calibre for the different sizes may be found in the two following tables, one of which is calculated for rockets of a pound weight and under; and the other for those from a pound to 50 pounds.

### Table I. Of the Calibre of Moulds of a pound weight and below.

| Ounces | Lines | Drams | Lines | |--------|-------|-------|-------| | 16 | 19\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 14 | 7\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | 12 | 17 | 12 | 7 | | 8 | 15 | 10 | 6\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | 7 | 14\(\frac{3}{4}\) | 8 | 6\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | 6 | 14\(\frac{1}{4}\) | 6 | 5\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | 5 | 13 | 4 | 4\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | 4 | 12\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 2 | 3\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | 3 | 11\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | | | 2 | 9\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | | | 1 | 6\(\frac{1}{2}\) | | |

The use of this table will be understood merely by inspection; for it is evident that the mould for a rocket of 12 ounces ought to be 17 lines in diameter; one of eight ounces, 15 lines; one of 10 drams, 6\(\frac{1}{2}\) lines; and so of the rest.

On the other hand, if the diameter of the rocket be given, it will be easy to find the weight of the ball corresponding to that calibre. For example, if the diameter be 13 lines, it will be immediately seen, by looking for that number in the column of lines, that it corresponds to a ball of five ounces.

### II. Table of the Calibre of Moulds from one to 50 pounds ball.

| Pounds | Calibre | Pounds | Calibre | Pounds | Calibre | |--------|---------|--------|---------|--------|---------| | 1 | 100 | 18 | 262 | 35 | 326 | | 2 | 126 | 19 | 267 | 36 | 330 | | 3 | 144 | 20 | 271 | 37 | 333 | | 4 | 153 | 21 | 275 | 38 | 336 | | 5 | 171 | 22 | 280 | 39 | 339 | | 6 | 181 | 23 | 284 | 40 | 341 | | 7 | 191 | 24 | 288 | 41 | 344 | | 8 | 200 | 25 | 292 | 42 | 347 | | 9 | 208 | 26 | 296 | 43 | 350 | | 10 | 215 | 27 | 300 | 44 | 353 | | 11 | 222 | 28 | 304 | 45 | 355 | | 12 | 228 | 29 | 307 | 46 | 358 | | 13 | 235 | 30 | 310 | 47 | 361 | | 14 | 241 | 31 | 314 | 48 | 363 | | 15 | 247 | 32 | 317 | 49 | 366 | | 16 | 252 | 33 | 320 | 50 | 368 | | 17 | 257 | 34 | 323 | | |

The use of this second table is as follows: If the weight of the ball be given, which we shall suppose to be 24 pounds, seek for that number in the column of pounds, and opposite to it, in the column of calibres, will be found the number 288. Then say, as 100 is to 19\(\frac{1}{2}\), so is 288 to a fourth term, which will be the number of lines of the calibre required; or multiply the number found, that is 288, by 19\(\frac{1}{2}\), and from the produce 5616, cut off the two last figures; the required calibre, therefore, will be 56,16 lines, or four inches eight lines.

On the other hand, the calibre being given in lines, the weight of the ball may be found with equal ease. If the calibre, for example, be 28 lines, say as 19\(\frac{1}{2}\) is to 28, so is 100 to a fourth term, which will be 143.5, or nearly 144. But in the above table, opposite to 144 in the second column, will be found the number 3 in the first; which shows that a rocket, the diameter or calibre of which is 28 lines, is a rocket of a three pounds ball.

Fig. 7 represents a mould, in which the cases are driven solid; L the nipple, with a bras point at top; Moulds for (flat at top, and of the same length as the neck of the serpents, or case), which, when the case is filling, serves to stop the wheel-neck, and prevent the composition from falling out, as cases without this point it would; and, in consequence, the air would get into the vacancy in the charge, and at the time of firing cause the case to be burnt. These 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. The nipple and cylinders must bear the same proportion as those for rockets.

The rolling and formation of cases is so intimately connected with the construction of moulds and formers, that we shall introduce what we have to say on that subject into the same section.

Sky-rocket cases are to be made 6\(\frac{1}{2}\) 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 pounds, are generally made of the strongest sort of cartridge-rolling paper, and rolled dry; but the large sort are made of paited pateboard. 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 the 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 side 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 the next sheet on that part which is loose, and roll it all on.

Having thus done, you must have a smooth board, about 20 inches long, and equal in breadth to the length of the case. In the middle of this board must be a handle placed lengthwise. Under this board lay the case, and let one end of the board lie 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 with every other sheet of paper, till the case is thick enough; apparatus, enough; but if the rolling board be drawn backwards, materials, 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 cafe to fit the mould, push in the small end of the former F, about one diameter from the end of the cafe, and put in the end-piece within a little distance of the former; then give the pinching cord one turn round the cafe, between the former and the end-piece; at first pull gently, and keep moving the cafe, which will make the neck smooth, and without large wrinkles. When the cafes are hard to choke, 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 cafe 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 cafe, so as not to give way, put it into the mould without its foot, and with a mallet drive the former hard on the end-piece, which will force the neck close and smooth. This done, cut the cafe 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 cafe over the piercer with the long rammer, and the vent will be of a proper size. Wheel-cafes must be driven on a nipple with a point to close the neck, and make the vent of the size required; which, in most cafes, is generally one fourth of their interior diameter. As it is very often difficult, when the cafes 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. 8 shows the method of pinching cafes; P a treadle, 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 pulley, with a groove round it for the cord to run in.

Cafes for wheels and fixed pieces are commonly rolled wet; and when they are required to contain a great length of charge, the method of making those cafes is this: The paper must be cut as usual, only the last sheet must not be cut with a slope: Having the 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 choke those cafes, roll a bit of dry paper once round the cafe before you put on the pinching cord; but this bit of paper must be taken off after the cafe is choked. The rolling board, and all other methods, according to the former directions for the rolling and pinching of cafes, must be used for these as well as all other cafes.

Tourbillon cafes are generally made about eight diameters long; but if very large even will be sufficient: tourbillons will answer very well from four ounces to two pounds; but when larger there is no certainty. The cafes are best rolled wet with paste, and the last sheet must have a straight edge, so that the cafe may be all of a thickness: when the cafes have been rolled in the manner of wheel cafes, pinch them at one end quite close; then with the rammer drive the ends down flat, Apparatus, and afterwards ram in about one-third of a diameter of dried clay. The diameter of the former for these cafes must be the same as of that for sky-rockets.

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

For balloons, first prepare an oval former turned of Balloon case smooth wood; over which pasting a quantity of brown fuses, or paper cartridge paper, let it lie 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 intended shell. This being done, let it dry; and when dry, cut it round the middle, and the two halves will easily come off; but observe, when you cut, to have about one inch uncut, which will make the halves join much better than if they had been quite separated. When there are some ready to join, place the halves evenly together, paste a slip of paper round the opening to hold them together, and let that dry; then lay on paper all over as before, everywhere 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 impulse from the powder in the chamber of the mortar requires the greatest strength. When the shell is thoroughly dry, burn a round hole at top, with square iron, large enough for the fuse: this method will do for balloons 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 turned of elm, instead of being made of paper.

For a balloon of four inches two-fifths, let the former be three inches one-eighth diameter, and five inches and a half long. For a balloon of five inches and a half, the diameter of the former must be four inches, and eight inches long. For a balloon of eight inches, let the diameter of the former be five inches and 15-16ths, and 11 inches seven-eighths long. For a 10-inch balloon, let the former be seven inches three-sixteenths diameter, and 14 inches and a half long. The thickness of a shell for a balloon of four inches two-fifths, must be one-half inch. For a balloon of five inches and a half, let the thickness of the paper be five-eighths of an inch. For an eight-inch balloon, seven-eighths of an inch. And for a 10-inch balloon, let the shell be one inch 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 making the shell, use a pair of calibre compasses, or a round gage, so that the paper may not be laid thicker in one place than another; and also to know when the shell is of a proper thickness. Balloons must always be made to go easy into the mortars.

Port-fire cafes must be made very thin, and rolled on cafes for formers, from two inches to 3/8 of an inch diameter, and port-fires, from two to six inches long: they are pinched close at one end, and left open at the other. When they are to be filled, put in but little composition at a time, and ram it lightly, so as not to break the cafe: three or four rounds of paper, with the last round pasted, will be strong enough for these cafes.

Common port-fires are intended for the purpose of firing Apparatus ing the works, their fire being very slow, and the heat Materials of the flame so intense, that, if applied to rockets, lead- &c. of Fire. ers, &c. it will fire them immediately. Portfires may be made of any length, but are seldom made more than 21 inches long; the interior diameter of portfire moulds should be 10-16ths of an inch, and the diameter of the former half an inch. The cases must be rolled wet with paste, and one end pinched, or folded down. The moulds should be made of brafs, and such as will take in two pieces lengthwise; when the case is in the two sides, they are held together by brafs 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. These portfires, when used, are held in copper sockets, fixed on the end of a long stick; these rockets are made like port-crayons, only with a screw instead of a ring.

There have been many methods contrived for grinding the ingredients for fire-works to a powder, such as large mortars and pestles made of ebony and other hard wood, and horizontal mills with brafs barrels; but none have proved so effectual and speedy, as that of the meal-ing-table, represented in fig. 9, made of elm, with a rim round its edge four or five inches high; and at the narrow end A, furnished with a slider that 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 can with the copper shovel (fig. 10), sweep all clean out at the slider A. When about 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. 11) and rub till all the grains are broken; then sift it in a lawn sieve that has a receiver and top to it, such as is used by the apothecaries, and that which does not pass through the sieve, must be returned again to the table, and ground till it is fine enough to go through the sieve. Sulphur and charcoal are ground in the same manner, only the muller must be made of ebony; for these ingredients being harder than powder, would stick in the grain of elm, and be difficult to grind. As sulphur is apt to stick and clot to the table, it will be best to keep one for that purpose, by which means you will always have your brimstone clean and well ground.

Fig. 12 represents the plan of an apparatus, or lathe, for boring rockets. A the large wheel, which turns the small one B, that works the rammer C; these rammers are of different sizes according to the rockets; they must be of the same diameter as the top of the intended bore, and continue that thickness a little longer than the depth of the bore required, and their points must be like that of an augre: the thick end of each rammer must be made square, and all of the same size, so as to fit into one socket, into which they are fastened by a screw D. E the guide for the rammer, which is made to move backwards and forwards; so that, after the rammer has been marked 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 rammer may not go too far up the charge. F, boxes for holding the rockets, which are made so as to fit one within; 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 rocket from 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 rammer from forcing the rocket backwards. G, a rocket in the box. H, a box that slides under the rocket-boxes to receive the borings for the rockets, which fall 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. 13, is a front view of the large rocket-box. I, Fig. 13, an iron-plate, in which are holes of different sizes, through which the rammer passes; this plate is fastened with a screw in the centre, so that when the rammer is changed, the plate is turned round, but the hole you are going to use must always be at the bottom: the fronts of the other boxes must have holes in them to correspond with those in the plate. K, the lower part of the large box; which is made to fit the inside of the lathe, that all the boxes may move quite steadily.

Fig. 14, is a perspective view of the lathe. L, the Fig. 14, guide for the rammer, which is set by the forew at bottom.

Fig. 15, A view of the front of the guide facing the rammer. 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 forew in the centre. N, the rocket-box which slides backwards and forwards: when a rocket is fixed in the box, it is to be pushed forwards against the rammer; and when the scoop of the rammer appears to be full, draw the box back, and knock out the composition: this must be done till the rocket is bored, or it will be in danger of taking fire; and if the boring be done in a hurry, wet the end of the rammer 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 used they must be marked 3½ diameters from the point, allowing for the thickness of the rocket's neck; then, holding the rocket in one hand, tap it with the other. One of these taps is represented by fig. 16. They are made in the same proportion as the fixed piercers, and are hollowed their whole length.

There are hand machines for boring, which answer very well, though not so expeditious as the lathes. But they are not so expensive, and they may be worked by one man; whereas the lathe will require three. Fig. 17, represents the machine. O, the rocket boxes, which are to be fixed, and not to slide as those in the lathe. PQ are guides for the rammers, that are made to slide together, as the rammer moves forward: the rammers for these 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 rammers 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 flock which turns the rammer, and which, while turning, must be pressed towards the rocket by the body of the man who works it; all the rammers are to be made to fit one stock. The charges or compositions with which the cases that we have described are to be filled, consist chiefly of gunpowder, or of a powder composed of the same materials in various proportions, and some other combustible substances, intended either to give the composition a stronger impelling force, or to increase the beauty and splendour of the exhibition. As the nature and composition of gunpowder have been fully explained under the article Gunpowder, it is unnecessary to consider them in this place; but as the makers of fire-works commonly employ considerable quantities of the substances of which gunpowder is composed, it may be proper to give some directions for obtaining these in the greatest purity. We may also notice, that gunpowder, in its ordinary state, is called corn-powder; while, when ground down, as directed in No. 15, it is denominated meal-powder.

The ingredient on which the force of the compositions chiefly depends, is nitre or saltpetre; but as this substance, in its usual state, is very impure, being much contaminated with earthy matter, and as pure nitre is now become very expensive, it is of consequence to know how the nitre of commerce may be purified.

Nitre, like most other saline bodies, is much more soluble in boiling water, than in water of the ordinary temperature. If, therefore, the nitre of commerce be dissolved in a small quantity of boiling water, and the solution be properly strained, the liquor, when cold, will afford crystals that are very pure. The following is the most convenient method of proceeding. Dissolve the nitre in boiling water, in the proportion of about an English quart, or Scotch gill, to each pound of nitre; and that the solution may be more easily effected, let the nitre be reduced to powder, and let the vessel containing the nitre and water be kept at the boiling heat till all the salt is dissolved. Then strain the liquor while hot through thick blotting paper, placed in a clean funnel, and let by the filtered liquor in a shallow vessel, in some cold place, till crystals are formed. These must be removed from the liquor, and dried with a gentle heat; and if the remaining liquor be slowly evaporated over the fire, in an earthen unglazed vessel, till a film appears on the top, and then set by to crystallize as before, an additional quantity of pure nitre will be procured; and thus, by repeated evaporation and crystallizations, the whole of the salt will be obtained.

Nitre may be obtained in great purity from damaged gunpowder, which may often be bought at a cheap rate. The damaged powder must be ground with a small quantity of hot water, in a large wooden or stone mortar, or it may be boiled over a gentle fire, with as much water as will cover it. When the water seems to have dissolved as much of the nitre as it will retain, it is to be poured off from the sediment, and filtered or strained through a flannel bag, then heated again, and, while hot, filtered through blotting paper, and set by to crystallize, as in the former case. Fresh quantities of hot water are to be successively added to the sediment, and strained as before, till the whole of the nitre is obtained.

Nitre may be speedily reduced to a fine powder, by dissolving it in a little more than its own weight of boiling water, in a kettle with a round bottom, keeping the solution over a gentle fire, and continually stirring it with a wooden spatula till all the water is evaporated, and the remaining powder is pretty well dried. Care must be taken, however, not to suffer it to remain too long, or expose it to too great a heat, otherwise it will be melted into a firm cake. The drying may be completed by suffering it to lie for a sufficient time on paper before the fire.

Sulphur or brimstone, may be employed in three sulphur states. 1. As it is brought from the neighbourhood of volcanoes, or what is called sulphur vivum. 2. Roll brimstone, which is sold by most grocers, and is employed for making matches; and, 3. Flowers of sulphur, or sublimed sulphur. The first of these is the cheapest, and answers very well for coarse fire-works; the second is considered as the strongest, and is most used; but the third is the purest sulphur, and will answer best for the nicer and more delicate fire-works. It also has the advantage of being in a state of fine powder, whereas the two former require to be ground or mealed, as directed in No. 15.

Charcoal may, in general, be procured at the shops of founders and hardware dealers; but when this is not the case, it may easily be prepared by putting a quantity of small pieces of wood into a large earthen crucible or iron pot, and covering them to the head with sand, and placing the crucible or the pot in the middle of a strong fire, where it must be kept red hot for an hour or two, in proportion to the quantity of wood. Charcoal should be chosen soft and light, and such as may easily be reduced to powder. It should be kept in a dry place, but is always best when fresh burned.

Several other ingredients are employed in the composition of fire-works, such as camphor, antimony (fulphuret of antimony), raisings of ivory, yellow amber, sal ammoniac, verdigris, common pitch, and Greek pitch, all of which are used on different occasions, to produce a change of colour in the fire; filings of iron and copper, for giving a sparkling appearance to the flame, and salt of benjamin (benzoic acid) to produce an agreeable odour.

Iron filings answer very well for ordinary fire-works; but they do not produce such a brilliant appearance as powdered cast-iron. The introduction of this latter is an improvement of the Chinese, and its use is now very general.

Cast-iron being of so hard a nature as not to be cut by a file, we are obliged to reduce it into grains, though this is rather difficult to perform; but if we consider what beautiful sparks this iron yields, no pains should be spared to granulate such an essential material: to do this, procure at an iron-foundery some thin pieces of iron, such as generally run over the mould at the time of casting: then have a square block made of cast-iron, and an iron square hammer about four lb. 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 with the hammer till reduced into small grains; which afterwards sift with a very fine sieve, to separate 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. Apparatus, sieve a little larger, and so on with sieves of different materials, sizes, till the iron passes through about the bigness of small bird-shot; the iron, thus beaten and sifted, is to be put separately, according to its fineness, into wooden boxes or oiled paper, to keep it from rusting. When used, observe the difference of its size, in proportion to the cases for which the charge is intended; for the coarsest is proper only for very large gerbes of six or eight pounds.

When these pieces of iron cannot be procured, an old cast-iron pot may be employed; but care must be taken that its surface be perfectly freed from rust. This pulverized cast iron is sometimes called iron sand, and is denominated, according to its fineness, sand of the first, second, third, &c., order, that of the first order being the finest.

It sometimes happens, that fire-works 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 droopy sparks; and besides, the charge will be so much weakened, that if this were to take place in wheels, the fire would scarcely be strong enough to force them round. But to prevent such accidents, the filings may be thus prepared: Melt in a glazed earthen pan some brimstone over a slow fire, and when melted throw in some filings; which keep stirring till they are covered with brimstone; this must be done while it is on the fire; then take it off, and stir it very quickly till cold, when it must be rolled on a board with a wooden roller, till broken as fine as corn powder; after which sift from it as much of the brimstone as possible. 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 strong brown paper, which before has been moistened with linseed oil.

N. B. If the brimstone should take fire, it may be extinguished, by covering the pan close at top: it does not signify what quantity of brimstone is used, provided 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 pounds of filings or cast-iron for gerbes.

Before we enumerate the various compositions generally employed in filling cases for rockets, wheels, &c., we shall describe two compositions that are much valued for the brilliancy of their appearance. One of these is called Chinese fire, and is either red or white. The following tables show the proportions of the different ingredients for each of these compositions; as they are adapted to rockets (in the construction of which the Chinese fire is much employed) of from 12 to 36 lbs.

### Composition of Red Chinese Fire

| Calibres | Saltpetre | Sulphur | Charcoal | Sand of the first order | |----------|-----------|---------|----------|------------------------| | Pounds | Pounds | Ounces | Ounces | Oz. Dr. | | 12 to 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | | 18 to 21 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | | 24 to 36 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 |

The other composition is called spur-fire, because the sparks yielded by it have a starry appearance like the rowel of a spur.

**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. As it requires great trouble to make it to perfection, it will be necessary that beginners should have full instructions; therefore care should be taken that all the ingredients are of the best, that the lamp-black is not damp and clodded, 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 the 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 rammed; and will not spoil, if kept dry, in many years.

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: 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 consists of saltpetre, four pounds eight ounces; sulphur two pounds, and lamp-black one pound eight ounces; or, saltpetre one pound, sulphur half a pound, and lamp-black four quarts.—This composition is very difficult to mix. The saltpetre and 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 grayish, but very near black: then drive a little into a case for trial, and fire it in a dark place; and if the sparks, which are called flares, or pinks, come out in clutters, and afterwards spread well without any other sparks, it is a sign of its being good, otherwise not; for if any droopy sparks appear, and the flares not full, it is then not mixed enough; but if the pinks are very small, and soon break, it is a sign that it has been rubbed too much. This mixture, when rubbed too much, will be too fierce, and hardly throw any stars; and, on the contrary, when not mixed enough, will be too weak, and throw out an obscure smoke, and lumps of dross, without any stars.

The following compositions are those commonly employed in ordinary fire-works.

**Rockets of four ounces.**—Meaded powder 1 lb. 4 oz., saltpetre 4 oz. and charcoal 2 oz.

**Rockets of eight ounces.**—I. Mealed powder 1 lb., saltpetre 4 oz., brimstone 3 oz. and charcoal 1½ oz. II. Mealed powder 1½ lb. and charcoal 4½ oz.

**Rockets of one pound.**—Mealed powder 2 lb. saltpetre 8 oz. brimstone 4 oz. charcoal 2 oz. and freeling-flints 1½ oz.

**Sky-rockets in general.**—I. Saltpetre 4 lb. brimstone 1 lb. and charcoal 1½ lb. II. Saltpetre 4 lb. brimstone 1½ lb. charcoal 1 lb. 12 oz. and meal-powder 2 oz.

**Large sky-rockets.**—Saltpetre 4 lb. meal-powder 1 lb. and brimstone 1 lb.

**Rockets of a middling size.**—I. Saltpetre 8 lb. sulphur 3 lb. meal-powder 3 lb. II. Saltpetre 3 lb. sulphur 2 lb. meal-powder 1 lb. charcoal 1 lb.

**White flares.**—Meal-powder 4 oz. saltpetre 12 oz. sulphur vivum 6 oz. oil of spike 2 oz. and camphor 5 oz.

**Blue flares.**—Meal-powder 8 oz. saltpetre 4, sulphur 2, spirit of wine 2, and oil of spike 2.

**Coloured or variegated flares.**—Meal-powder 8 drams, rochpetre 4 oz. sulphur vivum 2, and camphor 2.

**Brilliant flares.**—Saltpetre 3½ oz. sulphur 1½ oz. and meal-powder ¾, worked up with spirits of wine only.

**Common flares.**—Saltpetre 1 lb. brimstone 4 oz. antimony 4½, flinginglas ½, camphor ¼, and spirit of wine ¼.

**Tailed flares.**—Meal-powder 3 oz. brimstone 2, saltpetre 1, and charcoal (coarsely ground) ¾.

**Drove flares.**—I. Saltpetre 3 lb. sulphur 1 lb. brafs duft 12 oz. antimony 3. II. Saltpetre 1 lb. antimony 4 oz. and sulphur 8.

**Fixed pointed flares.**—Saltpetre 8½ oz. sulphur 2, antimony 1 oz. 10 dr.

**Stars of a fine colour.**—Sulphur 1 oz. meal-powder 1, saltpetre 1, camphor 4 dr. oil of turpentine 4 dr.

**Gold rain for sky-rockets.**—I. Saltpetre 1 lb. meal-powder 4 oz. sulphur 4, brafs-duft 1, lau-duft 2½, and glafs-duft 6 dr. II. Meal-powder 12 oz. saltpetre 2, charcoal 4. III. Saltpetre 8 oz. brimstone 2, glafs-duft 1, antimony ¾, brafs-duft ½ and saw-duft 12 dr.

**Silver rain.**—I. Saltpetre 4 oz. sulphur, meal-powder, and antimony, of each 2 oz. lad prunella ½ oz. II. Saltpetre ½ lb. brimstone 2 oz. and charcoal 4. III. Saltpetre 1 lb. brimstone ¼ lb. antimony 6 oz. IV. Saltpetre 4 oz. brimstone 1, powder 2, and steel-duft ½ oz.

I. Meal-powder 6 lb. saltpetre 4, brimstone 3, charcoal 5. II. Saltpetre 1 lb. brimstone 4½ oz. charcoal 6. III. Saltpetre 1 lb. brimstone 4 oz. charcoal 12. IV. Saltpetre 4 lb. brimstone 1½ lb. charcoal 1 lb. 12 oz. V. Brimstone 2 lb. saltpetre 4 lb. and meal-powder 4. VI. Saltpetre 1 lb. meal-powder 4 oz. brimstone 8½, charcoal 2. VII. Meal-powder 1 lb. saltpetre 3, brimstone 1½; fea-coal 1 oz. charcoal 8½, saw-duft 2½, steel-duft ½, and coarse charcoal ¼ oz. VIII. Meal-powder 1½ lb. saltpetre 3, sulphur 1½, charcoal 12 oz. saw-duft 2.

**Sinking charge for water-rockets.**—Meal-powder 8 oz. charcoal ¾ oz.

**Wheel-cafes from two ounces to four pounds.**—I. Meal-powder 2 lb. saltpetre 4 oz. iron-filings 7. II. Meal-powder 2 lb. saltpetre 12 oz. sulphur 4, steel-duft 3. III. Meal-powder 4 lb. saltpetre 1 lb. brimstone 8 oz. charcoal 4½. IV. Meal-powder 8 oz. saltpetre 4, saw-duft 1½, fea-coal ¾. V. Meal-powder 1 lb. 4 oz. For wheels. brimstone 4 oz. 10 dr. saltpetre 8 oz. glafs-duft 2½. VI. Meal-powder 12 oz. charcoal 1, saw-duft ½. VII. Saltpetre 1 lb. 9 oz. brimstone 4 oz. charcoal 4½. VIII. Meal-powder 2 lb. saltpetre 1, brimstone ¾, and fea-coal 2 oz. IX. Saltpetre 2 lb. brimstone 1, meal-powder 4, and glafs-duft 4 oz. X. Meal-powder 1 lb. saltpetre 2 oz. and steel-duft 3½. XI. Meal-powder 2 lb. and steel-duft 2 and a half oz. with 2 and a half of the fine dust of beat iron. XII. Saltpetre 2 lb. 13 oz. brimstone 8 oz. and charcoal.

**Slow fire for wheels.**—I. Saltpetre 4 oz. brimstone 2, and meal-powder 1 and a half. II. Saltpetre 4 oz. brimstone 1, and antimony 1 oz. 6 dr. III. Saltpetre 4 oz. and a half, brimstone 1 oz. and mealed powder 1 and a half.

**Dead fire for wheels.**—I. Saltpetre 1½ oz. brimstone ¾, lapis-calamarius 4, and antimony 2 dr.

I. Meal-powder 4 lb. saltpetre 2, brimstone and charcoal 1. II. Meal-powder 2 lb. saltpetre 1, and steel-standing duft 8 oz. III. Meal-powder 1 lb. 4 oz. and charcoal 4 oz. IV. Meal-powder 1 lb. and steel-duft 4 oz. V. Meal-powder 2½ lb. brimstone 4 oz.; and fea-coal 6. VI. Meal-powder 3 lb. charcoal 5 oz. and saw-duft 1 and a half.

I. Meal-powder 8½ lb. saltpetre 1 lb. 2 oz. steel-duft For fixed or fun 2 lb. 10 oz. brimstone 4. II. Meal-powder 3 lb. saltpetre 6 oz. and steel-duft 7½.

Meal-powder 1½ lb. saltpetre 1, brimstone 4 oz. steel-duft 1 lb. and a half.

Meal-powder 6 lb. and beat-iron 2 lb. 1 oz. and a half.

**Charge for four ounce Tourbillons.**—Meal-powder 2 lb. 4 oz. and charcoal 4 oz. and a half.

**Eight ounce Tourbillons.**—Meal-powder 2 lb. and billons. charcoal 4½ oz.

**Large Tourbillons.**—Meal-powder 2 lb. saltpetre 1, brimstone 8 oz. and beat iron 8.

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

I. Saltpetre 4 lb. brimstone 2, meal-powder 2, antimony 4 oz. saw-duft 4; and glafs-duft 1 and a fourth.

II. Saltpetre 9 lb. brimstone 3 lb. meal-powder 6 lb. rofin 1½ oz. and antimony 8 oz.

I. Meal-powder 1 lb. and charcoal 1 lb. II. Meal-powder 1 lb. and charcoal 9 oz.

I. Meal-powder 1 lb. and charcoal 1 oz. II. Meal-powder 9 oz. charcoal 1 oz.

For firing rockets, &c.—I. Saltpetre 12 oz. brimstone 4 oz. and meal-powder 2 oz. II. Saltpetre 8 oz. brimstone 4 oz. and meal-powder 2 oz. III. Saltpetre 1 lb. 2 oz. meal-powder 1 lb. and a half, and brimstone 10 oz.

This composition must be moistened with one gill of linseed oil. IV. Meal-powder 6 oz. saltpetre 2 lb. 2 oz. and brimstone 10 oz. V. Saltpetre 1 lb. 4 oz. meal-powder 4 oz. brimstone 5 oz. saw-duft 8 oz. VI. Saltpetre 8 oz. brimstone 2 oz. and meal-powder 2 oz.

For illuminations.—Saltpetre 1 lb. brimstone 8 oz. and meal-powder 6 oz. Apparatus, Materials, &c. of Fireworks.

Saltpetre 1 lb. and a half, brimstone 6 oz. meal-powder 14 oz. and glas-dust 14 oz.

Saltspetre 6 oz. brimstone 2 lb. antimony 4 oz. and camphor 2 oz.

I. Saltpetre 1 lb. 10 oz. brimstone 8 oz. and meal-powder 1 lb. 6 oz. II. Saltpetre 1 lb. and a half, brimstone 8 oz. and meal-powder 1 lb. 8 oz.

Meal powder 1 lb. 8 oz. saltpetre 12 oz. and charcoal 2 oz.

I. Saltpetre 5 lb. brimstone 1 lb. meal-powder 1 lb. and a half, and glas-dust 1 lb. II. Saltpetre 5 lb. 8 oz. brimstone 2 lb. meal-powder 1 lb. 8 oz. and glas-dust 1 lb. 8 oz.

I. Saltpetre 2 lb. brimstone 3 lb. antimony 1 lb. II. Saltpetre 3½ lb. sulphur 2½ lb. meal-powder 1 lb. antimony half a lb. glas-dust 4 oz. bras-dust 1 oz.

N. B. These compositions, driven 1¼ inch in a 1 oz. cafe, will burn one minute, which is much longer time than an equal quantity of any composition yet known will last.

Meal-powder 9 oz. amber 3 oz. This charge may be drove in small cases, for illuminations.

Saltpetre 3 lb. brimstone 1 lb. meal-powder 1 lb. antimony 10½ oz. All these must be mixed with the oil of spike.

Meal-powder 3 lb. charcoal 12 oz. and saw-dust 8 oz.

Saltpetre 3 lb. charcoal 10 oz. and brimstone 2 oz.

I. Meal-powder 4 oz. saltpetre 2 oz. brimstone 2 oz. steel-dust 1 oz. and a half, and camphor, white amber, antimony, and mercury-sublimate, of each ½ oz. II. Roche-petre 10 oz. brimstone, charcoal, antimony, meal-powder, and camphor, of each ¾ oz. moistened with oil of turpentine. These compositions are made into stars, by being worked to a paste with aqua vitae, in which has been dissolved some gum-tragacanth; and after you have rolled them in powder, make a hole through the middle of each, and string them on quick-match, leaving about 2 inches between each. III. Saltpetre 8 oz. brimstone 2 oz. yellow amber 1 oz. antimony 1 oz. and powder 3 oz. IV. Brimstone 2½ oz. saltpetre 6 oz. olibanum or frankincense in drops 4 oz.; mastic, and mercury-sublimate, of each 4 oz. meal-powder 5 oz. white amber, yellow amber, and camphor, of each 1 oz. antimony and orpiment half a oz. each. V. Saltpetre 1 lb. brimstone half a lb. and meal-powder 8 oz. moistened with petrolio-oil. VI. Powder half a lb. brimstone and saltpetre, of each 4 oz. VII. Saltpetre 4 oz. brimstone 2 oz. and meal-powder 1 oz.

Stars that carry tails of sparks.—I. Brimstone 6 oz. crude antimony 2 oz. saltpetre 4 oz. and rosin 4 oz. II. Saltpetre, rosin, and charcoal, of each 2 oz. brimstone 1 oz. and pitch 1 oz.

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.

Stars that yield some sparks.—I. Camphor 2 oz. saltpetre 1 oz. meal-powder 1 oz. II. Saltpetre 1 oz. ditto melted half an oz. and camphor 2 oz. When you would make stars of either of these compositions, you must wet them with gum-water, or weak spirits, in which has been dissolved some gum-arabic, or gum-tragacanth, that the whole may have the consistence of a pretty thick liquid; having thus done, take 1 oz. of lint, and stir it about in the composition till it becomes dry enough to apparatus, roll into stars.

Stars of a yellowish colour.—Take 4 oz. of gum-tragacanth or gum-arabic, pounded and sifted through a fine sieve, camphor dissolved in brandy 2 oz. saltpetre 1 lb. fulphur half a lb. coarse powder of glas 4 oz. white amber 1 oz. and a half, orpiment 2 oz. Being well incorporated, make them into stars after the common method.

Stars of another kind.—Take 4 oz. of camphor, and melt it in half a pint of spirit of wine over a slow fire; then add to it ¼ lb. of gum-arabic that has been dissolved; with this liquor mix 1 lb. of saltpetre, 6 oz. of sulphur, and 5 oz. of meal-powder; and after you have stirred them well together, roll them into stars proportionable to the rockets for which you intend them.

As variety of fires adds greatly to a collection of colours, it is necessary that every artist should know the use of each ingredient. For which reason, the different effects of each ingredient, we 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-ammoniac 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 show themselves in a flame, viz.

White flame.—Saltpetre, sulphur, meal-powder, and camphor; the saltpetre must be the chief part.

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

Flame inclining to red.—Saltpetre, sulphur, antimony, and Greek pitch; saltpetre the chief.

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.

The set colours of fire produced by sparks are divided into four sorts, viz. the black, white, gray, and crimson-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 gray 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 being made of many ingredients, such as meal-powder, saltpetre, brimstone, charcoal, saw-dust, sea-coal, antimony, glas-dust, bras-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.

The beauty of fire-works depends much on the compositions being well mixed; therefore great care must be taken in this part of the work, particularly for the composition for sky rockets. When there are four or five pounds of ingredients to be mixed, which is a sufficient quantity at a time (for a larger proportion will not do Chap. I.

Materials, so well), first put the different ingredients together; then work them 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 fitted, any remains that will not pass through the sieve, grind it again till fine enough; and if it be twice fitted, it will not be amiss; but the compositions for wheels and common works are not so material, and need not be so fine. But in all fixed works, from which the fire is to play regularly, the ingredients must be very fine, and great care taken in mixing them well together; and in all compositions in which are iron filings, the hands must not touch; nor will any works which have iron or steel in their charge keep long in damp weather, unless properly prepared, according to the former directions.

Cotton quick-match is generally made of such cotton as is put in candles, of several sizes, from one to five threads thick, according to the pipe for which it is designed; which pipe must be large enough for the match, when made, to be pushed in easily without breaking. Having doubled the cotton into as many threads as is proper, coil it very lightly into a flat-bottomed copper or earthen pan; then put in the saltpetre and the liquor, and boil them about 20 minutes; after which coil it again into another pan, as in fig. . and pour on it what liquor remains; then put in some meal powder, and press it down with the hand till it is quite wet; afterwards place the pan before the wooden frame (fig. 18.) which must be suspended by a point in the centre 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 ready, an afflant must turn the frame round, while the cotton passes through the hand, holding it very lightly, and at the same time keeping the hand full of the wet powder; but if the powder should be too wet to stick to the cotton, more must be added, so as to keep a continual supply till the match is all wound up; it may be wound as close on the frame as you please, so that it may 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 seem 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 skeins for use.

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

The ingredients for the match, are, cotton 1 lb. 12 oz. saltpetre 1 lb. spirit of wine 2 quarts, water 3 quarts, ifinglas 3 gills, and meal powder 10 lb. To dissolve 4 oz. of ifinglas, take 3 pints of water.

Dissolve, in spirit of wine or vinegar, a little saltpetre; then take some purple or blue paper, and wet it with this liquor, and when dry it will be fit for use; when this paper is to be pasted on any fire-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 these slips are pasted on, 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.

We are indebted to the Chinese for the contrivance of a paste which may be employed for representing animals and other objects in fire. To prepare this paste, take sulphur reduced to a very fine powder, or flowers of sulphur, and having formed it into a paste with starch, cover with it the figure you are desirous of representing on fire: it is here to be observed, that the figure must first be coated over with clay, to prevent it from being burnt.

When the figure has been covered with this paste, besprinkle it while still moist with pulverized gunpowder; and when the whole is perfectly dry, arrange some small matches on the principal parts of it, that the fire may be speedily communicated to it on all sides.

The same paste may be employed on figures of clay, to form devices and various designs. Thus, for example, festoons, garlands, and other ornaments, the flowers of which might be imitated by fire of different colours, could be formed on the frieze of a piece of architecture covered with plaster. The Chinese imitate grapes exceedingly well, by mixing pounded sulphur with the pulp of the jujube, instead of flour paste.

It is usual to paint the frames or stands of large fire-works of some dark colour, but this renders them very combustible. It would be better to wash them with the following composition, which will both give them a easily burnt proper colour, and render them less combustible. Take by accident equal parts of brick-dust, coal-ashes, and iron-filings, and mix them with a double size while hot. With this wash over the frames, &c. and when dry repeat the washing.

Chap. II. Of the principal varieties of Fire-Works, and the most approved Methods of constructing them.

Artificial fire-works differ from each other very much in point of simplicity of construction. Some require very little dexterity in the preparation; and are either employed as appendages to works of greater importance, or, if used by themselves, are confined to the sports of schoolboys. Of this nature are squibs, serpents, crackers, flares, sparks, marrows, saucers, pin-wheels, leaders, and gerbes or Roman candles. Others are very complex in their structure, require considerable address and ingenuity, and form the amusement of fashionable circles on occasion of public rejoicings or private festivities: Such are rockets of various kinds, wheels, fans, globes, balloons, pyramids, &c. We shall first describe the more simple kinds, and then give an account of the method of constructing those of a more complex nature.

Sect. I. Of Simple Fire-Works.

As in the subsequent directions for fire-works, we shall have frequent occasion to mention pipes of communication commonly called leaders, by which the several parts of a compound fire-work are connected with each other, it will be proper to show how these are constructed. Leaders consist of small tubes of paper of different lengths, according to the distance to which they must extend; and these tubes are filled with a combustible composition that will not burn too fast.

The best paper for leaders is that called elephant; which is cut into long slips 2 or 3 inches broad, so that they may go 3 or 4 times round the former, but not more: when they are very thick, they are too strong for... Varieties 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 2 to 6-16ths of an inch diameter; but 4-16ths is the size generally used. The formers are made of smooth brass wire: when used, 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 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 presses against the former, it will stick and tear the paper.

N.B. Make the leaders of different lengths, or in clothing works many will be wanted. Leaders for marron batteries must be made of strong cartridge paper.

Joining and placing leaders is a very essential part of fire-works, as it is on the leaders that the performance of all complex works depends; for which reason the method of conducting pipes of communication shall be here explained in as plain a manner as possible. Your works being ready to be clothed, proceed thus: Cut your pipes of a sufficient length to reach from one cafe 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 cafe with a pin, and put the loose ends of the match into the mouths of the cafes, with a little meal-powder: this done to all the cafes, paste over the mouth of each two or three bits of paper. The preceding method is used for large cafes, and the following for small, and for illuminations: First thread a long pipe; then lay it on the tops of the cafes, and cut a bit off the under side, over the mouth of each cafe, so that the match may appear; then pin the pipe to every other cafe; but before you put on the pipes, put a little meal-powder in the mouth of each cafe. If the cafes thus clothed are port-fires or illuminated works, cover the mouth of each cafe with a single paper; but if they are choked cafes, 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, or one across the other so as to touch, as it may happen that the flash of one will fire the other; therefore if your works should be formed that the leaders must cross or touch, be sure to make them very strong, and secure at the joints, and at every opening.

When a great length of pipe is required, it must be made by joining several pipes 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 is required, more pipes must be joined, by cutting about an inch off one side of each pipe near the end, and laying the quick-match together, and tying them fast with small twine; after which, cover the joining with pasted paper.

One of the simplest fire-works is what is called a serpent, which consists of a cylindrical paper cafe, about 4 or 5 inches long, and not made very thick. AC, fig. 19, represents the usual form of the serpent, except that in general they have not the contraction in the middle, represented in this figure. The name serpent has been given to this fire-work, either from the hissing noise which it makes when fired, or from the zig-zag or undulating direction in which it moves, when properly constructed. The cafe or cartridge is rolled round a cylindrical stick, rather larger than a goose quill, and provided at one end with a narrow appendage, such as that used for rockets, fig. 3, by means of which it is choaked at one end. This cafe is filled about half way with some of the compositions described for making small rockets, see No. 30, rammed moderately hard in the proper mould, and then it is either choaked in the middle, or some obstructing body, such as a small piece of paper, is introduced, and the remainder of the cafe is filled with grained or corn powder. Lastly, this other extremity is well secured with twine, and commonly dipped into melted pitch; a little moistened meal powder is introduced into the extremity next the choak, and a piece of touch-paper being properly fastened on this end, the serpent is complete.

Crackers are composed of a pretty long paper cafe, filled with the proper composition, as will be described immediately, and folded up in such a manner as, when fired, to make successive reports at short intervals. To construct these crackers, cut some cartridge paper into pieces 3½ inches broad, and one foot long; one edge of each fold down lengthwise about ¼ of an inch broad; then fold the double edge down ¼ 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 done, bend it backwards and forwards, 2 inches and a half, or thereabouts, at a time, as oft 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 a packthread as tight as possible; 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 reports, the paper must be cut 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. 20, represents a cracker complete.

Stars are small balls, prepared of a composition which emits a brilliant, radiating light, and are much employed in the construction of rockets, Roman candles, and similar fire-works. They are made of various sizes, but generally about as large as a musket bullet. Compositions for stars have been described in No. 31 and 54. The ingredients must be thoroughly incorporated, and in forming the ball, unless the paste is sufficiently glutinous, it must be wrapped up in a piece of paper, or linen rag, tied closely round with pack thread, and a hole must be pierced through its middle for the insertion of a piece of match. These stars, when lighted, will exhibit a most beautiful appearance; for the fire, as it issues from the two ends of the hole in the middle, will extend to... First take some thin paper, and cut it into pieces of one inch and a half square, or thereabouts; then on each piece lay as much dry star-composition as the paper will easily contain; then twist up the paper as tight as possible; when done, rub some paste on your hands, and roll the stars between them; then set them to dry: the stars being thus made, get some flax or fine tow, and roll a little of it over each star; then patte the hand 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 10 or 12 stars at 3 or 4 inches distance; but any number of stars may be strung together by joining the match.

These are called tailed stars, because there are a great number of sparks issuing from them, which represent a tail like that of a comet. Of these there are two sorts; which are rolled, and driven: when rolled, they must be moistened with a liquor made of half a pint of spirit of wine and half a gill 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 driven, the composition must be moistened with spirit of wine only, and not made so wet as for rolling: 1 and 2 oz. cafes, rolled dry, are best for this purpose: and when they are filled, unroll the cafe within 3 or 4 rounds of the charge, and all that are unrolled cut off; then patte down the loose edge: 2 or 3 days after the cafes are filled, cut them in pieces 5 or 6 8ths 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.

Cafes for driven stars are rolled with paste, but are made of paper very thin. Before they are filled, damp the composition with spirit of wine that has had some camphor dissolved in it: ram them indifferently hard, so that the cafe be not broken or sacked; to prevent which, they should fit tight in the mould. They are driven in cafes of several sizes, from 8 drams to four oz. When they are filled in half ounce cafes, cut them in pieces of three fourths of an inch long; if 1 oz. cafes, cut them in pieces of 1 inch; if 2 oz. cafes, cut them in pieces of 1 and one fourth inch long; and if 4 oz. cafes, cut them in pieces of 1 inch and a half long: having cut the stars of a proper size, prime both ends with wet meal-powder. These stars are seldom put in rockets, they being chiefly intended for air balloons, and driven in cafes, to prevent the composition from being broken by the force of the blowing powder in the shell.

Rolling stars are commonly made about the size of a musket ball; though they are rolled of several sizes, from the bigness of a piffl ball to 1 inch diameter; and sometimes very small, but are then called sparks. Great care must be taken in making stars, first, that the several ingredients are reduced to a fine powder; secondly, that the composition may be well worked and mixed. Before beginning 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 1 quart, in which dissolve one fourth of an ounce of isinglass. If a great quantity of composition be wetted at once, the spirit will evaporate, and leave it dry, before it is rolled into stars: having rolled up one proportion, shake the stars in meal-powder, and set them to dry, which they will do in 3 or 4 days; but if they should be wanted for immediate use, dry them in an earthen pan over a slow heat, or in an oven. It is very difficult to make the stars all of an equal size when the composition is taken up promiscuously with the fingers; but by the following method they may be made very exactly. 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 intended. 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 weakens them. All stars must be kept as much from air as possible, otherwise they will grow weak and bad.

Sparks differ from stars, only in their size and duration, as they are made smaller than stars, and are sooner extinguished. The following is the most approved method of making them. Having put into an earthen vessel an ounce of mealed gunpowder, 3 oz. of powdered saltpetre, and 4 oz. of camphor, reduced to powder by rubbing it in a mortar with a little spirit of wine; pour over this mixture some weak gum water, or some weak brandy, in which some gum dragant has been dissolved, till the composition acquires the consistence of thick soup. Then take some lint or caddice, which has been boiled in brandy, vinegar, or with saltpetre, and afterwards dried and unravelled, and throw into the composition as much of it as is necessary to absorb the whole, taking care to stir it well. This matter is to be formed into small balls of about the size of a pea, which being dried in the air, are to be sprinkled with meal gunpowder, that they may more readily take fire.

Another method of making sparks is, to take some saw dust of any wood that burns readily, such as fir, and boil it in water that has been saturated with saltpetre. When it has been boiled for some time, the vessel is to be removed from the fire, and the solution of nitre poured off, so as to leave the saw dust at the bottom. The saw dust thus impregnated with nitre, is then to be poured on a table, and, while moist, to be sprinkled with powdered sulphur, to which a little bruised gunpowder has been added; and when the whole is well mixed, and of a proper consistence, sparks are to be made of it as before.

Maroons are small boxes made either of paper or palisade, and of a roundish or cubical form, so prepared as when fired to make a loud and sudden report. They are usually employed either as appendages to other fire-works, or a great many of them are so arranged, as to explode successively at certain intervals.

Formers for maroons are from three fourths of an inch to one and a half diameter; but the paper for the cafes twice the diameter of the former broad, and long enough to go three times round. When you have rolled a cafe, patte down the edge and tie one end close; then with the former drive it down to take away the wrin- Varieties kles, and make it flat at bottom; then fill the case with of Conifric corn-powder one diameter and one fourth high, and fold down the rest of the case tight on the powder. The marroon 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 marroon, and stand as far from the hook as the pack-thread will reach, and wind it lengthwise round the marroon as close as possible, till it will hold no more that way; then turn it, and wind the packthread 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 marroon to bring it in shape. The method of firing marroons is by making a hole at one end with an awl, and putting in a piece of quick-match; then taking a piece of strong paper, in which wrap up the marroon 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 the other marroons, and are nailed in the middle to the rail of the stand, as in fig. 21. The use of winding the packthread in a ball is, that it may be let out as wanted, according to the quantity the marroon may require; and that it may not be tied in knots, which would spoil the marroon. These oblong marroons are, by the French, called Saucifions, as they are supposed to resemble a sausages.

Batteries of Marroons.—These, if well managed, will keep time to a march, or a slow piece of music. Marroon batteries are made of several stands, with a number of cross rails for the marroons; which are regulated by leaders, by cutting them of different lengths, and nailing them tight, or loose, according to the time of the music. In marroon batteries you must use the large and small marroons, and the nails for the pipes must have flat heads.

The proper marroon boxes are made of strong pasteboard, cut as represented in fig. 22, so as to fold up in the form of a cube, one side of which is to be left unmounted till the box be filled. The cavity being filled with gun-powder, strong paper is to be pasted over the box in various directions, and the whole is to be wrapped round with strong pack-thread dipped in glue. Lastly, a hole is to be made in the corner of the box, and a piece of match introduced, by which it may be fired.

Sometimes it is required to render marroons luminous, or to prepare them in such a way, that they shall emit a brilliant light before they burst. To effect this, they are to be covered on the outside with one of the compositions directed for stars, and then rolled in bruised gunpowder.

For Pin-Wheels.—First roll some paper pipes, about 14 inches long each; these pipes must not be made thick of paper, two or three rounds of elephant paper being sufficient. When the pipes are thoroughly dried, you must have a tin tube 12 inches long, to fit easy into the pipes; at one end of this tube fix a small conical cup, 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 some small circular blocks made about one inch diameter and half an inch of Conifric thick: 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.

There is another method of making these wheels, viz., 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 4 1/6ths of an inch diameter; and the composition for them is as follows: Meal-powder 8 oz. saltpetre 2 oz. and sulphur 1: 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.

There is a pleasing decoration frequently added to shower of rockets, called a shower of fire, rain, or rain fall, and it is called gold or silver rain, according as its colour is more or less intense. It consists of several small cases filled with a brilliant composition, such as the following variety of Chinese fire, viz. meal powder 1 pound, flower of sulphur 2 oz. and iron sand of the first order, 5 oz.

Gold and silver rain compositions are rammed in cases that are pinched quite close at one end: if rolled dry, 4 or 5 rounds of paper will be strong enough; but if they are pasted, 3 rounds will do; and the thin sort of cartridge-paper is best for those small cases, in rolling which 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 rammed in tight; and the better the case fits the mould, the more driving it will bear. These moulds have no nipple, but instead of it they are made flat. As it would be very tedious and troublesome to shake the composition out of such small ladies 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 they may be filled very fast. For single rain-falls for 4 oz. rockets, let the diameter of the former be 2-1/6ths of an inch, and the length of the case 2 inches; for 8 oz. rockets, 4-1/6ths and 2 diameters of the rocket long; for 1 lb. rockets, 5-1/6ths, and 2 diameters of the rocket long; for 2 lb. rockets, 5-1/6ths, and 3 inches and a half long; for 4 lb. rockets, 6-1/6ths, and 4 inches and a half long; and for 6-pounders, 7-1/6ths diameter, and 5 inches long.

Of double rain-falls there are two sorts. For example, some appear first like a star, and then the rain; and some appear first like 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 Gerbes consist of a strong case of thick paper or pasteboard, filled with a brilliant composition, and generally with stars or balls placed at small distances, so that the composition and the balls are introduced alternately. Immediately below each ball is placed a little grained powder. These last gerbes are sometimes called Roman candles. When fired, they first throw up a beautiful jet of flame, which in some measure resembles a water-spout, whence the name. Gerbes are either employed singly, or batteries are formed of them, and frequently those filled with brilliant fire without balls, are placed in rows along the front of the frames of large compound fire-works. They are sometimes made perfectly cylindrical; at others they have a contracted part at the top called the neck.

Fig. 23 represents a wooden former; fig. 24, a gerbe complete, 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 should also 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 ramming of gerbes, there will be no need of a mould, the cases being sufficiently strong to support themselves. But you must 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 will cause the case to burst as soon as the fire arrives at the vacancy. You must likewise observe, that the first ladleful of charge, or second, if 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 chock 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 purpose. Gerbes produce a most brilliant fire, and are very beautiful when a number of them are fixed in the front of a building or a collection of fire-works.

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 this: Supposing 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 $2\frac{1}{8}$ inches for the bore, which will be a very good size. These gerbes should be rammed very hard.

Small Gerbes, or white Fountains,

May be made of four ounces, eight ounces, or one pound cases, pasted and made very strong, of any length; but before they are filled, drive in clay one diameter of their orifice high; and when the case is filled, bore a vent through the centre of the clay to the composition; the common proportion will do for the vent, which must be primed with a slow charge. These cases, without the clay, may be filled with Chinese fire.

Sect. II. Of Compound Fire-works.

Among the most pleasing compound fire-works are Rockets, rockets, which are of various kinds. Some are made to ascend to a great height in the air, where they burst, and throw out the contents of the head with which they are provided. These are called sky-rockets. Others are so constructed as to run with great velocity along a line, and are called line-rockets. Some are arranged at the extremities of the spokes of a wheel; and are denominated wheel-rockets; while a fourth variety have their cases made water tight, and are filled with a very strong composition, so as to admit of their burning below water. These last are called water-rockets. Sky-rockets are tied to a stick, which renders their ascent into the air more equable and steady.

Fig. 25 represents a rocket complete without its sky-rock-stick. Its length from the neck is five diameters one-eighth; the cases should always be cut to this length after Fig. 25, they are filled. M is 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. 26, the collar to which Fig. 26, the head is fixed: this is turned out of fir or any light wood, and its exterior diameter must be equal to the interior diameter of the head; one-fifth 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, two or three rounds of paper must be cut off the case, which will make a shoulder for it to rest upon. Fig. 27, a former for Fig. 27, 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. 28, a former for the cone, Fig. 28. To make the caps, cut the paper in round pieces, equal in diameter to twice the length of the cone to be made; 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 notched and pasted, serves to fasten the cap to the head. When you load the heads of the rockets with stars, rains, serpents, crackers, or any thing else, according to fancy, remember always to put one ladleful of meal-powder into each head, which will be enough to burst the head, and disperse the stars, or whatever it contains: when the heads are loaded with any cases, let their mouths be placed downwards; and after the heads are filled, paste on the top of them a piece of paper before putting on the caps. As the size of the stars often differs, 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 to contain.

**Dimensions and Poise of Rocket-Sticks.**

| Weight of the Rocket | Length of the Stick | Thickness at top | Breadth at top | Square at bottom | Poise from the point of the cone | |---------------------|--------------------|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-------------------------------| | lb. oz. Ft. in. | Inches | Inches | Inches | Inches | 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 | 1,1 | 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 | 0,375 | 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 | 1 1 | | 2 4 | 0,125 | 0,20 | 0,16 | 8 0 | | 1 10 1/2 | 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 balance 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 fir, and they are thus made: When you have cut and planed the stick, according to the dimensions given in the table, cut, on one of the flat sides at the 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 lie 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 the rockets and sticks are ready, lay the rockets in the grooves in the sticks, and tie them on. Those who, merely for curiosity, may choose to make rockets of different sizes from those expressed in the table of dimensions, may find the length of their sticks, by making them for rockets, from half an ounce to one pound, 60 diameters of the rocket long; and for rockets above one pound 50 or 52 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, we can depend only on their balance; for, without a proper counterpoise, the rockets, instead of mounting perpendicularly, will take an oblique direction, and fall to the ground before they are burnt out.

Rockets rammed over a piercer must not have so much composition put into them at a time as when rammed 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 rammed everywhere Method of equal. To prevent this, observe the following rule: ramming That for those rockets which are rammed over a piercer, let the ladle hold as much composition as, when drove, will raise the drift one-half the interior diameter of the case, and for those rammed solid to contain as much as will raise it one-half the exterior diameter of the case: ladies 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 rammed 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, 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 be taken to strike with the mallet, and with an equal force, the same number of strokes to each ladleful of charge; otherwise the rockets will not rise with an uniform motion, nor will the composition burn equally and regularly: 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 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 ladleful of charge, 16 strokes; to a rocket of one pound, 28; to a two pounder, 36; to a four pounder, 42; and to a fix pounder, 56: but rockets of a larger fort cannot be rammed well by hand, but must be rammed with a machine made in the same manner as those for driving piles.

The method of ramming wheel cases, or any other fort, in which the charge is rammed solid, is much the same as in 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 expense of making so many moulds. The reader must here observe, when filling any 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 change in the cases; but this accident never happens when the driving blocks are used.

When cases are to be filled without moulds, proceed thus: Have some nipples made of brass or iron, Varieties of several sizes, in proportion to the cases, and to screw or fix 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 one-half of 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 the 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.

The best wood for mallets is dry beech. If a person uses a mallet of moderate size, in proportion to the rocket, according to his judgment, and if the rocket succeeds, he may depend on the rest by using the same mallet; yet it will be necessary that cases of different sorts be driven with mallets of different sizes.

The following proportion of the mallets for rockets of any size, from one oz. to five lb. may be observed; but as rockets are seldom made less than one oz. or larger than five lb. we shall leave the management of them to the curious; but all cases under one oz. may be rammed with an ounce rocket mallet. The mallets will strike more solidly, by having their handles turned out of the same piece with 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.

As the cause which occasions the ascent of a rocket into the air is the same as that which makes a musket recoil when fired, it will be proper, before explaining the ascent of rockets, to show how the recoil of fire-arms is produced. When the powder is suddenly inflamed in the chamber, or at the bottom of the barrel, it necessarily exercises an action two ways at the same time; that is to say, against the breech of the piece, and against the bullet or wadding, which is placed above it. Besides this, it acts also against the sides of the chamber which it occupies; and as they oppose a resistance almost insurmountable, the whole effort of the elastic fluid, produced by the inflammation, is exerted in the two directions above mentioned. But the resistance opposed by the bullet, being much less than that opposed by the mass of the barrel or cannon, the bullet is forced out with great velocity. It is impossible, however, that the body of the piece itself should not experience a movement backwards; for if a spring is suddenly let loose, between two moveable obstacles, it will impel them both, and communicate to them velocities in the inverse ratio of their masses; the piece, therefore, must acquire a velocity backwards nearly in the inverse ratio of its mass to that of the bullet. We make use of the term nearly, because there are various circumstances which give to this ratio certain modifications; but it is always true that the body of the piece is driven backwards, and that if it weighs with its carriage 1000 times more than the bullet, it acquires a velocity which is 1000 times less, and which is soon annihilated by the friction of the wheels against the ground, &c.

The cause of the ascent of a rocket is nearly the same. At the moment when the powder begins to inflame, its expansion produces a torrent of elastic fluid, which acts in every direction; that is, against the air which opposes its escape from the cartridge, and against the upper part of the rocket; but the resistance of the air is more considerable than the weight of the rocket, on account of the extreme rapidity with which the elastic fluid issues through the neck of the rocket to throw itself downwards, and therefore the rocket ascends by the excess of the one of these forces above the other.

This however would not be the case, unless the rocket were pierced to a certain depth. A sufficient quantity of elastic fluid would not be produced; for the composition would inflame only in circular coats of a diameter equal to that of the rocket; and experience shows that this is not sufficient. Recourse then is had to the very ingenious idea of piercing the rocket with a conical hole, which makes the composition burn in conical strata which have much greater surface, and therefore produce a much greater quantity of inflamed matter and fluid. This expedient was certainly not the work of a moment.

When sky-rockets are fixed one on the top of another, 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; this done, put it in the head of the large rocket with its mouth downwards; but before it is put in, stick a bit of quick-match in the hole of the clay of the pound-rocket, which match should be long enough to go a little way up the bore of the small rocket, to fire it when the large rocket is burnt out. As the four ounce rocket is too small to fill the head of the other, roll round it as much tow as will make it stand upright in the centre 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 goes off will be sufficient to disengage it from the head of the first fired rocket. The sticks for these rockets must be a little longer than for those headed with stars, rains, &c.

Caduceus rockets are such as, in rising, form two spiral lines, by reason of their being placed obliquely, one rocket opposite to the other; and their counterpoise in their centre, which causes them to rise in a vertical direction. Rockets for this purpose must have their ends choked close, without either head or bounce, for a weight at top would be a great obstruction to their mounting. No caduceus rockets ascend so high as single, because of their... 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.

Fig. 30. shews the method of fixing these rockets: the sticks for this purpose must have all their sides equal, and the sides should be equal to the breadth of a stick proper for sky-rockets of the same weight as those you intend to use, and made to taper downwards as usual, long enough to balance them, one length of a rocket from the crofs 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 60 degrees. In tying on the rockets, place their heads on the opposite sides of the crofs 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 lb. are a good size for this use.

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 cafe, close to the top of the stick is tied on a two ounce cafe, 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, to be presently described; 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 cafe 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 cafe, which is by letting the stick rise a little above the top of the rocket, and tying the cafe to it, so as to rest on the rocket: these rockets have no cones.

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

Fig. 31. is the honorary rocket complete. The best sized rockets for this purpose are those of one lb.

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 cafe, fix one of these pieces of tin 16 inches from the rocket's 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 may 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 when well managed: if there is 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 the rocket is fired.

Take six, or any number of sky-rockets, of any size; then cut some strong packthread 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 the packthread round the body of one rocket, and the other end to another, take a second piece of packthread, 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 on the outside, will be fastened to two pieces of packthread; 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 about to fire them, hang them almost close; 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 as far as the strings will allow; and this division they will keep, provided they are all rammed alike, and well made. They are sometimes called chained rockets.

Signal rockets are made of several kinds, according to the different signals intended to be given; but in artificial fire-works, two sorts are only used, which are one with reports and the other without; 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 cafes 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 only sky-rockets closed and capped: these are very light, therefore do not require such heavy sticks as those with loaded heads; for which reason the rocket may be cut from the stick, or else be made thinner.

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

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-balloon. The management of this device requires a skilful hand; but if the following instructions be 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 filled with the same 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) to the following directions: first, supposing the 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 their thickness cannot be exactly ascertained, we shall give a rule which generally answers for 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 lie, without pressing each other, though as near as possible.

When only two rockets are to be fixed on one stick, let the length of the stick be the last given proportion, but shaped after the common method, and the breadth and thickness double the usual dimensions. 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 is taken: For cases being placed on all sides, there can be no notches for the cord which ties on the rockets to lie 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. The 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 at once.

Though the directions already given may be sufficient for these rockets, we shall here add an improvement on a very essential part of this device, which is, that of hanging the rockets to be fired; for before the following method was contrived, many attempts proved unsuccessful. Instead, therefore, of the old and common manner of hanging them on nails or hooks, make use of the following 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 have another ring 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.

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

The stand being thus made, prepare the rockets thus: 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 balance the rocket in the same manner as a stick, at the usual point of poise. To fire these, hang them, one at a time, between the tops of the wires, letting their heads rest on the point 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 fit; 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.

Cases for scrolls should be made four or five inches in length, and their interior diameters three-eighths of an inch: one end of these cases must be pinched quite close before beginning to fill; and when filled close, the other end: then in the opposite sides make a small hole at each end, to the composition, 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: being fired they 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 fires.

Rockets that pass under the denomination of swarmers, are those from two ounces downwards. These rockets are fired sometimes in flights, and in large waterworks, &c. Swarmers of one and two ounces are bored, and made in the same manner as large rockets, except that, when headed, their heads must be put on without a collar: the number of strokes for driving one ounce must be eight, and for two ounces twelve.

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

Care must be taken, in placing the rockets, when they are to be fired, to give them a vertical direction at their rockets 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 may 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, with their points turning sidewise, 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, driven 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.

Girandole chefs 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; their 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, fix in the top Varieties 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 receive the rocket sticks as there are to be 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 lie 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 the chest, a quick match must be laid 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. The 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, through which, when opened, you may see how to place the sticks. Flights of rockets being seldom set off at the beginning of any fireworks, they are in danger of being fired by the sparks from wheels, &c.; therefore, to preserve them, a cover should be made to fit on the chest, and the door in the side kept shut.

Line-rockets are made and rammed as the sky-rockets, but have no heads, and the cases must be cut close to the clay; they are sometimes made with six or seven changes, but in general not more than four or five. The method of managing these rockets is the following: 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 four changes are intended, have four grooves cut in the swivel, one opposite the other, in which to lay the rockets.

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 100 yards long, stretched and fixed up tight, at any height from the ground; but be sure to place it horizontally: this length of line will do for half-pound rockets; 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 is first fired 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; 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 varieties to strike against, or its force will cut the line. Let the line be well foamed, and the hole in the swivel very smooth.

To line rockets may be fixed a great variety of figures, such as flying dragons, Mercuries, ships, &c.; or they may be made to run on the line like a wheel of rockets, which is done in this manner. Have a flat swivel made very exactly, and on it tie two rockets obliquely one on each side, which will make it turn round as it goes, and form a circle of fire; the charge for these rockets should be a little weaker than common. If you would show 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; put two or three port-fires, of a strong charge, on one side of their bodies, to show them. This 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 firing 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 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.

Cases for Chinese 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 flyers rolled in the same manner as tourbillons, with a straight pasted edge, and pinched close at one end. The method of filling them is, 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, 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 centre of the clay in the middle; then in the opposite sides, at both ends, make a vent; and in that side intended to be fired 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 on 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 they are to 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.

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

The method of making these rockets is,—Have a cone turned out of hard wood two inches and a half in diameter, and as much high; round the base of it drive a Varieties line; on this line fix four spokes, each two inches long, 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.

The 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 so made 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 the rockets are to be fired, set them on a smooth table, and light the leaders in the middle, and all the cases will fire together (see fig. 32.) 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: 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.

Fireworks called aerial globes or bombs consist of a spherical case made of strong paper, or of wood, prepared as will be immediately described, and thrown from a mortar commonly made of pasteboard, with a copper chamber to contain the charge, such as A.B., fig. 33. This small mortar must be made of light wood, or of paper pasted together, and rolled up in the form of a cylinder, or truncated cone, the bottom excepted; which, as already said, must be of wood. The chamber for the powder A.C. must be pierced obliquely, with a small gimlet, as seen at B.C.; so that the aperture B corresponding to the aperture of the metal mortar, in which this paper mortar must be placed when the globe is fired, the fire applied to the latter may be communicated to the powder which is at the bottom of the chamber A.C., immediately below the globe. By these means the globe will catch fire and make an agreeable noise as it rises into the air; but it would not succeed so well if any vacancy were left between the powder and the globe.

A profile or perpendicular section of such a globe is represented by the right-angled parallelogram A.B.C.D., fig. 34.; the breadth of which A.B. is nearly equal to the height A.D. The thickness of the wood towards the two sides L, M, is equal to about the twelfth part of the diameter of the globe; and the thickness E, F, of the cover, is double the preceding, or equal to a fifth part of the diameter. The height G.K., or H.I. of the chamber G.H.I.K., where the match is applied, and which is terminated by the semicircle L.G.K.M., is equal to the fourth part of the breadth A.B., and its breadth G.H. is equal to the fifth part of A.B.

We must here observe, that it is dangerous to put wooden covers, such as E.F., on aerial balloons or globes, for these covers may be so heavy as to wound those on whom they happen to fall. It will be sufficient to place turf or hay above the globe, in order that the powder may experience some resistance.

The globe must be filled with several pieces of cane or common reed, equal in length to the interior height of the globe, and charged with a slow composition, made of three ounces of pounded gunpowder, an ounce of sulphur moistened with a small quantity of petroleum oil, and two ounces of charcoal; and in order that these reeds or canes may catch fire sooner, and with more facility, they must be charged at the lower ends, which rest on the bottom of the globe, with pulverized gunpowder moistened in the same manner with petroleum oil, or well besprinkled with brandy, and then dried.

The bottom of the globe ought to be covered with a little gunpowder half pulverized and half grained; which, when set on fire by means of a match applied to the end of the chamber G.H., will set fire to the lower part of the reed. But care must have been taken to fill the chamber with a composition similar to that in the reeds, or with another slow composition made of eight ounces of gunpowder, four ounces of saltpetre, two ounces of sulphur, and one ounce of charcoal: the whole must be well pounded and mixed.

Instead of reeds, the globe may be charged with running rockets, or paper petards, and a quantity of fiery stars or sparks mixed with the pulverized gunpowder, placed without any order above these petards, which must be choked at unequal heights, that they may perform their effect at different times.

These globes may be constructed in various other ways, which it would be tedious here to enumerate. We shall only observe, that when loaded they must be well covered at the top; they must be wrapped up in a piece of cloth dipped in glue, and a piece of woollen cloth must be tied round them, so as to cover the hole which contains the match.

Fuzes for air balloons are sometimes turned out of fuzes for dry beech, with a cup at top to hold the quick-match, globes or other firing material; but if made with pasted paper, they will do as well: the diameter of the former for fuzes for cochorn balloons must be half an inch; for a royal fuze, five-eighths of an inch; for an eight inch fuze, three-fourths of an inch; and for a ten inch fuze, seven-eighths of an inch. Having rolled the cases, pinch and tie them almost close at one end: then drive them down, and let them dry. Before beginning to fill them, mark on the outside of the case the length of the charge required, allowing for the thickness of the bottom; and when the composition is rammed in, 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 the shells are put into the mortars, uncap the fuzes, and pull out the loose ends of the match, and let them hang on the sides of the balloons. 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 centre, 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 used saw them off to a proper length, measuring the charge from the cup at top.

To make Tourbillons.—Having filled some cases with tourbillons in about one diameter and a half, drive in a ladleful of flint clay; then pinch the ends close, and drive them down with a mallet. When done, find the centre of gravity of each case; where the nail and stick are tied which should... Varieties 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 cafes may turn horizontally on their centres: at the opposite sides of the cafes, at each end, bore a hole close to the clay with a gimblet, the size of the neck of a common cafe of the same nature: from these holes draw a line round the cafe, and at the under part of the cafe bore a hole with the same gimblet, within half a diameter of each line towards the centre; then from one hole to the other draw a right line. Divide this line into three equal parts; and at X and Y (fig. 35.) bore a hole; then from these holes to the other two lead a quick-match, over which paste a thin paper. Fig. 36. represents a tourbillon as it should be tied, with a leader from one side hole A to the other B. When tourbillons are fired lay them on a smooth table, with their sticks downwards, and burn the leader through the middle with a portfire. They should spin three or four 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 centre of the cafe 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 fire: this done, the tourbillon is completed. By this method you may fix on tourbillons small cones of flares, 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 cafes.

Mortars to throw aigrettes are generally made of pasteboard, of the same thickness as balloon 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 balloon mortars; these mortars must also be bound round with a cord: sometimes eight or nine of these 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. The 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 the serpents up in parcels with quickmatch, and put them in the mortar with their mouths downwards; but take care the parcels do not fit 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 cafes and the sides of the mortar, down to the powder at bottom: in the centre 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 neft of serpents, as represented by fig. 37. When these mortars are to be fired, light the fire-pump C, which when consumed will communicate to all the mortars at once by means of the leaders. For mortars of 8, 9, or 10 inches diameter, the serpents should be made in one and two ounce cafes fix 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 mortars may be loaded with flares, crackers, &c.

If the mortars, when loaded, are sent to 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 this, load the mortars thus: 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 anywhere without receiving damage. The large single mortars are called pots des aigrettes.

Pots des Brins are formed of pasteboard, and must be rolled pretty thick. They are usually made three or brins four inches diameter, and four diameters long; and pinched with a neck at one end, like common cafes. A number of these are placed on a plank thus: 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; through 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 flares, and in 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. 38. is a range of pots des brins, with a leader A; by which they are fired.

Pots des Saucifions are generally fired out of large mortars without chambers, the same as those for aigrettes, saucifions only somewhat stronger. Saucifions are made of one and two ounce cafes, five or six inches long, and choked in the same manner as serpents. Half the number which the mortar contains must be driven 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 are very strong, and will bear a sufficient charge to throw the saucifions very high, you may make three volleys of reports, by dividing the number of cafes into three parts, and making a difference... Varieties difference in the height of the charge. After they are constructed, 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 packthread, from the choke 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. Saucers 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 centre.

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

There are different sorts of vertical wheels; some having their fells of a circular form, others of an hexagonal, octagonal, or decagonal form, or of any number of sides, according to the length of the cases you design for the wheel: the spokes being fixed in the nave, nail slips of tin, with their edges turned up so as to form grooves for the cases to lie in, from the end of one spoke to that of another; then tie the 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; as they will, if made by the following directions: In all the cases of both wheels, except the first, on each wheel drive two or three ladlesful of slow fire, in any part of the cases; but be careful to ram the same quantity in each case, and in the end of one of the cases, on each wheel, you may ram one ladleful of dead-fire composition, which must be very lightly driven; 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 14 or 16 inches diameter, which is the proportion generally used. The best wood for wheels of all sorts is a light and dry beech.

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 centre 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. Fix these pieces 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 nearly together; from the tail of one case to the mouth of the other carry a leader, which should be secured with pasted paper. Besides these pipes, it will be necessary to put a little meal-powder within the pasted paper, to blow off the pipe, so that there may be no obstruction to the fire from the cases. By means of these pipes the cases will successively take fire, 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.

Horizontal wheels are often fired two at a time, and made to keep time like vertical wheels, only they are made without any flow or dead fire; 10 or 12 inches will be enough for the diameter of wheels with five spokes. Fig. 40 represents a wheel on fire, with the first case burning.

Spiral wheels, are only double horizontal wheels, and made thus: The nave must be about six inches long, and rather thicker than the single sort; instead of the pintle at top, make a hole for the case to be fixed in, and 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 two inches and a half long from the navies, 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 play up, but let the third or fourth case play horizontally. The case in the middle may begin with any of the others: five spokes will be enough for each set, so that the wheel may consist of 12 cases, besides that on the top: the cases six inches each.

Plural wheels are made to turn horizontally, and to consist of three sets of spokes, placed six at top, six at bottom, and four in the middle, which last must be a little shorter than the rest: let the diameter of the wheel be 10 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 clothing these wheels, make the upper set of cases play obliquely downwards, the bottom set obliquely upwards, and the middle set horizontally. In placing the leaders, they must be managed 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 ladlesful 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.

Illuminated spiral wheel.—First have a circular horizontal wheel made two feet diameter, with a hole quite spiral through the nave; then take three thin pieces of deal, three feet long each, and three-fourths of an inch broad 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 end nail to a block with a hole in its bottom, which must be perpendicular to that in the block of the wheel, but not too large. The wheel being thus made, have have a hoop placed down very thin and flat; then nail one end of it into 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 cage of Chinese fire; on the wheel you may place any number of cages, which must incline downwards, and burn two at a time. If the wheel should consist of ten cages, you may let the illuminations and Chinese fire begin with the second cage. 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.

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; clothe these worms with illuminations, the same as those on the single wheels; but the horizontal wheel you may clothe as you like. At top of the worm place a cage of spur-fire, or an amber-light, see fig. 42. This figure is shown without leaders, to prevent a confusion of lines.

Balloon 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 in pots, three inches diameter and seven inches high each, as many of these as there are cages 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 cage; load some of the pots 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.

For Fruiloni Wheels first have a nave made nine inches long 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 cage: each of these spokes may be 14 inches long from the block. Near the top of this block fix eight more of the same spokes, exactly over the others, but not so long by two inches. As this wheel is to run horizontally, all the cages in the spokes must play obliquely upwards, and all those in the spokes at bottom obliquely downwards. This being done, have a small horizontal wheel made with eight spokes, each five inches long from the block: on the top of this wheel place a cage of brilliant fire: all the cages 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 those in the bottom set of spokes.

The four first cages on the large wheel, and the two first on the small, must be fired at the same time, and the brilliant fire at top at the beginning of the last cages. The cages of the wheels may be filled with a gray charge. When these wheels are completed, you must have a strong iron spindle, made four feet six inches long, and fixed perpendicularly 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 easily 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 larger one with a leader, in order that they may be fired both together.

Cafades of Fire are made of any size; but one made according to the dimensions of that shown in fig. 43, fire will be large enough for eight-ounce cages. Let the distance from A to B be three feet; from B to C two feet five inches; and from C to D two feet; and let the cross piece at A be four feet long: then from each end of this piece draw a line to D; then make the other cross pieces so long as to come within those lines. The top piece D may be of any length, so as to hold the cages, at a little distance from each other; 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 cages 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 cage to lie in. These bits of wood are fixed so as to incline downwards, and that the fire from one tier of cages may play over that of the other. All the cages being tied fast on, carry leaders from one to the other; and let there be a pipe hung from the mouth of one of the cages, covered at the end with a single paper, which you burn to fire the cafade.

The Fire Tree.—To make a fire tree, as shown by fig. 44, you must first have a piece of wood six feet long, 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 cages. 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, fix three pegs; at I, nine inches from H, fix three pegs, inclining downwards; but all the other pegs must incline upwards, that the cages may have the same inclination as is seen 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 cage filled with any sort of charge, but let it be fired with the other cages: a brilliant charge will do for all the cages; but the mortar may be made of any diameter, and the tree of any size; and on it any number of cages, provided they are placed in the manner described.

Chinese Fountains.—To make a Chinese fountain, you must have a perpendicular piece of wood seven feet long 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 fifteen inches from each other; let the bottom rail be five feet long, 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 Varieties of Construction.

Of illuminated Globes with horizontal Wheels.—The illuminated hoops for these globes may be made of wood, tin, or iron wire, about two feet in diameter. For a single globe, take two hoops, and tie 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 fix 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, filled with what charge you please; but let two of them burn at a time: they may be placed horizontally, or to incline downwards, just as you choose. Now, when the wheel is clothed, fix on the hoops as many illuminations as will stand within two inches and a half of each other: fasten these on the hoops with small iron binding wires; and when they are all on, put on the 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 fixed 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 in 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 managed 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 just to raise the globe a little above the wheels; and the wheel cases and illumination must begin together.

The Dodecahedron.—So called because it nearly represents a twelve-sided figure, is made thus: First have a ball turned out of some hard wood, 14 inches diameter: divide its surface into 14 equal parts, from which bore holes one inch and a half diameter, perpendicular to the centre, so that they may all meet 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 long, 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 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 fix or seven inches long; these sides must have grooves cut in them, large enough to receive a two or four-ounce case. When these wheels are clothed, 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 the 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 the work will be ready to be fired. By the leader the powder and match in the centre is fired, which will light the match at the ends of the spokes all at once, whereby all the wheels will be lighted at once. There may be an addition to this piece, by fixing a small globe on each wheel, or one on the top wheel only. A gray charge will be proper for the wheel cases.

The Yew Tree of Brilliant Fire is represented by Yew tree of fig. 47, as it appears when burning. First, let A be an upright piece of wood, four feet long, two inches broad, and one thick: at top of the piece, on the flat side, fix a hoop 14 inches diameter; and round its edge and front place illuminations, and in the centre 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 long 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 fix two more of the same cases; they must stand parallel to them at E. The cases being thus fixed, clothe them with leaders; so that they, with the illuminations and stars at top, may all take fire together.

Stars with Points for regulated Pieces, &c.—These 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 with four-ounce cases, four or five inches long: the case must be rolled with paste, and twice as thick as that of 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 to the length of the cases with which it is to burn: at top of the charge drive some clay; as the ends of these cases are seldom pinched, 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 gimlet 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 end 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, to give fire to the points of the stars. These stars may be made with any number of points.

Fixed Sun with a transparent Face.—To make a sun fixed fun of the best kind, there should be two rows of cases, as in a fig. 48, which will show a double glory, and make the transparent rays strong and full. The frame or sun-wheel, must be made thus: Have a circular flat nave made very strong, 12 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 fun-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 falls into so many equal parts. Varieties parts as there are to be cases (which may be done from of Construk-24 to 44): at each division fix a flat iron staple; these staples must be made to fit the cases, to hold them fast on the wheel; let the staples be so placed, that one row of cases may lie in the middle of the intervals of the other.

In the centre of the block of the fun drive a spindle, on which put a small hexagonal wheel, whose cases must be filled with the same charge as the cases of the fun: 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 fun to the wheel in the middle, and from thence to the other side of the fun. These leaders will hold the wheel steady while the fun is fixing up, and will also be a sure method of lighting both cases of the wheel together. A fun thus made is called a brilliant fun, 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 centre, you must have one made of pasteboard 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 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 centre, so that the light of it may illuminate the face. By this method may be shown in the front of a fun, VIVAT REX, cut in pasteboard, or Apollo painted on silk; but, for a small collection, a fun 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 fun of five feet diameter; but, if larger, the cases must be greater in proportion.

Three Vertical Wheels illuminated, which turn on their own Naves upon a horizontal Table.—A plan of this is shown by fig. 49. Let D be a fir table three feet in diameter: this table must be fixed horizontally on the top of a post; on this post must be a perpendicular iron spindle, which must come through the centre 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 long 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 octagonal wheels; 18 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 1/16th 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 are made of strong wood, one inch will be enough for the diameter of the thin part, which should be made to turn easily in the holes of 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 distant from each other: instead of circles, you may make spiral lines, clothed with illuminations, at the same distance of Construktion. 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 from that in which 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 clothing 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 burned.

Illuminated works are much admired by the Italians, and indeed are a great addition to a collection of works: chandeliers 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, clothe 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.

To make a flaming star with brilliant wheels, you must first have made a circular piece of strong wood about one star with inch thick and two feet diameter: round this block fix brilliant eight points, two feet six inches long each; four of these wheels' 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 pasteboard 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 long each, equally distant from each other: this being done, cut a piece of pasteboard round, two feet diameter, and draw on it a star, as may be seen in fig. 51. Cut Fig. 51 out this star, 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, made thus: 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 those on the inside spokes must be placed so as to form a vertical circle of fire. When you place the leaders, carry the first pipe from the tail of one of the cases... Varieties 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. The wheel being made, put it on a spindle, in the centre of the star; this spindle must have a shoulder at bottom, to keep the wheel at a little distance from the block. The 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: when you fire it, you will only see a common horizontal wheel; but when the first case is burnt out, it will fire one of the vertical cases, which will throw 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 12 charges.

A regulated piece, if well executed, is as curious as any in fire-works: it consists of fixed and moveable pieces on one spindle, representing various figures, which take fire successively one from another, without any assistance after lighting the first mutation. See fig. 53.

I. Names of the mutations, with the colour of fire and size of the case belonging to each.

First mutation is a hexagon vertical wheel, illuminated in front with small torches tied on the spokes; this wheel must be clothed with two ounce cases, filled with black charge; the length of these cases is 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 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 only an octagon vertical wheel, clothed 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 gun of brilliant fire, consisting of 12 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 gray.

Fifth mutation is a fixed piece, called the porcupine's quills. This piece consists of 12 spokes, standing perpendicular to the block on 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 these 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 the cases on the other.

Seventh mutation is a fixed wheel, with two circular fells, on which are placed 16 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 gray charge; these cases must be placed with their mouths side-wise, 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.

II. Proportions of the mutations, with the method of conveying the fire from one to the other, and the distance at which they stand one from the other on the spindle.

First mutation must be a hexagon vertical wheel, 14 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 one inch or two of loose match, but take care to secure well 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.

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 long, and only half an inch of it to fit on the block. Round the nave fix five spokes, one inch and a half long 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 slantwise 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, 20 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 first two 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 a pipe go across the wheel from the first case to the other; then from the tail of one of Fourth and fifth mutations.—These may be described under one head, as their naves are made of one piece, which from E to F is 14 inches; E, a block four inches diameter, with 10 or 12 short spokes, on which are fixed 11 inch eight ounce cases: let the front of this block be made to fit easily in the barrel C, and clothe 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 is the nave of the 5th mutation; whose diameter must be four inches and a half; in this nave fix 10 or 12 spokes, one foot and a half in length each; these spokes must stand seven inches distant from the spokes of the 4th mutation; and at the end of each spoke tie a four ounce case, as 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, to make the work light.

Sixth and seventh mutations.—The blocks of these two mutations are turned out of one piece of wood, whose length from F to P is 15 inches. L, a block five inches diameter, in which are fixed eight spokes, each two feet four inches long; at the end of each spoke tie two four ounce cases, as in 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 5th mutation. Let the distance between the spokes at L, and those in the 5th mutation, be seven inches. M, the nave of the 7th 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 inches diameter, and one of three feet 11 diameter; on these fells tie 16 eight ounce or pound cases, as in 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 6th mutation.

Eighth and ninth mutations.—The blocks of these may be turned out of one piece, whole length from P to D must be 12 inches. O, the block of the 8th mutation, which must be six inches diameter; and in it must be fixed six spokes, each three feet in length, 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 10 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 9th mutation is thus made: Let D be a block seven inches diameter. In this block must be screwed six spokes, six feet long each, with holes and grooves for leaders, as those in the dodecahedron; at the end of each spoke, in the front, fix a spindle for a hexagon vertical wheel, 10 inches diameter, as in No. 9. When these wheels are on, carry a leader from each into the block, so that they may all meet; then lead a pipe from the end of one of the cases of the 8th 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 larger pieces are required to be made very strong, and 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 7th mutation; and thence to the 5th, let its diameter be three-fourths 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 shown 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 wheel 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 thus: Bore a 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.—The sudden change of this piece changed to a fun in front.—The sudden change of this piece changed to a wheel with a fun in front; 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 16 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 completed, prepare the post or stand thus: First have a stand made of any height, about three or four inches square; then saw off from the top a piece two feet long; 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; and these brackets must project at right angles with the stand, one foot from the front, for the short piece to rest on. These brackets must be placed a little above the joint of the post, so that when the upper stand falls, it may lie between them at right angles with the bottom stand; which may be done by fixing a piece of wood, one foot long, 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 lie, and keep it steady without straining the hinge. On the side of the short post, opposite the hinge, nail a piece of wood, 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 10 inches long; on this spindle put the wheel; then fix on a brilliant fun with a single glory; the diameter of this fun 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 tin barrel that turns over the end of the stand: this leader must be met by another brought through the top. Varieties of the post, from a case filled with a strong port-fire charge, and tied to the bottom post, with its mouth facing the packthread which holds up the fland; so that when this case is lighted, it will burn the packthread, 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.

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 scrolls A, A, &c., as in fig. 54. These scrolls must be made of the same sort of wire as the hoops; on these scrolls tie, with iron-binding wire, as many illuminating port-fires as they will hold, at two inches distance; clothe these port-fires 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 complete 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 slanting: 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 16 or 20. 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 the wheel. Let D, D, D, &c., be spokes of wood, all made to screw into a block in the centre; 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 spiral wheel of eight spokes, such as E, E, E, &c. The blocks of these wheels must have a hole at top for the centre case, 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 centre cases: as some of these wheels, from 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 centre, as in the dodecahedron, but the centre 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 spiral 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 spiral wheels with a gray charge.

Let fig. 55, be a smooth circular board five feet diameter; out of the middle of it cut a circular piece 12 or 14 inches diameter; and over the vacancy put white Perian 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 of which form this star bore holes, wherein fix pointed stars. When this case 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 must be managed in the same manner as those in regulated pieces.

Double cone-wheel illuminated.—This piece is represented by fig. 56. Let A be a strong decagonal or ten-sided wheel, two feet six inches diameter; then on each side of it fix a cone B and C; these cones are composed 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 clothe 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 10 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, 16 inches diameter; on the front of this wheel form with iron-wire a spiral line, and clothe 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 this: 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.

Cases for fire pumps are made as those for tourbilions; only they are pasted, instead of being rolled dry. Having rolled and dried the cases, fill them: first put in a little meal-powder, and then a star; on which ram lightly a ladleful or two of composition, then a little meal-powder, and on that a star, then again composition; and so on till the cases are filled. 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 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 is Varieties put in first be about a quarter less than the bore of the cafe; 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 cafe, which two must fit in tight. As the loading of fire-pumps is rather difficult, it will be necessary to make two or three trials before depending 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. Cafes for fire-pumps should be made very strong, and rolled on four or eight ounce formers, 10 or 12 inches long each.

A vertical scroll wheel may be made of any diameter, but must be constructed as in fig. 57., to do which proceed thus: Have a block made of a moderate size, in 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 scroll, either with a hoop or strong iron wire; on this scroll tie cafes of brilliant fire, in proportion to the wheel, head to tail, as in the figure. When you fire this wheel, light the first cafe near the fell; then, as the cafes fire successively, the circle of fire will gradually diminish; but whether the illuminations on the fell begin with the scroll or not, is immaterial.

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

There are two sorts of fire-globes; one with projected cafes; the other with the cafes concealed. For the latter have a globe made of wood, of any diameter, and divide the surface of it into 14 equal parts, and at each division bore a hole perpendicular to the centre: these holes must be in proportion to the cafes intended to be used: in every hole, except one, put a cafe filled with brilliant or any other charge, and let the mouths of the cafes be even with the surface of the globe; then cut in the globe a groove, from the mouth of one cafe to the other, for leaders which must be carried from cafe to cafe, so that they may all be fired together; this done, cover the globe with a single paper, and paint it. These globes may be used to ornament a building.

Fire-globes with projected cafes are made thus: the globe being made with 14 holes bored in it as usual, fix in every hole except one, a cafe, and let each cafe project from the globe two-thirds of its length; then clothe all the cafes 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 cafe.

Nothing adds more to the appearance of fire-works than placing them properly; though this chiefly depends on the judgment of the maker. The following are the rules generally observed, whether the works are to be fired on a building or on stands: if they are a double set, place one wheel of a fort on each side of the building; and next to each of them, towards the centre, 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 the works thus in front, place the rest behind them, in the centre of their intervals: The largest piece, which is generally a regulated or transparent piece, must be placed in the centre 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 the large gerbes; and at the back of the works fix maroon batteries, pots des aigrettes, pots des brins, pots des saucifrons, air-balloon, and flights of rockets: the rocket stands may be fixed behind, or anywhere else, so as not to be in the way of the works.

Single collections are fired on stands; which are made in the same manner as the theodolite stands, only the top part must be long or short occasionally: these stands may be fixed up very soon without much trouble.

The following order of Firing will serve as a specimen of the Plan to be pursued in an exhibition of Fire-works.

1. Two signal rockets 2. Six sky rockets 3. Two honorary wheels illuminated 4. Four caduceus transparent stars 5. Vertical spiral wheels illuminated 6. Two Chinese fountains regulating pieces of four mutations each pots des aigrettes 7. Three large gerbes 8. A line rocket of five changes 9. Four tourbillons horizontal wheels 10. Air balloons illuminated 11. Two illuminated yew trees 12. Two air-balloon of serpents and two compound pots des aigrettes 13. Four tourbillons 14. Two Frulloni wheels 15. Illuminated globes with horizontal wheels 16. One pot des saucifrons 17. Two plural wheels 18. Maroon battery 19. Two chandeliers illuminated 20. Range of pots des brins 21. Twelve sky-rockets 22. Two yew-trees of fire 23. Neft of serpents 24. Two double cones illuminated 25. Regulating piece of seven mutations, viz. 1. Vertical wheel illuminated 2. Golden glory 3. Octagon vertical wheel 4. Porcupine's quills 5. Crofs fires 6. Star-piece with brilliant rays 7. Six vertical wheels 8. Brilliant fun 9. 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. Observe this rule in firing a double set of works: Always begin with sky-rockets, then two moveable pieces, then two fixed pieces, and so on; ending with a large flight of rockets, or a maroon battery: if a single collection, fire a fixed piece after every wheel or two, and now and then some air and water-works. Fig. 58. represents a fountain of 30 rockets. Let A be a perpendicular post, 16 feet high from the ground, and 4 inches square. Let the rail, or cross piece C, be one foot six inches long, three inches broad, and one inch thick. The rail D, at bottom, must be five feet long, one foot broad, and one inch thick. F and G are the two sides which serve to supply the rails 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, large enough to receive 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 the rockets thus: Tie round the mouth of each 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 may go through all the rails. The rockets being so prepared, fix a gerbe, or white flower-pot, on each rail, before the post, with its mouth 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 fixed 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.

The piece called a palm tree, though made of common fires, and of a simple construction, has a very pleasing effect; from the fires intersecting so often, that they resemble the branches of trees. Let A (fig. 59.) 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 for the purpose, twelve-inch half-pound cases of brilliant fire, as in the figure.

All the cases and stars must be fired at once. This piece should be fixed high from the ground.

An illuminated pyramid, with Archimedian screws, a globe, and vertical sun, may be of any size. One made according to the dimensions of fig. 60, will be of a good proportion, whose height is 21 feet; from C to D, five pyramid feet; from E to F, nine feet: the space between the plate rails must be six inches, and the rails as thin as possible: CCCCLVI, in all the rails stick portfires 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 12 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 the leaders so that all the illuminating portfires, 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, that the wheels may run freely.

A rose-piece may be used for a mutation of a regulated piece, or fired by itself: it makes the best appearance when made large; if its exterior diameter be six feet, it will be of a good size. Fig. 61 shows the manner in which it appears before it is fired. Let the outer shell 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 outer shell 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; the illuminations should be placed within three inches of each other: they must all be 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 fun cases.

Fig. 62. 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 fix the illuminated rays: in the centre 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 pasteboard or tin, made in this manner: Cut a round piece of pasteboard 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 crofs 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, made so as 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 portfires; behind the point of each ray fix a half-pound case of gray, black, or Chinese fire.

N. B. The illuminated rays are to be lighted at the same Varieties of Construction.

Pyrotechny.

Translucent illuminated table star.

Regulated illuminated spiral piece.

Illuminated figure piece.

Illuminated star-wheel.

fell be clothed with four-ounce cases of gray charge: these cases must burn four at a time, and be lighted at the same time as the illuminations.

Pyramid of flower-pots is represented at fig. 67, and made thus. Let the distance from A to B be six feet; Pyramid of and from one rail to the other, two: on the bottom rail flower-pots, fix five paper mortars, each three inches and a half diameter; these mortars load with serpents, crackers, flares, &c.

In the centre 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 those on the bottom rail; on the third rail place three mortars; on the fourth, two; and on the top of the pots, i: the bottom rail must be six feet long: all the mortars must incline a little forwards, that they may be easily discharged; and the spur-fires rammed exactly alike, that the mortars may all be fired at the same time. Having prepared the pyramid according to the preceding directions, carry pipes of communication from one spur-fire to the other.

Fig. 68. represents one half of the illuminated regulating piece.—A, A, A, A, are flat wooden spokes, each regulating five feet long: at the end of each place a vertical wheel piece. 10 inches diameter, clothed with fix four-ounce cases of Fig. 68. Plate brilliant fire: these cases must burn but one at a time: cccclvii. on two of the spokes of each wheel place two portfires, which must be lighted with the first case of the wheel; on each spoke A, A, &c. behind the wheels, place fix cases of the same size with those 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 piece to turn round.

The diameter of the large wheel must be two feet and a half; and its fell made of wood, which must be fixed to the large spokes: on this wheel place 24 cases of the same sort with those 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 portfires, as in the figure: the star-points on the large spokes may be made of thin ah-hoops; the diameter of these points close to the centre-wheel must be 11 inches: on these points place portfires, at three inches and a half distance one from the other.

Fig. 69. 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, and these wheels must have teeth, to turn the wheel E: this wheel is fixed on a small spindle screwed into the large spindle, which goes through the two blocks, and on which they run.

Supposing fig. 68. to be on the block A, in fig. 69. 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 serve to regulate their motions, as well as to affix 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. Works that sport in the water are much esteemed by most admirers of fire-works, particularly water-rockets; and as they seem of a very extraordinary nature to those who are unacquainted with this art, they merit a particular explanation.

Water-rockets may be made from four ounces to two pounds. If larger, they are too heavy; so that it will be difficult to make them keep above water 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 these are made in the same manner and proportion as sky-rockets, only a little thicker of paper. When you fill those which are driven solid, put in first one ladleful of slow fire, then two of the proper charge, and on that one or two ladles of finking charge, then the proper charge, then the finking charge again, and so on, till you have filled the case within three diameters; then drive on the composition one ladleful 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 the 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 fill them with an equal quantity of composition, and fire them altogether.

Pipes of communication, which may be used under water, must be a little thicker in the paper than those for land. Having rolled a sufficient number of pipes, and kept them till 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; as 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 pipes will lie many hours under water, without receiving any damage.

To make horizontal wheels for the water, first get a large wooden bowl without a handle; then have an eight-sided wheel made of a flat board 18 inches diameter, so that the length of each side may 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 four eight-ounce cases, filled with a proper charge, each about five inches in length. Now, to clothe 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: tie this case on one of the sides of the wheel, near the corners of which must be holes bored, through which 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: tie on the second case 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 anything on the 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, provided they be not too heavy for the bowl.

Before tying on the cases, cut the upper part of all their ends, except the last, a little thieving, 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.

For water mines you must have a bowl with a wheel Water on it, made in the same manner as the water-wheel; only in its middle there must be a hole, of the same diameter as that of the intended mine. These mines are tin pots, with strong bottoms, and a little more than two diameters in length: the mine must be fixed in the hole in the wheel, with its bottom resting on the bowl; then loaded with serpents, crackers, flares, small water-rockets, &c. in the same manner as pots of aigrettes; but in their centre 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 wheels are to be clothed as usual.

Bowls for water-globes must be very large, and the Fire-globes wheels on them of ten sides: on each side nail a piece for the 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 filled with a gray 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 rather less than that of the wheel. Having made the globe, drive in the centre of a wheel an iron spindle, which must stand perpendicular, and its length four or six inches more than the diameter of the globe.

The spindle serves for an axis, on which is fixed the globe, which must stand four or six inches from the wheel: round one side of each hoop must be foldered 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 portfires, and hold them on: these portfires must be made of such a length as will last out the cases on the wheel. There need not be any portfires at the bottom of the globe within four inches of the spindle; as they would have no effect, but to burn the wheel: all the portfires must be placed perpendicularly from the centre of the globe, with their mouths outwards; and must be clothed with leaders, so as all to take fire with the second case of the wheel; and the cases must burn two at a time, one opposite the other. When two cases of a wheel begin together, two will will end together; therefore the two opposite end cafes must have their ends pinched and secured from fire. The method of firing such wheels is, by carrying a leader from the mouth of one of the first cafes to that of the other; and the leader being burnt through the middle, will give fire to both at the same time.

Odoriferous water balloons are made in the same manner as air balloons, but very thin of paper, and in diameter one inch and three-fourths, 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 balloons must be fired at the vent, and put into a bowl of water. Odoriferous works are generally fired in rooms.

Composition I. Saltpetre two ounces, flour of sulphur one ounce, camphor half an ounce, yellow amber half an ounce, charcoal-duft three-fourths of an ounce, salt of benjamin half an ounce, all powdered very fine and well mixed.

II. Saltpetre 12 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.

III. Saltpetre two ounces, sulphur half an ounce, antimony half an ounce, amber half an ounce, cedar raspings one-fourth of an ounce, all mixed with the oil of roses and a few drops of bergamot.

IV. Saltpetre four ounces, sulphur one ounce, saw-duft of juniper half an ounce, saw-duft of cypress one ounce, camphor one-fourth of an ounce, myrrh two drams, dried rosemary one-fourth of 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 cafes.

Having procured four or five small ships, of two or three feet in length, 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 cafe, eight inches long, filled with a flow portfire composition; 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 cafes bore holes at unequal distances from one another, but make as many in each cafe as half the number of reports, so that one cafe 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 cafes to the reports on the decks; you must make these leaders very small, and be careful in calculating the burning of the flow fire in the regulating cafes, that more than two guns be not fired at a time. When you would have a broadside 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 (A).

Having filled and bored holes in two portfires 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 flow 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 portfire equal in size with those in the other ships, and place it at the stern; in every port place a large portfire, 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 flow 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 thick and one broad, 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, to hold it fast to the deck: this must be fired just after the sham guns, and when burning will show 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 flow fire; the firing of this mortar will sink the ship, and make a pretty conclusion. The regulating portfire 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 choose 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 windlasses; round one of them turn one end of a small cord, and put the other end 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 any distance; but these strings must not be more than two feet long each: make fast the loose end of each to a ship, just under her bowsprit; for if tied to the keel, or too near the water, it will overturn the ship. Half the ships being thus prepared, near the other double block fix two more windlasses, to which fasten a cord, and to it tie the other half of the ships as before: when you fire the ships, pull in the cord with one of the windlasses, 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 windlasses between the others;

(A) Reports for these and similar occasions are made, by filling small cartridges with grained powder; pinching them close at each end, and, when used, boring a hole in the side, to which is placed a match or leader for firing them. others; so that when she fails 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, you must have stands made as usual, only the rails must be placed flat instead of edgewise, 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 choose.

To represent Neptune in his chariot, 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 swimming, as shown by fig. 70. 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 pasteboard, 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 gray 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 composition 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 portfires, and in each nostril put a small case half filled with gray charge, and the rest with portfire 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, with the white flames on the horses' heads, and the portfires 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 begin; 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 shown 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.

If you would have 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 portfire; the portfire cases for this purpose must be made of braids, two inches long, and filled with a slow bright charge. In the middle of one of these cases make a little hole; then put the portfire in the eye-hole of the swan, leaving about half an inch to project out; and in the other eye put another portfire, with a hole made in it: then in the neck of the swan, within two inches of one of the eyes, bore a hole slantwise, to meet that in the portfire; 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 long 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 swan's head, down to the hole in the portfire, to which carry a leader: if the swan is 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 swimming, light the two eyes.

To make a fire-fountain for the water, first have a float made of wood, three feet diameter; then in the middle fix a round perpendicular post, four feet high, 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 feet two inches diameter, and fixed at two feet distance from the first. 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 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 three cases of the same, and in the same manner as those on the first; on the third, place eight more of these cases, in the same manner as before, and on the top of the post fix a gerbe; then clothe all the cases with leaders, so that both they and the gerbe may take fire at the same time. Before firing this work, try it in the water to see whether the float is properly made, so as to keep the fountain upright.

As the artificial fire-works which we have described, require considerable caution in their preparation and management, and are attended with great expense, attempts have been made to imitate some of the more simple kinds by optical delusion, and to give to the objects represented the appearance of moving fire, though they be really fixed, and no fire be employed. These attempts have been tolerably successful; and by means of this invention, a spectacle of artificial fire-works may be apparently exhibited at a trifling expense; and if the pieces employed are constructed with ingenuity, and with a proper attention to the rules of perspective, while in viewing them we employ glasses which magnify the objects, and prevent them from being too distinctly seen, a very agreeable illusion will be produced.

The artificial fire-works imitated with most success by this invention, are fixed fans, gerbes, and jets of fire, caledes, globes, pyramids, and columns, moveable around their axes. To represent a gerbe of fire, take Optical paper blackened on both sides, and very opaque; and having delineated on a piece of white paper the figure of a gerbe of fire, apply it to the black paper, and with the point of a very sharp penknife make several flashes (Plate CCCCLVII. fig. 71.) in it, as 3, 5, or 7, proceeding from the origin of the gerbe: these lines must not be continued, but cut through at unequal intervals. Pierce these intervals with unequal holes made with a pinking iron, in order to represent the sparks of such a gerbe. In short, you must endeavour to paint, by these lines and holes, the well-known effect of the fire of inflamed gunpowder, when it issues through a small aperture.

According to the same principles, you may delineate the cascades (fig. 72.) and jets of fire which you are desirous of introducing into this exhibition, which is purely optical; and those jets of fire which proceed from the radii of fans, either fixed or moveable. It may easily be conceived, that in this operation taste must be the guide.

If you are desirous of representing globes, pyramids, or revolving columns, draw the outlines of them on paper, and then cut them out in a helical form; that is, cut out spirals with the point of a penknife, and of a size proportioned to that of the piece.

It is to be observed also, that as these different pieces have different colours, they may be easily imitated by pasting on the back of the paper, cut as here described, very fine silk paper coloured in the proper manner. As jets, for example, when loaded with Chinese fire, give a reddish light, you must paste to the back of these jets transparent paper, slightly tinged with red; and proceed in the same manner in regard to the other colours by which the different fire-works are distinguished.

When these preparations have been made, the next thing is to give motion, or the appearance of motion, to this fire, which may be done two ways, according to circumstances.

If a jet of fire, for example, is to be represented, prick unequal holes, and at unequal distances from each other, in a band of paper, fig. 73. and then move this band, making it ascend between a light and the above jet; the rays of light which escape through the holes of the moveable paper will exhibit the appearance of sparks rising into the air. It is to be observed that one part of the paper must be whole; that another must be pierced with holes thinly scattered; that in another place they must be very close, and then moderately so: by these means it will represent those sudden jets of fire observed in fire-works.

To represent a facade, the paper pierced with holes, instead of moving upwards, must be made to descend.

This motion may be easily produced by means of two rollers, on one of which the paper is rolled up, while it is unrolled from the other.

Suns are attended with some more difficulty; because in these it is necessary to represent fire, proceeding from the centre to the circumference. The artifice for this purpose is as follows.

On strong paper describe a circle, equal in diameter to the sun which you are desirous to exhibit, or even somewhat larger; then trace out on this circle two spirals, at the distance of a line or half a line from each other, and open the interval between them with a penknife, in such a manner, that the paper may be cut from the circumference, decreasing in breadth to a certain distance from the centre, fig. 74.: cut the remainder of the circle into spirals of the same kind, open and close alternately; then cement the paper circle to a small iron hoop, supported by two pieces of iron, crossing each other in its centre, and adjust the whole to a small machine, which will suffer it to revolve round its centre. If this moveable paper circle, cut in this manner, be placed before the representation of your sun, with a light behind it, as soon as it is made to move towards that side to which the convexity of the spirals is turned, the luminous spirals, or those which afford a passage to the light, will give, on the image of the radii or jets of fire of your sun, the appearance of fire in continual motion, as if undulating from the centre to the circumference.

The appearance of motion may be given to columns, pyramids, and globes, cut through in the manner above described, by moving in a vertical direction a band of paper cut through into apertures, inclined at an angle rather different from that of the spirals. By these means the spectators will suppose that they see fire continually circulating and ascending along the spirals; and thus will be produced an optical illusion, in consequence of which the columns or pyramids will seem to revolve.

We have thus briefly explained the principle on which artificial fire-works may be imitated; and as the taste of the artist may suggest to him many circumstances which may improve the representation, and render the illusion stronger, we shall not enlarge further on the subject, but shall conclude this article with a few observations on illuminated prints and drawings, which are sometimes introduced as accompaniments in these imitations of artificial fire-works.

The mode of preparing these illuminations is thus described in Hutton's translation of Montucla's Recreations. Take some prints representing a castle, or palace, &c.; and having coloured them properly, cement paper to the back of them, in such a manner that they shall be only semitransparent; then, with pinking irons of different sizes, prick small holes in the places and on the lines where the lamps are generally placed, as along the sides of the windows, on the cornices or balustrades, &c. But care must be taken to make these holes smaller and closer, according to the perspective diminution of the figure. With other irons of a larger size, cut out, in other places, some stronger lights, so as to represent fire-pots, &c. Cut out also the panes in some of the windows, and cement to the back of them transparent paper of a green or red colour, to represent curtains drawn before them, and concealing an illuminated apartment.

When the print is cut in this manner, place it in the front of a sort of small theatre, strongly illuminated from the back part, and look at it through a convex glass of a pretty long focus, like that used in those small machines called optical boxes. If the rules of perspective have been properly observed in the prints, and if the lights and shades have been distributed with taste, this spectacle will be highly agreeable.

Before dismissing this subject, it may not be improper to point out the most effectual means of relieving those men of burns, to which fire-workers are so much exposed. When the burn is first received, and before blisters arise, the best applications are oil of turpentine, strong spirits, spirits, rectified spirit of wine, or camphorated spirit, with which linen rags must be wetted and kept moist on the part till the pain abates. If no other remedy can be procured, immersing the part for a long time in cold water will often afford great relief. When these means have been neglected, and blisters arise, if these are small, they should not be opened; but if large, the water must be let out, and the sore covered with rags, spread with a mixture of linseed oil and lime water, in the proportion of one part of the former to three of the latter. We must remark, however, that in all cases of extensive burns, or where some very delicate part is injured, speedy recourse should be had to medical assistance.

PYR

PYROTICS, in Medicine, caustics, or remedies either actually or potentially hot; and which accordingly will burn the flesh, and raise an eschar. See CAUSTICITY.