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fireship

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7 minutes ago chained_bear said:

"... generally an old vessel filled with combustible materials, and fitted with sheer-hooks to the yardarms, and grappling irons to hook and set fire to the enemy's ships.

"Some English vessels ... sent among the Spanish ships composing the Invincible Armada in the year 1588, are said to have given rise to the terrible invention of fire-ships. However, Livy informs us that the Rhodians had invented a kind of fire-ships, which were used in junction with the Roman fleet, in their engagements with the Syrians, in the 190th year before Christ...."
Falconer's New Universal Dictionary of the Marine (1816), 149

This description goes on for about two more densely packed pages, including measurements, how many barrels of gunpowder and how much other combustible material to use, where to place it, and how to use the fire-ship to the best advantage. Here's a list of names of fire-ships (mostly in the British navy, 1748).

9 months ago bilby said:

Whahahahahaha!

9 months ago sionnach said:

a diseased prostitute

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