Chapter I: Part 1

ARTIFICIAL FIRE-WORKS,

Improved to the MODERN PRACTICE,

From the MINUTEST to the HIGHEST Branches;

CONTAINING

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

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

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

The SECOND EDITION.

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

By ROBERT JONES,

Lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of ARTILLERY.

LONDON:

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

MDCCLXVI.

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

ROBERT JONES.

PREFACE.

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

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

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

June 20, 1765.

SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.

A.

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

B.

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

C.

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

D.

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

E.

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

F.

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

G.

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

H.

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

I.

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

K.

Major General Keppel
Captain Kennedy
Lieutenant King
Ensign Keith
Doctor Kennedy

L.

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

M.

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

N.

Colonel Nugent
Mr. Nichols.

O.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ord.

P.

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

R.

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

S.

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

T.

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

V.

Mr. George Villeneuve.

W.

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

CONTENTS

SECTION I.
_Of Salt-petre._ Pag. 1
_How to refine Salt-petre._ 2
_How to pulverise Salt-petre._ 3
_How to extract Salt-petre from damaged Gun-powder._ ibid.
_Of Sulphur or Brimstone._ 5
_How to prepare Charcoal for Fireworks._ 6
_To make Artificial Camphor._ 7
_To make the Oil of Camphor._ 9
_Of Benjamin._ 10
_Of Gun-powder and its Original._ 11
_Of the Composition for Gun-powder of different Sorts._ 13
_To restore damaged Gun-powder to its proper Strength._ 16
_Of Silent-powder, commonly called White-powder._ 19
_To make Silent-powder._ 20
_To make Gun-powder of different Colours._ 21
_To make Gun-powder white._ 22
_To make Powder red._ ibid.
_To make yellow Powder._ 23
_To make green Powder._ ibid.
_To make blue Powder._ 23
_To make Pulvis Fulmanans or Thunder in a Room._ 24

SECT. II.
_Of the Spur-fire._ 26
_The Composition for the Spur-fire._ 28
_Characters, or Significant Signs, for distinguishing
the different Ingredients used in Fireworks._ 29
_How to meal Gun-powder, Brimstone, and Charcoal._ 31
_To prepare Cast Iron for Gerbes, white Fountains,
and Chinese Fire._ 32
_Charges for Sky-rockets, &c._ 34
_For Rockets of four Ounces._ ibid.
_For Rockets of eight Ounces._ ibid.
_For Rockets of one Pound._ ibid.
_For Sky-rockets in General._ 35
_For large Sky-rockets._ ibid.
_For Rockets of a middling Size._ ibid.
_Compositions for Rocket Stars._ 36
_For white Stars._ ibid.
_For blue Stars._ ibid.
_Coloured or variegated Stars._ ibid.
_For brilliant Stars._ ibid.
_For common Stars._ 37
_For tailed Stars._ ibid.
_For drove Stars._ ibid.
_For fixed pointed Stars._ 37
_Stars of a fine Colour._ 38
_Gold Rain for Sky-rockets._ ibid.
_Silver Rain._ ibid.
_For Water-rockets._ 39
_A sinking Charge for Water-rockets._ 40
_For Wheel Cases, from two Ounces to four Pound._ ibid.
_A slow Fire for Wheels._ 42
_A dead Fire for Wheels._ ibid.
_For standing or fixed Cases._ ibid.
_For Sun Cases._ 43
_For a brilliant Fire._ ibid.
_For Gerbes._ 44
_Chinese Fire._ ibid.
_Charges for Tourbillons._ ibid.
_For four Ounce Tourbillons._ ibid.
_For eight Ounce Tourbillons._ ibid.
_For large Tourbillons._ 45
_For Water Ballóóns._ ibid.
_For Water Squibs._ ibid.
_For Mine Ports or Serpents._ 46
_Port Fires for firing Rockets, &c._ ibid.
_Port Fires for Illuminations._ 47
_For Cones or Spiral Wheels._ ibid.
_For Crowns or Globes._ ibid.
_For Air Ballóón Fuzes._ ibid.
_Serpents for Pots des Brins._ 48
_For Fire Pumps._ ibid.
_For a slow white Flame._ ibid.
_For Amber Lights._ 49
_For Lights of another Sort._ ibid.
_For a red Fire._ ibid.
_For a common Fire._ ibid.
_To make an artificial Earthquake._ 50
_A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Siemienawicz._ 52
_A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from M. F***._ 53
_A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Hanzelet._ 54
_A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Henrion._ 55
_A Table of Rocket Charges, taken from Saint Remy,
with improvements by M. F***._ 56
_Remarks on the foregoing Tables._ 57
_Compositions for Stars of different Colours._ 60
_For Stars that carry Tails of Sparks._ 61
_Another sort of Stars, which yield some Sparks._ 62
_For Stars of a yellowish Colour._ ibid.
_Stars of another Sort._ 63
_Of the Colours produced by the different Compositions._ ibid.
_For a white Flame._ 64
_For a blue Flame._ ibid.
_For a Flame inclining to red._ 65
_Of such Ingredients as shew themselves in Sparks when
rammed in choaked Cases._ ibid.
_How to make Cotton Quick-match._ 66
_Ingredients for the Match._ 68

SECT. III.
_Of Sky-rocket Moulds._ 69
_A Table of Dimensions for Rocket Moulds, in which the
Rockets are rammed solid._ 72
_Of Moulds for Wheel-cases, or Serpents._ 73
_How to roll Rockets and other Cases._ 74
_To make Tourbillon Cases._ 78
_To make Ballóón Cases, or Paper Shells._ 79
_Of the Method of mixing Compositions._ 82
_How to preserve Steel or Iron Filings._ 83
_The Method of driving or ramming of Sky-rockets, &c._ 85
_Of the Proportion of Mallets._ 90
_Of the Proportion of Sky-rockets, with the manner of
heading them._ 91
_Of the Decorations for Sky-rockets._ 93
_A Table of Dimensions and Poise of Rocket-sticks._ 94
_The Method of boring Rockets which have been drove
solid._ 96
_Of a Hand Machine used for boring of Rockets instead of
a Lathe._ 99
_The Manner of making large Gerbes._ 101
_Of small Gerbes or white Fountains._ 103
_To make Paste-board and Paper Mortars._ 104

SECT. IV.
_The Manner of loading Air Ballóóns._ 106
_Of Coehorn Ballóóns._ 108
_Of Coehorn Ballóóns._ 109
_Of Royal Ballóóns._ 110
_Of Royal Ballóóns._ 111
_Of eight Inch Ballóóns._ 112
_Remarks on Ballóóns._ 113
_Of eight Inch Ballóóns._ 115
_Of an eight Inch Ballóón._ 116
_Of a Compound ten Inch Ballóón._ 117
_Of a ten Inch Ballóón of three changes._ 118
_To make Ballóón._ ibid.
_Of Tourbillons._ 120
_The Manner of making Mortars, for throwing Aigrettes
and loading and firing the same._ 122
_The Manner of making, loading, and firing of Pots
des Brins._ 125
_Of Pots des Saucissons._ 127
_To fix one Sky-rocket on the top of another._ 128
_Of Caduceus-rockets._ 130
_Of Honorary-rockets._ 131
_To divide the Tail of a Sky-rocket, so as to form
an Arch when Ascending._ 133
_To make several Sky-rockets rise together, in the
same direction, and equally distant from each other._ 134
_Of Signal Sky-rockets._ 135
_To fix two or more Sky-rockets on one Stick._ 136
_Of Sky-rockets without Sticks._ 140
_Of Rain-falls for Sky-rockets, double and single._ 141
_Of strung Stars._ 144
_Of tailed Stars._ ibid.
_Of drove Stars._ 146
_Of rolled Stars._ 147
_Of Scrolls for Sky-rockets._ 148
_Of Swarmers or small Rockets._ 149
_Of the Cause of Sky-rockets rising._ 150
_Of Stands for Sky-rockets._ 151
_Of Girandole Chests for Flights of Rockets._ 152
_Of Serpents or Snakes for Pots des Aigrettes, small
Mortars, Sky-rockets, &c._ 155
_Of Leaders or Pipes of Communication._ ibid.

SECT. V.
_Of Aquatick Fireworks._ 157
_Of Water Rockets._ ibid.
_To make Pipes of Communication, which may be used
under Water._ 159
_Of Horizontal Wheels for the Water._ ibid.
_Of Mines for the Water._ 161
_Of Fire Globes for the Water._ 162
_Of odoriferous Water Ballóóns._ 164
_Of Water Ballóóns._ 166
_Of Water Squibs._ 167
_To represent a Sea-fight with small Ships, and to
prepare a Fire-ship for the same._ 168
_To fire Sky-rockets under Water._ 172
_To represent Neptune in his Chariot._ 173
_To represent Swans and Ducks in the Water._ 175
_Of Fire-fountains for the Water._ 177

SECT. VI.
_To make Crackers._ 179
_Of single Reports._ 180
_Of Marrons._ 181
_Of Marron Batteries._ 183
_Of Line Rockets._ ibid.
_Of the different Decorations for Line Rockets._ 185
_Of Chinese Flyers._ 186
_Of Table Rockets._ 188
_To make Wheels and other Works incombustible._ 189
_Of single Vertical Wheels._ 190
_Of Horizontal Wheels._ 192
_Of Spirali Wheels._ 193
_Of Plural Wheels._ 194
_Of the illuminated Spiral Wheel._ 195
_Of the double Spiral Wheel._ 196
_Of Ballóón Wheels._ 197
_Of Fruiloni Wheels._ 198
_Of Port-fires for Illuminations._ 200
_Of common Port-fires._ ibid.
_Of Cascades of Fire._ 201
_Of the Fire Tree._ 202
_Of Chinese Fountains._ 203
_Of illuminated Globes with Horizontal Wheels._ 205
_Of the Dodecaedron._ 207
_Of the Yew Tree of Brilliant Fire._ 209
_Of Stars with Points for regulated Pieces, &c._ 210
_Of the fixed Sun with a Transparent Face._ 211
_Of three Vertical Wheels illuminated, which turn on
their Naves upon a Horizontal Table._ 214
_Of the illuminated Chandelier._ 216
_Of the illuminated Yew Tree._ 217
_Of flaming Stars with Brilliant Wheels._ 218
_Of Touch-paper for Capping of Serpents, Crackers, &c._ 220
_Of a projected regulated Piece of Nine Mutations._ 221
_To make a Horizontal Wheel change to a Vertical Wheel
with a Sun in Front._ 234
_Of the Grand Volute illuminated, with a projected
Wheel in Front._ 236
_Of the Moon and Seven Stars._ 239
_Of the double Cone Wheel illuminated._ 240
_Of Fire Pumps._ 242
_Of the Vertical Scroll Wheel._ 243
_Of Pin Wheels._ 244
_Of Fire Globes._ 246
_To thread and join Leaders, with the Method of
placing them on different Works._ 247
_The Manner of placing Fireworks to be exhibited,
with the Order of Firing._ 250

CONTENTS to the ADDITIONS.

PAGE
To make a Fountain of Sky Rockets 253
The Palm Tree 255
The Rose Piece and Sun 256
Transparent Stars with Illuminated Rays 256
Transparent Table Star Illuminated 257
Regulated, Illuminated Spiriti Piece, with a
projected Star Wheel Illuminated 258
New Figure Piece illuminated with five pointed Stars 259
Star Wheel Illuminated 259
Pyramid of Flower-pots 259
Illuminated Regulating Pieces 260
To fix a Sky-Rocket with its Stick on the top of another 261
New method of placing Leaders 262

ERRATA.

Pag. 16. lin. 6. _for_ salt, _read_ salt-petre
30. 12. _for_ ising glass, _read_ isinglass
35. 11. _for_ midling, _read_ middling
47. 15. _for_ ballóóns, _read_ ballóón
86. 26. _insert_: to a rocket of eight ounces
twenty-one strokes.
115. 5. _for_ one eighth, _read_ one inch one eighth
152. 24. _for_ griandole, _read_ girandole,
ibid. 25. _for_ griandole, _read_ girandole,
172. 19. _for_ hoops, _read_ hooks,
203. 8. _add_ at I, nine inches from H, fix three pegs.
243. 18. _for_ scrole, _read_ scroll,

A

TREATISE

ON

Artificial Fireworks.

SECT. I.

Of SALTPETRE.

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

How to refine SALTPETRE.

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

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

How to pulverise SALTPETRE.

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

How to extract SALTPETRE from damaged GUN-POWDER.

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

Of SULPHUR, or BRIMSTONE.

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

How to prepare CHARCOAL for Fireworks.

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

To make Artificial CAMPHOR.

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

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

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

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

To make the OIL of CAMPHOR.

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

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

Of BENJAMIN.

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

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

Of GUN-POWDER and its original.

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

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

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

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

Of the Compositions for GUN-POWDER of different sorts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To restore damaged GUN-POWDER to its proper strength.

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

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

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

Of SILENT POWDER, commonly called WHITE POWDER.

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

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

To make SILENT POWDER.

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

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

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

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

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

To make GUN-POWDER of different Colours.

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

To make GUN-POWDER white.

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

To make POWDER red.

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

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

To make Yellow POWDER.

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

To make GREEN POWDER.

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

To make Blue POWDER.

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

To make Pulvis Fulmanans, or Thunder in a Room.

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

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

SECT. II.

Of the SPUR-FIRE.

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

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

The Composition for the SPUR-FIRE.

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

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

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

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

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

Meal Powder M
Corned Powder Э
Saltpetre Θ
Brimstone Z
Crude Sulphur C Z
Charcoal C +
Sea Coal C S
Saw-dust or Beech-raspings B R
Steel or Iron-filings S x
Brass-dust B x
Glass-dust G x
Tanners-dust of Bark T x
Cast Iron C I
Antimony Crude C A
Camphor x
Yellow Amber A Y
Lapis Calaminaris L S
Gum ∩.
Lamp Black B L
Isinglass G I
Spirit of Wine W
Spirits of Turpentine S T
Oil of Spike P O

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

How to meal GUN-POWDER, BRIMSTONE, and CHARCOAL.

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

To prepare CAST-IRON for Gerbes, White Fountains, and Chinese Fire.

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

Charges for Sky-Rockets, &c.

For Rockets of Four Ounces.

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

For Rockets of Eight Ounces.

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

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

For Rockets of One Pound.

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

For Sky Rockets in general.

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

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

For large Sky Rockets.

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

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

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

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

Compositions for Rocket Stars.

For White Stars.

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

For Blue Stars.

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

Coloured, or variegated Stars.

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

For Brilliant Stars.

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

For Common Stars.

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

For Tailed Stars.

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

For Drove Stars.

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

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

For fix’d Pointed Stars.

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

Stars of a fine Colour.

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

Gold Rain for Sky Rockets.

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

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

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

Silver Rain.

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

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

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

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

For Water Rockets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A sinking Charge for Water Rockets.

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

For Wheel Cases, from two Ounces to four Pound.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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