Lela (cannon)
[2]: 50 The cannon was named after a heroine of the Malay classic romance story called "Laila Majnun".
The customs of naming special cannon was not uncommon in Europe in the early days and also in Nusantara to the recent times.
[3]: 97 They used lead and tin slugs (called "dadu-dadu")[8]: 209 at close quarters, and the case shot were made of stones in a rattan basket.
[3]: 95 Often, they have dolphins (metal lugs on top to lift the cannon) but they may be purely ornamental, as they can be picked up without hoisting it with ropes.
[3]: 93 Compared to European falconet with its history dating back to the 1500s, lela was shorter in range and lighter in weight but excels in ornamentation and design.
Just like prangi, this cetbang is a breech-loading swivel gun made of bronze or iron, firing single rounds or scattershots (a large number of small bullets).
Among those, 2,000 were made from brass and the rest from iron, in the style of Portuguese Berço (breech-loading swivel gun).
[23] Anthony Reid argued that the Javanese handled much of the productive work in Malacca before 1511 and in 17th century Pattani.
[22]: 69 Wan Mohd Dasuki Wan Hasbullah explained several facts about the existence of gunpowder weapons in Malacca and other Malay states before the arrival of the Portuguese:[24]: 97–98 The cannons found in Malacca were of various types: esmeril (1/4 to 1/2-pounder swivel gun,[25] probably refers to cetbang or lantaka), falconet (cast bronze swivel gun larger than the esmeril, 1 to 2-pounder[25]), medium saker (long cannon or culverin between a six and a ten pounder, probably refers to meriam),[26] and bombard (short, fat, and heavy cannon).
The Malay chronicle, Sejarah Melayu, mentioned that in 1509 they do not understand “why bullets killed”, indicating their unfamiliarity with using firearms in battle, if not in ceremony.
[21]: 3 As recorded in Sejarah Melayu:Setelah datang ke Melaka, maka bertemu, ditembaknya dengan meriam.
Maka segala orang Melaka pun hairan, terkejut mendengar bunyi meriam itu.
[27][14]: 219 Lendas da India by Gaspar Correia and Asia Portuguesa by Manuel de Faria y Sousa confirmed Sejarah Melayu's account.
[28][29] The Epic of Hang Tuah narrates a Malaccan expedition to the country of Rum (the Ottoman Empire) to buy bedil (guns) and large meriam (cannons) after their first encounter with the Portuguese in 1509 CE, indicating their shortage of firearms and gunpowder weapons.
Several renowned foundries of the region are Terengganu in Malay peninsula, Gresik in Java, and Minangkabau lands of interior Sumatra,[32] at Brunei and Banjarmasin in Borneo, Sulu in Southern Philippines, Makassar in Sulawesi, and Aceh.
They are generally armed with swivels on their bows, centre, and stern, of small calibre, but long range.
When preparing to attack, strong bulwarks of wood called Apilans are erected, behind which the crew ensconce themselves, fighting with their long guns until their prey is disabled; or till the gong sound the signal for boarding.Brunei was known for its foundries in the 19th century.
