~Greek fire and gunpowder, both used at the siege of Ypres, 1383.~ The Greek fire was used long after the invention of firearms; when the Bishop of Norwich besieged Ypres, 1383, the garrison is said by Walsingham to have defended itself so well, with stones, arrows, lances, and certain engines called guns, that they obliged the English to raise the siege with such precipitation, that they left behind them their great guns, which were of inestimable value. Greek fire was probably a more recent invention than Gunpowder. * * * * * ~Powder used by Arabs, 14th century.~ It is ascertained that Gunpowder was employed by the Arabs as an agent for throwing bolts and stones, about the commencement of the fourteenth century, and that the Moors first availed themselves of its advantages in their wars with the Spaniards. From Spain, the use of Gunpowder and Artillery gradually extended itself to France, and thence over the other States of Europe. * * * * * Some idea of the importance of Gunpowder may be formed by the estimate of the enormous quantity employed in sieges, and warfare generally. ~Quantity used in sieges.~ At the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, January, 1812, 74,978lbs. were consumed in 30¹⁄₂ hours; at Badajos, March, 1812, 228,830lbs. in 104 hours, and this from the great guns only. ~San Sebastian and Zaragoza.~ At the two sieges of San Sebastian, 502,110lbs. At Zaragoza, the French exploded 45,000lbs. in the mines, and threw 16,000 shells. ~Sebastopol.~ During the siege of Sebastopol, extending over a period of eleven months, the enormous quantity of 2,775,360lbs., or 1,239 tons of gunpowder, were expended by ourselves alone; 9,076 tons of shot and shell having been launched by us on that memorable occasion, from 476 pieces of heavy ordnance; of which only 11 actually burst, though 269 were rendered unserviceable. ~Quantity made.~ Some of our private manufactories make from 8 to 10,000 barrels of powder a year in time of peace, and from 10 to 14,000 during war. ~Quantity proved by Government.~ ~Quantity in store in 1783.~ The quantity of powder received and proved from Faversham, at the Royal Magazines, and from the several powder makers contracting with Government, amounted, during the several years from 1776 to 1782 inclusive, to 244,349 barrels of 100 lbs. each, being equal, on an average, to 3,490,700lbs. annually. The quantity of powder in store in Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man, in 1783, was about 80,000 barrels. ~Gunpowder used for works of peace.~ Sir George Staunton observes, that gunpowder in India and China seems coeval with the most distant historic events, and that the Chinese have at all times applied it to useful purposes, as the blasting of rocks, and also in the preparation of fireworks, in which they greatly excel other nations. ~Powder used at Woodhead tunnel.~