^^a ^fft^ of tfi^ new fulminating Mtnury on Artillery, (3c. 



tlian diameter ; the thicknefs of metal at each extremity not being more than a quar-ter- of 

 an inch. This cafe was filled with nearly 5 ounces troy of the mercurial powder, and 

 placed in the fame carronade. Three twelve-pound fhot were next introduced, an4 

 brought into clofe contact with the upper furface of the cafe, as well as with eatiif other, 

 The gun a fecond time withftood the explofion : the cafe was divided acrofs the middle of 

 the chamber, into two equal parts •■, that adjoining the breech was, as in the former expe- 

 riment, much flawed, and left immoveable •, that neareft to the muzzle was alfo much 

 flawed, but driven out with the fliot. All the three {hot were broken ; the two lower 

 being divided into feveral pieces, and the upper one cracked through the centre. 



The report was fo feeble, in both experiments, that an inattentive peifon, I am con- 

 fident, would not have heard it at the diftance of two hundred yards. 



Experiment 3. It was found fo diflicult to extraft the fragments of the cafe remaining In 

 the carronade, after the laft experiment, that a channel was drilled through them, to the 

 vent-hole of the piece. It was then charged with 6 ounces troy of the mercurial powde% 

 made up as a cartridge, which did not occupy above one half of the diameter of the bore. 

 A wad was placed over the powder, dry fand fuperadded, to fill all vacuities, and the gun 

 filled to the muzzle with two twelve-pound flio.t. A block of wood was fet at a fmall 

 diflance, to receive the impreflion of the fliot, and the powder was inflamed as ufual. 

 The carronade dill refifted. One of the (hot was fplit into two pieces ; and the block of 

 wood was driven to a confiderable diftance, but not penetrated by the fliot above the depth 

 of one inch. The report was fomewhat louder than the former ones. In all three in- 

 fl:ances, a confiderable recoil evidently took place. I prefume, therefore, that in the firft. 

 experiment related in the fifth Seftion, there mufl: have been a recoil, though too trifling 

 to be obferved ; and, in the inftances where the gun and the proof were burft, it was not 

 fo much to be expe£led. 



Experiment 4. Finding.that the carronade, from the great comparative fize of its bore to 

 that of its length, required a larger quantity of mercurial powder to burfl it than we were 

 provided with, we charged a half-pounder fwivel with an ounce and a half avoirdupois of 

 the mercurial powder, (the fervice charge of gunpowder being 3 ounces) anda half-pound 

 ihot between two wads. The piece was deftroyed frpm. the trunnions to the breech, and 

 its fragments thrown thirty or forty yards. The ball penetrated five inches into a block o£ 

 wood, ftanding at about a yard from the muzzle of the gun; the part of the fwivel not 

 broken, was fcarce, if at all, moved from its original pofitlon. 



Experiment 5. One ounce avoirdupois of the mercurial powder, enclofed in paper, was 

 placed in the centre of a ftiell 4,4 inches in diameter, and the vacant fpacc filled with dry 

 fand. 



The fhell b^rft by the explofion of the powder, and the fragments were thrown to a 

 confiderable diftance. The charge of gunpowder employed to burft (hells of this diameter, 

 is 5. ounces. avoirdupois. 



Experiment 



