Cannon, made at the gun foundry of Henricus Meurs in Amsterdam, c. 1600. The superior power of European guns allowed a comparatively small group of Europeans to dominate significant sections of Asia's coastal regions. But the guns on board VOC ships were also used in the hard-fought struggle against rival European powers. This cannon, which was built to fire 24-pound shot, stood on the VOC ship, the Witte Leeuw. The vessel sank off St Helena in an encounter with Portuguese ships.