Gunpowder. 
that of the-final I mortal above-mentioned,) to intro- 
' duce' this trial by the pendulum inftead of it. But 
though l am fatisfied, that this would be much more 
accurate, lefs laborious, and readier, than the other, 
yet, .as tliere’is Come little attention and caution required 
in this practice, which might render it of lcfs difpatch 
than might be convenient, when a great number of bar¬ 
rels .ne to be feparately tried, I fhould riiyfelf choole 
to praCtife another method not lefs certain, but prodi- 
gioufJy rriofie expeditious; fo that I could engage, that 
the weighing out of a final 1 parcel of powder front 
each barrel fhould be the greateft part of the labour; 
and, doubf lefs,-three or four hands could, by this 
means, examine five hundred barrels in a morning : 
befides, the machines, for this purpefe', as they might 
be made of call iron, would be fo very cheap, that they 
might be multiplied at pleafure.” Robing p. 123. 
It is not certainly known what might be the particu- 
Jar conftruflion of the eprouvette here hinted at, but 
it ; was probably a piece of ordnance-fufpended like a 
pendulum, as he-had made feveral experiments with a 
barrel in that manner. Be this as it'may, feveral per- 
fons, from thofe ideas and experiments of Mr, Robins, 
have made eprouvettes on this principle, which feems 
to be the belt of any ; and on this idea alfo Dr. Hutton 
has lately conftrudted a machine for this purpofe* which 
lias feveral advantages over all otliers^b'oth in thema- 
ture of its motion^ and the divifions bn its- arc; &c. 
It is a fmall cannon, the bore of'-which is about one 
inch in diameter, and_ is lifually charged with two 
ounces of powder, and with'powder only, as a ball is 
not neeeffary, and the ftrengfh ,cf the powder is accu¬ 
rately fliewn by the arc of the gun’s recoil. The whole 
machine is fo Timple, eafy v and expeditious, that, as 
Mr. Robins obferved above, the weighing o firth fe pow¬ 
der is the chief part of the trouble; and, fo accurate 
and uniform, that the fuceeflive repetitions lor firings 
with the fame quantity of the fame fort of powder, 
hardly ever yield a difference in the recoil of the one 
hundredth part of itf'elf. 
To RESTORE damaged GUNPOWDER. 
Them etliod ufed by the powder-merchants is this: 
they put.part of the powder on a fail-cloth,, to which 
they add an equal weight of what is really good ; then 
with a fltovel they mingle it well together, dry it in the 
fun, and barrel it up, keeping it in a dry place. But 
this, being half damaged, can never be perfectly good. 
When it is found to be very bad, it is reflored by moift- 
ening it with vinegar, water, urine, or brandy ; then 
they beat it fine, lift it, and to every pound of powder 
add" an ounce, or an ounce and a half, or two ounces, 
(according as it is decayed,) of melted nitre ; and af¬ 
terwards thefe ingredients aremoiftened and well mixed, 
fo that nothing may. be difeerned in the compofition ; 
which may be -known by cutting the mafs : and then 
they granulate it as ufual. In cafe the powder be quite 
fpoiled, the only way is to extrabf the laltpetre with 
wafer, in the ufual way, by boiling, filtrating, evapo-, 
rating, and cry(tallizing ; and then, with frefh lulphur 
and charcoal, to make it up again. 
According to Boerhaave, gunpowder affords a va¬ 
pour capable of refilling the plague and other conta¬ 
gions difeafes, ft is alio reckoned of fervice as a topic 
i'n'cutanebus difeafes. 
The laws which regulate the manufacture of gun¬ 
powder, are as follow : All perfohs, as well ftrangers 
as riatural-bofn fubjedjs, may import any quantities of 
gunpowder or. faltpetre, fulpliur, and other'materials 
for the making thereof, and to make and fell gunpow¬ 
der, &c. Stat. 16 Cat. I. c. 21. And to obtain an ex- 
. blulive‘patent for the foie making or importation of 
gunpowder or arms, or to hinder others frohi importing 
them, incurs the penalty of praemunire, by the flats. 
36 Car. I. c. 21. 1 jac. II. c; 8. The ftat. 12 Geo. III. 
Vot.IX. No, 571. 
125 
c. 61, reduces into one aCl, and repeals, all the former, 
relative to the making, keeping, and carrying, of gun¬ 
powder. By this aft it is provided, that no per foil 
fliall-make gunpowder but in the regular maiuifaClories. 
eflablifhed at the time of making the ftatute, or li- 
cc-nfed by the feflions pumiant to the proviflons in fec- 
tidii 13, Sec. on forfeiture of the gunpowder, and ,2.<. 
per pound. Pertle-milis not to be ufed, 011 the like pe¬ 
nalty. Only forty pounds of powder to be made at 
one time under one pair of Hones ; except Battel-pow¬ 
der, for,fowling, made at Battel and'elfewhere in Suflex. 
Not more than forty;hundred weight to be dried at one 
time in one ftove. Only the quantity abfolutely necef- 
fary for immediate tile to be kept in or near the place 
of making, except in brick or (lone magazines fifty 
yards 'at - lea ft from the mill. All gunpowder-makers - 
to have a brick or flone magazine near the Thames be¬ 
low Blackwall, to keep file gunpowder when made, on 
penalty of'251. per month ; and 5I. a-day for not re¬ 
moving it .when made, with ,all poflible diligence. 
Charcoal not to -be kept within twenty yards of the 
mill. No dealer to keep more than two hundred pounds 
of powder, nor any pei Jon not a dealer more than fifty 
pounds,. in the cities of London and Weftminfter, or 
within three miles thereof; or'within any other city, 
borough, or market-town, of one mile thereof; or. 
w ithin two miles of the king’s palaces or magazines, or 
half a mile of any parifli church ; on pain of forfeiture 
and 2s. per pound ; except in licenfed mills; or to the 
amount of three hundred pounds for the ufe of col¬ 
lierieswithin two hundred yards of them. Not more 
than -twenty-five barrels to be carried in any land-car¬ 
nage,- nor more than two hundred barrels by water, un- 
Iefs'going beyond fea, or coaftwife; each barrel to 
contain not more than one -hundred -pounds. Various 
means are directed for the' 1'afe conveyance, in both 
cafes. Juftices of peace may fearch mills, houfes, cam 
liages, &c. Outward-bound lliips to take in, and'home- 
ward-biound to difeharge, their gunpowder at or below 
Blackwall ; and befearched .by the officers of.the Tri- 
nity-houfe. Penalties to be recovered before two ju.fr 
tices ; and profecutions to be within fourteen days, 
General exceptions are made as to his majefty’s mills* 
ftorehoyfes, and magazines; arid as to powder feat with 
the army or militia; and exported or carried coaftwife 
below Blackwall. It feems that erecting,powder-mills, 
or keeping magazines of gunpowder, near a town, is a 
nuifance at common-law, punifhable by indictment or 
information. Sera. 1169. 
' GUNPOWDER, a river of the American States, 
on the weftern ffiore of Maryland, whofe chief branches 
unite a little above Joppa, and empty into.Chefapeak 
Bay, about twelve miles above Patapfco river. It is 
navigable only a few miles, by reafon of falls. 
GUNPOWDER NECK, near the head of Chefa- 
peak Bay, is a curious peninfula formed by Gunpowder 
River and Bufh River. 
GUN'SHOT, f. The reach or range of a gun; the 
fpa.ee to which a (hot can be thrown.—Thofe who are 
come over to the royal party are fiippofed to be- out of 
gun/hot. Dry den. 
GUN'SHOT, adj. Made by tile fhot of a gun.—The 
fymptoms I have tranflated to gunjhot wounds. Wiftman. 
—See the article Surgery. 
GUN'SHOT WOUNDS. See the article Surgery. 
GUN'SMITH, /. A man whofe trade is to make 
guns and piftols, but not cannon.—Walnut-tree is in 
particular efleem with the gunfmiths for flocks. Mor¬ 
timer. 
GUN'STICK, f. The ramrod ; or ftick with which 
the charge is driven into a -gun.—Ev’n a gunjlick flying 
into fame. SteUart. 
GUN'STOCK, f. The wood to which the barrel of 
the gun it fixed.—The timber is ufed for bows, pullies, 
ferews, mills, and gnnjlocks. Mort-imer. 
K k GU.N'STOSE, 
