There's a few resources on-line that I'm sure you'll find useful;
The Texas Historical Committee website on La Belle
(http://www.thc.state.tx.us/lasalle/lasbelle.html) has links to
Smithsonian magazine article on the shipwreck that includes an image of
one of the guns mounted on a carriage; the carriage is similar to an
18th century carriage also shown at
http://www.abc.se/~m10354/bld/cannon.htm next to a photo of one of La
Belle's guns. I've never seen mention of different types of guns on La
Belle; I do seem to recall that they were cast from bronze, and were all
four-pounders, but I could be mistaken on that. If they were all the
same, they were most likely all mounted the same. Perhaps the Texas
Historical Commission at [log in to unmask] would be able to answer
this question.
The dolphin handles were probably of most use in moving the gun
(they'd be hoist points for a crane for use in loading or off-loading
the guns from the ship, for raising the gun to replace/repair its
carriage, etc.), but depending on how the carriage was arranged, a cable
could have passed through the handles of the gun to secure it to the
ship's side, ensuring that the recoil of the gun firing didn't send the
whole piece flying across the ship's deck!
http://www.melfisher.org/cannonsurvey/firstfourcenturies.htm has a
short paragraph on swivel guns, saying they were about 3 feet long, and
usually cast of bronze, but also sometimes of iron.
Hope that helps.
------------------------------------------------------------
Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History
Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
1302 Bomford Crescent S.W.
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 5E6
(403) 502-8587
>>> [log in to unmask] 08/07/02 10:40AM >>>
Hi everyone,
One of the designers here is having some issues with an exhibit about
guns on a french ship, The Belle, built circa mid 1600's.
Does anyone have any information about the following(or information
on how to get information on the following:)
Cannon:
Were all three cannon on the deck were mounted the same way?
What did the cannon carriages look like?
What were the dolphins on the back of the cannon used for? (the one
we're needing to display has two leaping, stylized dolphins that
create loops on the back of the gun. They look like they're used for
tying it down.)
Swivel gun
What were the typical dimensions?
What were the materials they were made of?
Muchas, Muchas Gracias
Cecelia Ottenweller
Research Associate
Southwest Museum Services
Houston, Texas
713-462-7754
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