A Good & Very Scarce, Late 18th to 19th Century Early British, Naval, Ship's Cannon, 'Powder Monkey's' Priming Flask. To Hold The Ignition For Each Cannon's 'Touch Hole' Priming Powder To Ignite the Cannon When In Combat at Sea.

A superb 18th to 19th century naval gunner's priming powder flask, of polished cow horn body, with traditional wooden base with brass spout plug and on of two carrying rings. In the firing naval cannon huge amounts of gunpowder were required to fire them, and the cannon were ignited with very fine quality, fine ground priming powder poured into the touch hole.

Young boys, often known as 'powder monkeys', would haul gunpowder to the gun decks within barrels. Cow horns flasks, were used to contain the fine grain priming powder, which was poured into the pan of the touch hole of each cannon before firing. 9" long overall

At sea, a powder monkey was a young boy, typically between 10 and 14 years old, whose primary job was to ferry gunpowder from the ship's powder magazine to the cannons during naval battles. These small, fast boys were chosen for their ability to navigate the cramped, dangerous spaces between decks quickly and to avoid enemy fire by staying below the gunwales. Their vital, dangerous work was a critical component of naval warfare in the Age of Sail.
Powder monkeys faced constant danger from cannon fire, exploding gunpowder, and the general chaos of battle.
Their small size and speed allowed them to move quickly through the ship, minimizing their exposure to enemy fire and the risk of fire or explosion.

Despite their crucial role, powder monkeys held no formal naval rank or position on the ship.

Many powder monkeys came from impoverished backgrounds, with the Royal Navy offering them a place, food, and rudimentary education in exchange for their service.
When not in battle, they performed other duties such as laundry, scrubbing decks, and helping with other tasks around the ship.
They would carry gunpowder in leather bags between decks, to prime primer flasks, and refill the gunpowder to each cannon,and were sometimes even barefoot to improve grip on the deck during battle, according to one historical source

Code: 22987