360 On the Manufacture and 



6th, The gun})owder, thus corned, dusted, and reeled, 

 (which is called glazing, as it puts a small degree of gloss on 

 it,) is sent to the stove and dried ; taking care not to caise the 

 heat so as to decompose the sulphur. The heat is regulated 

 by a thermometer placed in the door of the stoves, if dried 

 in a gloom-stove*. 



A gunppwder-stove either dries the powder by steam or by 

 the heat from an iron gloom, the powder being spread on 

 cases, placed on proper supports, round the room. 



If gunpowder is injured by damp in a small degree, it may 

 be recovered by re-storing it; but if the ingredients are de- 

 composed, the nitre must be extracted and the gunpowder 

 re-manufactured. 



There are several methods of proving and trying the good- 

 ness and strength of gunpowder. This it is not the object of 

 , this paper to describe ; but 1 shall just mention one, by which 

 a good idea may be formed of the purity of the gunpowder, 

 and also some conclusion as to its strength. 



Lay two or three small heaps (a dram or two) on separate 

 pieces of clean waiting-paper ; fire one of them by a red-hot 

 iron wire: if the flame ascends quickly, with a good report, 

 leaving the paper free from white specks, and does not burn 

 it into holes 5 and if sparks fly off, setting fire to the adjoining 

 heaps, the goodness of the ingredients and proper manufac- 

 ture of the powder may be safely inferred : but if otherwise, 

 it is either badly made or the ingredients impure. 



Having thus completed the process of manufacturing, \ 

 shall now relate the result of some experiments I have repeat- 

 edly made, and which have been made from large quantities 

 in the manufactory. 



* This species of stove consists of a large cast-iron vessel projecting 

 into one side of a room, alid heated from the outside till it absolutely 

 glows. From the construction it is hardly possible that fire can be thrown 

 from the gloom, as it is called ; but stoves heated by steam passing 

 ' through steam-tight tubes, or otherwise, ought surely to be preferred ;. 

 for the most cautious man may stumble ; and if he have a case of the pow- 

 der in his hand, some of it may be thrown upon the gloom ; and it is surely 

 possible that in this way some of the accidental blowing up of powder- 

 mills may have been occasioned. — Edit. 



Exper, 



