235 
the Force of fired Gunpowder. 
to it highly interesting to me ; I seized these opportunities with 
avidity, and examined all the various phenomena with steady 
and indefatigable attention. 
During a cruise which I made as a volunteer in the Victory, 
with the British fleet, under the command of my late worthy 
friend Sir Charles Hardy, in the year 1779, I had many op- 
portunities of attending to the firing of heavy cannon : for 
though we were not fortunate enough to come to a general 
action with the enemy, as is well known, yet, as the men 
were frequently exercised at the great guns, and in firing at 
marks, and as -some of my friends in the fleet, then captains, 
(since made admirals) as the Honourable Keith Stewart, 
who commanded the Berwick of 74 guns — Sir Charles 
Douglas, who commanded the Duke of 98 guns — and Ad- 
miral Macbride, who was then captain of the Bienfaisant of 
64 guns, were kind enough, at my request, to make a number 
of experiments, and particularly by firing a greater number of 
bullets at once from their heavy guns than ever had been 
done before, and observing the distances at which they fell in 
the sea ; I had opportunities of making several very interest- 
ing observations, which gave me much new light relative to 
the action of fired gunpowder. And afterwards, when I went 
out to America, to command a regiment of cavalry which I had 
raised in that country for the King's service, his Majesty having 
been graciously pleased to permit me to take out with me 
from England four pieces of light artillery, constructed under 
the direction of the late Lieutenant-General Desaguliers, with 
a large proportion of ammunition, I made a great number of 
interesting experiments with these guns, and also with the 
mdccxcvii. I i 
