the Force of fired Gunpowder. 227 
made very narrow, and lined with gold to prevent its being 
corroded by the acid vapour generated in the combustion of 
the gunpowder ; but this vent was found, upon trial, to be as 
little able to withstand the amazing force of the inflamed gun- 
powder as the others. It was so much, and so irregularly cor- 
roded, by the explosion in the first experiment, as to be ren- 
dered quite unserviceable; and what is still more extraordinary, 
the barrel itself, notwithstanding its amazing strength, was 
blown out into the form of a cask; and though it was cracked, 
it was not burst quite asunder, nor did it appear that any of the 
generated elastic fluid had escaped through the crack. The 
barrel, in the state it was found after this experiment, is still 
in my possession. 
These unsuccessful attempts, and many others of a similar 
nature, of which it is not necessary to give a particular account, 
as they all tended to shew that the force of fired gunpowder is 
in fact much greater than has generally been imagined, instead 
of discouraging me from pursuing these inquiries, served only 
to excite my curiosity still more, and to stimulate me to further 
exertions. 
These researches did not by any means appear to me as be- 
ing merely speculative ; on the contrary, I considered the de- 
termination of the real force of the elastic fluid generated in 
the combustion of gunpowder as a matter of great importance. 
The use of gunpowder is become so extensive, that very im- 
portant mechanical improvements can hardly fail to result from 
any new discoveries relative to its force, and the law of its ac- 
tion. Most of the computations that have hitherto been made 
relative to the action of gunpowder, have been founded upon 
the supposition that the elasticity of the generated fluid is as its 
mdccxcvii. H h 
