MATCHES FOR ARTILLERY. SI 



For, if the combination of the three colours I hare men- 

 tioned be necessary to produce white, as every thing tenJs 

 to persuade us, we must admit the existence of violet in 

 the greenish blue with which the experiment was made. 



N. B. It may be necessary to add, in explanation of 

 Fig. 2. Plate II. that the colours of the three circles are 

 distinguished by dotted lines; the red by round and long 

 points alternately; the green by one long point and two 

 round ; the violet by one long and three round. 



VI. 



Wooden Matches for Artillery to be used instead of Rope 

 Match, or Port-Fires: read at the National Institute, 

 April 1806. By C. L. Cadet*. 



Jl OR several centuries rope match only was used for firing Rope or corn- 

 great guns, mortars, howitzers, and other pieces of ar- monraatch - 

 tillery. This match, as is well known, is a rope of supple 

 hemp, of a midling size, boiled for two hours in a bath of 

 saltpetre, ashes, quicklime, and horse-dung. This rope, 

 when dried, burns slowly to the end, in the manner of 

 touchwood, and communicates its fire like red-hot coal. 

 For use it is twisted round a staff called a port-matcb, and 

 left to project near five inches beyond its end, this length 

 burning an hour. 



This match has several inconveniences. It requires con- The incon- 

 stant attendance, since it must be unrolled from the staff ve i uences * 

 every hour, or oftener; a tolerably heavy rain puts it out; 

 it gives the artilleryman no light by night; and the end 

 beyond the staff is not always steady, so that the gunner is 

 slow in firing his piece. In these accounts its use is now 

 confined to garrisons, except for carrying fire in the field, 

 where for other purposes port-fires are employed. 



These port-fires are paper tubes, filled with a mixture Port-fires. 

 of sulphur, saltpetre, and a very little neat-powder. This 

 composition, the greater part of which is saltpetre, burns 

 .and melts with great activity, giving a vivid and bright 



* finnales de Ch:mie, Sep. 1806, p. 314. 



flame, 



