Page 82 - Loss of the VOC Retourschip Batavia, Western Australia, 1629

Lead ramrod ends BAT 7058
Pricker BAT 3591
@«t I
This small brass pricker is thought to be part of the hand-gun equipment used to clean out the touch-hole.
BAT 3113
A number of lead ramrod ends were found on the site. These were identified by virtue of the wooden rod having the same diameter as the remains of the ramrods found in the stocks. As discussed above, it seems that the lead end of the ramrod was on the outer end of the ramrod when stored in the gun.
Patch-boxes
Three patch-boxes were found on the site BA T 3103,
BA T 3113 and BA T 3131. The boxes are similar although different in size. BAT 3131, the most complete example, has a hinged lid decorated with stamped flowers and a small decoration in the form of a pointing hand; the fmger points to the hook catch which retains the lid. On the section along which the lid is attached is a line of writing which is indecipherable. The end of the box is open, which suggests that the box was attached possibly to a leather strap. Inside the box were a number of wool twill patches
(BAT 3131).
A similar box has been found at Colonial Williamsburg
on a plantation site and associated with a slipware dish marked 1631. The author is grateful to DrIvor Noel Hume, Director of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Vir- giniaforthisinformation,howeveritshouldbepointedout that Dr Noel Hume questions that these boxes were for patches for muskets. The author suggests that the box was part of the accoutrements for a musket or caliver, and it must be assumed that the gun may have been rifled. Stone (1934:488 Fig. 621(5)) illustraLes a patch-box of similar shape, bUL made of silver gilt filigree and seL with red and blue stones. At presenL the box cannot be defmitely iden-
tified as a patch-box, since there is some disagreement on the availability of rifled guns in the early 17th century.
BA T 3131 (SCALE 1:1)
BAT 3103
BAT 3131
o
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