POWDER.] 



SHOOTING, 



LPOWDEE. 



humidity of the atmosphere) good for nothing 

 in the evening. This recalls to mind the 

 remark of Cromwell, when about to engage 

 with the cavaliers — "Praise the Lord, but 

 keep your powder dry." He seems to have 

 been aware of the absorption of moisture 

 inherent in the material he was about to use 

 with considerable effect against his enemies. 



The chemical properties of gunpowder are 

 thus decribed by the celebrat'^d Dr. Ure : — 

 " This explosive substance consists of an inti- 

 mate mixture, in determined proportions, of 

 saltpetre, charcoal, and sulphur ; and is better 

 in proportion (everything else being equal) to 

 the quality of these ingredients. The nitre, in 

 particular, should be perfectly refined by suc- 

 cessive crystallisations, and finally freed from 

 adhered water, by proper drying, or by fusion 

 in iron pots at a regulated heat. Nothing can 

 surpass, in these respects, the nitre prepared 

 in the government powder-mills at Waltham 

 Abbey. It is tested by adding to its solution, 

 in distilled water, nitrate of silver, with which 

 it occasions no perceptible opalescence. The 

 sulphur ought, also, to be of the finest quality, 

 and purified by skimming, or even sublimation, 

 if at all necessary. The charcoal should be 

 newly made ; it should burn without leaving 

 any sensible residuum ; be dry, sonorous, light, 

 and easily pulverised. The charcoal for gun- 

 powder is made either of alder, willow, or dog- 

 wood, the latter being preferred, which is cut 

 into lengths, and ignited in iron cylinders, the 

 wood before charring being carefully stripped 

 of its bark. The three ingredients being thus 

 prepared, are ready for manufacturing into 

 gunpowder. They are first separately ground 

 to a fine powder, which is passed through 

 proper sieves or bolting machines; secondly, 

 they are mixed together in certain proportions, 

 but which do not seem to be definitely deter- 

 mined, for they differ in different establish- 

 ments of great respectability, as is shown in the 

 following table : — 



Nitre. Charcoal. Sulphur. 



Royal Mills at Waltham Abbey 75 15 10 



French for War .... 75 125 12-5 



Do. for Sportsmen . . . 78 12 10 



Do. for Mining ... 65 15 20 



Chaptal's Proportions . - 77 14 9 



Chinese do. . . • 75-4 14-4 9-9 



Mr. Napier's .... 80 15 5 



Thirdly, the composition is then sent to the 

 502 



gunpowder-mill, which consists of two edge- 

 stones of a calcareous nature, turning by mean's 

 of a shaft on a bedstone of the same nature, 

 which gives no sparks, as sandstones would ba 

 apt to do. On this bedstone the composition 

 is spread, and moistened with as small a quantity 

 of water as will, in conjunction with the weight 

 of the revolving stones, bring it into a proper 

 body of calce, but not of paste. AVheu the 

 cake has been thoroughly incorporated, it is 

 sent to the corning-house, where a separate 

 mill is employed to form the cake into grains 

 of corn. Fourthly : here it is first pressed into 

 a hard firm mass, then broken into small lumps ; 

 after which the graining is executed by placing 

 these lumps in sieves, on each of which is laid, 

 a disc of lignum vitce. The sieves are made of 

 parchment skins perforated with numerou&- 

 round holes. Several such sieves are fixed in a. 

 frame, which, by proper machinery, has such a. 

 motion given to it as to make the lignum vitce 

 runner in each sieve move round with consider- 

 able velocity, so as to break the lumps of the 

 cake, and force the substance through the 

 sieves, forming grains of several sizes. The 

 granular particles are afterwards separated 

 from the finer dust by proper sieves and reels. 

 Fifthly : the corned powder is next hardened, 

 and the rougher edges taken off by being re- 

 volved in a close reel or cask, turning rapidly 

 on its axis. This vessel somewhat resembles 

 a barrel churn ; it should be only half full at 

 each operation, and has frequently square bars 

 inside, parallel to its axis, to aid the polish by 

 the attrition. Sixthly : the gunpowder is now 

 dried, which is done generally by a steam heat, 

 or by transmitting a body of air, slightly heated 

 in another chamber over canvas shelves, 

 covered with the damp gunpowder." 



AVe have taken this extract from the Chemical 

 Dictionary, where, in an article on gunpowder, 

 the reader will find much interesting informa- 

 tion on the rationale of the action of gun- 

 powder, in regard to both its detonating and 

 combustible powers. 



As to the relative size of the grains of powder 

 to be used in sporting amusements, there is a 

 considerable diversity of opinion ; some affirm- 

 ing one size to be the best, and some another. 

 This question cannot be definitely settled 

 without taking into account the nature of our 

 guns, the purposes for which they are made, 



