The Atlantic Codex

This page contains technical drawings and descriptions of an odometer (odometro), a device for measuring distances. The text is written in Leonardo da Vinci's characteristic mirror handwriting, intended to be read in a mirror from right to left.

[Technical Drawings: Odometer]

To? this? wheel? let? them? be? joined? with?
in the? manner? that? is? drawn? here? and? for?
every? pace? original: "passo"; a historical unit of length that? the? road? wheel? makes?
its? pin? will move? and? for? every?
thousand? paces? it? will? cause? a? small stone? to fall?
into? a? small box? which? is? seen? here?
and? in? such? a way? one? will know? how many? miles?
the? journey? has? covered? and? this? is? a better?
instrument? than? that? of the? ancients? Leonardo likely refers to Vitruvius, the Roman architect who described a similar device.
because? it is? more? certain? and? more? convenient?
because? there is? no? need? to? stand? and?
count? the? stones? that? fall?
into the? box? but? only?
to see? the? number? through? the? window?

Some? others? have? made it? with?
a? vessel? full? of? water? and? with? a?
small? hole? through which? the water? would exit?
and? with? that? measure? one? could? know?
how much? road? had? been? traveled? but? this?
method? is? not? very? good? because? the water?
does not? exit? with? equal? velocity?
when? the? vessel? is? full? as? when?
it is? half? empty? and? also? because? the? motion?
of the? cart? would? cause? the water? to move?
so that it? would exit? now? more? quickly? and? now?
more? slowly? according to? the? jolting? of the?
cart? and? therefore? use? my? method?
because? it? cannot? err? at all?