<div class="breadcrumb"><a href="../index.html">Home</a> ┬╗ <a href="10">2 Things not Neccesarily of the Dark</a> ┬╗ <a href="72">2.1: The Ta'veren</a></div> <h1 class="title">2.1.8: What's the deal with Mat and bells? --Updated</h1> <div class="node" id="node-80">
<div class="submitted">Posted on July 21st, 2010 by Jennifer Liang</div>
<div class="content">
<p style="text-align: center;">[Leigh Butler, Jennifer Liang]</p>
<blockquote><p>[WH: 15, In Need of a Bellfounder, 333]:<br />"'I will set you the puzzle, since you are so clever, no?' [Aludra] said... 'You tell me what use I might have for a bellfounder, and I will tell you all of my secrets.'"</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So what does Aludra want Mat to find a bellfounder for?</p>
<p>To make cannon, though he doesn't know that yet.</p>
<p>Gabriel Wright explains: "Early cannon used a very short barrel, kind of like a bell (although not flared). Basically it was a large chunk of bronze with a bore to put your cannon ball and a small hole at the rear to set the powder charge off. The bellmaker is the person who can cast such an item."</p>
<p>Later, while on his shopping trip with Tuon and Selucia, Mat spots Aludra talking to a salt merchant, and wonders what on earth she would need with salt [COT: 29, Something Flickers]</p>
<p>Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) is the primary ingredient of gunpowder, along with charcoal and sulphur. This may constitute something of a misstep on RJ's part, though, because saltpeter is not the same thing as true salt (sodium chloride); they do not form under similar geological conditions, nor are they usually mined together [Basil Halhed].</p>
<p>Mat finally makes the connection in KoD while observing Aludra’s fireworks set up. “"Lofting tubes," he said quickly, gesturing to the small metal-bound wooden tube, a tall as he was and near enough a foot accross, sitting upright in front of her on a broad wooden base. "That's why you want a bellfounder. To make lofting tubes from bronze." [KOD: 9, Dragon’s Eggs]. Aludra further elaborates by saying, “A lofting charge big enough to send it further would burst the tube. With a bronze tube, I could use a charge that would send something a little smaller than this close to two miles. Making the slow-match slower, to let it travel that far, is easy enough. Smaller, but heavier, made of iron, and there would be nothing for pretty colors, only the bursting charge.”<br /> </p>
<a href="79" class="page-previous" title="Go to previous page">‹ 2.1.7: The Third Man --Revised</a>
<a href="72" class="page-up" title="Go to parent page">up</a>
<a href="81" class="page-next" title="Go to next page">2.2: The Rest of the Characters ›</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="links">
<ul class="links inline"><li class="book_printer first last"><a href="http://wotfaq.dragonmount.com/book/export/html/80" title="Show a printer-friendly version of this book page and its sub-pages.">Printer-friendly version</a></li>
<div class="item-list"><ul><li class="first last"><a href="http://wotfaq.dragonmount.com/user/password" title="Request new password via e-mail.">Request new password</a></li>
<p><em>Site hosting and maintenance courtesy of </em><a href="http://www.dragonmount.com"><em>Dragonmount.com</em></a></p>
<p><em>To contribute to the content of this site, please visit the </em><a href="http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/board,268.0.html"><em>Dragonmount.com Forums</em></a></p>
<p><em>Comments and questions regarding the content of this site should be directed to the WoTFaq team (</em><i><a href="mailto:wotfaq@dragonmount.com?subject=WoTFAQ"><em>wotfaq@dragonmount.com</em></a></i><em>)</em></p>
