74 Experiments upon Gunpowder. 



powder, in proportion as 1.2036 is to i, or nearly as 6 

 is to 5. 



But if, instead of weighing the powder, we estimate 

 the quantity of the charge by measurement, or the space 

 it occupies in the bore of the piece, the comparative 

 strength of battle powder will appear to be considerably 

 greater, or its strength will be to that of government 



O ' O O 



powder nearly as 4 is to 3 ; for the grains of this better 

 kind of powder being more compact, and nearly of a 

 spherical form, a greater weight of it will lie in any given 

 space than of government powder, which is formed more 

 loosely, and of various and of very irregular figures. 



Now the common price of double proof battle pow- 

 der, as it is sold by the wholesale dealers in that com- 

 modity, is at the rate of < 10 per cwt. net, which is 

 just two shillings by the pound ; while government is 

 sold at 5 5-f. per hundred, or one shilling and -^ th of 

 a penny per pound ; but battle powder is better than 

 government powder only in the proportion of 1.2036 

 to i, or of one shilling and two pence to one shilling 

 and yVth of a penny ; battle powder is therefore sold at 

 the rate of ten pence by the pound, or 41 1 per cent, dearer 

 than it ought to be; or those who make use of it in 

 preference to government powder do it at a certain loss 

 of 41! per cent, of the money that the powder costs 

 them. 



Of the Relation of the Velocities of Bullets to their Weights. 



According to Mr. Robins's theory, when bullets of 

 the same diameter but different weights are discharged 

 from the same piece, by the same quantity of powder, 

 their velocities should be in the reciprocal sub-duplicate 

 ratio of their weights; but as this theory is founded upon 



