Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms

They must be inspected and reorganized thoroughly. The vessels used for loading combustibles were originally intended only for burning, so they certainly do not need to be constructed from sturdy, new materials; however, it is also not advisable for them to be excessively small or dilapidated. Furthermore, they must be equipped with sails to be able to catch the wind. If one were to rely solely on the physical strength of one or two men likely referring to rowing or poling the boats, I fear the movement would be too slow to achieve success.

These ships should be arranged in rafts or rows of several vessels each. When they sail near the foreign vessels 夷船 (yichuan): a term used in Qing documents for Western warships, particularly those of the British Royal Navy, they should surround and attack them. If large iron spikes can be fixed to the bows and sterns of each boat to pin them against the foreign vessels, and the fires are then lit so that the enemy can neither push them away nor pull them off, the tactic will be even more effective.

Before they are deployed, these ships should be moved upstream to the area near Foshan, where the loading of combustibles can be completed properly. In the dead of night original: "Yin night" (寅夜), referring to the period between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM, they should catch the wind and be released downstream in coordination with the various ships equipped with cannons 礮 (pao): traditional heavy artillery or long-range guns. By attacking and firing simultaneously, the maneuver will surely be effective.

Furthermore, along the Lingtang District A sub-county administrative division located along the eastern river routes of the Inner River’s East Road, there are another hundred-plus fire-ships 火船 (huochuan): specialized vessels packed with saltpeter, sulfur, and firewood, designed to be set ablaze and drifted into enemy formations that were provided through private donations—specifically, those donated by a certain individual. These are currently anchored in sections, ready to be called into service as needed.