so that there will remain about two inches and a half of the paper hollow from the end of the case: tie this case on one of the sides of the wheel, near the corners of which must be holes bored, through which put the packthread to tie the cases having tied on the first case at the neck and end, put a little meal-powder in the hollow paper; then paste a slip of paper on the end of another case, the head of which put into the hollow paper on the first, allowing a sufficient distance from the tail of one to the head of the other, for the pasted paper to bend without tearing: tie on the second case as you did the first, and so on with the rest, except the last, which must be closed at the end, unless it is to communicate to any thing on the top of the wheel, such as fire-pumps or brilliant fires, fixed in holes cut in the wheel, and fired by the last or second case, as the fancy directs: six, eight, or any number, may be placed on the top of the wheel, provided they are not too heavy for the bowl.

Before trying on the cases, cut the upper part of all their ends, except the last, a little shelving, that the fire from one may play over the other, without being obstructed by the case. Wheel-cases have no clay driven in their ends, nor pinched, but are always left open, only the last, or those which are not to lead fire, which must be well secured.

Water-Mines.

FOR water-mines you must have a bowl with a wheel on it, made in the same manner as the water-wheel; only in its middle there must be a hole, of the same diameter as that of the intended mine. These mines are tin pots, with strong bottoms, and a little more than two diameters in length the mine must be fixed in the hole in the wheel, with its bottom resting on the bowl; then loaded with serpents, crackers, stars, small water-rockets, &c., in the same manner as pots of aigrettes; but in their centre fix a case of Chinese fire, or a small gerbe, which must be lighted at the beginning of the last case on the wheel. These wheels are to be clothed as usual.

Fire Globes for the Water.

Bowls for water-globes must be very large, and the wheels on them of ten sides: on each side nail a piece of wood four inches long; and on the outside of each piece cut a groove, wide enough to receive about one-fourth of the thickness of a four-ounce case: these pieces of wood must be nailed in the middle of each face of the wheel, and fixed in an oblique direction, so that the fire from the cases may incline upwards: the wheel being thus prepared, tie in each groove a four-ounce case filled with a grey charge; then carry a leader from the tail of one case to the mouth of the other.

Globes for these wheels are made of two tin hoops, with their edges outwards, fixed one within the other, at right angles. The diameter of these hoops must be rather less than that of the wheel. Having made the globe, drive in the centre of the wheel an iron spindle, which must stand perpendicular, and its length be four or six inches more than the diameter of the globe.

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 threefourths, 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.

Having filled and bored holes in two port-fires, for regulating the guns in one ship, make all the rest exactly the same; then, when you begin the engagement, light one ship first, and set it a sailing, and so on with the rest, sending them out singly, which will make them fire regularly, at different times, without confusion; for the time between the firing of each gun will be equal to that of lighting the slow fires.

The fire-ship may be of any size, and need not be very good, for it is always lost in the action. To prepare a ship for this purpose, make a port-fire equal in size with those in the other ships, and place it at the stern; in every port place a large port-fire, filled with a very strong composition, and painted in imitation of a gun, and let them all be fired at once by a leader from the slow fire, within two or three diameters of its bottom; all along both sides, on the top of the upper deck, lay star-composition about half an inch thick and one broad, which must be wetted with thin size, then primed with meal-powder, and secured from fire by pasting paper over it; in the place where you lay this composition, drive some little tacks with flat heads, to hold it fast to the deck; this must be fired just after the sham guns, and when burning will show a flame all round the ship: at the head take up the decks, and put in a tin mortar loaded with crackers, which mortar must be fired by a

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pipe from the end of the slow fire: the firing of this mortar will sink the ship, and make a pretty conclusion. The regulating port-fire of this ship must be lighted at the same time with the first fighting ship.

Having prepared all the ships for fighting, we shall next proceed with the management of them when on the water. At one end of the pond, just under the surface of the water, fit two running blocks, at what distance you choose the ships should fight; and at the other end of the pond, opposite to each of these blocks, under the water, fix a double block; then on the land, by each of the double blocks, place two small windlasses; round one of them turn one end of a small cord, and put the other end through one of the blocks; then carry it through the single one at the opposite end of the pond, and bring it back through the double block again, and round the other windlass: to this cord, near the double block, tie as many small strings as half the number of the ships, at any distance; but these strings must not be more than two feet long each: make fast the loose end of each to a ship, just under her bowsprit; for if tied to the keel, or too near the water, it will overset the ship. Half the ships being thus prepared, near the other double block fix two more windlasses, to which fasten a cord, and to it tie the other half of the ships as before: when you fire the ships, pull in the cord with one of the windlasses, to get all the ships together; and when you have set fire to the first, turn that windlass which draws them out, and so on with the rest, till they are all out in the middle of the pond; then, by turning the other windlass, you will draw them back again; by which method you may make them change sides, and tack about backwards and forwards at pleasure. For the fire-ship fix the blocks and windlasses between the others, so that when she sails out she will be between the other ships: you must not let this ship advance till the guns at her ports take fire.

To fire Sky-Rockets under Water.

You must have stands made as usual, only the rails must be placed flat instead of edgewise, and have holes in them