[Extract]

I write this in Haste, only to inclose to you, a little Treatise upon Fire Ships ー it may be Sending Coals to New Castle ー But it appears to me of such Importance that I thought my self bound to presume and send it, least this Art should not be understood among you. ー This Art carries Terror and Dismay, along with it, and the very Rumour of Preparations in this Kind, may do you more Service than many Battallions.

I am not easy about Boston, and have taken all the Pains, in my Power with G. Washington, to engage him to send G. [Gates] and M. [Mifflin] there, but he is so sanguine and confident that no attempt will be made there, that I am some times afraid his security will occasion one.

[Enclosure]
To prepare a Fireship

From the Bulk Head at the Forecastle to a Bulk head to be raised behind the main Chains, on each side, and across the ship at the Bulk head, fix close to the ship sides a double Row of Troughs, quite round at about two feet and an Half distance, which mortiss into the others, the Cross Troughs lead to the sides of the ship, to the Barrells and Chambers, to blow open the Ports; and the side Troughs serve to communicate the Fire all along the ship and cross Troughs.

The Timbers of which the Troughs are to be made should be about five Inches square, the Depths of the Troughs half their Thickness, and supported by cross Pieces at every two or three Yards, nailed to the Timbers of the ship and to the Wood Work which incloses the fore and Main Mast and takes in an Oblong in the Middle. of the Deck extending to the outside of both the Masts and in Breadth is near one half of the Deck and is what makes the Carpente[r] Room for his stores. The Decks and Troughs must be well paved with melted Rosin.

on each Side of the Ship cutt out Six small port holes of fifteen by Eighteen Inches; the Ports to open downwards and to be closely caulked up. againsteach Port, fix an iron Chamber, which at the Time of firing the Ship will blow open the Ports and let out the Fire.

At the main and fore Chains at each side, fix a wooden funnell, over a fire Barrell to come through a Scuttle in the Deck up to the shrouds, to give Fire to them, and between cutt two scuttles, on each side of the ship to let out the Fire. The Funnells and Scuttles must be stopped with Pluggs, and have Sail Cloth and Canvas nailed over them to prevent any Accident happening that way by fire to the Combustibles, below.

The Port Holes, funnells, and Scuttles, not only serve to give the Fire a free Passage to the outside, and upper Parts of the Ship and rigging, but also for the inward Air, otherwise confined to expand itself, and push through those Holes at the Time of the Combustibles, being on Fire, and thereby prevent the Blowing up of the Decks, which otherwise must of Course happen, from such a sudden and instant Rarefaction of the Air.

In the Bulk head behind, on each side, cut a hole, large enough to receive a Trough of the same size, as the others; from which to each Side of the Ship, lies a leading Trough, one End coming through a Sally Port, cut through the Ships Side: and the other fixing into a communicating Trough that lies along the Bulk-Head, from one side of the Ship to the other, and being laid with quick Match only, at the Time of firing either of the leading Troughs, communicates the Fire in an instant to the contrary Side of the Ship and both sides will burn together The communicating Troughs fixed to the Bulk head, and the leading Troughs on the same side as the others.

To prepare the Stores.  Quick Match.

is made with three Cotton Strands drawn into length and put into a Kettle, just covered with white wine Vinegar, and then a Quantity of Salt Petre and mealed Powder, is put in it, and boiled till well mixed. Some put only Salt Petre into the Water. after that it is taken out hot, and laid into a Trough where some mealed Powder, moistened with Spirits of Wine is thoroughly wrought int[o] the Cotton, by rolling it backwards and forwards with the Hands. This done, they are taken out Seperately, and drawn through mealed Powder, then hung upon a Line till dry.

Fire Barrells.

The Form of the Barrells should be cylindric, because, that make answers better for filling them with Reeds, and for stowing them on Board, between the Troughs; their inside Diameters should be about twenty one, and their Lengths thirty three Inches. The Bottom Parts should be first filled with short double dipped Reeds Set on End, and the Remainder with Fire Barrell Composition, well mixed and melted, then poured over them. There should be five Holes of three fourths of an Inch Diameter, and three Inches dep made with a of that size in the Top of the Composition, while it is warm; one in the Center, the other four at equal Distances, round the Sides of the Barrell. When the Composition is cold and hard, the Barrell is primed by well driving these Holes full of fuze Composition, to within an Inch of the Top; then fixing in each hole, a Strand of Quick Match twice doubled, and in the Center Hole, two strands the whole Length; all which must be well set or drove in with mealed Powder; then lay the quick Match within the Barrell, and cover the Top with dip'd Curtain, fastened on with a Hoop, to slip over the Head, and nailed on.

The Barrells should be made very strong, not only to support the Weight of the Composition, before firing, in removing, and carrying them about, but to keep them together at the Time, they are burning: for if the staves are too slight and thin, and should burn too soon, so as to give Way, the remaining Composition would be apt to seperate, and tumble upon the deck, which would destroy the designed Effect of the Barrell, which is to carry the Fire aloft

Iron Chambers.

Should be Ten Inches long and in Diameter, and breeched against a Piece of wood fixed across the Port Holes, and let into another lying a little higher; when loaded, they are almost filled with corned Powder, with a wooden Tompion well drove into their Muzzles; should be primed with a small Piece of quick Match t(h)rust through their Vents into the Powder, with a Part of it hanging out; when the Ship is fired they blow open the Ports; which either fall downwards or are carryed away, and so give Vent for the Fire out of the sides of the Ship. ー

Curtains

Should be made of about Three fourths Wide and one Yard in Length; they are to be dipped by two Men with a Fork each, of one Prpng to hold and dip the Curtain into a Furnace of well melted Composition, after which extend the Curtain to its full Breadth and whip it through two sticks of five and an half feet long and one and an half Inch square, held close together in order to take off the superfluous Composition. then sprinkle saw dust on both sides to prevent its sticking.

Reeds.

to be made in small Bundles of about twelve Inches Circumference, cutt even at both Ends, and tied with two Bands each: the longest sort is four Feet, the shortest two and an half, which are the only lengths that are used. one Part is single-dipped, that is only at one End, the rest are double-dipped, that is, at both Ends. in dipping they must be put about Seven or Eight Inches deep into a Copper or Kettle of melted Composition; sprinkle them over a tanned Hide with pulverised sulphur, at some distance from the Copper.

Bavins.

are to be made of Birch, Heath, or other sort of Brush Wood, that is both quickly fired and tough, in length two and an half or three feet. the Brush Ends laid all one Way; and the other Ends tied with two Bands each. They are to be dipped and Sprinkled with Sulphur the same as Reeds, only that the Brush Ends alone are dipped, and should be a little closed together, with the Hand as soon as done, before they are sprinkled to keep them more close in order to give a stronger Fire, and to keep the Branches from Breaking offin shifting and handling them.

The Stores are to be dispossed on Board, when laid for firing after the following manner. ー

The Fire Barrells should be placed under the Funnells and Scuttles, one to each; and fixed between the cross Troughs leading to the sides of the ship, lashed to them and well cleeted to the deck. Those at the Funnells give Fire to the main and fore Shrouds; the rest rise over the Deck through the Scuttles, The Pluggs must be taken out of the Funnells and Scuttles before the ship is fired, and the Curtains covering the fire Barrells, cutt open and rolled back. the quick match spread and the Tops of the Barrells well salted with priming Composition. The Curtains are to be nailed-to the Beams of the upper Deck, hanging over the Troughs, Bavins, and Reeds. ー of the priming Composition a Part is laid along the Troughs, the rest after laying of the Reeds and Bavins is regularly strewed over all. The short Reeds double dipped, with some of the single dipped are laid along both the sides and cross Troughs, and communicate the Fire both to the Barrells and Chambers. The rest of the single dipped Reeds and Bavins are set about the Fire Barrells, and to the sides of the ship; and some flung upon the Deck.

The quick Match is laid two or three strands thick upon the Reeds in the Troughs, and about the Fire Barrells and Chambers, to communicate a general Fire, at once. The Reeds in the Troughs with the quick match are lashed on to prevent their falling out by the rolling of the ship.

The leading Troughs are both laid with four or five strands of quick Match; as is likewise the Trough, that by Firing either of the leading Troughs, the communicating Trough may carry the Fire to the other side of the ship; which there runs along the Troughs by the quick Match on both sides, and give Fire to the whole in an instant.

The Composition made use of for Curtains, Reeds and Bavins, are all the same, viz. Pitch 14. Sulphur 7. Rosin 7. Tallow 2. Tar 1. ー for Want of Tar take 3 Pounds of Tallow. ー

Fire Barrell Composition. for one Barrell. Corned Powder 120 lb. Pitch 60 lb ー Tallow 10 lb. ー divide the Composition into Fire Pots: The Pitch and Tallow must be first thoroughly melted. Tallow well the outside of the Potto take off the Heat and then put in the Powder by small Quantities, stirring it, well about.

Priming Composition for one Barrel. Corned Powder 100 lb. ー Petre 50. ー Sulphur 40. ー Rosin 6. Oil Pints 3. ー take 20 lb of Powder, which mix well with the Petre, Sulphur and Rosin, work them well together, breaking it well in Working, then put the rest of the Powder in by degrees and work it all together: spread it in a trough, and through a [fine] Sieve, run 3 Pints of Oil all over it; then work it well together and run it through a Cane Sieve.

Quantity of Composition for a Fire Ship of 150 Tons.

total Weight of the Composition allowing for the Reeds for the Barrels being a fifth of the whole of the last Article, that is 160 lb. will make the whole [3]177 Pounds or 2 Ct. 1.13.ー

Smaller or larger Ships take proportional Charges. ー