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THE BELLE WAS ONE OF FOUR SHIPS UNDER THE COMMAND OF FRENCHMAN RENÉ-ROBERT CAVELIER, SIEUR (LORD) DE LA SALLE, ONE THE 17TH CENTURY’S BOLDEST EXPLORERS
LA SALLE HAD BEEN SENT BY KING LOUIS XIV OF FRANCETO ESTABLISH A COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD, AT THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
UNFORTUNATELY, THE COLONY WAS NEVER FOUNDED. LA SALLE MISSED THE MISSISSIPPI BY SOME 400 MILES, LANDING ON THE GULF COAST NOT FAR FROM WHAT IS NOW CORPUS CHRISTI. THE BELLE, ANCHORED OFFSHORE WHILE THE SAILORS VENTURED INLAND, SUNK IN A VIOLENT STORM. THE CREW, TIRED, HUNGRY, AND LOST, MUTINEED AGAINST THEIR CAPTAIN, AND LA SALLE WAS KILLED.
WHILE A TRAGEDY FOR FRANCE, THE SUNKEN BELLE HAS BROUGHT MORE THAN A LITTLE SMILE TO MARINE
ARCHAEOLOGISTS
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT SHIPWRECKS EVER DISCOVERED IN THE NEW WORLD
THE METHOD OF THE BELLE’S EXCAVATION WAS AS INCREDIBLE AS THE FIND
A COFFERDAM WAS BUILT AROUND THE WRECK AND ALL THE WATER WAS PUMPED OUT
IN SHORT, THE IN SHORT, THE BELLEBELLE WAS EXCAVATED AS IF WAS EXCAVATED AS IF
SHE WERE ON DRY LANDSHE WERE ON DRY LAND
THE QUANTITY AND VARIETY OF ARTIFACTS FROM THE BELLE IS ASTOUNDING
FROM WEAPONS AND RIGGING MATERIALS . . .
WITH DR. HAMILTON AT THE HELM, THE CONSERVATION WITH DR. HAMILTON AT THE HELM, THE CONSERVATION TEAM AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ARE TEAM AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ARE RECONSTRUCTING HER WOODEN HULL PLANK BY RECONSTRUCTING HER WOODEN HULL PLANK BY PLANKPLANK
A STATE-OF-THE-ART WOOD CONSERVATION VAT WAS SPECIALLY BUILT FOR THE PROJECT
IT ITHE VAT IS THE LARGESTTHE VAT IS THE LARGEST
OF ITS KIND IN THE UNITED OF ITS KIND IN THE UNITED STATESSTATES
IT’S LIKE FITTING TOGETHER A GIANT JIGSAW PUZZLE - IT’S LIKE FITTING TOGETHER A GIANT JIGSAW PUZZLE - A SLOW AND TEDIOUS PROCESSA SLOW AND TEDIOUS PROCESS
A WEBCAM DOCUMENTS EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS AND SHOWS IT LIVE ON THE INTERNET. HERE IS THE STATE OF
REASSEMBLY ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2000
THE CONSERVATION OF ALL THE MATERIAL FOUND ON THE BELLE WILL TAKE AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. THE ASSEMBLAGE HAS PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY EXPLORE NEW TREATMENTS BUT ALSO TO UPDATE TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PRESERVATION
FOR EXAMPLE, THE THIN IRON BLADES OF WEAPONS FOR EXAMPLE, THE THIN IRON BLADES OF WEAPONS SUCH AS POLEARMS HAVE DETERIORATED ALMOST SUCH AS POLEARMS HAVE DETERIORATED ALMOST TO NOTHING. THE VOID THAT IS LEFT BY THE METAL TO NOTHING. THE VOID THAT IS LEFT BY THE METAL IS FILLED WITH EPOXY TO RECREATE EACH BLADE’S IS FILLED WITH EPOXY TO RECREATE EACH BLADE’S ORIGINAL SHAPEORIGINAL SHAPE
THIS CONGLOMERATE WASTHIS CONGLOMERATE WASALSO BROKEN AND FILLED ALSO BROKEN AND FILLED WITH EPOXY TO MAKE A CAST WITH EPOXY TO MAKE A CAST REPLICA OF THE ORIGINAL REPLICA OF THE ORIGINAL OBJECTOBJECT
OR IN THIS CASE, SEVERAL OBJECTS
SHOWN AT LEFT IS THE CREST SHOWN AT LEFT IS THE CREST OF LE COMTE DE VERMANDOIS, OF LE COMTE DE VERMANDOIS,
ADMIRAL OF FRANCE, 1669-1683ADMIRAL OF FRANCE, 1669-1683
SHOWN AT RIGHT IS THE CROWN OF LOUIS XIV
SHOW AT LEFT IS THE CANNON’S TOUCH HOLE (FOR THE GUNPOWDER)
ENCLOSED WITHIN A ROSETTE MOTIF
SHOWN AT RIGHT IS THE WEIGHT OF THE CANNON –
746 FRENCH POUNDS – AND THE CASTING
NUMBER - 84
PROF. DENIS LEE, A MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATOR, RECONSTRUCTED THE FACIAL FEATURES IN CLAY DIRECTLY ONTO THE CAST
ADD A LITTLE PAINT HERE . . . ADD A LITTLE PAINT HERE . . . A LITTLE PAINT THERE . . . A LITTLE PAINT THERE . . .
AND VOILA . . . AND VOILA . . .
THE FACE OF A 17TH-THE FACE OF A 17TH-CENTURY FRENCH SAILOR IS CENTURY FRENCH SAILOR IS
STARING BACK AT YOU AFTER STARING BACK AT YOU AFTER 314 YEARS AT THE BOTTOM 314 YEARS AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE SEAOF THE SEA