Page 80 - Loss of the VOC Retourschip Batavia, Western Australia, 1629

Wooden gun-stock
BAT 4383 and BAT 4246 (SCALE 1:4)
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Fragmentsofagun·stockwererecoveredfrom thesite.Unfortunately,somematerialfailedduringconservation,and was thus lost, so it is difficult to produce an accurate reconstruction. The barrel of the gun was missing, and may not have been fitted, but from measurements it seems unlikely that the stock was for the blunderbuss. The stock barrel had an approximate diameter of 33 mm whereas the blunderbuss had a diameter of 55 mm.
It is fairly clear that the stock was for a matchlock, as the lock-plate is similar to that shown in Gheijn (1607) forthe caliver and musket (see Kist, 1971: No. 12), and a similar lOCk-plate is shown in Kist et al. (1974:12). The remains of the ramrod were found in a tubular cavity running parallel to the barrel. At presen~ it is not clear if the ramrod has a lead end to it (see below). A series of X-rays were made of the gun-stock in an attempt to learn more about the construction of the stock. The results quite clearly show the ramrod, and indicate that the lead fitting on the end was not inside the stock, but must have been at the other end. Other details shown by the X-ray are the construction of the fittings for iIle matchlock.
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Figure 36.
Frequency histogram of a selection of ordinary lead shot from the Batavia.
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120 130
140 150 160 170
Diameter in mm
180 190 200
70