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.

HOW A CANONIER OUGHT TO CHARGE A PEECE. CHAPTER VI.

A Peece being brought to a Batterie, and planted upon a Platforme, having powder, bul∣lets, his linstock, scowrers, Rammers, and all things else in a readinesse, after he hath stuck down his linstockin some place under the winde, and first carefully cleared his peece with his scowrer and sheepe-skin within, and sees that the touch-hole be not stopped, or any dust or filth cleaving to it, then one of his Companions, which is to assist him, (for com∣monly there must bee two Canoniers to every Canon, or great peece of Ordnance) brings him the pouch barrell, with powder iust before the mouth of the peeee, and putting his Ladle or charger into it, fils it, and least it might be overfull, giues it a little iogg, that the Surplus may fall down againe into the barrell, after this he puts it gently into the mouth of his peece, even till the end of his Ladle comes up to the very brich and touch-hole of his peece, and then turnes his Ladle softly, and lets it lye within the chamber of the peece, and drawing out his Ladle almost to the mouth of his peece, puts it back againe to take up the loose cornes which were spilt by the way, and to bring them up to the charge of powder: this done he drawes out his Ladle, and takes out of the pouch-barrell a second Ladle full (for by triall be∣fore, he knowes the weight and charge of powder, which his Ladle will hold, and which his peece well require) and so putting in his second Ladle full up to the former, drawes it out, and doth as he did before, that no loose cornes may lie in the bottome of the mould of his peece, and in drawing out of his Ladle, he must haue a care, that he let fall any powder upon the ground, for it is a thing unseemely for a Cannonier, to trample it under his feete. Then he takes a wispe of straw, hay, or any other thing: and puts it so hard into the mouth of the peece (turning his ladle to come to the end of his Rammer) hee driues up the wispe and carries up with it the loose cornes, which happily may be by the way in the mould of the peece, even up to the charge of powder, and then giving the stopper and powder, two or three shoues, to make it lie close together in the chamber of his peece, he drawes out his Rammer, puts in his bullet, which roules gently into his peece up to the wispe or stopper which keepes up the powder (all this while his Companion stopping the touch-hole with his finger, that no powder flies out of it, but that it be also well fild and stopt with powder which hee may do out of his touch-horne afterwards) and then puts in his second wispe after his bullet. And the Canonier is to be forwarned, that he stands not iust before the mouth of his peece, while this is a doing, but aside of it, least a danger or mischelfe might happen to him, and thus the peece having its due charge both of powder and bullet, he shall cover his touch-hole with a dry sheepskin, after he hath levelled his peece, and setting away his pouch barrell of powder with the rest, in some Concaue, or hollow hutt into the ground covered over with sodds or earth, he shall attend the Gentlemans of the Ordnance his command before he giues fire.

An other observation for a Canonier.

Touching the charging of a peece Frons-berghen maintaineth, that one ought to take in powder one half of the weight of the Bullet. Rivius and some others are of the opinion, that the more powder one puts in, the swifter and further the bullet wil fly shewing many rea∣sons to proue it. But experience the mistris of this Art teacheth us otherwise: for a peece being loaded with two third parts of the bullets weight in powder, sends the bullet going more swiftly, and will carry it further, which hath bin so often tryed, that it is without all contradiction, giving this reason, that the exhencia is so swift and violent, that it bursteth out of the mould before the two third parts of the powder be fired, and this hath beene found irrefutable.

Again others maintain, that if one should forcibly ramme in the bullet then the powder might take fire, ere it could cast out the bullet, and then would cause the bullet to fly further then otherwise it would do, but you must consider in so doing, you either indanger the break ing of your peece, or else make it crooked and unserviceable, because your ordinary peeces will not bear so great a charg of powder, this hath bin tryed upon the Sea strand at Scheve∣ling

by the Hagh in Holland, before his Excellency prince Maurice of famous memory, where first one and the same peece was loaded with ten pound of fine powder to see how far she would carry her bullet. The place being marked where the bullet rested, shee was loaden again with 9. pounds, which shot as far as the ten pound did, but last of all shee was charged but with 7. pounds of the same powder, which carried her bullet further then the two former shots: whence one may obserue, that a peece of Ordnance may be overcharged, and therefore a good Gunner ought to haue a singular care to giue his peece her due measure and charge.

Of the Gunners service in generall.

NOw forasmuch as Ordnance are Engins of force, reason, waight, and measure: and the Gunners men exercised and experienced in them and their apurtenances, in making platforms with defences, Troniers, Gabbions, Loopes, Parapets of earth, and Faggots about 23. or 24. foot high, of Faggots of 2. foot high of earth, bed upon bed vnto eleven foot high, and after 3. foot of Terraplene, to raise the Troniers and Loopes, so that for the Canon it be 3. foot wide in the Barb and within 12. foot wide without the lower part therof to de∣scend scarpwise the better to discover the Enemies avenews, and offend them the more freely, for avoyding the blast and smoake, and ruine, it would else make: For the Culverings 2 foot and a halfe within, and 9 foot without will suffice, and for lesse peeces, lesse measures. If the Battery be to be made with Gabbions, they being filled with earth without stones, moist∣ned, and rammed 7. foot a peece in dyametre, 3. rankes betwen 2. peeces, if the place will permit or 2. at the least, and 3. rowes also one before another, setting one betwen two, so if the 1. ranke haue 3. the second will haue two, and the third one, but it will be hard to make a safe Battery with Gabbions, Canon, or Culvering proofe: And each platforme is to haue 30. foot for the reverse of the Canon, and 27. foot for the Demy Canon, he ought to see that it be levelled, or rising 1. foot for 20. backwards the better to stay the reverse and faci∣lity, the bringing the peece being loaded to the Loop: He ought to search and examine, the goodnesse of the peeces, their Ladels, Rammers Spunges and Tampion, fitnesse and round∣nesse of the shot, force and goodnesse of the powder and match; And to see all fitted accor∣dingly, and to place the powder covertly, hid safe from the fire of his owne as also of the Enemies Ordnance, to see the Gunners take their markes toward the under part, giving each under Gunner his charge.