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G U N 759 ) G U N
til¡t tbe gno.p0lI'uer do not take li,e ere the Olell ~"ivcs
al tb. dcltined place; tO prevent which, the fufce i, freo
qucotly wound round Wilh a wet clammy thre¡d.
Thc mortar mouoted on its carriage, and the bomb
re~dy, let us pl~ce our piece in bmery, which battery
mu:\ coofin,- t. Of an e¡r.aulmeot to fhelter the roorta"
'from lhe fire of the eneroy. 2. Of platforms 00 whlch
the manan are placed. 3. Of fmall magazine, of pow,
der. 4. Of a boyao which leads 10 the great magazine.
5. Of ways which lead from the banery 10 the magazlOe
of bombs. 6. Of ¡ great ditch before the epauJmcot.
7. Of a berm or retraite.
The pl¡tforms for mortar, of t2 inches mun have 9
fm 'iDlength, and 6 in breadth.- The lamboords for
commoo monars mun be four iocbes lhick; lhofe of a
concave chamber of 81b. of powder, 5 ioches; Ihofe of
121b. 6 inches i thofe of 181b. 7 inches, or thmabouts.
Thcir length is al difcrction, prJvided I~ere be enough
to tire platforms 9 feel long - The fore.pan of lhe
pl.uform will be (¡lualcd at two foot diflance from the
epaulmenlof the baner)'.-Tbe bombardim, to nldler
themfeh'es in Ibeir baner)', aod oot be feen from the
to"'o beGeged, raif.d an ep.ulmeot of 7 fOOl or more
Iligh; which epaollllent has no embrafures.
To fme expeditioully a mortar iDbanery are required,
-Gve nrong handfpilus i a dame or rammer, of lhe ca·
liber of lhe conic chamber, tO ram the wad and the
earth i a wooden koife a foot long, to place the emh
. roaad the bomb; ao iron fcraper tWO (oot loog, ooe end
"hereof mun be 4 inches 'broad and rouodwi(e, 10 cluo
Ihc bore aod the ehamber of the mortar, aod lhe olher
cnd made in form of a fpooo to clean the linle ebam·
bcr¡. a kind of braocard tO carry the bom~, a fhovel, aod
pick ax.
Th. ofíieer who is to mind the ferviee of Ihe mOrtar
mun have a quadranl 10 give Ihe degrees of eJevalion.
Five bombardiers, or othm. are employcd inIbal fer·
vice i the firll moll nke eare to fctdl the powder to
dtarge the chmbcr uf the mortar, putring his priming.
iron iD lhe tooch·hcle befare he charges lhe e"amber ¡
and oever goi og 10 fetCh lh. powder before he hl' aOlCd
his officer al whal qu.nlily of powder he defigns la eharge,
beeaufe more or powder IS waOled, accoreling 10 Ihe
dinanee ",here il is fired; the fame will take eare to ram
lhe wad aod mllt, which anolher foldier Ihall pUl iD lhe
chamber.
Thal on the right will put again IWO fhovels full of
emh in Ihe bouom of lhe bore, which fhould be likewile
very wdl rammEd down.
This done, the ,ammer o, dame is returned inro its
place, again!! lhe epaulmenl on Ihe right of Ihe mor·
rar : he takes an handfpike in Ihe fame plm [O pun
himfelf b"hind Ihe earriar,e Gf Ihe morttl', in order to
help to pulh il inlo battery: having lald down his haod·
fpike, he takes out his primi ng·.,on, and primes Ihe
toueh·hole wilh fi ne powder.
The feeono fol~ier on Ihe ri~hl and Icfl, will have by
mal time bro~ght Ihe LOOlb ""dy lo.ded, tO be plmd
in lh. mOrlar, wh'ch mun be reeeived in the momr by
Ihe firll (oldi«, and plmd very (Ira![ in lhe bore ur cha(C
of the moltar,
The 6rn, on the righl, fhall furnifh him ,vith earlh to
pUl round the bomb, whieh he mun lake care 10 ram
clofe Wilb the knife given him by lhe fecood 00 lhe left.
This done, elCh Ih,llI lake ahandfpike, whieh lhe two
firn, on lhe right a d leCl, fhall pUl under the peg' of
retrcal of Ihe fore part, and lhe lWO behind under Ihofe
of the hind·part; aod Ibey lo¡¡elher Olall pulh Ibe mortar
iD bmery.
Aflerwards lhe oflieer Olall poinr or direél the morlar.
Duriog Iha! rime lhe firn foldie r fhall take care 10
prime Ihe toueh hale of lhe manar, wilhout ramniing
the powder; aod tbe lan on the righl, 01all have the
malch ready 10 fel 6re on Ihe fufee of Ihe bornu 00 the
right, while the firll fhall be read)' with his on the left,
la fel 6re 10 Ihe toueh·bole of lhe monari which he o.ught
nOl to do lill he fw the fufce welllighled.
The foremon foldicrs will have lheir haodfplkes ready
la ~aife lhe ~ortar uprighl, .as foonas il has dlfcharged ;
wlllle Ihe hlndmoll on lhe left all, with lhe feraper,
clean lhe bore and chamber of Ihe manar,
The magazine of powder for lhe fmiee of Ibe battery
fhall be fitultCd 15 or 20 paces behind, aod comed wlll~
boards, aod eanh over il.-The loaded bombs are 00 Ihe
fide of lhe faid magazine, al five or fix paces dinaoee.
Tite oflieer wbo eommands the fervice of Ihe monar
mun lake care lO ducover, as much as pollible, with lh~
rye, lhe difiance of Ibe place where he inlends lO lhrow
hís bomb, gi viog tbe mortar Ihe degrees of elevalion ae.
eording 10 lhe judgnl1Ql he has formed of the din;nee.
Having lhrowo the firq bomb, he mun diminiOI or i"ereafe
the degrces of clll'ution, according to the place upon
whieh It fh.1I fall. Srveral m. ke u(e of lables to dl(eo.
ver the differenl dinanees according la lhe dil[mnees of
Ihe devatiuns oí the munar, efpccially the d:gree~ of lbe
quadranl fronl I la 45.
M. Blondd has wrole a I¡rge Ircatir. ~o lhat fubjeft,
where he prmnds la give adeDlonflration 10 tbrolV bomus
Wilh grea! exaélnefs.
. They fay lhen, (fJys M Rlondel, fpeaking of uombar.
dlcrs), ¡hat lhe mortar eh.(el more or , accorJing as
il is Dlore or leCs charged IVllh pOIVdcr; ~lId lhat a mor–
lar, for example, of 12 inehes caliber, ebdfgeJ in its
ch~mber Wilh 21u, of pOlYdcr, gives <:very degree'4 8 fcet
ddFcrenee in ,he random, and fur lhe greml! eXllnl un.
dcr lhe elcvation of 45 Jegrccs, 2160 fm.
The,fa me DlOrtar wtll glVe <Ycry de~rce 50 foO! ditr...
enee, if il be charged widl 2~' of lhe f'lIle goodnefs, and
~700 foot for lhe gle. ld! random.
. Lanly, it wiJl . give 72 foot difierencc emy clcgrce,
I( the eharge be of 3lu. uf lhe pOlVder; and al Ihe
eI.vation of 41 de~recs, whi,h, rhey f.y, i, lhe grcaren
"ndom, il will lhrow tbe bumu .1 Ih: dil!anee 01 3240
fect.
00 lb;, fOUlldation tbey have nllde the ful/olVine tahles.
T.ABLJil