_Sand_ BAGS, generally 16 inches diameter, and 30 high, filled with earth or sand to repair breaches, and the embrasures of batteries, when damaged by the enemies fire, or by the blast of the guns. Sometimes they are made less, and placed three together, upon the parapets, for the men to fire through. _Earth_-BAGS, containing about a cubical foot of earth, are used to raise a parapet in haste, or to repair one that is beaten down. They are only used when the ground is rocky, and does not afford earth enough to carry on the approaches. BALANCE, _Fr._ a term used in the French artillery to express a machine in which stores and ammunition are weighed. BALL, in the military art, comprehends all sorts of balls and bullets for fire-arms, from the cannon to the pistol. BALLS of Lead, of different kinds. -----------+-------+---------+------------ |_Number|_Diameter| _No. made |to one | in |from one ton KINDS. |Pound._| Inches._| of Lead._ -----------+-------+---------+------------ Wall pieces| 6³⁄₄ | .89 | 14,760 Musquets | 14¹⁄₂ | .68 | 32,480 Carabine | 20 | .60 | 44,800 Pistol | 34 | .51 | 78,048 7 Brl. guns| 46¹⁄₂ | .46 | 104,160 -----------+-------+---------+------------ Lead balls are packed in boxes containing each 1 cwt. About 4 pounds of lead in the cwt. are generally lost in casting. See SHOT. _Cannon_-BALLS are of iron; and musket and pistol-balls are of lead. Cannon-balls are always distinguished by their respective calibres, thus, A 42} {6,684 inches. 32} {6,105 24} {5,547 18} {5,040 12} pound ball, the diameter of which is {4,403 9} {4,000 6} {3,498 3} {2,775 2} {2,423 1} {1,923 _Fire_-BALLS, _Light_-BALLS, of which there are various sorts, used for various purposes. Their composition is mealed powder 2, saltpetre 1¹⁄₂, sulphur 1, rosin 1, turpentine 2¹⁄₂. Sometimes they are made of an iron shell, sometimes a stone, filled and covered with various coats of the above composition, until it conglomerates to a proper size; the last coat being of grained powder. But the best sort in our opinion, is to take thick brown paper, and make a shell the size of the mortar, and fill it with a composition of an equal quantity of sulphur, pitch, rosin, and mealed powder; which being well mixed, and put in warm, will give a clear fire, and burn a considerable time.