The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci Complete


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On naval warfare (1115. 1116).  
1
115.  
Supposing in a battle between ships and galleys that the ships are  
victorious by reason of the high of heir tops, you must haul the  
yard up almost to the top of the mast, and at the extremity of the  
yard, that is the end which is turned towards the enemy, have a  
small cage fastened, wrapped up below and all round in a great  
mattress full of cotton so that it may not be injured by the bombs;  
then, with the capstan, haul down the opposite end of this yard and  
the top on the opposite side will go up so high, that it will be far  
above the round-top of the ship, and you will easily drive out the  
men that are in it. But it is necessary that the men who are in the  
galley should go to the opposite side of it so as to afford a  
counterpoise to the weight of the men placed inside the cage on the  
yard.  
1
116.  
If you want to build an armada for the sea employ these ships to ram  
in the enemy's ships. That is, make ships 100 feet long and 8 feet  
wide, but arranged so that the left hand rowers may have their oars  
to the right side of the ship, and the right hand ones to the left  
side, as is shown at M, so that the leverage of the oars may be  
longer. And the said ship may be one foot and a half thick, that is  
900  


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898 899 900 901 902

Quick Jump
1 306 613 919 1225