Throwing weapons: darts, slings, and a wall sling-engine
Ways of hurling projectiles far, with a great sling on a trestle for town walls
The sheet gathers studies of hand-thrown missiles under the heading 'ways of throwing far': slender darts named Caccianemico and Lanciacampo, a hooked pole, and several one- and two-handed slings. At the lower right a great sling mounted on a trestle is charged with a fifty-pound mace and measures six braccia from pole to pouch, an engine noted as being kept upon a town's walls or in like places. Weights (one and fifty pounds) and lengths in braccia are given for the larger devices.
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Throwing darts: Caccianemico and Dardo
Under the heading 'ways of throwing far,' the topmost rows show slender throwing darts. The first at the left is named Caccianemico ('enemy-driver'); the fourth is called simply a dart.
A staff-thrower and a hooked pole
The fifth device is a Lanciacampo ('field-hurler') fitted to a staff of eight braccia. The sixth is worked in the left hand with its hook held upside down.
One- and two-handed slings
At the upper right stand four slings: one that hurls with a single hand, a Fronzastra used one-handed, a two-handed Cacciafrusto ('whip-driver'), and a frommola sling.
Great trestle-mounted sling for town walls
A large sling set on a trestle is armed with a mace of fifty pounds and reaches six braccia from the pole to the pouch. Leonardo notes it is kept upon the walls of a town or in similar places; the sling itself is marked as one pound.
