94 Experiments upon Gtmpowder. 



equal to what they were when the given quantity of pow- 

 der was fired without the water ; and the report of the 

 explosion appeared to be lessened in a still greater pro- 

 portion than the recoil or penetration. 



Concluding that this diminution of the force of the 

 charge arose from the bursting of the little bladder, and 

 the dispersion of the water among the powder before it 

 was all inflamed, by which a great part of it was pre- 

 vented from taking fire, I repeated the experiments with 

 highly rectified spirits of wine, instead of water ; but 

 the result was nearly the same as before ; the force of the 

 charge was constantly and very sensibly diminished. I 

 afterwards made use of ethereal oil of turpentine, and 

 then of small quantities of quicksilver; but still with 

 no better success. Everything I mixed with the pow- 

 der, instead of increasing, served to lessen the force of 

 the charge. 



These trials were all made several months before I 

 began the course of my experiments upon gunpowder, 

 of which I have here given an account, and though they 

 were altogether unsuccessful, yet I resumed the inquiry 

 at that time, and made several new experiments, with a 

 view to find out something that should be stronger than 

 gunpowder, or which, when mixed with it, should increase 

 its force. 



It is well known that the elastic force of quicksilver 

 converted into vapour is very great ; this substance I 

 made use of in my former trials, as I have just observed, 

 but without success. I thought, however, that the failure 

 of that attempt might possibly be owing to the quick- 

 silver being too much in a body, by which means the 

 fire could not act upon it to the greatest advantage ; but 

 that if it could be divided into exceeding small particles, 



