Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 6.djvu/310

 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 B.VI. MAY 29.1920.

to the boares of all manner of Feeces, and Coines with which to raise up the Breech of the Peece higher or lower as either his will or occa- sion shall direct and lead him ; and besides all these, it is his Office to see provided great store of yron Crowes, Shovels, Mattocks, Spades, Leavers, Gabions, Baskets, Rones and Cordage of all size, Chaines, old Iron, Nailes, Flints, and what else is proper for the charging of murthering Peeces.

" This Officer is to have an especiall care and vigilant respect to any casualtie or danger which may happen by fier (for they are much Incident and liable thereto) and many miserable and tragicajl issues have proceeded from a carelesse looking to the same, therefore the prevention thereof must not alone rest in his own bosome, and but in his diligence and watchfulnes over others, and to see that they place every t hinge so safely and under so sure a Guard, that all such mischieves (by probabilitie) may be prevented, and every Canoniere so ready in his duty, that through his good examples and necessary pro- visions nothing may happen to breede an after repentance ; and wheresoever these provisions shall either march or abide, he shall be sure to have a guard of expert souldiers ever about them, both to repulse the enemie and keepe others off from offering any annoyance unto them. It is his Office to look to the goodness and soundnes of every Peece and that they be free from creeks, galls or flawes, whereby the Peece may be in danger to breake, since no such accident can happen without the eminent perill and distinction of many men which are about it ; and question lesse in mine owne experience I have knowne many lamentable and Tragicke disasters which have chanced through such escapes, as once I knew a drunken Canoniere who upon the discharge of a Peece throwing his linstocke into a barrell of powder which stood behind him, blew up both himselfe, the whole people of the Shippe, and divers others which were about him : Also I knew another Shippe not far from Ramekins in zeland, which by the breaking of a Peece was sunke in the sea, and lost both men and goods to a wonderfull great yajew, the like hapned at the beseidging of the Fort of Brest in Britta.ni/ and divers brave Gentlemen were burnt and spoylod, so that I conclude these accidents being so ordinary and incident to happen, it is very behovefull for the Master Gunner so far foorth as lies in his power to have a watchfull and carefull eie to the pre- vention of the same.

In some armies and some disciplines, the tire-master, and the Master-Gunner are all one without any difference or alteration either in authority or duty, but generally through all armies it is not so, but they are divided, and made two severall and distinct places, the Fire Master being he that hath the art how to make and compound all manner of Fire-workes, and hath the charge for the use and imployment of the same, and the Master-Gunner only' medleth with the Ordnance and the other Engines which I have already rehearsed ; but these latter times in which men have more greedy and free spirits then in the former times, producing men which had a sufficient understanding in both the misteries or arts ; they have for the saving of double fees and double wages, brought these two Officers into one, and comprehended them

under the greater Title, which is the Master- Gunner.

The Fire-master then (as I said), is an Officer which hath Intermedling and to doe only with the making, mixing and compounding of all manner of fire-workes or wild-fiers r which both in Land-fights, but especially in Sea lights are of Wonderfull great importance, as in all assaults and joyning of Battels, in Mines, in Trenches, and in the fiering of 'iownes and Pavillions, in the grapling of Ships, Boardings, or seting fier on the Sailes, Tackles, or any part which it toucheth, so- that as the Pier-Master maketh and compoundeth. these wild-fiers so also he hath the ordring and disposing of them ; giving commandment when, where and in what manner to use them, for then wild-fier there is nothing in the warrs of more especiall use, neither is there any thinge found of greater violence either to destroy or breed affright and amazement, in the enemie, for it is a fier not to be quenched, and burneth with that most Implacable fury, that being once fixed, it never leaveth till all be consumed that is round about it ; it is sometimes fixed unto Arrowes and so shot into townes, amongst Tents or where any occasions are offerd : % It is sometimes made up in< balls and cast amongst the assaults either at a breatch, the entrance of a gate, or where any presse or throng are gathered together, and sometimes it is cast abroad and at large in a con- fused manner, when men will scower a Trench or- Ditch, or drive men out of a strength which open and weakly guarded ; and for this purpose the Fier-master must not be without very great store of Arroices, Balls and Boxes of Iron, which being; full of sharpe bearded Pikes may catch hold and sticke in whatsoever it toucheth, whereby the- fier once catching hold, will not after be put out or extinct till all things neare it be consumed.

Now that there may be no spare or want of this 1 matter, but that al things may be plentifull and in great perfection ; It is the Fier-masters charge to provid that he have alwaies in his Office great store of Pitch, Tarre, Aquavitae, Arsnicke, Mercurie Brimstone, Ccle of younge Hassel, Salt-peter r Salt-niter, Rossin, Waxe, Camphire, Tutia, Calc- Viva, Sal-gemma, Terpentine, Vinegar, Alexan- drina non preparata, Rasapina, beaten Glasse r Bay-salt, vnslact Lime, Bole Armonicke, the fallings of Iron, Sarcacolla, Aspaltv.m, Jvdaicitm r the powder of Pygions dunge, the powder of r Bay-tree stalkes, and divers Oyles, as Hogsgrease Linsed Oyle, common Lamp Oyle, Oyle of Juniper^ Oi/le of Eegges, and the Oyle of Salt peter : and these shall bee accommodated in severall bagges,. Bottles and Glasses, according to their severall natures also hee shall have under his charge, barrells of peeble stones, morter pceces, and other- Engines of like natures, and with these ingrediens,. he shall make his fire-workes according to art, casting some in one forme and some in another,, of which there are a world of presidents ; and Time every day (according to the wit of man) bringeth forth new and nottable Inventions, for indeede it is a subject of that bewitching nature,, that the more a man looketh and laboreth into it,, the more and more greater mischieves he shall' stille find to flow and arise from it.

To conclude, those Officers (whether they be joynt or seperate, whether they be two, or but one), yet they ought to be exceeding Ingenious,.