For 8 barrels, corned powder 960lb. pitch 480lb. tallow 80.
For 3 barrels of priming composition, salt-petre 175lb. sulphur 140lb. corned powder 350lb. rosin 21lb. oil-pots 11.
For curtains, bavins, reeds, and sulphur to salt them, sulphur 200lb. pitch 350lb. rosin 175lb. tallow 50lb. tar 25lb.
Total weight of the composition 3017 pounds, equal to C. 26 : 3 : 21.
Composition allowed for the reeds and barrels, 1-fifth of the whole of the last article, which is equal to 160lb. making in the whole 3177 pounds, or C. 28 : 1 : 13.
Port-fires in artillery, may be made of any length: however, they are seldom made more than 21 inches. The interior diameter of port-fire moulds should be ¹⁰⁄₁₆ of an inch, and the diameter of the whole port-fire about ¹⁄₂ an inch. The paper cases must be rolled wet with paste, and one end folded down. They are used instead of matches to fire artillery. The composition of wet port-fire is, salt-petre 6, sulphur 2, and mealed powder 1; when it is well mixed and sieved, it is to be moistened with a little linseed oil: the composition for dry port-fire is, salt-petre 4, sulphur 1, mealed powder 2, and antimony 1.
Rockets, in pyrotechny, an artificial firework, consisting of a cylindrical case of paper, filled with a composition of certain combustible ingredients; which being tied to a stick, mounts into the air to a considerable height and there bursts: they are frequently used as signals in war time.
Composition for sky-rockets in general is, salt-petre 4lb. brimstone 1lb. and charcoal 1¹⁄₂lb; but for large sky-rockets, salt-petre 4lb. mealed powder 1lb. and brimstone 1lb. for rockets of a middling size, salt-petre 3lb. sulphur 2lb. mealed powder 1lb. and charcoal 1lb.
Quick-match in artillery, is of 2 sorts, cotton and worsted; the first is generally made of such cotton as is put in candles, of several sizes, from 1 to six threads thick, according to the pipes it is designed for. The ingredients are, cotton 1 lb. 12 oz. salt-petre 1 lb. 8 oz. spirits of wine 2 quarts, water 2 quarts, isinglass 3 gills, and mealed powder 10lb. It is then taken out hot, and laid in a trough where some mealed powder, moistened with spirits of wine, is thoroughly wrought into the cotton. This done, they are taken out separately, and drawn through mealed powder, and hung upon a line to dry.—The composition for the second is, worsted 10oz. mealed powder 10lb. spirits of wine 3 pints, and white-wine vinegar 3 pints.
LABORER, Fr. literally, to remove earth with a plough, spade; &c. Figuratively, to belabor, which according to Johnston, is to beat, thump, &c. The French use it, in a military sense, to express any direct and concentrated effort which is made to destroy a fortification.