GREEK FIRE. 
171 
descended to tlie earth in a perfect shower of flame, burning 
for some time afterwards with great intensity. A few days 
later, Mr. Scott came again, bringing what he called “ liquid 
fire;” bringing, that is to say, a solution which on being shot 
into the air burst into fire spontaneously, and which, spread 
over any surface exposed to the air, also burst into flame. Mr. 
Scott made some of this solution in my laboratory, and we at 
once tried its effects. I tipped arrows with tow, and, saturating 
the tow with the liquid, propelled the arrows from a bow ; the 
tow invariably took fire spontaneously in the air, and com- 
bustible articles into which the arrows were driven were fired 
with wonderful rapidity and certainty. 
Within a few weeks after the production of this liquid, Mr. 
Scott had devised a shell in which it could be placed, so as to 
make it available for purposes of war. This shell consisted of two 
parts ; of an outward part and of an inner or exploding tube. 
The outer part or cavity was to be charged with the fluid and 
closed ; the exploding tube was to be filled with ordinary 
explosive matter that could be discharged, either by a fusee or 
by percussion. On the discharge, the whole shell would burst, and 
the contained spontaneously igniting fluid would be distributed. 
After witnessing Mr. Scott's numerous experiments, I urged 
him at once to lay them before the Board of Ordnance. He 
did so, and was received several times. The Russian war was 
in progress at the period when Mr. Scott was being treated 
with by this Board. The members were anxious to handle 
the newly proposed implement of war, but were either too 
much afraid of it, or were too bound down to official routine 
to be actuated by the same decision and common sense that 
men of business are given to cultivate. They simply played 
with the question (I can use no other word), dandled it, took it 
up warmly, and then pnt it down again as if they had themselves 
been burnt, without fire. They asked for an experiment of Mr. 
Scott. He did many successfully : they promised to give him an 
experiment with a gun and a shell ; but when he went to per- 
form it, he was advised that he must find shells at his own 
expense. There were hundreds of shells ready made and 
belonging to the country, which would have answered his 
purpose, but he was refused the use of them. He must have 
his own shells made. Naturally disgusted with the indecision 
and narrowness of these circumlocution officials, Mr. Scott 
withdrew from the inquiry and was by-and-by supplanted 
by another candidate with liquid fire, who in time also was 
allowed to sink into neglect ; — I refer to Captain Disney. Mr. 
Scott's researches nevertheless were not lost. A very ingenious 
and enthusiastic officer. Captain Norton, whose valuable inven- 
tions have been but poorly appreciated, took up the subject. 
