
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~168r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


a peg which one puts into the touch-hole, & then, with
a rope wrapped around the end of a stick, one gives fire &
promptly retreats to take cover. The small petards of 16 or 17
lb are attached promptly with a short hooked peg made
like a wimble, & if the petard
is of a good alloy, one can give fire by hand just as one does
with petards of 27 lb, but then one only puts in three
lb of powder. It must certainly be a strong door if the
seventeen lb petard does not blow it up. Some use little
bells worn by oxen or mules on a
peasant door. Others load two pistol barrels &, with a
gimlet & a string, attach them with the muzzle
against the door. If the petards are good & do not explode, they
only recoil and cannot do harm if one is next to them.

A. This is a small peg, hooked like the hinge of a door
& made like a gimlet on one end for quickly
attaching a small petard with ears of fifteen or xvii lb for a
common door or window.

B. This is a small petard with ears.

C. This is a larg common petard of 27 or 30 lb
pierced at the breech, through which a large iron peg
passes, button-like on one end & made like a
gimlet at the point, for quickly attaching the petard
against a door that does not haveis notcovered with iron plates.

D. These are plates of wax, cork, & wood
for loading the petard & sealing the powder well.

E. ThisIron fork made in the form of pincers
of the height of a man, to quickly place the mortar
without a peg. It must be of doux iron in order
that its branches bend easily, if need be, to fit to the height or width
of the door.

F. This is another iron fork of the same height that
props up the fork made like pincers & also supports the
petard, and with its claw at the bottom prevents the pincers
from recoiling.

