Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms

Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms, Volume 80

A single vessel can accommodate at most four attacking ships; for larger vessels, the space allows for no more than three. Therefore, in a coordinated assault from all four directions, one should use a maximum of twelve to sixteen ships to attack a single barbarian ship original: "yichuan" 夷船 — refers to Western warships, which were significantly larger and more heavily armed than Chinese vessels of the period.. Beyond this number, even if more ships are available, they should be diverted to attack other vessels. They must not cluster in a single spot, as this would only lead to confusion and disorder.

If a situation arises where many ships must attack simultaneously, the crews must strictly obey the commands of the commanding officer. The signal for this is the sounding of drums or a loud summoning call. If the lead squadron has been attacking from a diagonal angle for a long time without success, then a red flag should be planted to signal the ships to gather for a joint assault.

The lead squadron may then be allowed to rest briefly while the rear squadron maneuvers into position from the same diagonal angle. However, such rotations are only permitted upon the commanding officer’s signal; no one may withdraw for rest without authorization. Violators will be executed immediately.

Item: Thirty melon-skin boats guapi xiaotingoriginal: "瓜皮小艇" — a small, shallow-draft boat common in South China, named for its resemblance to a longitudinal slice of a melon. should be commissioned. These are to be loaded with dry grass, pine torches songmingoriginal: "松明" — highly resinous pine wood that burns easily and brightly., and wick-fuel sujinoriginal: "蘇斤" — likely a regional term for combustible fibers or tallow-treated hemp used as an accelerant. rubbed with oil. These should be mixed with a twenty to thirty percent proportion of gunpowder. All materials should be bound tightly with straw ropes and covered with palm-leaf mats. At the bow and stern of each boat...