400 
F I R 
at prefent, or it would have anfvvered well. However, 
contrary to my expectations, on pounding it fine, and 
boiling it in water, I find it makes an excellent palte. It 
will a'ifo anfwer all the purpofes of pafte for manufacto¬ 
ries. Some of the grain was not fufficiently burnt, for 
it fermented when carried to the dunghill ; but I have 
no hefitation in affirming that the timber and charcoal on 
the prentifes was fufficient to have calcined the whole of 
the grain in a manner fuitable for a bafis for black water 
colour, varnifit-black, black oil colour, or printing ink, 
to all which purpofes the materials are fo very applicable, 
and fo eafily converted. That corn, when charred, is 
incorruptible, is a fa£t that was known to the ancients ; 
and if fo, there can be little doubt but the colour will be 
durable. It is not in my power to fay whether it may be 
ufed for dying ; but I am inclined to think that the Chi- 
nefe make Indian ink of rice, or fome vegetable black. 
The burnt rice, N°. 3, and the burnt cotton, N°. 3, I 
am informed, will coft at the utmoft eight (hillings the 
hundred weight for grinding. Manganefe is ground for 
the bleacher’s ufe, at thirty (hillings per ton, which is a 
harder fubftance. My painter affures me, that for the 
reprelentatiou of oak, he knows no colour equal to B, 
without any figuring or dafning; and, as a glazing colour 
upon a white ground, it is very applicable. We have 
frequent cargoes of grain and flour deftroyed, or ren¬ 
dered of little value, in long voyages, by heating; the 
value may therefore be increafed by a converfion of them 
to thefe ufeful purpofes; and the drying quality will re¬ 
commend their ufe, as lamp-black is much objebted to 
for being a flow drier.” 
(Signed) Matthew Gregson. 
Liverpool, April 26, 1803. 
The following certificates are fuper-added:—From 
Mr. W. Redmore Bigg, N°. 123, Great Ruflel-ftreet, 
dating, that he had fent a flight painted (ketch as a fpe- 
cimen; that it appears to him a flrong and deep black, 
and he thinks ftronger than ivory-black; that it works 
free, and produces a clean and clear colour with white, 
and no doubt will work equally well with other colours; 
that he has tiled the drying oil with it, and it dries very well. 
From Mr. J. B. Brooks, N°. 21, Old Bond-dreet; dat¬ 
ing, that having printed fome paper in the ttfual manner 
of paper daining in (ize, with the Ample black marked 
V. B. he found it to be a better colour than blue-black 
or lamp-black, which are generally ufed; and he thinks 
it will anfwer better for printing than either. 
From Mr. John Tootle, paper-flamer, dating, that the 
vegetable-black, fent him by Mr. Gregfon, would anfwer 
every purpofe for a black in their manufaftory, and par¬ 
ticularly fo for laying grounds for black borders; as it 
has more body than lamp-black, and will cover the 
.ground with one colouring, but that with lamp-black 
they are obliged to colour twice. 
From Mr. Henry Buckley, N°. 161, Strand, dating, 
that on trial of the black produced from burnt wheat, 
he found it to pofl’efs a much dronger body than the ge¬ 
nerality of blacks now in ufe; and that it has an addi¬ 
tional valuable property of drying without any other 
auxiliary than the boiled oil in which it is ground ; that 
this quality adds confiderably to its utility, as the com¬ 
mon blacks are frequently dried with great difficulty, 
even with two or three chemical 'dryers,"and the ufe of 
boiled oil in addition. Some farther remarks were made 
by Mr. Gregfon, to (hew that burnt grain will anfwer the 
purpofes of charcoal in various fmelting works; and that 
the burnt grain carted from the Goree fire, at Liverpool, 
which fold for only 322I. would have produced jo,oool. 
if applied to the nfes of charcoal. 
Fi RE-RIJN'NING, is when ranks of foldiers fire one 
after another, or when the lines of an army are drawn 
out fo fire on account of a viftory; in which cafe each 
fquadi.on or battalion takes the fire from that on its right, 
Iron; the right of the firfl line to the left, and from the 
left to the right of the fecontj line, c. 
F I R 
FIRE-SHIP, f. in naval taftics, a veflel charged with 
combudible materials, which, having the wind of an 
enemy’s (hip, grapples her, and fets her on fire. Ander- 
fon, in his Hiflory of Commerce, vol. i. p, 432, afcribes 
the invention to the Englifii, in this indance, viz. fome 
veffels being filled with combudible matter, and fent 
among the Spanifh (hips compofing the Invincible Anna- 
da in 1588; and hence arofe, it is faid, the terrible in¬ 
vention of fire-fhips. But Livy informs us, that the 
Rhodians had invented a kind of fire-fhips, which were 
ufed in jun&ion with the Roman fleet in their engage¬ 
ment with the Syrians, in the year 190 before Chrid: 
cauldrons of combudible and burning materials were 
luing out at their prows, fo that none of the enemies’ 
(hips durd approach them: for thefe fell on the enemies’ 
gallies, druck their beaks into them, and at the fame time 
Let them on fire. Livy^Va. 37. c. 30. 
FIRE-WORKS, preparations of gunpowder, fulphur, 
and other inflammable and combudible ingredients, ufed 
on occafion of public rejoicings, and other fclemnities. 
The invention of fire-works is attributed, by M. Malm- 
del, to the Florentines and people of Sienna; who found 
out likewife the method of adding to them decorations 
of ftatues, with fire ifliiing from their eyes and mouth.— 
For the art of preparing them, fee the article Pyro- 
TECHNY. 
By the law, no perfon whatfoever (hall make, fell, or 
let off, fquibs, rockets, ferpents, &c. or prepare cafes, 
moulds, &c. for making fuch fquibs; and every fitch 
offence (hall be adjudged a common nuifance; and per- 
fons making or felling fquibs (hall fotfeit five pounds. 
Perfons throwing or firing fquibs, &c. or fullering them 
to be thrown or fired from their houfes, incur a penalty 
of twenty (hillings. Likewife perfons throwing, calling, 
or firing, or aiding or affiffing in the throwing, cafting, or 
firing, of any fquibs, rockets, ferpents, or other fire-works, 
in or into any public ffreet, houfe, (hop, river, highway, 
road, or palfage, incur the like penalty of twenty (hil¬ 
lings, and on non-payment may be committed to the houfe 
of corredfion. 9 & 10 Will. III. c. 7. This ftatute does 
not take from any perfon injured, by throwing of fquibs, 
&c. the remedy at common-law; for the party may main¬ 
tain a fpecial a ft ion on the cafe for recovery of full da¬ 
mages. 
FFREBARE, f. [Saxon.] A beacon, or Hightower 
by the fea-fide. See the article Beacon, vol. ii. p. 823. 
FI'REBOTE,yi Fuel for firing for necefiary ufe, al¬ 
lowed by law to tenants out of the lands, &c. granted 
them. See the article Estovers. 
FI'REBR AND, fi. A piece of wood kindled.—I have 
eafed my father-in-law of a firebrand, to fet my own houfe 
in a flame. V EJt range. —An incendiary ; one who inflames 
factions; one who caufes mifchief.—He fent Surrey with 
a competent power againd the rebels; who fought with 
the principal band of them, and defeated them, and took 
alive John Chamber, their firebrand. Bacon. 
FI'REBR ASS, f. [fier d bras, Fr.] A bully, a heflor. 
FI'REBRUSH, fi. 1 he brufh which hangs by the fire 
to fweep the hearth.—When you are ordered to dir up 
the fire, clean away the allies from betwixt the bars with 
the firebntjk. Swift. 
FI'RECROSS, f. A token in Scotland for the nation 
to take arms: the ends thereof burnt black, and in fome 
parts fmeared with blood. It is carried from one place 
to another. Upon refufal to fend it forward, or to rife, 
the lad perfon who has it (hoots the other dead.—He fent 
his heralds through ail parts of the realm, and com¬ 
manded the firccro/s to be carried ; namely, two firebrands 
fet in fa(hion of a crofs, and pitched upon the point of a 
fpear. Hayward. 
FI'REDRAKE, f. A ferpent; thepreffer: 
By the hilling of the fnake, 
The ruffling of the firedrake, 
1 charge thee thou this place forfake, 
Nor o( queen Mab be prattling. Drayton. 
Ignis 
