upon Gun-powder, &c. 297 
occurred to me before it had been too late, I certainly fhould 
have taken fome pains to have afcertained the fadt ; but as it is, 
I think, enough has been done to fhew, that there is the 
greateft probability that the velocities of bullets may in all 
cafes be determined by the recoil with great accuracy ; and I 
hope foon to have it in my power to put the matter out of all 
doubt, and to verify this new method by a courfe of conclu- 
five experiments which I am preparing for that purpofe. 
In the mean time I would juft obferve, that if this me- 
thod fhould be found to anfwer, when applied to mufket bul- 
lets, it cannot fail to anfwer equally well when it is applied to 
cannon balls and bomb fhells of the largeft dimenfions ; and it 
is apprehended, that it will be much preferable to any method 
hitherto made public ; not only as it may be applied indif- 
ferently to all kinds of military projedliles, and that with very 
little trouble or expence in making the experiment ; but alfo 
becaufe by it the velocities with which bullets are actually pro- 
jected are determined ; whereas by the pendulum their velocities 
can only be afcertained at fome diftance from the gun, and 
after they have loft a part of their initial velocities by the ref fi- 
ance of the air through which they are obliged to pafs to arrive 
at the pendulum. 
At the trifling expence of ten or fifteen pounds an apparatus 
might be conftrudted that would anfwer for making the experi- 
ments with all the different kinds of ordnance in the Britifh 
fervice. The advantages that might be derived from fuch a 
fet of experiments are too obvious to require being mentioned. 
Of 
