12 Experiments upon Gunpowder. 



sary for the experiments of the day were weighed out at 

 a time. Each charge was carefully put up in a cartridge 

 of very fine paper, and these filled cartridges were kept 

 in a turned wooden box, that was varnished on the in- 

 side as well as the outside, to prevent its imbibing moist- 

 ure from the air. 



The paper of which these cartridges were made was 

 so fine and thin, that 1,280 sheets of it made no more 

 than an inch in thickness, and a cartridge capable of 

 containing half an ounce of powder weighed but three 

 quarters of a grain. 



The cartridges were formed upon a wooden cylinder, 

 and accurately fitted to the bore of the piece, and the 

 edges of the paper were fastened together with paste 

 made of flour and water. 



When a cartridge was filled, the powder was gently 

 shaken together, and its mouth was tied up and secured 

 with a piece of fine thread ; and when it was made use 

 of, it was put intire into the piece, and gently pushed 

 down into its place with the ram-rod, and afterwards it 

 was pricked with a priming-wire thrust through the vent, 

 and the piece was primed ; so that no part of the powder 

 of the charge was lost in the act of loading, as is always 

 the case when the powder is put loose into the barrel ; 

 nor was any part of it expended in priming ; but the 

 whole quantity was safely lodged in the bottom of the 

 bore or chamber of the piece, and the bullet was put 

 down immediately upon it, without any wadding either 

 between the cartridge and the bullet, or over the bullet. 



The bullets were all cast in the same mould, and, 

 consequently, could not vary in their weights above two 

 or three grains at most, especially as I took care to bring 

 the mould to a proper temperature as to heat, before I 



