Page 81 - Loss of the VOC Retourschip Batavia, Western Australia, 1629

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Ordinary lead shot
A large quantity of lead shot (approximately 1794 shot were measured) was recovered from the site. The frequency
histogram of the diameters (Fig. 36) shows two clear peaks, one at 17.02 ± 0.62 mm representing about 1083 shot and the smaller at 13.98 ± 1.05 mm representing about 802 shot. The regulations of 1599 and 1639 concerning firearms give the following information:
Wired lead shot
B A T 3673
Date Type of gun No. rolling bullets
inponr
1599 Musket 12 1599 Caliver 24
diam in mm
19.0 15.1 13.7 16.6 19.0
1639 Pistol 1639 Carbine 1639 Musket
32 18 12
Kist et al. (1974) illustrates a matchlock musket made in Amsterdam c. 1630 with a bore diameter of 17.7 mm (which the larger Batavia shot would fit into quite tightly); the smaller balls correspond with a flint-lock pistol dated c.1635 with a bore diameter of 14.5 mm and a flint-lock gun c. 1640 bore diameter 13.8 mm.
Van Dam (1701) Slates that in 1659 the muskets were proofed wjth a running ball of 12 in apont (19.0 mm) but fired a ball ofl4 in apont (18.1 mm) and that this should be changed to aproof with a running ball of 14 in apont (18.1) but frring a ball of 16 or 17 in aponr (17 .0 to 17.3 mm). It seems, however, that the majority of our balls were of the smaller calibre and that possibly the Batavia was armed with muskets and pistols.
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A large quantity of wired lead shot was found on the site. It consists of two round lead shot, 16 mm in diameter,joined together with a coil of brass wire which when fully extended would be about210 mm long.
Part of a powder-horn
OAT 3132
I t i s n o t c e r t a i n w h a t t h i s i t e m i s , T h e d e c o r a t i v e f r i e z e o f h u m i n g s c e n e w i t h a m a n O n h o r s e b a c k p u u u i n g 1I b e a r ( 7 ) , suggests a function related to the hunt. The fitting on the side which penetrates the collar-shaped object suggests that it was used to operate a flap of some sort, which may have been used to regulate the flow of something through the collar. The small hole on the opposite side to the fitting tends to confirm this.
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