Mr. Misson (Travels through Germany and Italy) observes, that, at the arsenal at Venice, he saw some pocket cross bows, and steel arrows, with which the late lord of Padua used to kill such as passed by, without their knowing from whence they received their wounds.
Arrows were sometimes employed by the Grecians, for conveying their Greek fire. It seems, according to Gibbon, (History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. vii, 284), that, among the different means of discharging it, that with the bow and arrow was one. For this purpose, flax or tow was dipped in the composition, and wrapped round the arrow, which was discharged the moment it was inflamed.
The Indians, and Africans in particular, have been very ingenious in poisoning several kinds of warlike instruments. The blades of swords, the barbs of arrows, balls, &c. they have prepared in such a way, as to be extremely poisonous.[43] See [Poisoned Ball.]
With respect to incendiary arrows, it will be sufficient to remark, that the barb, for this purpose, was furnished with a composition, which, when inflamed, was projected by the bow to the spot designed to be set on fire. They were not much employed, and at the present day, are entirely out of use. Tow, for instance, previously prepared with pitch, meal-powder, and turpentine, or a composition equally combustible, when wrapped round the head of an arrow, and thrown at the moment of its inflammation, would, in many cases, set fire to buildings. But, as the present system of employing incendiary fire-works, presents advantages decidedly in its favour, it is hardly probable, that the bow and arrow will ever be employed by civilized nations for that purpose. The ancient catapulta was particularly calculated for throwing incendiary compositions.
The catapulta was an engine, contrived for throwing arrows, darts, and stones, upon the enemy. Their power was so great, that they would project a stone of a hundred weight with an almost incredible force. Josephus, in noticing this machine, says, that the stones thrown out of it, beat down the battlements, knocked off the angles of the towers, and had a force sufficient to level a deep file of soldiers.
Sec. XLI. Of Pyrotechnical Sponge.
This name is applied to the German black match, or tinder, used chiefly to receive the file from flint and steel. We have, on a former occasion, noticed the preparation of the substance called spunk; namely, by immersing the fungus in a solution of saltpetre, and then drying it.
There are various species of agaric. The mushroom is a genus belonging to the order Fungi, and the boletus igniarius, spunk, or touch-wood, called also female agaric, is employed, not only as a match, but as a styptic. The fungous excrescences, which grow upon old oaks, ash trees, firs, &c. are all used for the same purpose. The Germans take the soft inner substance in preference to the hard, and after beating with a hammer to render it still softer, they boil it in ley, then dry it, and boil it again, in a solution of nitrate of potassa, and finally dry it in an oven for use.
The amadou of the French, is the same as our spunk, or pyrotechnical sponge. It is always made, like the latter, from various kinds of agaric, which constitute the spongy excrescence of trees. The French prepare it for use in the manner before stated. They prepare amadou, also, by soaking blue paper in a solution of nitre. They sometimes employ it in the state of tinder, and, for this purpose, burn it to a coal.