VOL. XV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. IQS 



entered the earth. — ^The 3d experiment was with a whole culverin of brass, of 

 5300lb. in weight, ll'feet one inch in length, with a taper bore, being in- 

 tended for a chace piece to the frigate called the Speaker ; the iron bullet was 

 18lb. in weight; the powder in the first trial lOlb. in the 2d gib. in the 3d 8lb: 

 which last proportion did the best execution, and passed through the first two 

 butts, entering a little into the 3d, which the former two just touched, but did 

 not enter. — The 4th, experiment was with a whole culverin in brass, made at 

 Amsterdam for the French, with this mark. 3580, being 10 feet long, and not 

 very thick, in the breech; the first shot, with Qlb. powder, and 18lb. iron bullet, 

 passed through the 3 butts, and entered one foot into the ground ; It passed by 

 the joints of the timber, 2 planks having been beaten down before. The 2d 

 shot, with 8lb. powder, passed through 2 butts, and grazed between them. 

 The 3, with 8lb. passed 2 butts, and 7 inches into the 3d, but the first butt 

 was much battered before, where it entered. The 4th shot, with 8lb. powder, 

 passed two butts, and in both butts through the midst of a massy strong beam, 

 that had not been battered. — ^The 5th experiment was with an iron demy 

 culverin, having gib. bullet in iron, and 4lb. powder; this passed one butt, 

 which was torn before, and entered the 2d. — This 4- culverin was discharged 8 

 times, as fast as it could be loaded with powder and the iron bullet, and yet was 

 but scarcely luke-warm at the breech, a little more in the midst, and most at 

 the muzzle, yet this last scarcely so hot as my hand, though the gunners in 

 charging her, wet not at all the scoop or sponge. — ^The 6th experiment was 

 with a brass demy culverin ; the breech diameter was 1 3 inches -f , the mouth 94, 

 The first shot, with 4lb. powder, gib. iron bullet, passed 2 butts. The 2d. 

 shot, with 3 lb. powder, passed almost 2 butts : this proved to be the best shot, 

 because the timbers were the strongest.* 



A new Way of raising Water. By Dr. Papin,^ F.R.S. N° 173, p. IO93. 



Having several times observed a practice, that after some new discovery, the 

 inventor propounds it as a riddle, to stimulate those that are ingenious in the 

 same kind of learning, and so occasion them sometimes to discover even better 

 things than what is propounded; I thought I might do the same, concerning 



• There can be little 01 no scientific knowledge derived from these experiments. The chief 

 object in making them, seems to have been, to determine whether these pieces of ordnance would 

 teod their balls through such obstacles as the sides of ships, which they showed very com- 

 pletely. 



•f- This was Denys Papin, the nephew of Nicholas, and cousin of Isaac, noticed p. 239> vol. 2. In 

 that place our author was, by mistake, called Nicholas, instead of Denys. It seems that he had 

 been settled some time in England, but was originally a French philosopher. 

 YOL. III. C C 



