Endless Amusement / A Collection of Nearly 400 Entertaining Experiments in Various Branches of Science; Including Acoustics, Electricity, Magnetism, Arithmetic, Hydraulics, Mechanics, Chemistry, Hydrostatics, Optics; Wonders of the Air-Pump; All the Popular Tricks and Changes of the Cards, &c., &c. to Which is Added, a Complete System of Pyrotechny; Or, the Art of Making Fire-works.

by Unknown

The spindle serves for an axis, on which is fixed the globe, which must stand four or six inches from the wheel; round one side of each hoop must be soldered little bits of tin, two inches and a half distance from each other; which pieces must be two inches in length each, and only fastened at one end, the other ends being left loose, to turn round the small port-fires, and hold them on: these port-fires must be made of such a length as will last out the cases on the wheel. There need not be any port-fires at the bottom of the globe within four inches of the spindle, as they would have no effect but to burn the wheel: all the port-fires must be placed perpendicularly from the centre of the globe, with their mouths outwards, and must be clothed with leaders, so as all to take fire with the second case of the wheel; and the cases must burn two at a time, one opposite the other. When two cases of a wheel begin together, two will end together; therefore the two opposite end cases must have their ends pinched and secured from fire. The method of firing such wheels is, by carrying a leader from the mouth of one of the first cases to that of the other; and the leader being burnt through the middle, will give fire to both at the same time.

Odoriferous Water-Balloons.

They are made in the same manner as air-balloons, but very thin of paper, and in diameter one inch and three-fourths, with a vent of half an inch diameter. The shells being made, and quite dry, fill them with any of the following compositions, which must be rammed in tight: these balloons must be fired at the vent, and put into a bowl of water. Odoriferous works are generally fired in rooms.

Composition I. Saltpetre two ounces, flour of sulphur one ounce, camphor half an ounce, yellow amber half an ounce, charcoal-dust three-fourths of an ounce, salt of Benzoin half an ounce, all powdered very fine and well mixed.

II. Saltpetre twelve ounces, meal-powder three ounces, frankincense one ounce, myrrh half an ounce, camphor half an ounce, charcoal three ounces, all moistened with the oil of spike.

III. Saltpetre two ounces, sulphur half an ounce, antimony half an ounce, amber half an ounce, cedar raspings one-fourth of an ounce, all mixed with the oil of roses and a few drops of bergamot.

IV. Saltpetre four ounces, sulphur one ounce, saw-dust of juniper half an ounce, saw-dust of cypress one ounce, camphor one-fourth of an ounce, myrrh two drachms, dried rosemary one-fourth of an ounce, all moistened a little with the oil of roses.

N.B. Water-rockets may be made with any of the above compositions, with a little alteration, to make them weaker or stronger, according to the size of the cases.

A Sea-fight with small Ships and a Fire-ship.

Having procured four or five small ships, of two or three feet in length, make a number of small reports, which are to serve for guns. Of these range as many as you please on each side of the upper decks; then at the head and stern of each ship fix a two-ounce case, eight inches long, filled with a slow port-fire composition; but take care to place it in such a manner that the fire may fall in the water, and not burn the rigging; in these cases bore holes at unequal distances from one another, but make as many in each case as half the number of reports, so that one case may fire the guns on one side, and the other those on the opposite. The method of firing the guns is, by carrying a leader from the holes in the cases to the reports on the decks; you must make these leaders very small, and be careful in calculating the burning of the slow fire in the regulating cases, that more than two guns be not fired at a time. When you would have a broadside given, let a leader be carried to a cracker placed on the outside of the ship; which cracker must be tied loose, or the reports will be too slow: in all the ships put artificial guns at the port-holes. Reports for these and similar occasions are made by filling small cartridges with grained powder, pinching them close at each end, and, when used, boring a hole in the side, to which is placed a match or leader for firing them.