Henrietta Marie Sounding Weight 1986.008.0641

3D Model

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.