The Nevada Democrat., 1861-11-05
The Invention Of Gunpovvder.

The following extracts are from wor
entitled "A Little Description of the Great
World by Peter Heylyn," published at Ok
ford in 1929. The way times are now wag-
ping may make the article interesting TO
some Of our readers:
Schwartz was franciscan, and stndous
in alchemy. For the finding out OF expert
ments in ghis art, he was one evening tenn
pering birthstone, dried earth, and certain
OGher ingredients, in mortar, which he
covered with a stone. The night growing
on, be took tinderbox to light him can.
die; when striking fire, spark by chance
flow into the mortar, and catching hold OF
the birthstone and saltpetre. with great vio-
lence blew up the stone. Tne cunning al
chemist guessing which Of his ingredients 1t
was that produced this effect, made him an
iron pipe crammed 1t with sulphur and
stones, aud putting Gre 10 it. saw with what
great fury and noise 1t discharged itself.
This invention he communicated to the Ve-
netians, Ammo 1880, or thereabouts, who
having been often vanquished by the Ge-
noese, aud driven almost to a necessity OF
yielding to them. by the help Of their guns
(bombards they we're then called) gave unto
their enemies noble discontinue and this
was the first battle that ever those warlike
pieces had part in, which, not long after,
put to silence all the engines and devices
wherewith the ancients were wont to make
their batteries.
The next that made use of this inslru-
ment were the inhabitants of the Baltic
Sea; and not long after them, the English
at the siege of Calais, Ammo 1347; about
which time they began also to be used in
Spain. The French. 1t seemeth, learned the
use Of them from the English; aad tho first
benefit received by them was the death of
that famous leader, Thomas Montacute,
Earl Of Salisbury. who. at the siege of Or
leans, was slain with great shot, Ammo
1923
The Turks are beholding for them to the
wars they had with the Venetians; behold
ing. say--for Notwithstanding the harm
received by them at FIRST, yet afterwards
growing expert in managing of them, they
gave unto Uesan Cassanes and Ismael. two
OF the most mighty emperors of Persia, two
memorable overthrows by the help of their
ordnance only.
The Portuguese were in the art the tu-
tors to the Persians; for as Solyman the
Turkish emperor, objected against them,
they not only aided Tamas, the Soft, with
certain harquebusiers (spelt in book harca-
bugiers), but also sent him workmen to
show him the use and making of artillery.
These great pieces, at the first invention,
were rude, unwieldy. and charged with
stone bullets only butIby degrees they came
TO that perfection, both for the wall aud the
hand, which they now have. Whether now
archery or cunning Is to be preferred,
stand not here to determine; only this am
sure Of, that victories have been Of late
purchased with the less expense of life and
blood than ever in former times they
were.
Apropos Of the same subject the town Of
Scodra, In Dalmata, Is thus described:
The fifth town of note Is Scodra, or Scu-
tary, which resisted The Turkish puissance a
whole year, and many days was battered
with seventy pieces Of ordnance, of won.
dfOus bigness, especially that called the
princes Piece" which carried a stone or
bullet Of 1900 pounds weight. This town
was gained by Mahomet II, Ammo '7s.