Military Preparations: Volume 208

River Defense

...chicken spurs. These are used to shatter the soles of the enemy's feet. With these six methods, even if there are shoals or sandbars, how could the enemy ever ford our borders?

If there is a fear that the water is deep enough for ships and oars to navigate, then we attach iron hooks onto floating buoys; these are called Floating Hooks fugou original: 浮鈎. When they encounter enemy ships, the hull planks can be sunk. We also tie rope nets within the river current; these are called Oar Blockers julu original: 拒櫓. When they encounter enemy ships, the paddles and oars will be entangled.

Gather cotton batting and grain tassels to wrap around the enemy ship's Cypress Pivots baizhuo original: 栢椓; refers to the wooden pins or pivots that hold the oars in place, making the poles and oars difficult to swing. Cut reeds and vines to obstruct the enemy ship's stroking of the water, making the Tread-boards cheban original: 車版; refers to the blades of a paddle-wheel ship, which were often powered by men treading on internal wheels difficult to step on.

Where the water current is rapid, set up Blade-Edge Timbers daokoumu original: 刀口木; these cause the bottoms of enemy ships to be broken open without even needing to be chiseled. Where the water is vast and deep, set up Bent-Knee Awls quxi zhui original: 曲膝錐; these cause the planks of enemy ships to be pierced through without even needing an awl.

Place pulling-ropes at the bottom of the water; when enemy ships encounter them, they will be unable to move even an inch. Strategists call these the "Divine... The text ends mid-sentence; likely 'Divine Tactics' or 'Divine Mechanisms'