Photographs and documents of the bells found in the shoals of Lucena are made available

Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Mr. Gustavo Adelino provided the Museu Marítimo EXEA with photographs and digitized documents related to the three bells found in the shoals of Lucena / PB. The documents include a report and an exchange of correspondence with the Marinha do Brazil. Among the correspondence is one from the archaeologist of the Museu Naval e Oceanográfico, Luiz Octávio Castro Cunha, who stated that the name of the founder Henrick Wegeaert was known in the investigations of the Museu Naval, being responsible for casting several bronze cannons "rescued from the bottom of the sea". In the same letter, the archaeologist proposes the hypothesis that the bells would belong to a type of vessel called fleuten, which, being fast sailboats, had greater maneuverability, causing great losses to the Portuguese fleet for many years. Hypothetically, this vessel belonged to the Dutch fleet, which in 1625 withdrew from Bahia after being defeated by the Luso-Spanish fleet, heading north along the coast, aiming to return to the Netherlands. The hull of the vessel was not located, therefore, it is an isolated find. The Museu Marítimo EXEA thanks Mr. Gustavo Adelino for the rich contribution. #photographs #documents #database