The third part of the principles of the art military practised in the warres of the United Provinces vnder the Lords the States Generall and His Highnesse the Prince of Orange : treating of severall peeces of ordnance ... : together with a list of all necessary preparations appertaining to an armie ... / written and composed by Henry Hexham.

Of the other foure peeces of Ordnance, called Drakes chambred Plate B.

NVmber 5. is a small Drake, weighing 280 lb. weight in mettall, and is 4 foote long, carrying a bullet of 3 lb. weight, charged with one lb. of powder, which will shoote levell by the met∣tall 176, by the Axis, or point blanck 40 and at the highest range 800 pace.

Number 6. is a Drake weighing 580 pounds, is 5 foot long corring a bullett of 6 lb. weight loaded with 2 lb. of powder, which will shoote levell by the mettall 196, by the Axis or point blanck, 100, and at the highest range 2500 paces.

Number 7. is a quarter Canon Drake weighing 1130 lb. weight in mettall, is 6 foote long carrying a bullet of 12 lb. weight, charged with 4 lb. of powder, which will shoote levell by the mettall 264, by the Axis, or point blanck 140 and at the highest range 2500 paces.

Number 8. is a short Demy Canon Drake, weighing 2250 lb. weight in mettall, is 7 foote long, carrying a bullet of 24 lb. weight, with 6 lb. of powder which, will shoote by the mettall, or Horio∣zontall levell 340, by the Axis, despart, or point blanck 180 and at the best, or highest elevation 2770 paces. Note by the waye, that the longer the chase of a peece is, being reinforced & well charged, the further it will carrie its bullet, and the stroak the more violent, as you maye see by long Culverings, and slinghs of some 24 or 25 foote long in chase, whereof the experience hath bin tryed at Arnham in Gelderland, where a long Sling lay vpon a Bulwarke, which shott from Arnham to Nemegen being 6 English miles distant one from an other. Againe, the Shorter the chase of a peeces is, as in these Drakes, the shorter it carries the bullet, as you maye see by their seuerall ranges.

Yet this doth not alwaies hold true for Count Maurice Prince of Orange of blessed memorie, tryed ance a half Canon vpon the Strand at Scheveling, giving it the due charge of powder, and caused the Canonier to levell in vpon its highest range, at 6000 paces, to trye this conclusion, to see how farre it would carry, when it was shorter, caussed some two foote and a half of yt to besawne off, made it be loaded againe, shoot it off, and found that it carried it bullet as farre as it had done before.

To conclude, with Touch-holes, I have seene in Ostend vpon the West Bulwark, that some touch holes of Canon, were blowne so great with often and continuall shooting, that I have putt my fist into them. Now such a touch hole being blowne some three or foure incles, maye easely be remedied. For if yow bore the

hole round, and driue in a screw of yron into it, as thick as your finger, and in the midst of the screw aboue said, bore a small Touch hole in yt, yow shall finde this to last longer vnblowne, then any other way, which hath bin invented, for now when ordnance are cast a new at this day, for the preventing of this two much blo∣wing, they yse now to make such a touch hole with a screw, as is here mentioned which will not so soone be blowne great, and as your brasse or Copper Touch holes will.