Huo Zhuan (火磚)

Drawing of a Huo Zhuan and its content, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Huo Zhuan (火磚, lit. 'Fire brick') was a type of brick-shaped hand grenade used by the Ming navy. It was a small box made of thin wooden plantes and filled with one jin and four liang of gunpowder charge, twenty paper firecrackers, twenty Fei Yan (飛燕) and thirty iron caltrops. The grenade was waterproofed by wrapping it in four to five layers of oil paper, and was ignited by means of a burning fuse.

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Gou Lian (鈎鐮)

Drawing of a Gou Lian, from 'Ji Xiao Xin Shu (《紀效新書》)'.

Gou Lian (鈎鐮, lit. 'Hook sickle') was a type of long polearm designed for naval use. Essentially a sharpened hook mounted on a one zhang five chi bamboo pole, Gou Lian was comparable in length to some Chang Qiang (長鎗). Gou Lian was used to hook enemy warship or cut off enemy cordage, as well as scooping up dead bodies from the water. Due to its softer bamboo shaft and heavier weight of the hook, it was unsuitable for land use.

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Huo Tong (火桶)

Cutaway drawing of a Huo Tong, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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