Design for an oven for combustible cannonballs

Title Leupe: Plan van gloeiovens, voor kogels à 18 pond, aan wal en op een Canonneerboot of pont, met de daarby behoorende gereedschappen.

This drawing is connected to the ‘Obstruction Plan’, the closure of the estuary of the Suriname River in time of war, which was worked out in detail during and after the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, using the 1781-1782 first improvised set-up for its realization. This closure was planned between the Nieuw Amsterdam fort and Leyden and Purmerend redoubts. To ensure complete obstruction, a proper arrangement of blockade ships and gunboats was required. This drawing likely is part of the report of the tour of inspection of the Dutch possessions on the Gold Coast and West Indies from January 1786 to August 1787 by the naval frigate Hector. This drawing shows the onboard use of so-called 'flaming bullets'; cannonballs which could be used for incendiary attacks. An elaborate system is displayed for an oven to set fire on the cannonballs inside the wooden ships. Hottinger estimated the total cost of this barricade at nearly 93,000 guilders; obviously it was never implemented.