The Method of Driving or Ramming Sky Rockets, &c. Rockets which are drove over a piercer must not have so much composition put in them at a time, as when drove solid, for the piercer, taking up great part of the bore of the case, would cause the rammer to rise too high: so that the pressure of it would not be so great on the composition, nor would it be drove every where equal: to prevent which, observe the following rule; that for those rockets, that are rammed over a piercer, let the ladle[5] hold as much composition as when drove, will raise the drift one half the interior diameter of the case, and for those drove solid to contain as much as will raise it half the exterior diameter of the case: ladles are generally made to go easy in the case, and the length of the scoop about one and a half of its own diameter. The charge of rockets must always be drove one diameter above the piercer, and on it must be rammed one third of a diameter of clay, through the middle of which bore a small hole to the composition, in order that, when the charge is burnt to the top, it may communicate its fire, through the hole, to the stars in the head: great care must always be taken, to strike with the mallet, and with an equal force, the same number of strokes to each ladle-ful of charge; otherwise the rockets will not rise with an uniform motion, nor will the composition burn equal and regular; for which reason they cannot carry a proper tail, for it will break before the rocket has got half way up; instead of reaching from the ground to the top, where the rocket breaks and disperses the stars, rains, or whatever is contained in the head. When you are ramming, keep the drift constantly turning or moving; and when you use the hollow rammers, knock out of them the composition now and then, or the piercer will split them: to a rocket of four ounces, give to each ladle-ful of charge sixteen strokes: to a rocket of eight ounces twenty-one strokes: to a rocket of one pound, twenty eight: to a two pounder, thirty-six: to a four pounder forty-two: and to a six pounder fifty strokes; but rockets of a larger sort cannot be drove well by hand, but must be rammed with a machine made in the same manner as those for driving piles, which are so very common to be seen, that I shall here omit giving a description of them. The method of ramming of wheel cases, or any other sort, in which the charge is drove solid, is much the same as sky rockets; for the same proportion may be observed in the ladle, and the same number of strokes given, according to their diameters, all cases being distinguished by their diameters; in this manner, a case whose bore is equal to a rocket of four ounces is called a four ounce case, and that which is equal to an eight ounce rocket an eight ounce case, and so on, according to the different rockets.