Pile drivers and building a bastion by night
Shielded lanterns on tall poles so enemy fire misses the sappers
The sheet is devoted to construction on a defensive site. A tall central pile-driving machine with a curved head and a smaller frame worked by figures illustrate ways of driving piles for a castle, one note requiring that the weight a b equal b c. At lower right a wall, moat and three tall poles introduce a method for planting a bastion at night: oil lamps set in gimballed lanterns are raised on long black lances so that enemy shots aimed at the lights spare the sappers, the work done quietly with one overseer for every five men.
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Pile driver for castle foundations
A framed ram is used to drive piles at a castle; the drawing is captioned as a pile driver. The note stipulates that the falling weight a b must equal the length b c.
Two-man manual pile driver
A smaller pile-driving device is shown worked by two men, sketched together with dynamic studies of labourers, one barely indicated and one firmly drawn raising a shovel.
Raising a bastion at night by shielded lantern-light
To build a bastion after dark, oil lamps are set inside lanterns and lifted high on long lances, so that enemy fire drawn to the lights does not strike the sappers. The lamps are gimballed so they do not spill when raised, the poles painted black and lifted at sunset with little noise, and one overseer with a stick is set over every five workmen to keep the work quick.