I. Drive into the vent a jagged and hardened steel spike with a soft point, or a nail without a head; break it off flush with the outer surface, and clinch the point inside by means of the rammer. II. Wedge a shot in the bottom of the bore by wrapping it with felt, or by means of iron wedges, using the rammer or a bar of iron to drive them in. III. Cause shells to burst in the bore of bronze guns. IV. Fire broken shot from them with large charges. V. Fill the piece with sand over the charge, to burst it. VI. Fire a piece against another, muzzle to muzzle, or the muzzle of one to the chase of the other. VII. Light a fire under the chase of a bronze gun, and strike on it with a sledge, to bend it. VIII. Break off the trunnions of iron guns; or burst them by firing them at a high elevation, with heavy charges and full of shot. [Sidenote: 21]] 54. State how to unspike a piece. If the spike is not screwed in or clinched, and the bore is not impeded, put in a charge of powder ⅓ of the weight of the shot, and ram junk wads over it; laying on the bottom of the bore a slip of wood, with a groove on the under side containing a strand of quick-match, by which fire is communicated to the charge. In a brass gun, take out some of the metal at the upper orifice of the vent, and pour sulphuric acid into the groove, and let it stand some hours before firing. If this method, several times repeated, is not successful, unscrew the vent piece if it be a brass gun; and if an iron one, drill out the spike, or drill a new vent. 55. Explain how to drive out a shot wedged in the bore. Unscrew the vent piece, if there be one, and drive in wedges so as to start the shot forward; then ram it back again in order to seize the wedge with a hook; or pour in powder, and fire it after replacing the vent piece. In the last resort, bore a hole in the bottom of the breech, drive out the shot, and stop the hole with a screw. 56. What is scaling a piece of artillery? Flashing off a small quantity of powder to clean out the bore; about 1-12 of the shot’s weight. The practice is discontinued. [Sidenote: 22]] 57. How are cannon in our service marked? As follows, viz: The _number of the gun_ and the _initials of the inspector’s name_ on the face of the muzzle,—the numbers in a separate series for each kind and calibre at each foundry; the initial letters of the _name of the founder_, and of the foundry, on the end of the right trunnion; _the year of the fabrication_ on the end of the left trunnion; _the foundry number_ on the end of the right rimbase, above the trunnion; _the weight of the piece in pounds_ on the base of the breech; the letters U. S. on the upper surface of the piece, near the end of the reinforce. 58. What marks are used to designate condemned pieces?