Wubei Zhi, Volume 128: Discourse on Firearms

Page 2

One Mother, Fourteen Children Cannon

original: "一母十四子砲" (Yi Mu Shishi Zi Pao). This refers to a breech-loading swivel gun. The "Mother" is the main barrel, and the "Children" are fourteen interchangeable sub-chambers or cartridges that could be pre-loaded and swapped quickly for rapid fire.

Thunder-Clap Cannon

original: "轟雷砲" (Honglei Pao). A name emphasizing the weapon's deafening roar and concussive power, likely used for both psychological impact and physical destruction.

Lead Pellet Hornet’s Nest Cannon

original: "鉛彈一窠蜂砲" (Qiandan Yikefeng Pao). A "Hornet's Nest" refers to a multi-projectile weapon. This cannon was designed to spray a massive cloud of lead pellets—like a swarm of angry hornets—making it devastating against tightly packed infantry.

Sky-Flying Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon to Strike Bandits

original: "飛空擊賊震天雷砲" (Feikong Jizei Zhentianlei Pao). A poetic and descriptive name for a long-range mortar or explosive shell. "Heaven-Shaking Thunder" was a common term for powerful gunpowder explosives that produced a massive blast.

Carriage-Mounted Cannons

original: "車砲" (Che Pao). This section introduces mobile artillery units—cannons integrated into carts or wagons to allow for rapid redeployment on the battlefield.

　　Wheel Cannon
　　original: "車輪砲" (Chelun Pao). Likely a cannon mounted on a wheeled frame or one designed to rotate on a circular base for a 360-degree field of fire.

　　Barbarian-Attacking Cannon
　　original: "攻戎砲" (Gongrong Pao). "Rong" was a historical term for nomadic tribes to the West and North. This weapon was specifically designated for frontier defense and campaigns against mobile steppe forces.

　　Lord Ye’s Divine Fire-Lance Carriage Cannon
　　original: "葉公神銃車砲" (Ye Gong Shenchong Che Pao). "Lord Ye" refers to Ye Mengxiong|葉夢熊 (1531–1597), a famous Ming dynasty military official and innovator who championed the use of "War Wagons" equipped with various firearms to counter cavalry charges.

　　Thousand-Child Thunder Cannon
　　original: "千子雷砲" (Qianzi Lei Pao). A type of fragmenting artillery. The "Thousand Children" are the numerous small iron balls or lead pellets packed inside a single shell, which scatter upon explosion.