470 THE CENTURY, 



shot at an enemies light, in a dark night, not having 

 any candle, lanthorn, or other light by you?&quot; 



David Papillon, in his u Practical Art of Fortification,&quot; 

 4to. 1645, enumerating the ordnance and ammunition 

 of a garrison, observes: u fora towne of two English 

 miles circumference, of these sorts, six cannons, six 

 demi-cannons, six long culverins [or double for a sea 

 port], twentie sacres [or less for a sea-port], and twelve 

 drakes, and one hundred thousand [pounds ?] weight of 

 powder.&quot; -P. 97. 



In &quot; Mathematical Magick,&quot; 1648, Bishop Wilkins 

 incidentally remarks &quot; the greatest cannon in use, does 

 not carry above 64 pound weight,&quot; page 126. And 

 in the 19th chapter of the same work he states the 

 charge to be 40 Ibs. of powder. 



John Greaves, Geometry Professor of Gresham Col 

 lege, who was born in 1602, and died in October, 1652, 

 made experiments for trying the force of great guns, 

 at Woolwich, 18th of March, 1651, which were pub 

 lished in the 15th volume of the Philosophical Transac 

 tions, 1685. 



The following extracts are given, from their specify 

 ing the description, weight, and sometimes the size of 

 the cannon used, with the charge of powder and weight 

 of shot. 



The great ordnance tried were : 



1. &quot; An iron demy Canon, of 3500 Ibs. weight, and 

 having a cylinder bore, the bullet 32 Ib. of iron, the 

 powder 10 Ib. 



2. &quot; An iron demy Canon, having a taper bore, and 

 being 3600 Ibs. in weight, and 4 inches longer than the 

 former, the iron bullet 32 Ib. 



3. &quot; Experiment with a whole Culverin in brass, of 

 5300 Ibs. in weight, 11 foot one inch in length, with a 

 taper bore, being intended for a chase piece to the 



