TABLES OF VARIOUS COMPOSITIONS.
1. SERPENTS.--Mealed-powder one pound, salt-petre one ounce and
three-quarters, charcoal one ounce.
2. PIN WHEELS.--Mealed-powder twelve ounces, salt-petre three ounces,
sulphur one ounce and a-half, steel-filings two ounces.
3. COMMON STARS.--Salt-petre one pound, sulphur four and a-half
ounces, antimony four ounces, isinglass half an ounce, camphor half
an ounce, spirits of wine three-quarters of an ounce.
4. WHITE STARS.--Mealed-powder four ounces, salt-petre twelve ounces,
sulphur six ounces and a-half, oil of spike two ounces, camphor five
ounces.
5. BLUE STARS.--Mealed-powder eight ounces, salt-petre four ounces,
sulphur two and a-half ounces, isinglass two ounces, spirits of wine
two ounces.
6. TAILED STARS.--Mealed-powder three ounces, salt-petre one ounce,
sulphur three ounces, charcoal one ounce.
7. DROVE STARS.--Salt-petre one pound, sulphur eight ounces, antimony
four ounces.
8. POINTED STARS.--Salt-petre eight and a-half ounces, sulphur two
ounces, antimony one ounce and three-quarters.
9. STARS OF A FINE COLOUR.--Mealed-powder one ounce, salt-petre one
ounce, sulphur one ounce, oil of turpentine four drams, camphor four
drams.
10. VARIEGATED STARS.--Mealed-powder eight drams, roch-petre four
ounces, vivum two ounces, camphor two ounces.
11. BRILLIANT STARS.--Mealed-powder three-quarters of an ounce,
salt-petre three ounces and a-half, sulphur one and a-half ounce,
spirits of wine one ounce and a quarter.
12. TAILED STARS.--Salt-petre four ounces, sulphur six ounces,
antimony two ounces, rosin four ounces.
13. DITTO WITH SPARKS.--Mealed-powder one ounce, salt-petre one
ounce, camphor two ounces.
14. GERBES.
1. Mealed-powder one pound and a-half, coarse iron-sand five ounces.
2. Mealed-powder two pounds, coarse iron-sand eight ounces,
salt-petre one pound.
15. ROMAN CANDLES.--Mealed-powder half-a pound, salt-petre two pounds
and a-half, sulphur half-a pound, glass-dust half-a pound.
16. TOURBILLONS.
_For four ounce cases._--Mealed-powder one pound two ounces, charcoal
two ounces and a-quarter.
_For eight ounce cases._--Mealed-powder two pounds, charcoal four
ounces three-quarters.
17. SHOWERS OF FIRE.
_Chinese._--Mealed-powder one pound, sulphur two ounces, iron-sand
first order five ounces.
_Ancient._--Mealed-powder one pound, charcoal two ounces.
_Brilliant._--Mealed-powder one pound, iron-sand first order four
ounces.
18. GOLDEN RAIN.
1. Mealed-powder four ounces, salt-petre one pound, sulphur four
ounces, brass-dust one ounce, saw-dust two ounces and a-quarter,
glass-dust six drams.
2. Mealed-powder twelve ounces, salt-petre two ounces, charcoal four
ounces.
3. Salt-petre eight ounces, sulphur two ounces, brass-dust a quarter
of an ounce, antimony three-quarters of an ounce, saw-dust twelve
drams, glass-dust one ounce.
19. SILVER RAIN.
1. Mealed-powder two ounces, salt-petre four ounces, sulphur two
ounces, antimony two ounces, sal-prunella half an ounce.
2. Salt-petre half an ounce, sulphur two ounces, charcoal four ounces.
3. Mealed-powder two ounces, salt-petre four ounces, sulphur one
ounce, steel-dust three-quarters of an ounce.
20. WATER ROCKETS.
1. Mealed-powder three pounds, salt-petre two pounds, sulphur one
pound and a-half, charcoal two pounds and a-half.
2. Salt-petre one pound, sulphur four pounds and a-half, charcoal six
pounds.
3. Salt-petre one pound, sulphur four ounces, charcoal twelve ounces.
4. Mealed-powder four ounces, salt-petre one pound, sulphur eight
ounces and a-half, charcoal two ounces.
21. SINKING CHARGE FOR DITTO.
Mealed-powder ten ounces, charcoal one ounce.
22. WATER SERPENTS.
1. Mealed-powder one pound, charcoal one pound.
2. Mealed-powder one pound, charcoal nine ounces.
23. WATER BALLOONS.
1. Mealed-powder two pounds, salt-petre four pounds, sulphur two
pounds, antimony four ounces, saw-dust four ounces, glass-dust one
ounce and a-quarter.
2. Mealed-powder three pounds, salt-petre four pounds and a-half,
sulphur one pound and a-half, antimony four ounces.
24. WHEEL CASES.
1. Mealed-powder two pounds, salt-petre four ounces, steel-filings
six ounces.
2. Mealed-powder two pounds, salt-petre twelve ounces, steel-filings
three ounces.
3. Mealed-powder four pounds, salt-petre one pound, sulphur eight
ounces, charcoal four ounces and a-half.
4. Mealed-powder eight ounces, salt-petre four ounces, saw-dust one
ounce and a-half, charcoal one ounce.
5. Mealed-powder twelve ounces, saw-dust half an ounce, charcoal one
ounce.
6. Salt-petre one pound nine ounces, sulphur four ounces, charcoal
four ounces and a-half.
25. SLOW FIRE FOR WHEELS.
1. Mealed-powder one ounce and a-half, sulphur two ounces, salt-petre
four ounces.
2. Antimony one ounce six drams, sulphur one ounce, salt-petre four
ounces.
26. A DEAD FIRE FOR WHEELS.
Salt-petre one ounce and a-half, sulphur a quarter of an ounce,
antimony two drams, lapis calaminaris a quarter of an ounce.
27. FOR STANDING OR FIXED CASES.
1. Mealed-powder two pounds, salt-petre one pound, sulphur
half-a-pound, charcoal half-a-pound.
2. Mealed-powder one pound, salt-petre half-a-pound, steel-dust four
ounces.
3. Mealed-powder ten ounces, charcoal two ounces.
4. Mealed-powder half-a-pound, sulphur two ounces.
5. Mealed-powder one pound and-a-half, saw-dust three-quarters of an
ounce, charcoal two ounces and a-half.
28. FOR SUN CASES.
1. Mealed-powder two pounds two ounces, salt-petre five ounces,
sulphur one ounce, steel-dust twelve ounces.
2. Mealed-powder one pound and a-half, salt-petre three ounces,
steel-dust three ounces and three-quarters.
29. FOR SPIRAL WHEELS.
Mealed-powder fourteen ounces, salt-petre one pound and a-half,
sulphur six ounces, glass-dust fourteen ounces.
30. GLOBES.
Salt-petre six ounces, sulphur two pounds, camphor two ounces,
antimony four ounces.
31. SERPENTS FOR POTS DES BRINS.
Mealed-powder ten ounces, salt-petre six ounces, charcoal one ounce
and a-half.
32. FIRES OF DIFFERENT COLOURS.
_White Fire._--Gunpowder two parts, steel filings one part; for a
pale white add a little camphor. Raspings of ivory give a flame of a
silver colour, somewhat dazzling to the eyes.
_Red Fire._--Gunpowder two parts, iron-sand of the first order one
part. Greek pitch produces a flame somewhat red, but more inclined to
a bronze colour.
Common black pitch produces a dusky flame, like a thick smoke, very
essential in producing a medium of intolerable obscurity.
Sulphur, mixed in a moderate quantity, makes the flame appear of a
blue cast.
Sal ammoniac and verdigris produce a flame inclined to green.
Raspings of yellow amber give to the flame a lemon colour.
Crude antimony a kind of russet colour.
33. FOR JETS OF FIRE.
When the inner diameter of the cases is not more than six lines the
following must be the proportions.
_Chinese Fire._--Mealed-powder one pound, salt-petre one pound,
sulphur eight ounces, charcoal two ounces.
_White Fire._--Iron-sand of the first order eight ounces,
mealed-powder eight ounces, salt-petre one pound, sulphur three
ounces, charcoal three ounces.
But when their calibre is from eight to twelve lines, the following
are the proportions.
_White Fire._--Mealed-powder one pound, salt-petre one pound, sulphur
eight ounces, charcoal two ounces.
_Chinese Fire._--Salt-petre one pound four ounces, sulphur five
ounces, charcoal five ounces, iron-sand of the third order twelve
ounces.
_Brilliant Fire._--Mealed-powder one pound, iron-sand five ounces.
FOR JETS OF LARGER DIMENSIONS.
_Chinese Fire._--Salt-petre one pound four ounces, sulphur seven
ounces, charcoal five ounces, and twelve ounces of a compound of the
six different kinds of sand.
34. SPARKLING COMPOSITIONS FOR CHOAKED CASES.
_For Black._--Mealed-powder and charcoal.
_For White._--Salt-petre, sulphur, and charcoal.
_For Grey._--Mealed-powder, salt-petre, sulphur, and charcoal.
_For Red._--Mealed-powder, charcoal, and saw-dust.
These may be used in any proportion the practitioner may think
proper, for a little experience will prove to him that various
colours of fire may be produced by only varying the proportions
or order of the ingredients, or by rendering them alternately
predominant. The same observation will apply to many other cases of
a similar nature.