THE CONSERVATION OF THE BELLE LA SALLE’S SHIP LOST IN TEXAS IN 1686

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 FRANCE TO ESTABLISH A COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD, AT THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

UNFORTUNATELY, THE COLONY WAS NEVER FOUNDED 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 BELLE WAS EXCAVATED AS IF SHE WERE ON DRY LAND

THE QUANTITY AND VARIETY OF ARTIFACTS FROM THE BELLE IS ASTOUNDING FROM WEAPONS AND RIGGING MATERIALS . . .

TO WOODEN BOXES FILLED WITH TRADE GOODS, SUCH AS BEADS AND RINGS . . .

TO EVERYDAY-TYPE OBJECTS, SUCH AS VESSELS FOR EATING AND DRINKING, WERE ALSO ON BOARD

OF COURSE, THE LARGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT ARTIFACT IS THE BELLE HERSELF

WITH DR. HAMILTON AT THE HELM, THE CONSERVATION TEAM AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ARE RECONSTRUCTING HER WOODEN HULL PLANK BY PLANK

OF ITS KIND IN THE UNITED STATES A STATE-OF-THE-ART WOOD CONSERVATION VAT WAS SPECIALLY BUILT FOR THE PROJECT THE VAT IS THE LARGEST OF ITS KIND IN THE UNITED STATES IT I

ON MAY 3, 2000, THE KEEL WAS LAID IN PREPARATION FOR REASSEMBLY

IT’S LIKE FITTING TOGETHER A GIANT JIGSAW PUZZLE - A SLOW AND TEDIOUS PROCESS

THE ORIGINAL ASSEMBLY MARKS ON THE FRAMES HELP TO KEEP THINGS IN ORDER

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

AN INTERPRETATIVE MODEL OF THE BELLE IS BEING CONSTRUCTED AS THE SHIP IS BEING REBUILT

ANOTHER WEBCAM DOCUMENTS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS 1:12 MODEL

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 SUCH AS POLEARMS HAVE DETERIORATED ALMOST TO NOTHING. THE VOID THAT IS LEFT BY THE METAL IS FILLED WITH EPOXY TO RECREATE EACH BLADE’S ORIGINAL SHAPE

OR IN THIS CASE, SEVERAL OBJECTS THIS CONGLOMERATE WAS ALSO BROKEN AND FILLED WITH EPOXY TO MAKE A CAST REPLICA OF THE ORIGINAL OBJECT OR IN THIS CASE, SEVERAL OBJECTS

SEVERAL 17TH-CENTURY FRENCH CANNON WERE ALSO RECOVERED FROM THE SITE

SEE THE DIFFERENCE AFTER CONSERVATION ALL OF THE CASTING DETAILS ARE NOW REVEALED . . . .

SHOWN AT LEFT IS THE CREST OF LE COMTE DE VERMANDOIS, ADMIRAL 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

WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH THE REMAINS OF THIS UNFORTUNATE SAILOR

WE GAVE HIS SKULL A CT SCAN AND THEN CREATED A RESIN CAST

PROF. DENIS LEE, A MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATOR, RECONSTRUCTED THE FACIAL FEATURES IN CLAY DIRECTLY ONTO THE CAST

ADD A LITTLE PAINT HERE. A LITTLE PAINT THERE. AND VOILA ADD A LITTLE PAINT HERE . . . A LITTLE PAINT THERE . . . AND VOILA . . . THE FACE OF A 17TH-CENTURY FRENCH SAILOR IS STARING BACK AT YOU AFTER 314 YEARS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

AND FINALLY . . . SUPRISES ARE ALWAYS INTERESTING LIKE THIS SILVER ROMAN COIN OTHO CAESAR RULED FOR THREE MONTHS IN A.D.70. PUT ANOTHER WAY, WHEN BELLE SANK IN 1686, THIS COIN WAS 1616 YEARS OLD!!!