Musketeer wearing a bandolier
Musketeer wearing a bandolier. Note how he pours the charge from one cylinder down the muzzle. From De Gheyn. There were several ways of carrying this ammunition. The powder was normally either in a flask or bandolier; the shot in a soft leather pouch. When going into action, a soldier often took his bullets from his pouch and put them in his mouth so he could spit them into the barrel of his gun and save time in loading.
A seventeenth century musketeer
A seventeenth century musketeer ready to fire his matchlock. From Jacques de Gheyn, Maniement d’Armes, 1608. The military supplies which the Pilgrims brought with them may be divided into three major categories: defensive armor, edged weapons, and projectile weapons. A completely armed man, especially in the first years, was usually equipped with one or more articles from each of the three groups, usually a helmet and corselet, a sword, and a musket.