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ter, which should be trowelled level with the 
tops of the joists without rising above them. 
The rough plaister may be made of coarse 
lime and hair ; or, instead of hair, hay chop- 
ped to about three inches in length may be 
substituted with advantage. One measure 
of common rough sand, two measures of 
slaked lime, and three measures of chopped 
hay, will form in general a very good pro- 
portion, when sufficiently beaten up together 
in the manner of common mortar. I he hay 
should be put in after the two other ingredi- 
ents are well beaten up together with water. 
This plaister should be made still ; and when 
the flooring-boards are required to be laid 
flow iv very soon, a fourth or fifth part of 
quicklime in powch r, formed by dropping a 
small quantity of water on the limestone 
a little while before it is used, and well mixed 
with this rough plaister, will cause it to dry 
very fast. If any cracks appear in the rough 
plaister-work near the joists when it is tho- 
roughly dry, they ought to be closed by wash- 
ing' them over with a brush wet with mortar- 
wash ; this wash may be prepared by putting 
two measures of quicklime and one of com- 
mon sand in a pail, and stirring the mixture 
with water till tire water becomes of the con- 
sistence of a thin jelly. 
Before the flooring-boards are laid, a small 
quantity of very dry common sand should be 
strewed over the plaister-work, and struck 
smooth with a hollow rule, moved in the 
direction of the joists, so that it may lie 
rounding between each pair ot joists. r \ lie 
plaister-work and sand should be perfectly 
drv before the boards are laid, for fear of the 
dry rot. The method of under-flooring may 
be successfully applied to a wooden staircase; 
but no sand “is to be laid upon the rough 
plaister-work. The method of extra-lathing 
may be applied to ceiling joists, to sloping 
roofs, and to wooden partitions. 
The third method, which is that of inter- 
securing, is very similar to that ot tinder- 
flooring ; but no sand is afterwards to be laid 
upon it. Intersccuring is applicable to the 
same parts ot a building as the method of 
extra-lathing, but it is seldom necessary. 
■ The author of this invention made several 
experiments, in order to demonstrate the 
efficacy of these methods. In most houses 
it is only necessary to secure the floors; 
and the ‘extra’ expencc of under-flooring, 
including all materials, is only about nine- 
pence per square yard, and with the use of 
quicklime’ a little more. The extra expence 
O.l extra -lathing is no move than sixpence per 
suuaie yard for the timber side-walls and 
partitions; but for the ceiling about nine- 
pence per square yard. But in most houses 
no extra-lathing is necessary. 
Fire-flies, a species of flies common in 
Guiana, of which there are two species. 
The largest is more than an inch in length, 
having a very large head connected with the 
body by a joint of a particular structure, with 
which sometimes it makes a loud knock, 
particularly when laid on its back. 1 he fly 
has. two feelers or horns, -tww wings, and six 
legs. Under its belly is a circular patch, 
which, in the dark, shines like a candle ; and 
on each side of the head near the eyes is a 
prominent, globular, luminous body, in size 
. about one-third larger than a mustard-seed- 
Each .of these bodies is like a living star, 
emitting a bright* and not small, light ; since 
two or three of these animals, put into a glass 
vessel, aftl »d a light sufficient to read with- 
out difficulty, if placed close to the book. 
When the fly is dead, these bodies will still 
afford considerable light, though it is less 
vivid than before ; anti if bruised, and t ubbed 
over the hands or face, they become lumi- 
nous in the dark, like a board smeared over 
with English phosphorus. They are of a red- 
dish-brown or cliesnut colour ; and live in 
rotten trees in the day, but are always abroad 
in the night. The other kind is not more 
than half as large as the former: their light 
proceeds from under their wings, and is seen 
only when they are elevated, like sparks ot 
lire appearing or disappearing at every se- 
cond/ Of these the air is full in the night, 
though they are never seen in the day. They 
are common not only in the southern, but in 
the northern parts of America during summer. 
Fire-ball, in the art of war, a compo- 
sition of meal-powder, sulphur, saltpetre, 
pitch, &c. about the bigness of a hand-gre- 
nade, coated over with flax, and primed with 
a slow composition of a fuse. This is to be 
thrown into the enemy’s works in the night 
time, to discover where they are: or to lire 
houses, galleries, or blinds of the besiegers ; 
but they are then armed with spikes or hooks 
of iron, that they may not roll off, but stick 
or hang where they are designed to have any 
effect. 
Fire-bote, is fuel or firing for necessary 
use, allowed to tenants, out of the lands 
granted to them. 
Fire-irons. These are too, well known 
to need description : they are, however, men- 
tioned, to notice a patent taken out by Mr. 
Bentham, for the improvement of them, by 
making all the parts that admit of it tubular 
instead of solid. 
Firf.-pots, in the military art, small ear- 
then pots, into which is put a charged gre- 
nade, and over that powder enough till the 
grenade is covered.; then the pot is covered 
with a piece of parchment, and two pieces of 
match across lighted : this pot being thrown 
by a handle of match, where it is designed, it 
breaks and tires liie powder, and burns all 
that is near it, and likewise fires the powder 
in the grenade, which ought to have no fuse, 
that its operations may be the quicker. 
FIRES and Firecocks. By 14 G. III. 
c. 78, churchwardens in London, and within 
the bills of mortality, are to fix firecocks, &c. 
at proper distances in streets, and keep a large 
engine and hand-engine tor extinguishing 
fire, under the penalty of ten pounds. And 
to prevent fires, workmen in the city of Lon- 
don, &c. must erect party-walls bclweeu 
buildings, of brick or stone of a certain thick- 
ness, &c. under penalties therein mentioned. 
On the breaking out of any fire, all the 
constables and beadles shall repair to the 
place with their- staves, and be assisting in 
putting it out, and causing people to work. 
No action lies against a person in whose 
house or chamber a fire accidentally begins. 
Fire-ships, in the navy, are vessels 
charged with combustible materials or arti- 
ficial fireworks ; which having the wind of an 
enemy’s ship, grapple her, and set heron fire. 
Anderson, in his History of Commerce, 
vol. 1, p. 432, ascribes the invention to the 
English, in this instance, viz. some vessels 
being filled with combustible matter, and 
sent among the Spanish ships composing the 
Invincible Armada in 1588 ; and hence arose, 
it is said, the terrible invention of. fire-ships. 
But Livy informs us, that the Rhodians 
had invented a kind of fire-ships, which were 
used injunction with the Roman fleet in their 
engagement with the Syrians, in the year 
190 before Christ : cauldrons of combustible 
and burning materials were hung out at their 
prows, so that none of the enemys’ ships 
durst approach them ; for these fell on the 
enemies’ galleys, struck their beaks into them, 
and at the same time set them on lire. 
Firelocks, so called from their pro- 
ducing fire of themselves, by the action of 
the flint and steel; the arms carried by a 
foot-soldier. They were formerly three feet 
eight inches in the barrel, and weighed four- 
teen pounds ; at present the length of the 
barrel is from three feet three inches to three 
feet six inches, and the weight of the piece 
only twelve pounds. They carry a leaden 
bullet of which 29 make 2lb. its diameter is 
.550 of an inch, and that of the barrel l-50th 
part of the shot. Firelocks were first made 
use of in 1690, when matchlocks were uni- 
versally disused ; but when invented, we can- 
not ascertain. A firelock is called, by writ- 
ers of about the middle of the last century, 
asnaphaan, which bring a Low-Dutch word, 
seems to indicate its being a Dutch invention. 
Fire works. It is not lawful for any 
person to make or cause to be made, or sell 
or expose to sale, any squibs ; rockets, ser- 
pents, or other fireworks* or any cases, 
moulds, or other implements for making the 
same ; or to permit the same to be cast or 
fired from his house or other place thereto 
belonging, into any public street or road'; or 
to throw or lire, or be aiding in throwing and 
firing the same, in any public street, house, 
shop, river, or highway ; and every such of- 
fence shall be adjudged a common nuisance. 
9 and 1U W. c. 7. 
FIRING in line, in the military art. Ac- 
cording to regulations, the following princi- 
pal" heads constitute tiring in line. 
The object of fire against cavalry is to 
keep them at a distance, and to deter them 
from the attack ; as their movements are 
rapid, a reserve is always kept up. But when 
the fire commences against infantry, it can- 
not be too heavy, or too quick while it lasts ; 
and should be continued till the enemy is- 
beaten or repulsed. This may not impro- 
perly be called offensive fire. 
Defensive fire belongs principally to in- 
fantry, when posted on heights* which are to 
be defended by musquetry. As soldiers 
generally present too high, and as five is of 
the greatest consequence to troops that are 
on the defensive, the habitual mode of firing 
should therefore be rather at a low level than 
a high. one. 
On these occasions the men are generally 
drawn up three deep;, in which case the 
front rank kneeling, being the most effica- 
cious as being the most raising,, should not 
be dispensed with when it can be safely and 
usefully employed. 
Firing by half-battalions, the line ad- 
vancing. The left wings halt, and the right 
ones continue to march 15 paces, at which 
instant the word march being given to the 
left wings, the right at the same time are 
ordered to halt, fire, and load, during which 
the left march, on and pass them, till the right 
wings, being, loaded and shouldered, receive 
the word march,, ou which the left ones halt, 
lire, &c. and thus, they alternately proceed, 
i nuN.G by ha^'-baUalious, the line relief 
