 DATE: The HMS Interceptor is blow up when a pirate is seen lighting  a trail of gunpowder that leads to pile of gunpowder kegs. The  gunpowder that is used is obviously modern smokeless powder as  evidenced by its slow burn rate. Modern gunpowder wasnt invented  until 1875 so only black powder would have been available. Black  powder flashes and would burn at a rate many times that which was  shown.