Modern shooters have it good. Load a cartridge, pull trigger, bang, and the case is easy to remove. Our older brethren did not have it so easy. Traditional black-powder cannons are quite a bit more involved, requiring multiple steps to clean, load, and ultimately fire.

1. The loading sequence starts with the Worm or Wad-Screw, which is similar to a wine uncorker, used to remove any remaining bag or wadding.
2. Then a large sponge is inserted into the bore to clean out any remaining powder or smoldering debris that the wad-screw missed.
3. Then, the charge is loaded into the bore and pushed back to the rear.
4. A “pricker” is inserted through the bag while held to the rear and the ram-rod is removed from the bore.
5. If loading for real, the projectile is loaded in, rammed to the rear, and held in place with rope wadding.
6. A “quick-match” is inserted into the hole created by the pricker.
7. Now ready-to-fire, a slow match is lit attached to a “linstock” (wooden dowell that holds the flammable rope slow-match.
8. The slow-match then lights the quick-match and the cannon detonates.

Of course, while all the loading is going on, the crew chief holds his thumb over the the touch-hole using a leather thumb-stall to keep any drafts from enter the bore and pre-igniting the charge.

With all of this and a good crew, time between shots was about 90 seconds. Impressive.