Wubei Zhi (Vol. 53)

Military Equipment: Fire Section — Illustrated Treatise on Firearms, Part 2

Page 5

Woven bamboo strips are used to form a round basket. This frame is then covered with forty to fifty thick layers of paper paste and left to dry in the sun. On top of this, apply fifteen additional layers of oiled paper this provides waterproofing and extra structural integrity. A single hole is opened to serve as the ignition port for the cannon.

The device is filled with three catties approximately 1.8 kilograms or 4 pounds of gunpowder, supplemented by half a catty approximately 300 grams of iron caltropsTiejili: small spiked metal devices designed to wound the feet of infantry or puncture materials. Additionally, several dozen of each of the following are packed inside: "Flying Swallows," "Poison Fire" projectiles, and "Paper Crackers" likely small explosive charges designed to create noise and confusion.

The power of this weapon is immense. It is not only capable of striking and wounding enemy personnel; when the "Flying Swallow" projectiles ignite, they scatter and fly in every direction. They stick to a person’s body, and if they come into contact with awnings or sails, they are particularly effective at spreading fire. Even water cannot extinguish these flames. When this device is cast onto an enemy shiporiginal: "zeichuan," literally "pirate ship" or "rebel ship", the bamboo casing is guaranteed to shatter, releasing its volatile contents.