Dr. Cutbush on the Greek Fire. 305 



al Greek fire, iT 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, 

 surh as the light-ball, various carcasses, he. some of which 

 are thrown by hand, and some from mortars and hovviizes. 

 The compositions used in modern pyrotechny for the pur- 

 pose of firing buildmgs and the like, are remarkably in- 

 flammable, and from the manner in which they are prepar- 

 ed are almost inextinguishable ; all which appear to have 

 originated from the heretofore celebrated Jire rain of 

 Liemanwick. Even the so called incendiary rocket of 

 Congreve, which is nothing more than an ordinary rock- 

 et having a sheet iron case, is loaded 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 formulae for such preparations may be traced 

 to the French service. 



It appears, however, that the Greek fire could be ex- 

 tinguished only by urin^, sand, &;c. The 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 he extinguished only by vinegar 

 mixed ivith urine and sand, or undressed leather and gree7i 

 hides. 



Respecting a similar composition to that of the Greek fire, 

 or one which seems to partake of the same properties, 1 

 find the author of a French work, entitled Oeuvrc 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 into 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. VL— ]\o. 2. 39 



