Devices for underwater warfare: diving armour, float and poison smoke
Copper armour for sabotaging ships, a submersible float, a great lever-screw, and poison-smoke recipes.
The sheet gathers means of attacking ships from the water: a suit of overlapping copper plates so a grappling-hook cannot catch the diver, with the advice to first sound the bottom and merely bore the hull if that suffices to disable it. Alongside are a submersible float (baga) fitted with a valve so the swimmer can sink at will while his hands act as oars, a long tube that releases water when a ring is pulled, and a great screw turned by a twelve-braccia lever with spurred slippers to brace the foot. The left half lists recipes for a soporific smoke and a deadly smoke of arsenic, sulphur and other poisons to be thrown into ships, each paired with an antidote. Much of the writing is faint and further untranscribed jottings surround the drawings.
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Copper diving armour for boring an enemy hull
For working at sea, a suit of copper is made with the plates laid over one another in opposed courses so that a grappling-hook cannot seize the diver. The bottom is first measured; if merely boring through the hull will disable the ship without sinking it, that is done, otherwise it is fastened in the manner drawn.
Long tube releasing water by a pulled ring
A long tube is drawn with the note that water issues from a hole when the ring is drawn downward. It appears to be part of the submersible apparatus for controlling water or air.
Great screw turned by a twelve-braccia lever
A large threaded screw is worked by a lever twelve braccia long, with a bent lever needed for the final turn. To turn it the operator wears a pair of slippers with heel-spurs, or hooks, so that the foot holds firm.
Submersible float with valve, hands as oars
A float that serves as a boat is arranged so that the gear and the man ride submerged between the two waters. The bag is fitted with a little valve so that, by deflating it, the man may descend to the bottom at will while his hands serve as oars.
Recipes for soporific and deadly smoke
A soporific smoke is made from darnel seed, mappello root and camphor, with brandy-soaked cotton as antidote. A deadly smoke of arsenic combined with sulphur or realgar is countered by rose water; further toxic ingredients (distilled toad, foam of a rabid dog, tarantula, verdigris and poisoned lime) are to be thrown into ships.