Accession Number

1986.008.0641

Creation Date

circa 1700

Description

With hole for line.

Exhibition Label

This heavy sounding lead, or plummet, served as a weight to carry a line from the ship’s side to the sea floor. The length the line traveled to the bottom told the ship’s pilot how deep the water was, an important measurement for maintaining a safe course. The lead comes from the wreck of the London-based slave ship Henrietta Marie sunk near Key West, Florida in 1700. In the realm of sounding leads, this 19 centimeter tall piece is relatively small, weighing 2.737 kilograms.