Why water climbs a mound of earth; deflecting river currents
A conical heap ringed by water, and currents turned aside by oblique barriers a-n, g, f
At the upper right a conical mound is drawn ringed by water and labelled powder (polvere) and water (acqua); Leonardo asks why the water climbs up a mountain of powder. At the lower right he sketches water currents with lettered lines and observes that the motion of water is opposed more lastingly by other motions of water. He explains that if the current along the line a-n breaks at g, the line n-m will strike at f and break that course, and that oblique barriers — as at h-r, n-f and a-S — can be set to restore the flow so the rebound does no harm.
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Why water rises up a mound of powder
A conical heap ringed by water is labelled powder (polvere) and water (acqua). Leonardo asks why the water climbs up a mountain of powder, posing the question of water drawn upward into a porous heap of earth.
Turning currents with oblique barriers
Currents are lettered n, m, g, f, a, r, S, h. Leonardo notes water's motion is opposed more lastingly by other water: if the line a-n breaks at g, the line n-m strikes at f and breaks that course. Oblique barriers, as at h-r, n-f and a-S, can be made to restore the flow so the rebound does no harm.