Section VII.
I shall here speak a few words of Fire workes used in Tryumphes, and Recreatious, of which there are three sorts.
1. Such as operate in the Aire, as Rocketts, serpents, raining fire, stars, petards, dragons, fire drakes, Gyronell, fire wheeles, Ballons, swevells.
2. Such as operate on the earth as Crackers, Trunks, Lanternes, Lights, fire Balls or Tumbling balls, Saucissons, Towers, Castles, pyramids, Clubbs, Launces, Targetts,
3. Such as burne in or on the water as Rocketts, Dolphins, Ships, Balls, mermaids.
Gironell or fire wheel
Image from proof plateIn this quarter there are foure sorts of fire workes for Tryumph: the first is called a Gironell, or fire wheele: the ordering and makeing whereof consists only in the placeing of Rockets, with the mouth of one towards the taile of an other with strong paper round about a moveable wheele, which being fired will force the wheele about and at the new fireing of each Rocket giue a burst like the shoteing off of a pistall.
Fire box
The second is termed, a fire Box. It is a kind of round box or coffin made of pastboard, rowled vpon a
former of what bignesse you please, and bound about with packthread glewed ouer. This with a bottome
to it fixed on a staffe to carry it by, must be couered with paper in the which must be fixed a small cane with
a composition of a slow burneing powder which being fired after it hath burned it selfe away, will fire the powder
in the box which will send forth in to the aire such things as was put into it as stars, serpents, pettards, crackers,
squibbs, and raineing fire, or what else of fire works is put into it.
A Balloone is a thing of the like nature being made of strong paper or canvice rowled 7 or 8 tymes vpon a former and choaked up at one end with cord, the other in the choaking, must have a small cane fastned in it filled full of a slow composition of fire powder to fire it by. In this Balloone must be put Rockets, serpents, stars, petards, and one or two saucissons to Break the Balloone. This being shot out of a Morter peece made for the purpose, either of Iron, copper, or for need of Tin, or Pastboard armed with packthread, or cord and glewed ouer: will being in the aire cast forth all the foresaid fore workes.
A chamber or saucissone, is a coffin made of paper or canvas 9 or 10 tymes rowled vpon a rowler, and choaked or tyed fast vp at one end, and a small cane or quill tyed in the other, which is prymed with a slow composition of fire worke, the body of this chamber or saucisson is filled with whole gunpowder. This if it be shot out of a Morterpeece, vpon the bursting of it in the aire, it will giue a report like a canon. Or if it be fired on the earth, it will doe the like, that is more dangerous, for feare of hurting the spectators in its bursting.
Fire lance
The third is called, a Fire Launce, or Fire Club: of this kind of fire worke there are seuerall sorts and
wayes of making them, all of them are made of an hollow trunk of what length and bignesse you please,
either of wood, paper, or pastboard, rowled on a rowler and armed with pack thread and glewed ouer.
This trunke must be filled and rammed full of a slow composition of two parts of charcoale dust and one
part of gunpowder dust well mixt: prime it with a small cane or quill to fire it by, then bore diuerse holes
round about it, from the top to the bottome, into each of these holes fasten either a Rockett, a saucisson,
a serpent or a fire ball, with their primed holes inward so that as the Launce burneth downewards, it will
orderly giue fire to the things set on the side which will immediately fly away into the aire or along on the earth.
An other way of fire Launces is to fill the bottome of the trunk with whole powder, then ram in a bottome of pastboard, with a quill in the midle of it, with a slow composition; then a part fill with stars, with some whole powder amongst; then an other bottome of pastboard with a quill in it, vpon which ram some gunpowder dust and set a row of serpents vpon it; then an other bottome &c. till the trunke be filled; put then a pastboard vpon it with a cane filled with a slow composition, so fasten it to a staffe. But these wayes of putting things into the trunke is not so certaine a way for orderly fireing as the first.
Rocket
The fourth is termed a Rockett, which is a fire worke made either of cane, or paper rowled
9 or 10 tymes vpon a rowler and choaked to a small hole, which being bound about with waxed
clukin, or small packthread is to be filled, and well rammed, with fine powder searced. Of these
Rockett according to their composition, some are made for the earth, for the aire, and others for the water. Some call them Fuzees.
A Swevell or Rockett for the rope, are nothing else but rocketts made as aforesaid, haueing a little cane bound fast vnto them, where throw the rope passeth. Thus set on an euen and strett rope, being fired it will run all along the same: if you will haue it to returne againe, then bind two rocketts togather, one with the breech to the mouth of the other; and the stouple or primeing to be as so. These we call Runners on the rope.
A Flying Dragon is made of some light matter and fastned vpon the rope cane, and as the swevell goes on the rope the dragon flieth (it wings being loosely set) along with it which is very delightfull for to see, especially if slow fire, be put in the mouth and taile of it.
A Fire drake or fire Kite. This is made of paper or cloth cut in the forme of a quarry of Glasse with 2 light sticks set crosse to keep it open in breadth: this is smeared all ouer with Linseed oyle, or oyle of Peter, on the taile fasten diuerse crackers, saucissons, and such like: betweene a knott of shavings of paper, which will make it fly the better. With a quarter of a yard of the cloth is bound a peece of prepared stoupell, the end whereof toucheth the cloth the other enter the crackers and saucisson: and a fired match prepared with salt peter water at the end of the taile, which as it burneth will fire the workes on the taile, which will giue diuerse blowes in the aire and when the fire is come to the stoupell, that will fire the cloth, which will shew very strangely and fearefully.
Rocket of the air
142. In this square, are three other sorts of fire workes: the First is called a Rockett of the aire;
of some termed serpents, because they fly in the aire with long fiery tailes; with vs they are called
Mounters because of their mounting vpwards. They are the same to the rocketts before said,
haueing a small rod or wand fixed to it of the same weight and to ballast the rockett. Some call these Fisgigs.
Some make these serpents to cast forth raining fire, others starrs, when they are in the aire: and that is, by tying with a cap of paper on the top of the Rocketts: (for the first) diuerse goose quills filled and rammed with powder dust, and (for the later) little balls mad vp of powder wett, and rowled in sulphur dust.
Petard
The second is a petard; it is made of paper pastbord or parchment rowled
vpon a former for the purpose, and then fitted with a couer which must be
glewed on: these coffins are filled with whole gunpowder, and pierced in the
midle of the broad end and primed therat with a quill or cane with a slow composition, or with a prepared stouple.
Falling star
The third is termed a Falling star or fire sparks. It is fired generally out of the mouth of a
Rockett when it is in the aire as before I haue shewed. Now these stars are made vp into
round balls bound vp in paper or cloth, or without, of salt peter, Brimston, gunpowder, made
into paste with oyle of peter. Some are made of camphire dissolved in aqua vitae, and cotton
bombast dipt therein and after rowled vp into little balls, and sprinkled with powder of Brimston.
Pitched barrel fired at both ends
Image from proof plate143. He beareth a Pitched Barrell, fired at both ends.
Rammer
[Apparently another form of firework. Illustrated on fireworks page but not on proof plate.]
Target
[Apparently another form of firework. Illustrated on fireworks page but not on proof plate.]
Related text(s) Fireworks making
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