Wooden Matches for Artillery . 
No. 5. 
Wooden Matches for Artillery to he used instead of Hope 
Match , or Port-Fires : read at the JSTi dtional Institute, 
April 1806. By C. L. Cadet.* 
FOR, several centuries rope match only was used 
for firing great guns, mortars, howitzers, and other pieces 
of artillery. This match, as is well known, is a rope of 
supple hemp, of a midling size, boiled for two hours in a 
bath of saltpetre, ashes, quicklime, and horse- dung. 
This rope, when dried, burns slowly to the end, in the 
manner of touchwood, and communicates its fire like red- 
hot coal. For use it is twisted round a staff called a port- 
match, and left to project near five inches beyond its end, 
this length burning an hour. 
This match has several inconveniences. It requires 
constant attendance, since it must be unrolled from the 
staff every hour, or oftener ; a tolerably heavy rain puts 
it out ; it gives the artilleryman no light by night ; and 
the end beyond the staff is not always steady, so that 
the gunner is slow in firing his piece. On these accounts 
its use is now confined to garrisons, except for carrying 
fire in the field, where for other purposes port-fires are 
employed. 
These port-fires are paper tubes, filled with a mixture 
of sulphur, saltpetre, and a very little neat-powder. This 
composition, the greater part of which is saltpetre, burns 
and melts with great activity, giving a vivid and bright 
flame, which quickly sets fire to the priming. In this 
respect they are far preferable to match, since they give 
light to the gunner, their fire is more vivid, and they are 
more easily guided ; but these advantages are counter* 
* Kicholson, v. 17. p. 31. from Jinn ales de Chimie, Sep. 1806, p. 314, 
