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           Thispowderwashardandglittering,leftnotraceuponthehand,containedhydrogenandoxygeninlargeproportion,tookfireinstantaneously,and,thoughverydestructive,didnotsensiblyinjurethemouth-piece."

           UptothispointBarbicanehadkeptalooffromthediscussion;helefttheotherstospeakwhilehehimselflistened;hehadevidentlygotanidea.Henowsimplysaid,"Well,myfriends,whatquantityofpowderdoyoupropose?"

           Thethreememberslookedatoneanother.

           "Twohundredthousandpounds."atlastsaidMorgan.

           "Fivehundredthousand,"addedthemajor.

           "Eighthundredthousand,"screamedMaston.

           Amomentofsilencefollowedthistripleproposal;itwasatlastbrokenbythepresident.

           "Gentlemen,"hequietlysaid,"Istartfromthisprinciple,thattheresistanceofagun,constructedunderthegivenconditions,isunlimited.IshallsurpriseourfriendMaston,then,bystigmatizinghiscalculationsastimid;andIproposetodoublehis800,000poundsofpowder."

           "Sixteenhundredthousandpounds?"shoutedMaston,leapingfromhisseat.

           "Justso."

           "Weshallhavetocomethentomyidealofacannonhalfamilelong;foryousee1,600,000poundswilloccupyaspaceofabout20,000cubicfeet;andsincethecontentsofyourcannondonotexceed54,000cubicfeet,itwouldbehalffull;andtheborewillnotbemorethanlongenoughforthegastocommunicatetotheprojectilesufficientimpulse."

           "Nevertheless,"saidthepresident,"Iholdtothatquantityofpowder.