_Hot Shot._—The powder for firing with hot shot must be in strong
flannel cartridges, without any holes, lest some grains should remain
in the bore, in putting the cartridge home. Over the powder must be
rammed a good dry wad, then a damp one, and then the hot shot; and
if the gun lays at a depression, there must be a wad over the shot,
which may be rammed home. If the above precautions be attended to, the
gun may be pointed after being loaded, without the smallest danger;
as it is well known that the shot will grow cold in the gun, without
burning more than a few threads of the wads next it. This is not the
mode usually taught of loading with hot shot, but is that which was
practised during the siege of Gibraltar. Mr. Durtubie proposes putting
the shot when heated, into a tin cannister, as an effectual method of
preventing accidents.
The grates usually made for heating shot will generally make them red
hot in ¾ of an hour.
_SINES._—See table of _Natural Sines_, at the end of the word _Gunnery_.
_SOUND._—The medium velocity of sound is nearly at the rate of a mile,
or 5280 feet; in 4⅔ seconds; or a league in 14 seconds; or 13 miles in
one minute.—But sea miles are to land miles nearly as 7 to 6: therefore
sound moves over a sea mile in 5¾ seconds nearly; or a sea league in 16
seconds.