[ 453 ] 
this Society, and having by them been determined 
in the Negative, thofe who have not attended to this 
Subject might fuppofe, that thereby the Authors Prin- 
ciples were intirely overturned : Now this would be 
a great Injuftice to him, fince he has not relied on 
this Populate as rigoroufly true j for he knew, and 
has himfelf taken notice in the prefent Propofition, 
that fome of the Powder efcapes unfired ; and he has 
there made fome Conjedures on the Caufe of it ; but, 
without infilling on the Reality of thofe Conjedures, 
he adds, that, Be that as it may, the Truth of our 
“ Pofition cannot in general be quellioned. *’ 
And though it appears from what has been already 
faid, that the Experiments recited by the Committee 
rather confirm than invalidate the general Senfe.of 
that Poftulate; yet it is but Juft ice to own, that they 
are a full Confutation of the Conjedures of the Au- 
thor in relation to the Caufe why fome Part of the 
Powder comes out unfired 5 for the Author has fup- 
pofed, after ’Diego Ufano , that the Part which thus 
efcaped, was fcattcred in the Barrel, and not rammed 
up with the reft, or elfe that it was of a lefs inflammable 
Compofition : But the Experiments made on this Oc- 
cafion intirely deftroy this Suppofition. 
As this, or any other Conjedure on the Caufe of 
this Accident, (for it plainly appears not to be for 
want of Time only) has nothing to do with the 
general Realoning of the prefent Treatife, it is not 
neceffary to enter into it in this Place ; but it may 
not be improper to mention, that, on computing the 
Quantities of Powder colleded from different 
Charges, one of the Committee was led to con- 
jedure, that what was thus colleded was only Parts • 
of 
