1115

On naval warfare.

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.

Taken from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci edited by Jean Paul Richter, 1880.

Notebooks of Leonoardo da Vinci
XVIII: Naval Warfare.--Mechanical Appliances.--Music.
The ship’s logs of Vitruvius, of Alberti and of Leonardo.
1113
Methods of staying and moving in water.
1114
On naval warfare.
1115,
1116
The use of swimming belts.
1117
On the gravity of water.
1118
Diving apparatus and Skating.
1119,
1120,
1121
On Flying machines.
1122,
1123,
1124,
1125,
1126
Of mining.
1127
Of Greek fire.
1128
Of Music.
1129,
1130
Of decorations.
1131
. . .