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JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
as the earlier portion of the fifteenth century. It was found 
in the moat of Bodiham Castle, Kent, and was preserved for 
many years at Battle Abbey. 
The earliest whole cast-iron gun was found in the Medway, 
near Chatham, and is believed to be amongst the first of the 
cast-iron guns of the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII. , 
about 1540. 
There is a brass culverin in the Museum of Elizabeth's reign 
with the inscription, "Henri Pit made this pece 1590," and it is 
generally considered that this founder was the originator of the 
series of cast-iron muzzle-loaders which came into general use 
during this period. 
There is also a cast-iron gun, with a calibre of 4~ inches, 
weighing about 40 cwt., marked " W. P." This is supposed to 
be another maker of the same name wdio flourished later. 
It is extremely probable that the small gun we are now 
examining was manufactured by this family. In the Museum 
there are many examples of cannon of the early seventeenth 
century type very similar in shape to this. One, a brass falconet 
of the time of the Commonwealth, 3 feet 9, inches long and of 2 
inches calibre, and a cast-iron gun of the same time, 3 feet 2 inches 
long and 3 inches calibre, are almost, as regards shape and style, 
exact counterparts. 
This sufficiently identifies the age of the cannon dredged from 
amongst the ruins of the old ship, and a vessel with such a type of 
ordnance may reasonably be connected with the same period. 
That it contained heavier metal is apparent when one studies 
the armaments of seventeenth-century ships. 
As is the case now, warships carried ordnance of various sizes, 
to suit the fancy of the time and the various parts of the ship. 
Thus the Royal Prince, built in 1610, carried 55 guns, disposed 
as follows. On the lower deck : six demi-cannon, or 32-pounders ; 
two cannon -petronels, or 24 -pounders; and twelve culverins, 
or 18 -pounders. On the upper deck : eighteen demi-culverins, 
or 9 -pounders. On the forecastle and quarter-deck: sakers, or 
5 -pounders; and guns of the lightest description, some mounted 
on swivels or peeping through small ports on the highest deck, 
for use against boats, or for sweeping the decks of an enemy 
at close quarters. 
These small guns are, properly speaking, little falconets, but 
