lg^ BLASTING ROCKS. 



The charge of and, a.* well as he can, dries his mine; then inferts his charge 

 ounc"fv\Vch °^ gunpowder, often amounting to the unnecefTary quantity 

 >s too much), of an ounce, and dropping (he pricker to the bottom, with 

 ^H !l'th ^'■\ '*'' fiJ'^ touching the fide of the mine, he begins by dropping 

 is put down in into it feme lumps of fpar ; and after he has filled up about 

 the hole clcfe to a,^ inch begins poundinsr it round the pricker with his ram- 

 the fiJe, and '*' ^ .*=- r ^ t r . • ■ 



fmall pieces of met and hammer; tapping gently at firft, but loon beginning 

 fpar arc dropped (q ^3^^, y^^y jjard, all the while frequently turning and loofe- 



jn, which are -,,■,•, 



nightly rammed n.ng the Circular pricker. 



and afterwards When the hole is quite filled, he draws it, by giving fome 



ThcTwhde^beingS^'''^'^ ftrokes on the chide! that he has now pafled through the 



full, the pricker loop tO draw it with. 



wheTLl""* "^ ^^ ^''^" ^^^^^ ^^"^ upper joint of a wheat ftraw, the fmalleft 



filled with gun- he can get, and having Hopped the fine end with clay, if it 



powder is put has no knot ; he afterwards places the other end, cut off very 

 down in place or . . . , -^ 



tlie pricken • bevel and fliarp, between his fecond and third finger of the left 



hand, ciofe to where the fingers join the palm, forming 

 his hand into a kind of hafon, to keep oflf the wind, and draw- 

 ing the open end of the flraw fo low betweeh the fingers that 

 he can but jufi prevent it from dropping on the ground ; when 

 pouring, a Imail quantity of gunpowder on (he orifice, and 

 tapping with his other hand on the firaw below, to fliake it, 

 it fpeedily is filled. 



Thisfiraw mufl: be 19 inches long for a hole of 18 at leaft, 

 and a little (l)aved away at the bottom, but not cut open of 

 courfe. 

 Fire is given fay When thruft down to the powder the train is compleat, 

 a piece of touch- an(j ^uf operator iafily lights a piece of touch-wood, and 

 * places it fo that when all on fire, it fiiall communicate to the 



train; after which he witfidraws to a place out of the line of 

 explofion, and waits its elTe&. 

 —which occa- And here in blowing a well, I found that much time was 

 r.ons lofsof time ,^ ^ ^^^ , ^^^^ ^j^^ ^^,;^ occafionally blow away the 

 by Its failure and ' "' . . . . . 



danger, when touch-wood before. It is all inflamed, but frequently the damp 

 too rapid. exlinguiflies it. I alfo found (here was danger to the work- 



man if it went off too foon, which the wind fometimes oeca- 

 rion«, or his companion is too How inhaling him up; and 

 . "welikewife found that when (hey worked by the day, and zve 

 found powder, they u(ed an immoderate quantity* 

 Improvements. To remedy thcfe two great evils, I purfued the following 

 thruft^down^ the P'^" * ^^^ ^^'^ ^'^ which was fuggefted to me by an ingenious 

 hole or well pre- neighbour and both liad the dcfired effeft. 



The 



