The flask was usually a box of wood, often covered with leather and bound with iron. Normally it was either roughly triangular or shaped like a flattened horn. There was a nozzle at the end with two valves, one at the base and one at the end. This enabled the user to measure out one nozzle-full of powder at a time, and the nozzle was calculated to hold just about enough powder for a normal load. Usually two flasks were used, a large one for the propelling charge within the gun, and a small one holding finer powder for use in the priming pan. A bandolier was a somewhat more complicated piece of equipment. It consisted of a leather belt worn over the shoulder from which were suspended little cylinders of wood, metal or hard leather. Each of these cylinders held enough powder for one charge. Also attached to the belt were a bullet pouch and often a small flask for priming powder. Theoretically the bandolier afforded a faster and more convenient method of carrying ammunition. Actually, it had many disadvantages. The cylinders rattled against each other, making so much noise it was sometimes impossible to hear commands. Occasionally the musket would become tangled in the loops. And worst of all, hanging in front as they did, they would sometimes ignite from the musket discharge and the whole string of charges would explode, which was most unpleasant and disconcerting to the wearer to say the least. Despite these drawbacks, bandoliers were quite popular at Plymouth, and they are frequently mentioned in wills and inventories. As the 17th century wore on, there came two other developments in the means of carrying ammunition. The use of flasks made of cows’ horns increased in popularity as the cattle population grew. Such horn flasks had been used to some extent by the poorer classes in Europe, but in America they became very popular because they could be made locally and did not require great skill or craftsmanship. By the beginning of the 18th century such horn flasks or powder horns as they were then called completely dominated the flask picture. The other development was the practice of wrapping charges of powder in cylinders of paper which could be carried in a pouch. These were the first true cartridges. They had been used in Europe primarily for mounted troops for several decades before the Pilgrims landed. Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden is credited with having been the first general to supply his infantry with them early in the 17th century. However this may be, paper cartridges began to appear at Plymouth sometime after 1637, and by the beginning of King Philip’s War in 1675, they were fairly common. They were not widely used by European infantry until after 1700. [Illustration: _Musketeer wearing a bandolier. Note how he pours the charge from one cylinder down the muzzle. From De Gheyn._] [Illustration: _Full scale model of a sakeret mounted in Plimoth Plantation’s reconstruction of the first fort._] CANNON[1]