A discourse of military discipline devided into three boockes, declaringe the partes and sufficiencie ordained in a private souldier, and in each officer; servinge in the infantery, till the election and office of the captaine generall; and the laste booke treatinge of fire-wourckes of rare executiones by sea and lande, as alsoe of firtifasions [sic]. Composed by Captaine Gerat Barry Irish.

THE FIFTE CHAP. Artificiall bullettes, and cross barres made of fire-wourke, to shoo∣te oute of greate ordenance to burne shippes or houses, or to be shot into magasens or munition houses of the enemy oute of greate ordenance, or to be shot into the enemyes campe to bur∣ne theyre quarteres, whiche are to be made and ordered in this maner folowinge.

TAke foure partes of saltpeeter thre tymes refined, of brimstone two partes, of camphire one parte and haulfe, of rosen two partes, of armoniak one parte, of cristal glash beatin into pouder halfe aparte, of bay saulte one fourth parte; all thies compositiones bein∣ge beaten into pouder mingle them togither, this beinge don take one haulfe parte of the fat of ahog, of turpintin one fourth parte, of linsat oyle so much more, of aqua vitae one parte, then putt thies mi∣xtures togither over a softe fire in acaldron or stronge earten pott, and mingel them altogither till they corporate very well, then when

they are a goode while over the fire put to them six partes of serpin∣tin-pouder, and corporate them well, and when youe finde that they are reasonable drie take them upp, and make a plaster or cover of oecam, so thick as the backe of a knife, and so broade as shall cover the bullet or cross barr. All that beinge ordered as before declared take 4. partes of serpintin-pouder of the beste, and cause it to be bea∣ten into pouder, take of refined saltpeeter two partes, of rosen two partes, armoniacke one parte, brimstone one parte, all which muste be beaten into pouder, then wet thies mixtures with two partes of stronge brandevin, or Aqua vitae, one parte of gineper∣oyle, one par∣te of turpintin, haulfe parte of linsat-oyle, that don put over the fire the rosin, brinstone Aqua vitae, the geneper-oyle, the turpintin and linsat-oyle a bove mencioned, and when they are melted, and well corporated putt into the same the saltpiter, armoniack, and foure partes of serpintin-pouder, and corporate all thies mixtures togi∣ther, and a noynte the twoa in them till youe finde it full of the sub∣ce of the same. Then let the ocam be all over covered with the firste mixtures made for the bulletes a boute a finger thicknes or more; al∣waes tackinge regarde that it doe agree with the peece oute of which youe entende to shute the same, and when the coate of the saied bul∣let is covered, and full of the saied mixtures, then wrappe it rounde a boute the bullet, or cross barr, and tee it very well with stronge mar∣lin corde, and benge well bounde with the said corde, and shot oute of a peece of ordenance it will burne with terrible force, and greate furie, and water can not quince it, of the which for curiositie as alsoe to knowe of the operation therof i made severall triales.

Thies mixtures needeth not much drienge when they are well cor∣porated over a softe fire, but the outewarde plaster of twoa of the three, wherewith youe are to cover every bullet, and in suche sorte that presently it may kindell, and give fire to the inner cōpositiones, to the which when youe give it fire, it will burne with greate force.

Thies bullettes are excelente to burne shippes, and to by caste in∣to townes to burne houses, theyre execution is of suche wonderfull force that questionless they will burne an oaken boorde, and if youe caste water uppon them the more they will burne, and will make su∣che a wonderfull noyce able to putt the behoulderes in greate ter∣ror, and specially suche as have no understandinge of theyre opera∣tion, for when the water is caste uppon them they shall give a greate crie juste as if it were of a wilde boare, wherof i made severall triales

wourdie the lookinge uppon, and none of the behoulderes of the sa∣me durste stay neere in a greate distance for the strange operation of the same, and the terror whereunto they put the behoulderes but such as knowe of the course of theyre operation, whiche is almoste incredible but to suche as are a quainted with the same.

For the better execution of the cross barres and specially be sea they shoulde be made with yron chaines fastened to the end that fir∣ste muste by put into the peece whiche is moste excelente to cut sayles of shippes ropes mastes, and to make other greate spoyles, the figure of whiche yove see heere folowing where the lette C. sheo∣weth.

Thies cross barres are to be coated as before taughte and with the selfe same mixtures, the bulletes are alsoe to be coated takinge regarde that the bullet be made no greater but that it mighte inter into the peece of ordenance oute of whiche yove meane to shoote the same. And they are to be doble bounde all rounde aboute very well with stronge marlin corde, fearinge that be the greate force of theire roaringe and wrastlinge oute of the peece the ocam and com∣positiones, beinge not well bounde shoulde be untied, and tacke no effecte, which questionless it will excepte it by verie well bounde as before declared; of the whiche i caused my selfe triall to be made. The figure of thies bulletes and cross barres youe see hire marked with the letter C.

[illustration]

C.