William Read & Sons was a well known sporting goods store that opened early in the 1850s in Boston. This cannon bears their mark on the rear of the tube just above the cascabel. The cannon itself was likely intended as a small signal cannon or as a light defensive weapon for merchant ships. The tube measures approximately 33 1/4 inches from the muzzle to the end of the cascabel and the bore measures approximately 1 3/4-1 7/8 inches, which would use a 2 pound cannon ball.. The trunnions measure approximately 9 1/4 inches across. It is mounted on a mahogany stepped naval style carriage with its original tube elevation wedge.