fear it give and damp the Powder. If you would have it leave a blue Stream, as it ascends, put fine beaten and sifted Sulphur into it, but of neither of these more than a third part of Charcole; and in this manner greater and lesser Rockets are made, but the lesser must have more Powder and less Charcole than the greater, by a fifth part in six.
Golden Rain, and Golden Hair.
For Golden Rain, or streams of fire, that will, when at height, descend in the Air like Rain: Take large Goose-Quills, take only the hollow Quill as long as may be, fill it with beaten Powder and Charcole; as for the Air Rocket only add a little Powder of Sulphur. Being hard filled to a quarter of an Inch, stop that with wet Powder, called Wild-fire; place as many as you think convenient on the Head of a great Rocket, pasted on in a Rowl of Paper, so that it may not fall off till the Rocket bursts, there being a little dry Powder in it to force the end when the stream of fire ceases, at which time they taking, will appear like a shower of Fire of a golden Colour, spreading themselves in the Air, and then tending directly downwards. This is to be considered when you stand directly, or something near under them; but if you are at some distance, then they will appear to you like the Blazing Tail of a Comet or Golden Hair.
Silver Stars, How to make them.
To make Stars that will expand in Flame, and appear like natural Stars in the Firmament for a time: Take half a Pound of Salt-peter, the like quantity of Brimstone, finely beaten together,
sifted and mingled with a quarter of a Pound of Gunpowder so ordered: Then wrap up the Composition in Linnen Rags or fine Paper, to the quantity of a Walnut, bind them with small Thread, and prick holes in the Rag or Paper with a Bodkin, and place six or ten of them on the Head of a great Rocket, as you did the Quills, and when the Rocket expires, they take fire and spread into a Flame, hovering in the Air like Stars, and descend leisurely till the matter is spent that gives them light.
Red fiery Colour'd Stars, How to make them.
Take in this Case half a Pound of Powder, and double the quantity of Salt-peter; as much fine flower of Brimstone as Powder, wet them with fair Water and Oyl of Petrolum till they will stick together like Pellets; then make them up somewhat less than the former, and rowl them in sifted dry Powder, then let them harden, by drying in the Sun or Air, and place them on a great Rocket, as you did the other Stars, and you will perceive them when the Rocket is at the height, fall, like Bodies or Globes of Fire, in the manner as if real Stars were shooting or falling from the Sky, for by reason of their wetness or density they cannot expand into Flame, which occasions them by the pressure of their weight to descend with greater Impetuosity till they waste and vanish into Air, &c.
Another sort of Stars that give great Reports in the Air, as if Armies were fighting.
Here you must observe to place six, seven, or eight small Rockets on the Head of a great one, filled only with dry Powder, but indifferently