Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms, Volume 80

It is of the utmost importance to ensure that the jars are not mistakenly thrown onto our own vessel. The method for throwing fire jars huoguanoriginal: "火罐" — ceramic or earthenware jars filled with incendiary chemicals and gunpowder, used as hand-thrown grenades to set enemy sails and decks on fire. from the masts is as follows:

Select two men to wear bamboo helmets and protect their chests with small rattan shields secured by ropes to their backs. At their waists, they should carry double swords and have slow matches original: "huosheng" 火繩 — a cord or fuse that burns at a steady rate, used to ignite grenades or cannons. attached. One man shall ascend the foremast and two shall ascend the mainmast, climbing until they are level with the tops of the sails.

Below each mast, two men will operate pulleys to haul up bamboo baskets filled with fire jars Each basket contains about ten or more jars; each jar is wrapped in a cloth bag with four jute cords. Once hauled up with strength, the man at the masthead shall immediately use his slow match to ignite the fire jars, releasing them one after another as they are lit. As soon as one basket is emptied, another is sent up, ensuring the barbarian ship original: "yichuan" 夷船 — referring specifically to the heavily armed Western steamships or men-of-war. is overwhelmed and unable to respond.

Furthermore, while the jars are being thrown from the masts, numerous spray tubes pentongoriginal: "噴筒" — manual incendiary weapons consisting of tubes that "sprayed" fire and sparks, acting as a proto-flamethrower to clear enemy decks. must continue to be fired from the bow of the ship. If this barrage is maintained continuously original: "luoyi bujue" 絡繹不絕 — an idiom describing an unending, bustling stream of activity., the barbarian ship will surely be destroyed. Even if the vessel is not completely consumed, the intensity of the flames will make it impossible for the barbarians to maintain their positions, allowing our forces to seize the momentum and board their ship.