Oblique River Banks and the Force of the Current
Banks struck by water must be built more oblique as the striking power grows
This mirror-written ink page, headed by a curved, hatched fan-shaped diagram at the upper right, sets out a rule for river embankments. Leonardo argues that banks battered by the current must be made the more oblique in proportion to the power of the water's percussion. He reasons that water rises higher against a bank the more oblique that bank is, and consequently descends with greater impetus to strike the opposite shore. Faint offset drawings bleed through from adjacent leaves at the foot of the page.
On this page
Banks made oblique in proportion to the water's percussion
Every river bank that is struck by the water must be the more oblique in proportion as the percussion of the water is of greater power. Water rises higher against a bank the more oblique it finds it.
Greater impetus onto the opposite shore
Because the current rises more against an oblique bank, it descends again with greater impetus to strike the opposing shore. The reasoning ties the geometry of the bank to the force delivered across the channel.
Curved bank diagram
A curved, hatched fan-shaped figure is drawn at the upper right of the page, illustrating the profile of a curved embankment. It accompanies the note on curved banks (argine ricurvo).