Dr. Cutbush on the Greek Fire. 305 
al Greek fire, if to such he alludes, was altogether used in 
balls; he may probably have inferred so from the manner 
in which our modern war incendiaries are prepared and used, 
such as the light-ball, various carcasses, &c. some of which 
are thrown by hand, and some from mortars and howitzes. 
Liemanwick. Even the so called incendiary rocket of 
Congreve, which is nothing more than an ordinary rock- 
et having a sheet iron case, is Joaded in the head with a sim- 
ilar composition; in fact that, and other descriptions of the 
Congreve rocket, I can clearly shew was not an original in- 
vention of Colonel Congreve. On the subject of incendiary 
and other military fire works, the French have certainly laid 
the foundation, for the very preparations now used by the 
British, for the formule for such preparations may be traced 
to the French service. 
It appears, however, that the Greek fire could be ex- 
tinguished only by urine, sand, &c. e following extract 
from James’s Military Dictionary p. 329 is to this point: 
“It is composed or made up of naptha, sulphur, bitumen, 
gum, and pitch; and it can be extinguished only by vinegar 
ee au urine and sand, or undressed leather and green 
ides. 
Respecting a similar composition to that of the Greek fire, 
or one which seems to partake of the same properties, | 
find the author of a French work, entitled Oewore Militaire, 
has given the following preparation, which it is said cannot 
be extinguished by water: Pitch, rosin, tallow, camphor, 
turpentine, salt-petre, liquid varnish, oil of sulphur (not sul- 
phuric acid) linseed oil, rock oil, flax, and charcoal finely 
pulverised. After melting the solid substances, as pitch, 
&c. with the oils and varnish, the charcoal and flax are ad- 
ded, and the composition made ifito balls, previously mix- 
ing with it before it grows cold, some quicklime in powder. 
This preparation we are told, is susceptible of the most sub 
tile and destructive fire. It is hardly necessary to remark, 
that a composition of this kind must be highly inflammable, 
and, with the addition of nitre, burn with great rapidity. 
Vol. VI.—No. 2. 39 
