PYUOTECHNY. 



wrappc-d it in a linen rag, or paper, form it into a ball ; then 

 tie it (lofely round with packthread, and pierce a hole 

 through the middle of it, large enough to recerve a piece 

 of prepared tow, which is to ferve as a match. This, when 

 lighted, will exhibit a inoft beautiful appearance ; becauie 

 the fire as it iflues from the two ends of the hole in the 

 middle will extend to a great diftance, and will make it 

 feem very much larger than it ailually is. 



There are other compoiitions for ilars; viz. with three 

 ounces of faltpetre, mix one ounce of fulphur, and two 

 drachms of mealed gunpowder; or with eight ounces ot 

 mealed powder, mix four ounces of fulphur, and the lame 

 quantity of faltpetre. When thefe materials have been well 

 Sfted, and fprinkled over with brandy, in which a Imall 

 euantity of gum has been diffolved, the Rar is made in the 

 following manner. Take a rocket mould eight or nine 

 lines in diameter, and introduce into it a nipple, the piercer 

 of which is of an uniform lize throughout, and equal m length 

 to the height of the mould. Put into this mould a car- 

 tridge, and by means of a pierced rod load it with one 

 of the preceding compofitions ; when loaded, take it from 

 the mould, without removing the nipple, the piercer of 

 which paiies through the compofition, and then cut the 

 cartridge quite round into pieces of the tlucknefs of three 

 or four lines. The cartridge being thus cut, draw out 

 the piercer gently, and the pieces which refemble the men 

 employed for playing at drafts, pierced through the mid- 

 dle, will be ftars, which muft be filed on a match thread, 

 that may be covered with tow. To give more brilliancy to 

 ftars of this kind, a cartridge thicker than that already 

 defcribed, and thinner than that of a flying rocket of the 

 fame fize, may be employed ; but before it is cut in pieces, 

 five or fix holes mull be pierced in the circumference of 

 each piece to be cut. When the cartridge is cut, and the 

 pieces have been filed, cement over the compofition fmall bits 

 of a card, each having a hole in the middle, fo that thefe holes 

 may correfpond to the place where the compofition is 

 pierced. 



Etoiles a Pet are made in the fame way nearly as fau- 

 ciffons already defcribed, only that it will not be necefl'ary 

 to cover them with packthread : it will be fufficient if they 

 are pierced at one end, in order that ftars may be fattened 

 to them, conftrufted according to the firft method, the 

 compofition of which is dry ; for if the compofition be in 

 the form of pafte, there will be no need to tie it. In this 

 cafe, a little more of the paper muft be left hollow at 

 the end of the fauciffon which has been pierced for the 

 purpofe of introducing the compofition, and to place in the 

 vacuity, towards the neck of the faucilTon, fome grained 

 powder, which will communicate fire to the fauciflbn when 

 the compofition is confumed. 



Shoiuer of Fire. — To form this fort of fire-work, mould 

 fmall paper cartridges on an iron-rod two lines and a half 

 in diameter, and make them two inches and a half in 

 length. They muft not be choaked, it being fufficient to 

 twift the end of the cartridge, and having put the rod into 

 it to beat it, in order to make it affume its proper form. 

 When the cartridges are filled, which is done by immerfing 

 them in the compofition, fold down the other end, and then 

 apply a match. This will fill the furrounding air with an 

 undulating fire. The following compofitions are given as 

 proper for ftars of this kind. 



Chitufe /^iVf.^-Mealed gunpowder one pound, fulphur 

 two ounces, iron-fand of the firft order five ounces. 



Ancient Fire. — Mealed gunpowder one pound, charcoal 

 two oiucci. 



Brilliant Fire. — Mealed gunpowder one pound, iron-filings 

 four ounces. The firft of thefe compofitions is thought to 

 be the moft beautiful. 



Sparks differ from ftars only in their fize and duration, 

 for they are made fmallcr than ftars, and are confumed 

 fooner. They are thus prepared. Having put into an 

 earthen veflel an ounce of mealed gunpowder, two ouncet 

 of pulverized faltpetre, one ounce of liquid faltpetre, and 

 four ounces of camphor reduced to powder, pour over 

 this mixture fome gum-water, or brandy in which gum has 

 been diffolved, till tlie compofition becomes of the confid- 

 ence of tliick foup. Then take fome lint which has been 

 foaked in brandy, or in viiAgar, or even in a folution of 

 faltpetre, and being dried and unravelled, throw into the 

 mixture fuch a quantity of it as is fufficient to abforb it 

 entirely, taking care to Itir it well. This compofition may 

 be formed into fmall balls about the fize of a pea, and being 

 dried in the (hade, and fprinked with mealed powder, they 

 will readily catch fire. 



Sparks may be made by the following method : Take 

 faw-duft of fir, poplar, &c. and boil it in water in which 

 faltpetre has been dilTolved. When the water has boiled 

 fome time, it is to be poured oft', that the faw-duft may re- 

 main in the vefil-l. When nearly dry, it is to be fpread 

 out on a table, and fprinkled with fulphur fifted through 

 a very fine ficve, to which may be added a little mealed 

 powder. 



Golden Rain. — Some dying rockets, which, as they fall, 

 make fmall undulations in the air like frizzled hair, are 

 called by the French writers fusees cbevelues, and by ua 

 bearded rockets ; they finifh with a kind of ftiower of fire, 

 which is called golden rain, and they are conftrufted in the 

 following m. nner. Fill the barrels of fome goofe-quills with 

 the compofition of flymg rockets, and place upon the 

 mouth of each a httle molft gunpowder, both to keep in 

 the compofition, and to ferve as a match. If a flying 

 rocket be then loaded with thefe quills, they will produce 

 at the end a beautiful Ihower of fire, which is denominated 

 golden rain. 



Conrantins, or Rockets thatjly along a Rope. — A rocket may 

 be made to run along an extended rope, by affixing to the 

 rocket an empty cartridge, and introducing into it the rope 

 which is to carry it along. Place the head of the rocket to- 

 wards that fide to which you intend it to move ; if it be then 

 fet fire to, it will run along the rope without ftoppiug till 

 the matter it contains is entirely exhaufted. If the rocket 

 is to move in a retrograde direftion, firft fill one hilf of it 

 with the compofition, and cover it with a fmall round piece 

 of wood, to ferve as a partition between it, and that put into 

 the other half ; then make a hole below this partition, fo aa 

 to correfpond with a fmall canal filled with bruifed powder, 

 and terminating at the other end of the rocket. By thefe 

 means the fire, when it ceafes in the firft half of the rocket, 

 will be communicated through the hole into the fmall canal, 

 which will convey it to the other end ; and this end being 

 then kindled, the rocket will move backwards, and return 

 to the place from whence it fet out. 



Two rockets of equal fize, bound together by ftrong 

 packthread, and fo arranged that the head of the one ftiall 

 be oppofite to the neck of the other, in order that when ths 

 fire has confumed the compofition in the one, it may be 

 communicated to that in the other, and oblige both of them 

 to move in a retrograde direftion, may likewife be adjufted 

 to the rope by means of a piece of hollow reed. Rockets 

 of this kind are generally employed for fetting fire to various 

 other pieces when large fire-works are exhibited ; and to 



render 



