Rockport Texas - The History, Legends & Lore 1st Printing | Page 24

LORE: CANNONS & MORTARS In 1249, an English Monk named Roger Bacon was experimenting with Black Powder - about 60 years later, Cannons began appearing in Europe. Cannons were also being fired from sea vessels by the year 1338. In the mid-1300’s, Mortars were entering the battlefield, and Castle walls would never be the same. LORE: ARQUEBUS The Arquebus was an early European firearm that fulfilled its usefulness from the mid-1400’s to the mid-1600’s. It was considered an improvement of the ‘Hand Cannon’ with the addition of its Matchlock mechanism. Its recoil was somewhat extreme, and the noise it made was enough to receive permanent hearing loss from even a single firing. Also, they were heavy enough to warrant a stand. LORE: SUNDIAL COMPASS A Sundial & a Compass that’s all-inone. The Spanish were using the Sundial Compass by the early 1600’s. 23