Light-balls, of which there are several sorts: the best composition is mealed powder 2, sulphur 1, rosin 1, turpentine 2¹⁄₂, and saltpetre 1¹⁄₂. Then take tow, and mix and dip it in this composition, till of a proper size, letting the last coat be of mealed powder. Or take thick strong paper, and make a shell the size of the mortar you intend to throw it out of, and fill it with a composition of an equal quantity of sulphur, pitch, rosin, and mealed powder; which being well mixed, and put in warm, will give a clear fire, and burn a considerable time.

The composition for filling balls that are intended to set fire to magazines is, mealed powder 10, saltpetre 2, sulphur 4, and rosin 1; or mealed powder 4, pounded glass 1, antimony ¹⁄₂, camphor ¹⁄₂, sal-ammoniac 1, common salt ¹⁄₄; or mealed powder 48, saltpetre 32, sulphur 16, rosin 4, steel or iron filings 2, fir tree saw-dust boiled in saltpetre ley 2, and birch wood charcoal 1. With any of these compositions fill the sack, and ram it, if possible, as hard as a stone, putting in the opening, a fuse, and about the same an iron ring ¹⁄₅th of the ball’s diameter wide; and on the opposite end, another ring ¹⁄₆th of the ball’s diameter; then with a strong cord of ¹⁄₄th of an inch diameter, lace round the hoops, or rings, from one end of the ball to the other, as often as is requisite; this is called the ribbed coat; then lace it again the contrary way, which is called the check coat.

Between each square cord, iron barrels are driven in, ¹⁄₃d of which are filled with powder, and a bullet: at the end of each a small vent is made, that the composition may inflame the powder, and drive the balls out on every side, which not only kill numbers of people, but prevent any one from extinguishing the fire-ball. The whole must, when finished, be dipped in melted pitch, rosin and turpentine oil; which composition fastens the whole together.

Smoke-Balls, are made and contrived to give an uncommon smoke, and thereby prevent the enemy from seeing what you are about. They are prepared as above, only the composition must be 5 to 1 of pitch, rosin, and saw-dust: the ingredients are put into iron shells, having 4 holes each to let out the smoke, and are thrown out of mortars.

Stink- -Balls. See [Balls].
Poisoned-
Red-hot-
Chain-
Stang-
Anchor-

Message-Balls. See [Shells].

Fire-Barrels are at present not much used: they were of different sorts; some mounted on two wheels. The inside of the barrel is loaded with powder, and the outside full of sharp iron points, intermixed with grenades loaded, and fuses fixed. Sometimes they are placed under ground, and made use of to annoy the enemy’s approach.

Carcass, in military affairs, was formerly of an oval form, made of iron bars, and filled with a composition of mealed powder, saltpetre, sulphur, broken glass, shavings of horn, pitch, turpentine, tallow, and linseed oil, covered with a pitched cloth; it is primed with mealed powder and quick match, and fired out of a mortar. Its design is to set houses on fire, &c. See [Carcass].

None but round carcasses are used at present, the flight of the oblong ones being so uncertain. The composition is, pitch 2, saltpetre 4, sulphur 1, and corned powder 3. When the pitch is melted, the pot is taken off, and the ingredients (well mixed) put in; then the carcass is filled with as much as can be pressed in.

Cartridges are made of various substances, such as paper, parchment, bladders, and flannel. When they are made of paper the bottoms remain in the piece, and accumulate so much, that the priming cannot reach the powder; besides other inconveniencies. When they are made of parchment or bladders, the fire shrivels them up, so that they enter into the vent, and become so hard, that the priming iron cannot remove them so as to clear the vent. Nothing has been found hitherto to answer better than flannel, which is the only thing used at present for artillery cartridges of all sorts; because it does not keep fire, and is therefore not liable to accidents in the loading: but, as the dust of powder passes through them, a parchment cover is sometimes made to put over them, which is taken off when used.