The diameters of the small balls for grape shot, of which six exactly fill the circumference, are as follows:
| For 16 pounders, | 1.66 inch. | For 8 pounders, | 1.31 inch. |
| For 12 do. | 1.5 do. | For 4 do. | 0.16 do. |
M. Bigot has given the following Table relative to Cartouches, and their Balls.
| Calibers. | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 | Light Troops |
| Charge of powder. | lbs. oz. | lbs. oz. | lbs. oz. | lbs. oz. | lbs. oz. |
| 4 0 | 2 ½ | 2 0 | 1 ½ | 0 17 | |
| Weight of the cartouch and ball. | 16 11 | 11 2 | 8 ½ | 5 12 | 2 1 |
| Height of the charge of powder. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches. |
| 83/12 | 69/12 | 63/12 | 61/12 | 51/12 | |
| Total height of the cartouch. | 13½ | 11½ | 108/12 | 911/12 | 78/12 |
[CHAPTER II.]
OF MATCHES.
Matches, in artillery, are a kind of rope made of flax, hemp, or cotton slightly twisted, and prepared to retain fire for the use of artillery, mines, fire-works, &c. Bigot, (Traité d'Artifice de Guerre, p. 64,) has considered this subject under three heads; namely, of match-rope, priming fuses or tubes, and quick-match. We purpose, therefore, in the following sections, to treat the subject in this order.
Sec. I. Of Slow Match.
Slow-match may be prepared by different processes. When hemp or tow is spun on the wheel like cord, but very slack, and made into three twists and then covered with tow, so that the twists do not appear, and then boiled in the lees of old wine, a slow-match will be formed which burns very gradually; but slow-match is commonly made after the following method: The rope for this match is made of flax, or of soft well-beaten hemp, thoroughly cleansed from the harder fibres, and the strands are loosely spun. Three strands are sufficient, which should not, when formed into rope, exceed one inch and two-thirds in thickness. It should not be shortened in twisting more than one-fifth, or one-fourth at most, in order to be firm without being hard.