new inflammable Air or Gafs , See. 413 
powder and dried afterwards; or a bit of thofe paper 
matches which the Chinefe put into thofe little fquibs, 
which go by the name of India crackers. I fometimes 
kindle it by holding the flame of a candle or a burning 
paper to the touch-hole. In this cafe it is to be obferved, 
that the touch-hole rauft be kept upwards, if the piftol 
is loaded with inflammable air from metals, becaufe this 
air being lighter than common air, will rife out of the 
hole and meet the flame. The contrary muft be done 
when aether air is employed, it being heavier than com- 
mon air, and thus difpofed to defeend and fall upon the 
flame kept under it. 
To fill this piftol with any air, I commonly flrft fill an 
elaftic gum bottle with it, the orifice of which is juft big 
enough to receive that part of the gun barrel which is 
fixed to the air box : thus, by fqueezing between my feet 
the elaftic gum bottle, I draw in at the fame time the air 
by drawing up the pifton. A bladder is alfo very fit for 
this purpofe, and has the advantage above an elaftic gum 
bottle in not requiring to be fqueezed to draw the air out 
of it. 
Inflammable air from metals will rife in the piftol of 
itfelf, when its orifice is kept upon the bottle containing 
I i i 
Vol. LXIX. 
If 
