The art of gunnery. Wherein is described the true way to make all sorts of gunpowder, guu-match [sic], the art of shooting in great and small ordnance: excellent ways to take heights, depths, distances, accessible, or inaccessible, either single or divers distances at one operation: to draw the map or plot of any city, town, castle, or other fortified place. To make divers sorts of artificiall fire-works, both for war and recreation, also to cure all such wounds that are curable, which may chance to happen by gunpowder or fire-works. This treatise is composed for the help of all such gunners and others, that have charge of artillery, and are not well versed in arithmetick and geometry : all the rules and directions in this book, being framed both with and without the help of arithmetick. By Nathanael Nye mathematician, master gunner of the city of Worcester.

CHAH. 5.

How Granadoes are to be charged in the Morter.

THere ought to be great care taken in the loading or charging of the Mor∣ter, which must be done thus; First, wey the powder to a dram, that you put in the Chamber, and after it put a good close wad of hey (for to my knowledge and deep experience it is very uncertain shooting, you using in stead of hey, a tampion of wood) which done cut up a turff of the ground, that may fill the bottom of the bole, or bore, of the Morter, next the wad: your Granadoe being prepared, as is before taught, with a coat of pitch and chord, sling it into the mouth of the Morter, observing to have the Fuse of the Granadoe in the middle of the bore: then go to the britch, thrust up a wire into the touch-hole, to make all sure, then prime with speciall dry powder, such as you

are sure will take fire, this being the whole businesse in which your life and Motter-peece both stand in jeopardy: I will give you very sure directions to give fire.

Provide small Fuses, such as I taught you to make before for the shels, but a great deal lesse; about one quarter of an inch bore, three quarters in thicknesse, and eight inches long: fill these with good pouder dust, moystned with oyle of Salt-peeter, you must moysten it but a little, and put it in with an iron ram∣mer, try whether you like the time they con∣tinue burning, if too slow, abate oyle of Pee∣ter, if otherwise, adde it thereunto.

These being made ready, the use of them is thus: thrust the pike of your Linstock in at one end of the Fuse you mean to give fire withall, bid one of your assistants come on one side of the mouth of the peece, and give fire to your fuse, wherewith fire the Fuse in the Morter, and then with great speed give fire to the touch-hole.

These Fuses are very certain to give fire, but Match doth oft times faile.