5 32 
those things must be put in at the fuze hole ; 
but maroons being too large to go in at the 
fuze-hole, must be put in before the inside 
shall be joined. When the shells are loaded, 
glue and drive in the fuzes very tight. For a 
coehorn balloon, let the diameter of the fuze- 
hole be fths of an inch ; for a royal balloon, 
which is near 5\ inches in diameter, make the 
luze-hole 1 inch ± diameter ; for an 8-inch 
balloon, 1 inch -g-ths : and for a 10-inch bal- 
loon, 1 inch fths. 
49. To make balloon-fuzes. Fuzes for air- 
balloons are sometimes turned out of dry 
beech, with a cup at top to hold the quick- 
in atch ; but if made with pasted paper, they 
will do as well. The diameter of the former 
for fuzes for coehorn balloons must be % pn 
inch; for a royal fuze, fths of an inch ; for an 
8-inch fuze, fths of an inch ; and for a 10- 
inch fuze, fths of an inch. Having rolled 
your cases, pinch and tie them almost dose 
at one end; then drive them down, and let 
them dry. Before you begin to lill them, 
mark on the outside of the case the length of 
the charge required, allowing for the thick- 
ness of the bottom ; and when you have 
rammed in the composition, take two pieces 
of quick-match about six inches long, and lay 
one end of each on the charge, and then a 
little meal-powder, which ram down hard; 
the loose ends of the match double up into 
the top of the fuze, and cover it with a paper 
cap to keep it dry. When you put the shells 
in the mortars, uncap the fuzes, and pull out 
the loose ends of the match, and let them 
hang on the sides of the balloons. 
50. Tourbillons. Having filled some cases 
with about If diameter, drive in a ladleful of 
clay, then pinch their ends close, and drive 
them down with a mallet. When done, find 
the centre of gravity of each case, where you 
must nail and tie a stick, which should be half 
an inch broad at the middle, and run a little 
narrow to the ends: these sticks must have 
their ends turned upwards, so that the cases 
may turn horizontally on their centres. At 
the opposite sides of the cases, at each end, 
bore a hole close to the clay with a gimlet, 
the size of the neck of a common case of the 
same nature; from these holes draw a line 
round the case, and at the under part of the 
case bore a hole with the same gimlet, within 
one-half diameter of each line towards the 
centre ; then from one hole to the other draw 
aright line. When you fire tourbillons, lay 
them on a smooth table, with their sticks 
downwards, and burn the leader through the 
middle with a port-fire. They should spin 
three or four seconds on the table before they 
rise, which is about the time the composition 
will be burning from the side-holes to those at 
bottom. 
To tourbillons may be fixed reports in this 
manner: In the centre of the case at top 
make a small hole, and in tlfe middle of the 
report make another; then place them to- 
gether, and tie on the report, and with a sin- 
gle paper secure it from fire : this done, your 
tourbillon is completed. By this method you 
may fix an tourbillons small cones of stars, 
rain, &c. but be careful not to load them too 
much. One-eighth of an inch will be enough 
for the thickness of the sticks, and their length 
■equal to that of the cases. 
51. Of pots des brins. These are formed 
of pasteboard, and must be rolled pretty 
thick. They are usually made three or four 
PYROTECHNY. 
inches in diameter, and four diameters long, 
and pinched with a neck at one end, like com- 
mon cases. A number of these are placed on 
a plank, thus: Having fixed on a plank two 
rows of wooden pegs, cut in the bottom of the 
plank a groove the whole length under each 
row of pegs ; then, through the centre of each 
peg, bore a hole down to the groove at bot- 
tom, and on every peg fix and glue a pot, 
whose mouth must fit tight on the peg; 
through all the holes run a quick-match, one 
end ot which must go into the pot, and the 
other into the groove, which must have a 
match laid in it from end to end, and covered 
with paper, so that when lighted at one end 
it may discharge the whole almost instan- 
taneously. In all the pots put about 1 oz. of 
meal and corn powder, then put in some 
stars, and in others rains, snakes, serpents, 
crackers, &c. ; when they are all loaded, 
paste paper over their mouths. Two or three 
hundred of these pots being fired together 
make a verv pretty show, by affording so great 
a variety of fires. 
52. Pots des saucissons. These are gene- 
rally fired out of large mortars without cham- 
bers, the same as those for aigrettes, only some- 
what stronger. Saucissons are made of one 
and two ounce cases, five or six inches long, 
and choked in the same manner as serpents. 
Plalf the number which the mortar contains 
must be driven 1^ diameter with composition, 
and the other half two diameters, so that 
when fired they may give two volleys of re- 
ports. 
Different kinds of rockets. 
53. To fix one rocket on the top of another. 
When sky-rockets are thus managed, they 
are called towering rockets, on account of 
their mounting so very high. Towering 
rockets are made after this manner: Fix on a 
pound-rocket a head without a collar ; then 
take a four-ounce rocket, which may be 
headed or bounced, and rub the mouth of it 
with meal-powder, wetted with spirit of wine ; 
when done, put it in the head of the large 
rocket with its mouth downwards; but before 
you put it in, stick a bit of quick- match in 
the hole of the clay of the pound-rocket, 
which match should be long enough to go a 
little way up the bore of the small rocket, to 
fire it when the large one is burnt out. The 
four-ounce rocket being too small to fill the 
head of the other, roll round it as much tow 
as will make it stand upright in the centre of 
the head: the rocket being thus fixed, paste 
a single paper round the opening of the top 
of the head of the large rocket. The large 
rocket must have only half a diameter of 
charge rammed above the piercer ; for, if 
filled to the usual height, it would turn before 
the small one takes fire, and entirely destroy 
the intended effect. When one rocket is 
headed with another, there will be no occasion 
for any blowing powder ; for the force- with 
which it sets off will be sufficient to disengage 
it from the head of the first-fired rocket. The 
sticks for these rockets must be a litlie longer 
than for those headed with stars, rains, &c. 
54. Caduceus rockets, in rising, form two 
spiral lines, or a double worm, by reason of 
their being placed obliquely, one opposite the 
other ; and their counterpoise in their centre, 
which causes thenr to rise in a vertical direc- 
tion. Rockets for this purpose must have 
their ends choked close, without either head 
or bounce, for a weight at top would be a 
great obstruction to their mounting. 
55. Signal sky-rockets are made of se- % 
veral kinds, according to the different signals | 
intended to be given ; but in artificial fire- ; 
works, two sorts only are used, which are one f 
with reports an 1 the other without; but those j 
for the use of the navy and army are headed 
with stars, serpents, &c. Rockets which are ! 
to be bounced must have their cases made \ 
]i or 2 diameters longer than the common 
proportion; and after they are filled, drive in 
a double quantity of clay, then bounce and 
pinch them after the usual manner, and fix. 
on each a cap. Signal sky-rockets without 
bounces, are only sky-rockets closed and 
capped. These are very light, therefore do 
not require such heavy sticks as those with 
loaded heads ; for which reason you may cut. 
one length of the rocket off the stick, or else 
make them thinner. Signal rockets with re- 
ports are fired in small flights; and often both 
these, and those without reports, are used for 
a signal to begin firing a collection of works. 
56. To fire sky-rockets without sticks. You. 
must have a stand of a block of wood, a foot 
diameter, arid make the bottom flat, so that 
it may stand steady. In the centre of the 
top of this block draw a circle 2§ inches, 
diameter, and divide the circumference of it 
into three equal parts ; then take 3 pieces of 
thick iron wire, each about 3 feet long, and. 
drive them into the block, 1 at each" point 
made on the circle; when these wires are 
driven in deep enough to hold them fast and 
upright, so that the distance from one to the 
other is the same at top as at bottom, the I 
stand is complete. The stand being thus.!! 
made, prepare your rockets thus : take some! 
common sky-rockets, of any size, and head 
them as you please ; then get some balls of 
lead, and tie to each a small wire 2 or feet 
long, and the other end of each wire tie to 
the neck of a rocket. These balls answer 
the purpose of sticks when made of a proper 
weight, which is about 2-3ds the weight of 
the rocket; but when they are of a proper 
size, they will balance the rocket in the same, 
manner as a stick, at the usual point of poise.. 
To fire these, hang them one at a time, be- 
tween the tops of the wires, letting their heads 
rest on . the point of the wires, and the balls 
hang down between them. If the wires 
should be too wide for the rockets, press them 
together till they fit; and if too close, force, 
them open. The wires for this purpose must 
be softened, so as not to have any spring, or 
they will not keep their position when pressed 
close or opened. 
Aquatic fire-works. 
57. Water rockets may be made from 4oz„ 
to 2 lb. If larger they are too heavy, so 
that it will be difficult to make them keep 
above water without a cork float, which must 
be tied to the neck ofthe case ; but the rockets 
will not drive so well with as without floats. 
Cases for these are made in the same manner 
and proportion as for sky-rockets, onlyfa little 
thicker of paper. When you fill those which 
are driven solid, put in first one ladleful of 
slow fire, then two ot the proper charge, and 1 
on that one or two ladles ol sinking charge, 
then the proper charge, then the sinking 
charge again, and so on till you have filled 
the case within three diameters ; then drive 
on the composition one ladleful of clay, 
