FOREWORD.

ripraporiginal: "enrochement." A foundation or wall made of large stones thrown into the water to create a stable base.; the manner of founding all types of works at the bottom of the water without a cofferdamoriginal: "batardeau." A temporary, watertight enclosure built in a body of water and pumped dry to allow construction work on the seabed. or drainage, in imitation of what has been most remarkably executed at ToulonA major naval port on the Mediterranean coast of France, known for its deep-water harbor., which I have chosen for the Mediterranean, just as I did Dunkirkoriginal: "Dunkerque." A strategic port on the North Sea, representing "the Ocean" in this context. for the Ocean, without neglecting the examples that other European ports could offer me. Fortunately, I found on the part of Mr. Milet de Monville, Chief Engineer at Toulon, who is known to have acquired the most sought-after knowledge of the works being carried out there, all the assistance that his capacity was able to provide me. These various works are followed by the establishment of dry docks and slipsoriginal: "formes & calles." Facilities used for the building and repair of ships; "formes" refers to the docks and "calles" to the inclined planes or slips. for the construction of ships in both seas; and this third book concludes with the use that can be made of water currents in the operations of siege and field warfare. Many will undoubtedly find this subject worthy of their attention, due to the interesting views we have endeavored to scatter throughout it.

After having reported the main works suitable for maritime strongholds, we have included in the fourth and final book the manner of making rivers navigable and joining them by canals. It begins with research into the nature of rivers in relation to the accidents to which they are subject; we show the repairs that can be made to these rivers with the help of groynesoriginal: "épis." Low walls or jetties built out from a bank into a stream to direct the current or protect the bank from erosion. and sluicesoriginal: "éclufes." Gates or barriers used to control the flow and level of water.; then a description is given of the main navigation canals established by the ancients and the moderns, with maxims for forming projects of this kind, and what pertains to their execution. There we teach in the greatest detail the construction of lock chambersoriginal: "sas." The walled chamber of a canal lock where the water level is raised or lowered to move ships between different elevations. to facilitate the ascent and descent