Chapter V: Of Incendiary Fire-Works (6)

[33] Lee's adventure, just related, brings to mind another, by a man of same name, not, however, with a submarine torpedo, or any thing of that kind; but with a _sublunar_ aerostatic vessel, made about two or three years ago, at Camden, opposite Philadelphia. This was a balloon of an oblong shape, intended to float in the air like a ship on water, and furnished with oars or wings. It was filled with hydrogen gas. The object was to direct it, (a desideratum in aerostation), like a vessel on water; but the aeronaut, having arose in his car to the height of a lombardy poplar, which came in contact with it, and judging a retreat was preferable, leaped on a limb, where he had the misfortune to be caught by the seat of his pantaloons, and appeared, as it were, suspended between heaven and earth, to the no small diversion of thousands of spectators. The balloon ascended to some height, and then turned, throwing out his sand bags, &c. which, in the city, were taken for the unfortunate aeronaut, and produced, of course, a contrary feeling. Lee called on me the next day, and, in explanation of the cause, observed, that, when he ascended to the height mentioned, he found the centre of gravity was shifting, and thought it prudent not to venture. I observed, that it was well he changed his gravity, but was sorry to find, that he had transferred his centre a posteriori.

[34] A friend, who was a prisoner on board of Hardy's ship, very facetiously observed, such was the dread of torpedoes by the British, that they were literally afraid of _eating a potato, lest it should contain a torpedo_!

[35] We are informed, that some rockets, which were made at the U. S. Arsenal at Troy, were charged with the usual rocket composition, and a small portion of quicklime, in consequence of which their power was greatly augmented; a useful hint for their improvement.

[36] Star composition:--meal-powder 5 parts, saltpetre 16 parts, sulphur 8 parts, antimony 2 parts.

[37] Four inches more likely.

[38] General Lallemand (Treatise on Artillery, vol. i, p. 26,) observes, that the Congreve rocket is thirty inches in length, and three and a half inches in diameter; that a part of its charge consists of fire stone and small grenades; that their range is equal to a long gun, but their direction is very uncertain; so much so as to render them of little service, except to set fire to objects with extensive surfaces; and that they will not pierce through solid buildings, and in battle are at best only fit to frighten horses.

[39] In a note to Gibbon, page 283, we read, "The naphtha, the oleum incendiarum of the history of Jerusalem (Gest. Dei per Francos, p. 1167,) the oriental fountain of James de Vitry (l. iii, c. 84,) is introduced on slight evidence and strong probability." The name by which Cinnamus call the Greek fire, corresponds with the locality where naphtha was found, between the Tigris and the Caspian sea. Pliny (Hist. Natur. ii, 109,) says, it was subservient to the revenge of Medea, and according to the etymology, naphtha was signified.

[40] The _Fougasses_ and _Camouflets_, used in mining, are employed for different purposes. The fougasses are small mines, whose line of resistance is only six to six and two-thirds feet. They are used to defend large posts. Bomb fougasses are nothing more than fougasses, charged with bombs containing powder. To estimate the effects of bomb fougasses, artillerists have ascertained the exact quantity of powder contained in each kind of bomb. A bomb of eight and a half inches weighs forty-six and a half pounds; it requires four and a half pounds of powder to fill it; but one pound will burst it. The eighteen inch bomb, or _cominage_, weighs nearly five hundred and seventy-one pounds, and contains forty pounds of powder Thirteen pounds of powder will burst it. The _camouflet_ is a small fougasse, made to act against the enemy's mines, to suffocate and poison their branch. The _camouflet_ is also used to act against the sides of the crater of a mine that has been sprung. See _Science of War and Fortification_, vol. 2d, p. 286.

[41] The _gramme_ is the French unit of weight, and is equal to the weight of a cubic centimetre of pure water; it weighs 18.84 grains, French. The kilogramme is equal to 1000 grammes. (2 lbs., 5 drachma, 49 grains, French.)

[42] Among other inventions, by this philosopher, such as the detection of the adulteration of the crown of Hiero, mentioned by Vitruvius, the cachleon or Archimedes' screw, the Helix for launching large ships, the Trispaston for drawing immense weights, Pneumatic and Hydrostatic engines, sphere, which exhibited the celestial motions;--there are two in particular, which relate to the defence of Syracuse, as well as the destruction of the enemy. Besides his burning mirrors, Polybius, Livy, and Plutarch assert, that his inventions for defence consisted of Tormenta, Balistæ, Catapults, Sagittarii, Scorpions, Cranes, &c. Archimedes died in the 143d Olympiad, 210 years before the birth of Christ.

[43] Certain plants, we have said, are made use of for this purpose. Botanists have certain rules for distinguishing poisonous plants, from those which are innocent. Professor Eaton (Manual of Botany, &c. p. 17) observes, that plants with five stamens and one pistil, with a dull coloured lurid corol, and of a nauseating sickly smell, are always poisonous; as tobacco, thorn-apple, henbane, night-shade. The degree of poisonous property diminished, when the flower is brighter coloured, and the smell, less nauseous. He also observes, that umbelliferous plants of the aquatic kind, and of a nauseating scent, are always poisonous; as water-hemlock and cow-parsley. But if they grow in dry land, and their smell is pleasant, they are not poisonous; as fennel, dill, &c. Snap dragon, foxglove, and plants, generally, with labiate corols, and seeds in capsules, are poisonous, and also those plants which exude a milky juice when broken, unless they bear compound flowers; as milk-weed and dog-bane. It is understood, also, that plants having any appendage to the calyx or corol, and eight or more stamens, are generally poisonous.

INDEX.

A.

Accension of _glace inflammable_, 40

Accension of spirit of turpentine, 51

Accension of phosphuretted hydrogen gas, 85

Accension, spontaneous, remarks on, 288

Acid of borax, use of, in fire-works, 227

Aigrette, pots of, 363
why so named, _ibid_

Air works, 347

Alcohol, 168
the flame of, how coloured, 20, 269
its compound with water, &c. 169
its use in fire-works, 168
its proof, or strength, how ascertained, 170
used in the preparation of fulminating mercury, _ibid_
burns without smoke, _ibid_

Alexander the Great, surprised with the effects of naphtha, 32, 153

Albertus Magnus, published an account of the ordeal by fire, 38
on the Greek fire, 98

_Amadou_; see Pyrotechnical sponge.

Amber, 156
used in odoriferous fire, 157
found in the United States, _ibid_
black; see Jet.

Ambergris, _ibid_

American Turtle, what, 515

Ammonia, muriate of, 184

Analysis of gunpowder, in what it consists, 140

Ancients, fire-works of the, 261
as exhibited in theatres, _ibid_
made chiefly in wooden tubes, 262
illuminated on birth days, 428

Anelzin, Constantine, supposed to have invented gunpowder, 99

Animal poisons, for what used, 568

Animalcula, 34

Anglesea, Island of, furnishes sulphur from copper pyrites, 80

Antimony, 188

Antioch, had some public lamps, _note_. 428

Anna Commena, her formula for Greek fire, 98

Aphlogistic lamp, 170
with camphor, 171

Aquatic fire-works, 21, 442

Aquafortis, 49

Archbishop of Magdeburg had nitre districts, 52

Arrow, poisoned, 567

Archbishop of Triers, granted privileges for searching for nitre, 53

Artifice of destruction, 267

Artificial nitre beds, 69

Artificial flower pot, 10

Artillery, how fired by sulphuric acid, 75
match, 471
rod, 474

Arsenic, sulphurets of, 187

Arrows, used to attract lightning, 31

Asbestus, or Amianthus, wicks of, 26

Ashes, wood, 192

Asphaltum, 155
used as a cement, _ibid_

Aurum Musivum, 200

Auger rammer, what, 238
size of, for boring rockets, _ibid_

Auget in mining, what, 551

Automatons of fire, 419

Aurora, composition for, 272

Azote, iodide of, a fulminating compound, 177
in nitre beds, furnished by animal matter, 70
quantity of, in nitric acid, 122
disengaged from gunpowder, _ibid_
quantity of, disengaged from powder, 123
exists in miasmata, 60
carburet of, in miasmata, 61
different combinations of, _ib._

B.

Bacon, Roger, 98
received his knowledge of gunpowder, _ib._
his work, containing the composition of powder, _ib._
his opinion of the manner the Midianites were defeated, _ib._
knew gunpowder before Schwartz, 99

Balls, incendiary, 92
smoke, 449
stink, _ibid_
poisoned, _ibid_
inflammable, 577
red-hot, 449

Balloon wheels, 394

Balloons of grenades, bombs and stone, 559
Coehorn, 351
Republican, 352
of serpents, 353
of crackers and marrons, 352
compound, _ibid_
eight-inch, &c. 353
ten-inch, &c. 354
observations on, 355
Table respecting, 356
Mortars for the charge of, _ibid_
fuses of, 354
composition for the, 358
cases for, 245

Barbadoes tar, 155

Barras, 148

Bar-Cochebra, the rabbi, his deceptions on the Jews, 31

Barrow's account of Asiatic fire-works, 255
the nitre caves of Africa, 58

Battle of the kegs, 523

Batteries of Roman candles, 406
Mosaic candles, _ibid_

Bavins, for fire-ships, 509
composition for, _ibid_

Beckman, his remarks concerning jugglers, 27

Bengal lights, 377

Benzoin, 161

Benzoic acid, _ibid_

Benzoin, why used in fire-works, 162
flowers of, _ibid_

Berard, his improvement in refining nitre, 67

Berthollet, proposed chlorate of potassa for gunpowder, 76
his fulminating silver, 174

Bergamot, the essence of, used in odoriferous flambeaux, 288

Bigot, his observations on rockets, 540

Bistre, how prepared from wood-soot, 146

Bitumen, elastic, 155
solid, _ibid_

Black, ivory, 90

Black lead, 209

Black amber, 157

Blue vitriol, 222

Blue stars, 18

Boat, plunging, 514

Bodington, invented a machine to prove powder, 139

Bologna phial, 214

Bones, charring of, 94

Bone and ivory, 220

Borello, his process for regeneration, 34

Bottle, phosphoric fire, 85

Bombs, howitzes and grenades, 487
tables respecting, 489
incendiary, of Ruggeri, 537
composition of, 556
where said to have been invented, 504
succouring, an account of Bell's, 544

Brass, 197

Brand, fire, 574

Brick, economical, 577

Brilliant stars, 18
fire, 271

Brins, pots de, 364

Brimstone, 78
roll, 80
how obtained, _ib._
how to determine its purity, 83
flowers of, 82

Browning of gun barrels, 204

Browne, Dr. on nitre caves, 54, 55, 58

Bronze, 198

Brongniart's directions for refining saltpetre, 62

Brugnatelli's fulminating silver, 174

Bullock's blood, paste made with, 253

Burgundy pitch, 147

Burning barrel, 503
composition for the, 504

Byzantium, illumination of, 24

C.

_Cabinet de composition_, 235

Cadet, his mode of discharging guns, 477

Caduceus rocket, 341

Cagliostro, the imposter, 33
his pretensions to the miraculous, _ib._
his phial, _ib._
Cardan's account of his phial, _ib._

Cæsalpinus, his comment on Aristotle, 34

Callinicus, the inventor of the Greek fire, 544, 548

Calamine stone, 195

Calcareous caverns mostly contain nitre, 54

Caligula, caused Rome to be illuminated, 24, 428

Camphor, 157
used in candle-making, 159
obtained from the _Laurus Camphora_, 158
crude, how refined, _ibid_
properties of, 158
use of, in fire-works, 160
the flame produced by, _ibid_

Candles, Roman, 380
cases for, and effect of, _ibid_
manner of charging the, _ibid_
manner of firing, _ibid_
Mosaic, 381
duration of, 439
light of, _ibid_
Ure's experiments on, _ibid_

Cannon, history of, 456
how originally made, 457
different kinds of, 459
opinions respecting, 458

Carbon, gaseous oxide of, 89
different combinations of, _ib._
quantity in different coals, how ascertained, 151

Carbonic acid, 88

Carbonic oxide gas, 89

Carburetted hydrogen gas, _ib._

Cartwright's fire-works, 20

Caromel, 165

Carbonate of Ammonia, 185
zinc, impure, 195
potassa, 189

Castera's Plunging boat, some account of, 514

Caprices, 400
cracking, 407

Cascades of fire, 404

Carney, M. his process for gunpowder, 110

Carcass rocket, 530

Carcasses, 492
how made, 493
table of the dimensions of, 494
uses of, 492
composition of, 494
a general rule for their preparation, 495
composition for covering, 496
how discharged from mortars, 497
inextinguishable, 493

Cartridges, 462
musket, 464
cannon, 467
used in seiges, what kind of, 466
cost of, in France, _ibid_
ball for, calculations respecting, 463
dimensions of the sacks for, 468
cannon, of what composed, _ibid_
table relative to, 469
Bigot's table on the charge of powder for, 471

Cases, when drove solid, observations on, 237
how distinguished by their diameters, _ibid_
charging of, without moulds, _ibid_
nipples for, _ibid_
when charged solid, how bored, 238
rolled wet, for wheels and fixed pieces, 244
for turning pieces, of what length, 245
for Roman candles, _ibid_
for serpents, _ibid_
for fixed stars, _ibid_
tourbillon, _ibid_
balloon, how made, _ibid_
for illumination port-fires, 246
lances, 247
for common port-fires, _ibid_
paper for, 250
paper, preferred to wooden tubes, 262
used by the Chinese, _ibid_
for reports, 301
for crackers, 300
for fire-pumps, 322
for scrolls, 344
priming of, 370
whitening of, _ibid_
standing and fixed, compositions for, 388

Catamarin, 514
invented by Fulton, _ibid_

Caves, nitre, of the United States, 54

Celsius, his writings against the Magi, 27

Cement, Japanese, 252

Cerasin, 219

Chained rockets, 342

Chaptal, his approval of Carney's process, 110
his observations on saltpetre, 67

Christians in the first century, illuminated, 24, 428

Charcoal, 87
accension of, by nitric acid, 51
from damaged gunpowder, 72
quantity of, for decomposing 100 parts of nitre, 96
used in fire-works, 87
decomposes nitric acid, _ib._
nitrate of potassa, 96
properties of, 87
destroys the empyreumatic flavour of liquor, _ib._
burns in oxygen gas, &c. 88
one of the constituents of gunpowder, 89
how made, 90
how made intensely black, 96
for gunpowder, how prepared, 94
wood used for making, 94

Charred pitcoal, 90

Chargers, 231

Characters, used in pyrotechny, 230

Champy, M. his process for gunpowder, 109

Changes, in sun pieces, how effected, 396

Chemical effects in fire-works, 2
changes, _ib._

Chimnies, different modes of cleansing, 573
Smart's machine for, 574

Chinese fire, 19, 371
works, 255
preparation of the iron for, 201
composition of, as used in theatres, 265
for table works, 272
peculiar art of the, in making fire-works, 255
flyers, 303
cases for, _ibid_
how filled, _ibid_
use of, _ibid_
fountains, 405
paste, how made, 252
iron sand, different numbers of the, how made, 202
Incarville's account of the, 202

Chlorate of potassa, in fire-works, 7
accension by, 22
experiments with, _ib._
how made, 74
composition of, 75
decomposed by combustibles, 75
and sugar, give fire with sulphuric acid, _ib._
effects of, with charcoal and sulphur, 76
in lieu of nitre for gunpowder, _ib._
serious accidents from, _ib._
proportions of, for powder, _ib._
powder made with, stronger than the common, _ib._
powder of, experiments with the, _ib._
for rockets, 77
how used to discharge cannon, 75

Choaker, 233

Choaking, how performed, 243
contrivance for, 244

Cicero, lamps lighted in honor of, 24, 428

Clay, uses of, in pyrotechny, 193
how prepared for use, 194

Cleaveland, professor, his notices of saltpetre caves, 54

Coal, 149
common, _ibid_
pit, _ibid_
component parts of, _ibid_
character of, _ibid_
what kind of, best for fire-works, _ibid_
surcharged with bitumen, how it burns, 150
American, _ibid_
use of, in the arts, _ibid_
kinds of, _ibid_
quantity of carbon in, how ascertained, 151
why used in fire-works, _ibid_
analysis of, _ibid_
origin of, 152

Coke, 90
ovens, 150

Coehorn balloon, 351
illuminated, _ibid_
of serpents, _ibid_
of crackers, _ibid_
compound, 352

Colophony, 147

Colours, how communicated, 19

Combustion, spontaneous, how occasioned, 323
accelerated or retarded, 1
produces new compounds, 2
products of, _ib._
of metals, 4
of sulphur with nitre, 49

Common stars, 18

Compositions, remarks respecting particular, 9
how preserved, 235
sundry, for fire-works, tabular view of, 317
effects of particular, 367
for variations, for sun pieces, 396
to preserve the fuses of shells, &c. 485
for dipping curtains, bavins, &c. 511
for priming for fire-ships, _ibid_
for setting fire to fascines, _ibid_
for hoops, fire arrows, &c. _ibid_
for kitt, 512

Condensing syringe, 276

Courantines, or line rockets, 345

Constantius, alarmed at some feats by fire, 31

Constantinople, illumination of, 24
by order of Constantine, 428

Copal, 164

Cornelius, the Rev. Mr. his description of a nitre cave, 58

Corrosive sublimate, 186
use of, in fire-works, _ibid_

Cotton, 219

Counter-mines, 551

Crackers of fulminating silver, 173
how made for fire-works, 300
report of, how caused, _ibid_
Waterloo, 273

Crawfish, process for regenerating, 34

Cramer's experiments on the formation of nitre, 70

Cross-fire, what, 406

Crowns and globes, compositions for, 390

Cruikshank, his process for making fulminating silver, 174

Curtains, for fire-ships, 510

Cyanogen, 89

Cylinders, or rollers, 230

Cyphers in fire, how made, 324

D.

Dana, his remarks respecting vapour in combustion, 434

Dart, the inflammable, 574

Dead fire, for wheels, 389
light fuse, 485

Deceptions by fire, various, 30

Decorations for fire-works, 298, 425

Deflagration of nitre with crude antimony, 50

Delian problem, (_note_), 28

Deliquescent salts in nitre, 38

Desaguliers, his remarks concerning rockets. See Rockets.

Destruction, artifice of, 267

Detonation with nitre and phosphorus, 49

Detonations, sundry with chlorate of potassa, 75
sundry experiments to produce, 273

Detonating mixtures with phosphorus, 85
girdle, 274
powder from indigo, 177
tape, 274
oil, 179
works, 273
balls, 274
cards, 275

Devices, variously formed, 324

Diamond, pure carbon, 87

Dodecaedron, representation of, 403

Don Pedro, 99

D'Orval, his account of aquatic fire-works, 272

Dragons, in fire-works, exhibitions of, 266

Driver for charging large rockets, 233

Drying of powder, 112

Duponts, the Messrs. the character of their powder, 73

Dusting of gunpowder, 112

Dung of camels, used as fuel, 218

E.

_Eau de cuite_, 64

_Eau forte_, _ib._

_Eau faible_, _ib._

Europeans, ancient, their poisoned arrows, 568

Elastic bitumen, 155
aeriform fluids, 6

Electron, 156

Electricity, effects of, on inflammable bodies, 276

Ellibichus, (_note_.), 428

Empedocles knew the effect of burning glasses, 562

Endless screw, 418

Eprouvette, 138
of Hutton, _ibid_
improved, _ibid_
of Darcy, 76
of Regnier, 77
of Ramsden, 139
Dr. Hutton's opinion of the, 138

Eruption, volcanic, 263
substances which produce, _ibid_

Essence of spruce, 147

Ether, phosphorized, 85

Essential oils, 163

_Etoupille_ of the French, 295
how prepared, 297

Ewel, his patent for making gunpowder, 118

Examination, chemical, of nitre, 72

Exhibition of fire-works, 453

Experiments, sundry, with detonating substances, 273

Extemporaneous fire, 578
various kinds of, _ibid_
by chemical action, _ibid_
Hanzelet's composition for, 579
remarks on, _ibid_

F.

Fascines, 501
how made, _ibid_
to what use applied, _ibid_
various kinds of, 501

Feast of the lanterns in China, 25

Feast of the lamps, 427

Feast of the dedication of the Temple, _ibid_

_Festum encæniorum_ of the Jews, 24

Fevers, malignant, supposed causes of, 60

Fight, with small ships, how represented, 451

Fire, feats performed with, 26
works of, general basis of, 19
works, to show in sparks, &c. 20
for rooms, of what made, 21
substances used in, 48
rain, incendiary, 560
composition of, 560, 561
observations on, _ibid_
gave rise to the fire-stone, 562
Greek, 544
of what composed, 545
flasks, 575
stone, what, 205
produced by percussion, 273
works in general, 255
invention of Europe, _ibid_
at Pekin, _ibid_
known in China from time immemorial, _ibid_
Chinese not surpassed by any nation, _ibid_
Barrow's account of the, _ibid_
arrangement of, 256
a system of, what, _ibid_
of inflammable air, 383
Frazier's opinion respecting, 257
ordeal by, 37
works at Versailles and Paris, 257
of the ancients, 261
theatrical, 262
rain for theatres, 264
composition of, 264, 309, 310, 311
in Chinese fire, 265
spur, 267
composition of, 268
works, portable, 271
scented, 283
tables, 271
pots, 365
for ramparts, 575
charge for, 366
brand, 574
pumps, 322
composition for, _ibid_
cases for, how made, _ibid_
how charged, _ibid_
jets, 367
extemporaneous, how made, 578
spouts, 367
compositions for, _ibid_
blue, for parasols and cascades, 369
radiant, _ibid_
green, _ibid_
Aurora, _ibid_
Italian rose, _ibid_
everlasting, what, 154
jets, different appearances of, 370
how used, _ibid_
Chinese, 371
red, 372
cast iron, used in the, 371
iron sand in the, _ibid_
applications of the, 375
has little force, _ibid_
on wheels, its effect, _ibid_
for calibers under 10/12ths of an inch, 376
for other calibers, _ibid_
for Palm trees and cascades, _ibid_
white, _ibid_
for gerbes, _ibid_
works for exhibition, the arrangement of, 387
how arranged, 453
incendiary, 490
general account of the, _ibid_
number of the, _ibid_
slow, for wheels, 389
dead, for wheels, _ibid_
wands, 400
cascades of, 404
galleries of, 406
globes, 420
crayons, 286
globe, aquatic, 445
representation of figures in, 423
ship, in miniature, 451
for service, 507
preparation of a, _ibid_
uses of a, _ibid_
stores required for a, 510
fire-barrels for a, _ibid_
composition for, _ibid_
stone, 491
its use, _ibid_
of what composed, _ibid_
cautions to be used in making, _ibid_
on what its goodness depends, _ibid_
how made more inflammable, _ibid_
composition of, 492
origin of, 491
composition, used for carcasses; see carcasses.
balls, 492

Fire balls, composition of, 494
table on the dimensions of, _ibid_
how they differ from carcasses, 492
composition for covering of, 496
how discharged, 497
a new mode for making, _ibid_
to be thrown by hand, kind for, _ibid_
composition for hand, 498
works, with hydrogen gas, 383
Dillon's exhibition of inflammable air, _ibid_
Cartwright's do. do., _ibid_
flame of hydrogen gas in, how charged, _ibid_
of inflammable air, how executed, _ibid_
their character, _ibid_
imitative, 440
how made, _ibid_
Red, for theatres, 270

Fixed air, 87
suns, 397, 398
cases, 19

Flame, the rapidity of the communication of, 431
of felt, colours of, 435
Reaumur and Schatt's remarks on, _ibid_
of felt, experiment to produce the, _ibid_
coloured, theory of, 436
very remarkable effects of, on living persons, _ibid_
how prepared to produce singular appearances, _ibid_

Flame, changed of different colours, 2, 432
deception by breathing, 30
the, in fire-works, how shown, 264
how extinguished, and made to reappear at the same time, 275

Flambeaux, odoriferous, 288
its use in war, 501
how made, 502
composition for, _ibid_

Flower pot, artificial, of fire, 10

Flowers of sulphur, 82

Flower pots, pyramid of, 402

Flux, black, 50
white, _ib._

Flyers, Chinese, 303

Fetid carbonate of lime, 155
fire, remarks on, 290

Forsyth, the Rev. Mr. his composition for gunpowder, 23, 75
his invention of a gun-lock, 22

_Foudres_, what, 265

Fougasses, 554

Fougette, 529
improvement on the, 530

Fountains, Chinese, 405

Frankincense, 148
used in odoriferous fire, _ibid_

Frazier, his opinion on fire-works, 257

Fruiloni wheel, 394

Fuel, economical, 577

Fulminating powder, 50
of Higgins, _ib._
mercury, 171
of Bayen, 173
silver, 173, 274
balls, _ibid_, _ibid_
bombs, 173, 275
silver, of Berthollet, 174
of Chenevix, _ibid_
of Silliman, 175
gold, _ibid_
platinum, 176
powder, from indigo, 177
compound, called iodide of azote, _ibid_
oil, 179
silver, entertaining experiments with, 273

Fusion, powder of, 50

Fuses, 481
for shells, howitzes, and grenades, _ibid_
how made, _ibid_
how charged, 482
sundry compositions for, 484
with dead light, 485
composition for the, 486
dimensions of, 487

G.

Gallipot, 147

Galbanum, 221

Galleries of fire, 406

Galvanism, detonations produced by, 276

Games at Rome, illuminated at night, 24

_Garniture_, in fire-works, what, 298

Gases produced in fire-works, 6
character of the, _ib._

Gas lights, 89

Gases, what, produced by gunpowder, 121
number of, evolved from gunpowder, 122
carbonic acid, &c. quantity from gunpowder, 123

General theory of Pyrotechny, 1

Gerbes, 19
account of, 348
composition for, 349

Gibbs, colonel, his experiments on gunpowder with lime, 556

Girandoles, 407
modification of, _ibid_
chests of, for rockets, 338

Girdle, detonating, 274

Glazing of powder, what, 111
plumbago used for the, _ibid_

Glass, 210
different kinds of, _ibid_
acted upon by fluoric acid, 214
annealing of, _ibid_
uses of, in fire-works, 210

Globes, with their decorations, 419
leaping, 420
composition for, 421
bursting, 420

Globe of compression, 553

Glue, 214
its use in pyrotechny, _ibid_

Gold rain, 310
fulminating, 175

Gracchus, Marcus, 98

Græcus, Marcus, _ib._
said to have invented gunpowder, _ib._

Grape shot, how made, 470

Granulation of powder, 111

Grecian illumination, 24

Green match, 324
fire of the Palm tree, 77

Gregory, his summary of Robins's experiments, 125

Greek-fire, 544
invented by Callinicus, _ibid_
used by Callinicus with success, _ibid_
how defined, _ibid_
used at different periods, 545
how made use of, _ibid_
thrown by spouting engines, _ibid_
Beckman's remarks on the, _ibid_
peculiar properties of the, 546
modern imitations of the, _ibid_
La Brocquiere on the, _ibid_
Ruggeri's remarks on the, 547
said to have given rise to gunpowder, 98
recipes for the making of, known to Bacon, _ib._
a manuscript containing the, and gunpowder, _ib._
various kinds of, 546
the original, not known, _ibid_
the author of _Œuvre Militaire_ on, _ibid_
recommends a substitute for the, _ibid_
superseded by gunpowder, 547

Grenades, fuses for, 481
how charged, 484

Gums, used in fire-works, 21
contain carbon, 89

Gum arabic, 219
Tragacanth, _ibid_

Gun, repeating, 460

Guns discharged by percussion, 75

Guns, see cannon.

Gunpowder, history of, 97
invented in India, 97, 458
invention, how brought to Europe, 97
the Arabians obtained a knowledge of, from the Indians, _ib._
the use of, forbidden in the sacred books of the Indians, _ib._
employed in 690 at the battle of Mecca, _ib._
the Greek fire said to have given rise to, 98
recipe for, in an old manuscript, _ib._
quality of, 97
the formulæ for of Marcus Græcus, 98
said to have been invented by a German monk, 99
invention of, ascribed to Anelzin, _ib._
to Schwartz, _ib._
no mention made of, in the French registers, _ib._
damaged, nitre extracted from, 72
how examined by reagents, 73
analysis of, in what it consists, 73, 140
made with chlorate of potassa, 76
with chlorate of potassa, effects of, _ib._
what required to make good, 100
varies in its constituent parts, _ibid_
French formula, for the best, _ibid_
English, proportions used for, _ibid_
government, (British), what, _ibid_
experiments with, at Grenille, _ibid_
proportions for, by different nations, _ibid_
for war, French formula, 102
for hunting, do. do., _ibid_
for mining, do. do., _ibid_
manufacture of, 102
in France, summary of the, 110
improvement in the drying of, 103
glazing of, 104
for making, according to Champy, 109
mills, 104
accidents to, _ibid_
at Frankford, an experiment at, 105
machinery of, _ibid_
charcoal for, according to Proust, 110
Carney's process for making, _ibid_
its power, on what it depends, 120
gases produced by the combustion of, 121
quantity of, 122
Thenard's remarks on the gases from, 121
Proust's opinion of the products of fired, _ibid_
remarks on the combustion of, _ibid_
Granulation of, said to be injurious, 124
fired in a vacuum, the products of, 125
carbonic acid gas from, 121
Robins's experiments with, 125
Dr. Hutton's remarks on, 127
charges of, 129
the velocity of balls caused by, _ibid_
table of the charges, &c. of, 130
Hutton's experiments at Woolwich, with, _ibid_
azotic gas from, 121
proof of, 136
various, _ibid_
comparative, _ibid_
by the eprouvette, 138
strength of, how increased, 140
preservation of, _ibid_
examination of, _ibid_
chemical, _ibid_
marks, what, 136
quantity required to raise a cubic fathom of earth, 552
torpedo; see Torpedo.
several modes proposed to increase the force of, 554
experiments of M. L. Maitre, &c. with, 555
basis of fire-works. See Theory of Fire-Works.
extinguishing flame with fired, 572
charging of, with a ball, a new mode, 39
how used with ball, without injuring, _ib._
Tricks with, by jugglers, 40
action and reaction of, against a ball, _ib._
how put in the repeating-gun. See Cannon.
how it acts in extinguishing flame, 572
recommended to scatter water on buildings on fire, 573
inflammation of, by the radiation of heat, 566
cautions in loading guns with, 125
its force increased by confined air, _ibid_
how employed for the splitting of trees, &c. _ibid_
damaged, how the nitre is recovered from, 72
purification of sulphur, for making, 81
mills, spontaneous combustion in, 106
how prevented, 107
Bartholdi's opinion of the, 106
David's plan to prevent the, _ibid_

Gunbarrels, how browned, 204
utility of browning, _ibid_

H.

Hanzelet, his extemporaneous fire, 579

Half-moulds, 238
dimensions of, _ibid_

Hare, professor, his remarks concerning flame, 433

Heat, latent, 136
idea of, how formed, _ibid_
in nitric acid, _ibid_

Herodotus, his account of the Egyptian illuminations, 24
of the Egyptian festivals, 427

Higgins, his fulminating powder, 50
improvement on the old, _ib._

Hirpi, the, jumped through fire, &c. 37

Hippocrates Chias, the discoverer of the Delian problem, (_note_.) 29

Holy Fire, office of the, 41
ceremonies of the, _ib._

Honorary rockets, 342

Horse, a, burnt, through a superstitious notion, (_note_.) 28

Humboldt, his observation on gunpowder for mining, 556

Howard's fulminating mercury, 172
of what composed, _ibid_
how prepared, _ibid_
effects of, 173

Howitzes, fuses for, 481
how charged, 484

Hughes' nitre cave, 54

Hydrogen gas, for fire-works, 20, 383
Cartwright's fire-works with, 20
Dillon's fire-works with, 383
detonation of, in a pistol, 384

Hyperboreans, how they caught the electric fluid, 31

Hyperoxymuriate of potassa, 7, 74
sundry properties of, 75
used for gunpowder, 76
the same as chlorate of potassa, 74
contains a large quantity of oxygen, 75
how prepared, 74
basis of the pocket lights, 75

I.

Illumination port-fires, cases for, 246
lances of, 314
composition for the, _ibid_
of various colours, _ibid_

Illuminations, 23, 425
for what designed, 23
antiquity of, _ib._
Egyptian, 24
Parisian, _ib._
by the Ancients, on great occasions, _ib._
port-fire, composition for, 314
chemical, 439, 523

Illuminating barrel, 503

Illuminated table star, 273

Illuminated spiral wheel, 393
yew tree, 402
figures, sundry, 413
fountain, 439
how produced, _ibid_

Imitative fire-works, 440

Incendiary machines, in war, 462
fire-works, 490
matches, 492
kegs, 523
rocket, 530
rope, 558
composition for, _ibid_
arrows, 566

Incombustible, wheels, &c. how made, 240

Indigo, a fulminating powder from, 177

Indian white fire, 580
composition of the, _ibid_
matches for the, _ibid_

Ingenhouz, Dr. his remarks concerning gunpowder, 120

Inflammable powder of M. Gengembrie and Bottée, 50

Infernal machine, 512

Inflammable ball, 577
air, 20
works, 383
pistol, 384
lamp, _ibid_
dart, 574

Iodide of azote, a fulminating substance, 177

Iron cylinders and cases, why preferred for charring wood, 91
use of, in fire-works, 201
cast, or crude, an ingredient of Chinese fire, _ibid_
pig, or crude iron, 206
properties of, 201
the effect of, in brilliant and Chinese fire, _ibid_
sand of the Chinese, powdered cast iron, _ibid_
chambers of, for fire-ships, 509
their use, _ibid_
some preparations of, 201
theory of the effect of, in fire-works, 202
filings, how preserved, 239
in brilliant fire, 4

Irrorateur, 288

Isinglass, used in composition, 19
its properties, 214

Italian roses, 313
composition for, _ibid_

J.

Japanese cement, 252

Jerome, his remarks on the lights of Antioch, (_note_.) 428

Jessamine fire, composition of, 271

Jet, 156
fire, 367

Jews, festival of, had illuminations at the, 24

Joblonski, his account of the horse condemned at Lisbon, (_note_.) 28

Julius Camillus, his homunculi, 34

K.

Karabé, 156

Kircher, his mirror, 562

Kurtz, his patent for preparing charcoal, 93

L.

Laboratory, in Pyrotechny, 228

Laboratory tools, _ibid_

Lampblack, in spur fire, 10
action of, in spur fire, _ib._
accension of, by nitric acid, 51
how made, 89, 144
origin of the name of, 144
houses, _ibid_
properties of, 145
purity of, how discovered, _ibid_
artificial tannin from, _ibid_
quality of, how improved, _ibid_
durable ink, prepared with, _ibid_
used in printers' ink, _ibid_
a constituent part of Close's ink, _ibid_

Lampadaria, what, 428

Lamptericæ, _ibid_

Lamp, inflammable air, 430

Lamps, kinds of, 429
various patent, (_note_.) 430
custom of the Turks with, 24
Pococke's account of, in a synagogue, _ib._
Persian ceremony with, 25

Lances of illumination, 314
sundry compositions for, _ibid_

_Lance à feu_, composition of, _ibid_
stink fire, _ibid_
slow white flame, 315
composition of, _ibid_
for petards, 318
how made, _ibid_
of service, _ibid_
composition for the, _ibid_

Lanterns, feast of the, in China, 25

Lapis Calaminaris, 195

Lardons, same nature as serpents, 298

Lead, recommended for the preservation of powder, 140
experiments with, for this purpose, _ibid_
cartridges formed of sheet, _ibid_
black, 209
used for the glazing of powder, 111

Leaders, 294, 295
threading and joining of, 294
for small cases, how used, _ibid_

Lee, Sergeant, his account of Bushnel's turtle, 518
his adventure with a submarine vessel, _ibid_
his adventure with a balloon-ship, (_note_.) 521

Libanus speaks of his native city, on account of the lamps,
(_note_.) 428

Lights, pocket, how made, 22, 75
various kinds of, 315
composition for, _ibid_
common, composition for, _ibid_
red, composition for, 316
sundry compositions of, for different calibers, _ibid_
brilliant, &c. composition for, _ibid_
for all calibers, _ibid_
another, _ibid_
large Jessamine, 317
small Jessamine, _ibid_
tabular view of compositions for, _ibid_
Bengal, 377
composition of the, 378
observations on the, _ibid_

Lightning, the Ancients knew how to attract the, 31
how represented, 267

Lime, promotes the formation of nitre, 53
the carbonate of, the same effect, _ib._

Lime, 194
its use in fire-works, 195

Line rockets, 345

Linseed oil, 218

Lixivium for slow match, how made, 293

Longchamp, his improvement in refining saltpetre, 67

Lycopodium used in priming powder, 76
imitating lightning, 267

M.

Machines, infernal, 512

Magazine, 235
principles of forming a bomb proof, _ibid_
lightning rod for a, 236
access of moisture in a, how prevented, _ibid_

Magic lantern, 44
phantasmagoria with the, _ib._

Magi, character of the Ancient Egyptian, 27

Mallets, 231

Maltha, 155

Mandrils, 230

Marble, bituminous, 155

Marks, gunpowder, 143

Mariotte, his theory of the flight of rockets, 14

Marrons, 318
made to imitate the explosion of mines, 264
how made, 318
how fired, 319
batteries of, how formed, _ibid_
for service, _ibid_
cubical, _ibid_
figure of the paper, before forming, 320
shining, 320
for what designed, _ibid_
Murdering, 557

Mastich, 163
from the _Pistacia lentiscus_, _ibid_
used in the scented paste, 164

Matches, in artillery, 471

Match, 292
quick, _ibid_
slow, 293
lixivium for slow, _ibid_
principles with respect to the combustion of, 296
proportion of substances for forming, 297
slow (military), 471
how prepared, _ibid_
rope for, 472
lixivium for, _ibid_
nitre, why used, _ibid_
how polished, _ibid_
another process for preparing, _ibid_
how made at Gibraltar, _ibid_
made of sugar of lead, _ibid_
quick, process of M. Bigot for, 477
different compositions for, 478
of worsted, _ibid_
how made with expedition, _ibid_
rod, artillery, of M. Cadet, 474
experiments with, _ibid_
incendiary, 492
how prepared, _ibid_
phosphoric, 85
wood, 571
paper, 294
for cyphers, blue and green, 324
purple, or violet, 325

Meal-powder, 234

Mealing table, how made, 83

Mealing of brimstone, _ib._

Medici, house of, bribed to abolish the Academy del Cimento, 28

Mercury, fulminating, 171

Mercury, corrosive muriate of, 186

Metals, used in fire-works, 4

Metallic preparations, some detonate, 23

Metallic copper, how obtained by precipitation, 222
used in fire-works, 223

Meteors, imitation of natural, 325

Meteorolites, 62

Meteoric phenomenon, _ib._

Mexia, Peter, his remarks on gunpowder, 98

Miasmata, of what composed, 60
produce fevers, _ib._
produce yellow fever, 60
how destroyed, (_note_.) 61
kind of, supposed to produce yellow fever, _ib._

Military Pyrotechny, what, 456

Milk of sulphur, 83

Mine pots, 299
composition of, _ibid_

Mines, and mining, 550

Minerva of Sais, festival of, (_note_.) 428

Mineral tar, 154

Miracles, 29

Mirrors, powerful effects of, 562
Archimedes employed, with success, 563

Mix, lieut. his unsuccessful attempt with a torpedo, 522

Mixtures, how made for fire-works, 253

Morey, his experiment with nitre and oil, 51
with tar, 433
with rosin and boiling water, 432

Mortars and pestles, 233
paper, 350
to throw aigrettes, 350, 363

Moore, his remarks on rockets, 15

Moon and stars, 421

Mosaic candles, 381
theory and effect of, 17
gold, 200
tourbillons, 358
composition of, 360
simples, 381
how used, _ibid_
moulded stars, 382
composition of, _ibid_

Moses, how he differed from the Magi, 30
rod of, miracles wrought with the, 29

Mother water of nitre, 57

Moulds, for common port-fires, 247

Muriated gunpowder, what, 76

Muriate of Ammonia, 184

Mushet, his remarks on iron, 210

Mutations, a regulated piece of nine, 408

Myrrh, 164
used in odoriferous fire, 165

N.

Naphtha, 153
the substance, which burnt Creusa, _ibid_
Alexander the great, surprised at the effects of, _ibid_
used by the Ancients in exhibitions, 154
Hanway's account of, _ibid_
Pinkerton's observations on, _ibid_
grounds, singular properties of, _ibid_
used in the Greek fire, 154

Neptune, how represented in fire, 450

Nitre, 48
fixed by charcoal, 49
used in the formation of gunpowder, 50
its quality, how judged of, by fire-workers, 51
how procured in the East, 52
districts, what, _ib._
how procured at Lima, _ib._
regale, in Germany, what, _ib._
how obtained in Germany, _ib._
from old walls, buildings, &c. 53
formed with animal and vegetable matter, _ib._
collected in the East Indies, _ib._
quantity used in China for fire-works, _ib._
bed of, at Apulia, near Naples, _ib._
how obtained in Switzerland, _ib._
springs, in Hungary, _ib._
convocation at Paris, of young men, to receive instruction for
forming, _ib._
Caves of the United States, 54
obtained from the soil of tobacco-houses, _ib._
beds, artificial, _ib._
how extracted from the nitrous earth of nitre caves, 54, 55
crude, what, 54
earth, what, _ib._
found in caves in a state of purity, _ib._
caves of Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland, _ib._
cave, a, how discovered, 55
in the grease, what, 56
theory of the process of extracting, 57
crystallization of, _ib._
rough, _ib._
rock ore of, how treated, _ib._
caves, observations on, 59
Brongniart's direction for refining, 62
process for extracting, in France, 63
old process for refining, 66
Chaptal's observations, &c. on, 67
conditions necessary to form, 70
how extracted from damaged gunpowder, 72
how to ascertain its purity, _ib._
how reduced expeditiously to powder, 73
cubic, 74
caves of Africa, a bituminous substance found there, 58
native, in the nitre caves of the United States, 56
native, of Africa, 58
in the sandstone strata of Africa, _ib._
caves of Africa, contain animal excrement, _ib._
in the cave at Nicajack in Georgia, _ib._
quantity obtained at Nicajack, 59
supposed origin of, at Nicajack, _ib._
in the cave at Corydon, Indiana, _ib._
caves of East Tennessee, Kain's remarks on, _ib._
of the Cumberland mountains, _ib._
causes which are supposed to form, _ib._
used in the manufacture of candles, 186

Nitrification, what, 70

Nitrous efflorescence, the ancient _scrophula contra lapides_, 53

Nitrate of potassa, nitre, or saltpetre, 48
of soda, used in fire-works, 8
of strontia, _ib._
produces flame, _ib._
of soda, 73
experiments with, by Bottée & Riffault, 74
of copper, 223
uses of, in fire-works, _ibid_
use of, for matches, _ibid_
preparation of, _ibid_

Nitrates of different bases, may be used in fire-works, 8
all contain oxygen, _ib._

Nitric acid, 51
how prepared, _ib._

O.

Odoriferous fire-works, general principle of, 21
water balloons, 286, 446
flambeaux, 289
and fetid fire, 290
fire, by spontaneous accension, 288
pastilles, or crayons, 286
vases of the ancients, _ibid_

Odour, classification of, _ibid_
extreme divisibility of, 285

Oils, essential, 163
inflammation of, 51
used in odoriferous fire, 285

Oil of vitriol, 82

Oil, phosphorized, 85
detonating, 179
linseed, 218
why required in boring of rockets, 238
used for the preservation of iron or steel filings, 239
of spike, 156
how prepared, _ibid_

Olefiant gas. See fire-works with hydrogen gas, 89

Ores, many, furnish sulphur by sublimation, 80
how treated to yield sulphur, _ib._

Orenburg gum, 147

Ordeal by fire, what, 37

Orpiment, 187

Oxygen gas, how obtained from nitre, 49
in nitrates and chlorates, 8
an important agent in fire-works, 2

Oxides, formed by combustion, what kind of, 4

Oxide of copper, in fire-works, 222
how obtained, _ibid_

P.

Pagan Priests, conscious of their deceptions, 30

Palm trees, representation of, 401

Paper press, 234
different kinds of, used for cases, 250
how made incombustible, _ibid_
how coloured and glazed, 251
preferred for cases to wood, 262
cases used by the Chinese, _ibid_
touch, or match, 294
mortars, 349
Swedish stone, 250
incombustible, of amianthus, 251
Chinese, _ibid_
observations on, _ibid_

Parasols, Chinese, 405

Paris, fire-works at, in 1739, 257

Paste, 252
patent, _ibid_
Japanese, _ibid_
odoriferous, 287
board, how made, 249
uses of, _ibid_
for fire-works, Chinese mode of making the, 252

Pastilles, or pastes, 286
composition of, 287

Peach-wood, raspings of, 76

Pearl ash, 190

Perchloride of Mercury, 186

Persia, the sacred fire in, 386
grounds of, contain inflammable air, _ibid_
the followers of Zoroaster in, _ibid_

Petard, 298
for war, 505
table of the dimensions of the, _ibid_

Petards, composition for, 506

Petroleum, 154

Payard, M. his burning mirror, 565

Peyre, his remarks confined to gunpowder, 16

Phantasmascope, 47

Phantasmagoria, 44
thunder and lightning with the, 47

Phalaris, bull of; (_note_.) 28

Philosophical phial, 214

Phlogiston, supposed to have existed in acids, 70

Phosphorus, 84
general properties of, 85
how prepared, 86

Phosphoric matches, and fire bottles, 85
stone, 86
tapers, 85
pencil, 86
ether, 85
oil, _ib._

Phosphuret of lime, its effect in water, _ib._
of Wurzer, 86

Phosphuretted hydrogen gas, 85

Piece, regulated, of nine mutations, 408

Pinks, fire, from flower pots, 10

Pin wheels, 395
composition for, _ibid_

Pipes of communication, 443
for fire-works, 295
how joined together, _ibid_
how made, _ibid_
why necessary, _ibid_

Pitch, Jews', 155
how made, 147
use of, in fire-works, _ibid_
a composition of, almost inextinguishable, _ibid_
used in the Greek fire, _ibid_
used in incendiary fire-works, see military fire-works.
Burgundy, furnished by the Pinus Abies, _ibid_
white, _ibid_

Plane board, 233

Platinum, fulminating, 176

Pliny, his account of Porsena, 31
of Numa Pompilius, _ib._
of Tullius Hostilius, _ib._

Plumbago, 209

Plutarch, his account of Naphtha, 32

Pocket lights, how made, 22, 75

Poisoned arrows, 566
of savages, of what composed, 567
sundry plants for, specified, 568
the Arabs, how they make, _ibid_
of the island of Java, _ibid_
Asiatic, with what poisoned, _ibid_
of the Alps, _ibid_
ancient Europeans, how they made, _ibid_

Polydore Virgil, to whom he ascribes the invention of powder, 99

Polygonal mirror, its effect, 565

Pontiffs, the, considered learning opposed to their views, 28
their arbitrary edicts, _ib._
bribed the house of Medici, _ib._
abolished the academy Del Cimento, _ib._

Port-fire, cases for, 247
length of, _ibid_
origin of the term, _ibid_
how made, by the Strasburg formula, _ibid_
Strasburg, composition of, 248
how generally made, 479
instructions of M. Bigot respecting, _ibid_
composition of, various, _ibid_
usual length of, 480
wet and dry, _ibid_
dry, according to the English method, _ibid_
other compositions for, _ibid_
composition for, according to Ruggeri, _ibid_

Potash, 191

Potassium, _ibid_

Pots des Brins, 364
serpents for, 299
how made, 364
de chasse, 360
fire, remarks on, 365
for ramparts, 575
composition for, 366
of ordnance, 422
how made, _ibid_
how fixed, _ibid_
how discharged, 423
flower, pyramid of, 402

Powder-triers, 138
proof, 136
bags, 503
how made, _ibid_
barrel, _ibid_
of fusion, what, 50
fulminating, _ib._
inflammable, of Pauly, 577
of what composed, 578

Priests of antiquity, acting as jugglers, 32

Prince Rupert's drops, 214

Priming powder, of chlorate of potassa, 75
tubes, or fuses, 475
formerly made of tin, _ibid_
composed of two parts, _ibid_
reeds, or quills used for, _ibid_
how filled, 476
compositions, sundry for, _ibid_
pewter used for, 475

Prognosticator, a preparation of camphor for a, 159

Proust, his remarks on the charcoal for powder, 110

Prussic acid, 89

Puddling, what, 207

Puffs, 262
composition for, 263

Pulverization of substances, 253

Purple match, 325

Putrefaction of animal and vegetable substances, 70
forms saltpetre, 71

Pyrotechny, 1
general theory of, _ib._
of the Chinese, 53

Pyrotechnical sponge, 570
mixtures, 1

Pyroacetic acid, 91
how purified for use, 93, 95

Pyric piece, 412

Pyrophorus, 180
of Wurzer, 86
how prepared, _ib._

Pyrophore of defence, 581

Q.

Quick match, 20
how generally made, _ib._
military, 477
different kinds of, see match.

Quicklime, 194
its use in making slow match, 472

R.

Radiation of heat, its effects, 565

Rammers, 231

Rampart fire-pots, 575

Realgar, 187

Reagents, chemical, to discover foreign salts in nitre, 72

Recoil of a gun, similar to the recoil of a rocket, 11

Reeds, for fire-ships, 510

Red-fire for theatres, 270

Resins, 148
Thenard's opinion of, _ibid_

Repeating gun, 460

Reports, single, 301
cases for, _ibid_

Rain, silver, composition for, 272
fire, 18
filamentous, 309
how formed, _ibid_
cases for, with what charged, _ibid_
in sparks, what, _ibid_
composition for, 310
gold, composition for, _ibid_
remarks on the, 319
fire, in general, sundry compositions for, 311
falls, and stars, double and single, _ibid_
observations on the cases for, _ibid_
and hail, how imitated, (_note_.) 266

Rays, composition for, 272

Rice glue, 252

Richardson, his tricks with fire, 36

Ring, a, how suspended by a thread reduced to ashes, 41

Robins, his conclusions applicable to rockets, 16
his experiments on gunpowder, 125

Rochos, on the ashes of toads, 34

Rock saltpetre ore, what, 55

Rockets, gunpowder, &c. causes the ascension of, 11
motion of, how balanced, 12
gases produced by the combustion of the composition for the, _ib._
principle of the, gives motion to fire-wheels, 11
a missile weapon, _ib._
used at the seige of Seringapatam, _ib._
principle, what, 12
employed for explosion and conflagration, 11
theory of the ascension of the, 12
stick, its use, _ib._
stars, 18
water, _ib._
charcoal of hard wood for, when used, 94
remarks on charging of the, 231
charging of the, rammers required for, _ibid_
signal, tools required for forming the, 232
table, 272
driving of a, 236
driven solid, or hollow, 236
ladle for charging, 237
blows required for charging of the, _ibid_
for each ladleful of composition, _ibid_
how bored, and machine for boring, 238
taps for, what, _ibid_
bored with a brace and screw bit, 239
cases, how made, 243
cases, Morel's rule for making, 244
length of the, how regulated, 245
and their appendages, 326
flying, _ibid_
uses of, _ibid_
caliber and preparation of, _ibid_
tables, concerning the, 327, 328
different opinions respecting, 327
moulds for, remarks on the, 328
composition for, remarks on the, _ibid_
charcoal used in the composition for, of what kind, 329
compositions for, opinions respecting the, _ibid_
compositions for, _ibid_
according to Morel, 330
to Bigot, _ibid_
tabular view of the, 331
of honour, Chinese composition for, 330
observations on charging of, 331
furniture of, its weight, 332
heads for, how made, _ibid_
sticks for, _ibid_
how measured, _ibid_
piercer, what, 333
rammers, for charging of, _ibid_
formers for the cases of, _ibid_
moulds for, table exhibiting the dimensions of, _ibid_
on the heading of, 334
heads of, why used, _ibid_
experiments respecting, 335
manner of decorating them, _ibid_
decorations used for, _ibid_
sticks, their dimensions and poise, 336
their use, _ibid_
table respecting, _ibid_
how discharged, 337
different modes of discharging, _ibid_
fired without sticks, in what manner, 338
Girandole chest for discharging, _ibid_
how made, 339
fountain of, what, _ibid_
how discharged at the same time, _ibid_
Morel's contrivance for discharging, _ibid_
angle of inclination given to, if required, 340
combinations of, with appendages, _ibid_
fixed on the top of each other, _ibid_
towering, 16, 340
Caduceus, 16, 341
Honorary, 342
Chained, _ibid_
tails of, how made to form an arch, 343
small, or swarmers, _ibid_
composition for, _ibid_
scrolls for, 344
cases for, _ibid_
line, with decorations, 345
signal, 347
water, 443
discharging of, in water, 448
under water, 449
war, 11, 526
Congreve, has iron cases _ibid_
Signal, _trimming_ of, _ibid_
composition for the trimming of, 527
quicklime used in the composition of, (_note_.) 526
the hollow in, increases the surface that takes fire, 527
sticks of, when large, are bored and filled with powder, 528
Robins's experiments with, _ibid_
height of ascension of, _ibid_
Indian, 529
Congreve, how it differs from the common, 530
contains the propelling power, _ibid_
carries ball, shells, case shot, &c. _ibid_
distance of its flight, _ibid_
carcass, _ibid_
how armed, 533
used at Boulogne and Copenhagen, 531
advantages it is said to possess, _ibid_
range of the largest kind of, 532
kinds used for different services, 533
table concerning the range, &c. of the, _ibid_
how discharged, 535
estimate of the cost of the, 536
French account of the, _ibid_
described by Ruggeri, _ibid_
Congreve said not to be the inventor of the, _ibid_
invented by a naval officer, _ibid_
Ruggeri's publication concerning the, _ib._
analysis of the, by Gay-Lussac, 531
objections to the, 537
difference between the incendiary and common, 538
murdering, how formed, _ibid_
how discharged, _ibid_
light ball, 539
carcass, the floating, _ibid_
observations on the, 540
Bigot's remarks concerning the, _ibid_
Bigot's tables of the different kinds of, 542, 543
the succoring, 544

Rolling board, 233

Rolled stars, 304

Rome, the forum at, lighted, 428
without public lights, _ibid_

Roman candles, 380

Roses, Italian, 313
composition for, _ibid_

Rose-piece and sun, 399

Rosin, 146
how prepared, 147

Ruggeri, his opinion of chlorate of potassa for rockets, 77

Rumford, count, his improvement in fuel, 577

S.

Sacks, for mealing gunpowder, 234
of powder, for pots des brins, 366

Sage, on the spontaneous combustion of charcoal, 107
his remarks concerning gunpowder, 108

Sal Alembroth, 187
ammoniac, use of, in fire-works, 184
in candle making, 191
ammoniac, 184

Sal Prunelle, 49, 167

Saltpetre, the basis of fire-works. See Nitre, 3
affords oxygen, _ib._
decomposed by charcoal, _ib._
remarks concerning, 49
converted into sal prunelle, 167
refining of, 65
old process for refining of, 66
reagents used to determine the purity of, 72
Dupont's refined, character of, 73
how obtained in fine powder, _ib._
preparation of, for fire-works, _ib._
the oldest certain account of, 98
Caves. See Nitre.
proportion of acid in, 122
used in candle-making, 186

Saracen fire, 549

Saucissons, 321
how made, _ibid_
flying, _ibid_
how used, 322
in mining, what, 551

Scudder, his plan for blowing up the Ramilies, 524

Scrolls for rockets, 344

Scented vase, 288

Scented fire-works, 21, 283
vase of the Athenians, 21
fire of the Moldiva Islands, 285

Schwartz, said to be the inventor of gunpowder, 99

Schistus, bituminous, 155

Schœpfer revived magic, 33
and Cagliostro, tricks of, _ib._

Sea lights, 525
composition for, _ibid_

Sea fights, how represented, 451

Sieves, 234

Seneca oil, 155

Serpents, nest of, 364
how formed, 298
how driven, _ibid_
composition of, 299
for pots de brins, _ibid_
for pots of aigrettes, &c. _ibid_
why so called, _ibid_
stars, 301
their intention, _ibid_
cases for, _ibid_
compositions for, _ibid_
of two kinds, _ibid_
how moulded, 302
how primed, _ibid_
theory of their effect, _ibid_
whirling, _ibid_
principle of the, _ibid_
how charged, _ibid_

Ship, fire, 507
preparation of a, 507

Shells, paper, how made, 245
fuses for, 481
loading of, 484

Shining marrons, 320

Shrapnel shell, 559

Siemienowicz, Casimir, his fire-rain, 560

Signal rockets, 347

Silliman, professor, his fulminating silver, 175

Silver rain, composition of, 272
what, 18
fulminating, 173

Size, 215

Skin, the, how made callous, 36

Sky-rocket, see Rocket.

Smoke ball, composition of the, 507

Snakes, how tamed, (_note_.) 35
destroyed in India, (_note_.) _ib._
fangs of, what, (_note_.) _ib._

Solar phosphori, 437
the miraculous luminaries, no other than, different kinds of, _ibid_
phosphorus, Bolognian, _ibid_
Canton's, _ibid_
Hanzelet's, _ibid_
Baldwin's, _ibid_

Soot, why used in some pyrotechnical mixtures, 145
of what composed, 146
of animal excrement furnishes sal ammoniac, _ibid_
of camels' dung, its use in Egypt, _ibid_
of oil, and turpentine. See Lampblack.

Sparks, in rain-fire, 309
substances, which show in, 312

Spelter, 196

Spherical case shot, 559

Spiral screw, 418

Spontaneous combustion, 51

Spouts, fire, 367

Spirit of sal ammoniac, 185

Spirits of turpentine, 147

Spirit of wine, 168

Spirit lamps, 170

Spur fire, 9, 267
composition of, 268

Spunk, 570

Standing or fixed cases, compositions for, 389

Stands, for sky-rockets, 338

Stahl, his opinion of the composition of nitric acid, 70

Stars, from artificial flower pots, 10
simple, 303
use of, _ibid_
how prepared, _ibid_
composition for, 304
rolled, 304
how made, _ibid_
composition used for, _ibid_
cracking, _ibid_
are small marrons, _ibid_
rocket, white, composition of, _ibid_
blue, composition of, 305
variegated, composition of, _ibid_
brilliant, composition of, _ibid_
common, composition of, _ibid_
tailed, composition of, _ibid_
drove, composition of, _ibid_
fixed pointed, composition of, _ibid_
of a fine colour, composition for, _ibid_
of different colours, composition of, _ibid_
directions for preparing, 306
another composition for, _ibid_
which carry tails of sparks, _ibid_
composition of, _ibid_
which yield some sparks, 307
yellow, composition for, _ibid_
another composition for, _ibid_
caution in rolling, _ibid_
different ways of forming, 308
flaming, with brilliant wheels, _ibid_
general theory of, _ibid_
fixed, 313
scrolls for, 344
strung, _ibid_
moulded Mosaic, 382
flat, 424

Steam, how used for drying gunpowder, 112, 116, 119
pipes, what, 112
latent heat in, (_note_.) _ibid_
for boiling dye kettles, (_note_.) _ibid_
Count Rumford's experiment with, (_note_.) _ibid_

Steel, its use in fire-works, 201
combustion of, in oxygen gas, 202
hardening of, 204
tempering of, _ibid_
natural, 207
kind called ferrum candidum, 208
of cementation, 207
singular mode of making, in Spain, 208
blistered, 207
antiquity of hardening, 208
shear, 207
cast, _ibid_
or iron filings, how preserved for fire-works, 239
filings, in spur-fire, 10
produce scintillations, _ib._
of what composed, 89

Stink fire lance, 507

Stink stone, 155

Strangling of cases, how performed, 243
contrivance for, 244

Strangler, 233

Streets, lighting of the, a modern invention, 26

Storax, 162

Substances, what, required for military fire-works, 228
pulverization of, 253
properties of various, known to jugglers, 26

Submarine navigation, 515

Succinum, 156

Succinic acid, 157
its effect in fire-works, 290

Suffocating pot, 507
composition for the, _ibid_

Sugar, 165
used in fire-works, _ibid_
decomposed by chlorate of potassa, _ibid_
from various substances, 166
caromel from, by the burning of, 165
sulphuric acid converts several substances into, 166