The arte of gunnerie. Wherein is set foorth a number of seruiceable secrets, and practical conclusions, belonging to the art of gunnerie, by arithmeticke skill to be accomplished: both pretie, pleasant, and profitable for all such as are professors of the same facultie. / Compiled by Thomas Smith of Barwicke vpon Tweed souldier.

How you may Arithmetically know how much any peece of Ordinances is taper-bored, or whether the same be taper-bored or not.

Put vpon your rammer staffe a tampion of wood, that is iust the height of the hollow concaue of your peece, and thrust the same home into the peece; if it go not home to the breech, then the peece is taper-bored, if it go home the peece is not taper bored: if she be taper-bored, then put on such a tampion of wood vpon your rammer staffe, as may fill the concaue of the peece in the narrowest part where she is taper-bored, and be sure that it go home to the breech of the peece, and afterwards with your compasses, measure the diameter of either tampion, abating the lesser measure out of the greater, the remaine is your desire.

And note that the tampion at the end of euery ram∣mer staffe, is to thrust home the wad and bullet close to the chamber or place where the powder lyeth, and euery rammer staffe ought to haue a sponge at the one end, to cleanse the peece with, and a tampion of wood at the other end, to put home the bullet and wad with, in the center of which ought to be a hollow screw wherein the Gunner may screw in a wad hooke to vnloade any peece at his pleasure.