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Originally Posted by HangPC2
...Cannon such as these were being manufactured nearly one hundred years before the arrival of Europeans to this part of the world. It is believed that gun making was introduced to the region by Muslim traders from the Middle East.
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Are you sure ? Maybe not necessaily so:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantaka
I am not an expert, but aren't those suspension dolphins on some of the pictured models of Spanish/Portuguese influence?
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Originally Posted by HangPC2
The cannon are smooth bore and muzzle loading. They were used as weapons of war and also signalled the start and end to fasts during the period of Ramadan. The firing of cannons was also used by royalty to announce a royal birth or wedding.
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Lantakas had a very wide use, even becoming currency, the so called "cannon money" ... in the form of small pieces and even miniatures.
These were auctioned in 1989 in Lisbon; the triple barreled one for a fortune.
Fernando