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This type of cannon - ‘Rentaka’ in Malay- can be found in a variety of sizes, from 25 to 250cm. It harks back to a Portuguese Man-o-war cannon of the 16th century. It had many functions in the region: to signal, to support festivities, as a form of currency or dowry. But in Aceh, its primary use was exacting toll from the ships in the Strait of Malacca. In 1600 the first female Admiral of the Achenese fleet, Malahayati, was responsible for inflicting heavy losses to the Dutch warships. From then on, the British and Dutch respected the Sultanate for a long time.