216 OF ROCKETS. 



a greater height, adapt to its summit a pointed cap or top, mad* of 

 common paper, which will serve to facilitate its passage through 

 the air. 



These rockets, in general, are made in a more complex manner, 

 several other things being added to them to render them more 

 agreeable, such for example as a petard, which is a box of tin. plate, 

 filled with fine gunpowder, placed on the summit. The petard is 

 deposited on the composition, at the end where it has been filled ; 

 and the remaining paper of the cartridge is folded down over it to 

 keep it firm. The petard produces its effect when the rocket is in 

 the air and the composition is consumed. 



Stars, golden rain, serpents, saucissons, and several other 

 amusing things, the composition of which we shall explain here, 

 after, are also added to them. This is done by adjusting to the 

 head of the rocket, an empty pot or cartridge, murh larger thnn 

 the rocket, in order that it may contain serpents, stars, and various 

 ottu-r appendages, to render it more beautiful. 



Rockets may be made to rise into the air without rods. For this 

 purpose four wings must be attached to them in the form of a cross, 

 and similar to thoe seen on arrows or darts. In length, these 

 wings must be equal to two-thirds that of the rocket ; their breadth 

 towards the bottom should be half their length, and their thickness 

 ought to be equal to that of a card. 



But this method of making rockets ascend is less certain, and 

 more inconvenient than that where a rod is used ; and for this rea- 

 son it is rarely employed. 



We shall now shew the method of finding the diameters or calibre 

 of rockets, according to their weight ; but we must first observe 

 that a pound rocket, ib that just capable of admitting a leaden bullet 

 of a pound weight, and s>o of the rest. The calibre for the different 

 sizes may be found by the two following tables, one of which is 

 calculated for rockets of a pound weight and below ; and tile other 

 for those from a pound weight to 50 pounds. 



