Original Item: One of a Kind. This is fantastic! Here we have a French wooden gunner's water keg of oval cross section, with various French stamps and markings. There is s silver oblong plaque on the filler hole stating:-

French naval gunner's
Brandy keg taken
from Boney's
ship GUERRIER 1798

We rather think this was intended for clean water as even French gunners could seldom run to brandy or in their case cognac. Most likely this was a British officer's fancy, as it is definitely too large. Every Gunner (Cannoneer) needed water to cleanse his cannon and extinguish any remaining embers from the previous discharge before fresh powder could be loaded.

Recently acquired from the estate of one of IMA's favorite collectors, who tragically recently died. It measures about 9"H x 9"W x 5 1/2", and is in very good condition, possibly made of oak, with iron hoops. Ready to display!

The Guerrier was a Magnifique class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She took part in the Battle of Minorca (1756) and in the Battle of Lagos. She was part of Bougainville's squadron for the Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War, and took part in the operations before the Battle of Rhode Island, in the Battle of Grenada, and in the siege of Savannah.

In July 1781, she took part in the Invasion of Minorca. On 9 August, she captured the 700-tonne HMS Scarborough.

By the time of the invasion of Egypt, Guerrier should have been decommissioned for two years, but was nevertheless incorporated in the invasion fleet. She took part in the Battle of the Nile, where she was captured by the British. She was so badly damaged that she was then burned by the British after they had removed anything useful from the ship.