La Belle

La Belle is a 17th-century ship associated with French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who led an ill-fated expedition to establish a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The ship was discovered in 1995 in Matagorda Bay, off the coast of Texas, and was excavated by the Texas Historical Commission.

History

La Belle was one of four ships used by La Salle for his Gulf of Mexico expedition. The ship was lost in a storm in 1686, and its wreck was discovered in 1995. The shipwreck site was the subject of a major archaeological excavation by the Texas Historical Commission.

Design and Construction

La Belle was a barque longue, with three masts and a relatively shallow draft. It was built in 1684 in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France, and was designed for both military and trade purposes. The ship was approximately 54 feet long and could carry about 40-50 tons of cargo.

Excavation and Preservation

The excavation of La Belle began in 1996 and was completed in 1997. The ship's remains were reassembled and preserved at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas. The preservation process involved the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG), a common method for preserving waterlogged wooden artifacts.

Legacy

The discovery and excavation of La Belle has provided valuable insights into 17th-century ship construction, navigation, and life aboard ship. The artifacts recovered from the shipwreck also shed light on the material culture of the period and the ill-fated La Salle expedition.

See Also

• French colonization of the Americas
• History of Texas
• Shipwrecks