novelAbuy Chapter 1927 1398: Three Sketches, Academic Wisdom from Europe!
Chapter 1927 1398: Three Sketches, Academic Wisdom from Europe!
"The Priest has spoken! You have one night and one day to think of a feasible method to salvage the 8-pound cannon! If you can think of a way, you will live; if not, then click click click click click!...""Don't think about running away! This island is full of our people, and with your tender skin, you won't get far... If the fierce Red-haired Warriors catch you, they will use vine strips dipped in peppered saltwater to whip you until you're half-dead!... And the cruel Red-haired Captain might even smear real Devil's Pepper on your vulnerable parts! That deadly, horrible sensation, hiss!... I can't even imagine, no one could withstand it!..."
"What? You're asking what pepper is?... If you survive, you'll get a chance to taste it, it's very fragrant!..."
The night was deep, the sails docked at the village, and lights accompanied the celebration of the entire tribe. The aroma of various foods wafted from afar, the laughter and chatter of men and women resonated all night, filled with the pure joy of repelling Evil Demons!
As the captured "Noble Chief" Demon, Scholar Martin was held separately in a simple underground pit. His feet were tied with ropes knotted into a deadlock, binding two heavy stones. Two Taino Militia guarded him, always alert for his escape.
"Almighty! Is this not the Hell from the Divine Comedy? And that so-called Devil 'Pepper'... it sounds like a punishment from hell, like the burning, terrifying casket of the sixth layer!"
At this moment, under the threat of the Castilian Sailors, in the pit without freedom, a bed, or even light, Scholar Martin was thoroughly engulfed in fear!
He couldn't help but think of the Divine Comedy popular among the Shenluo Nobles, a work born over a hundred years ago in the Italian City-States, now deeply etched in people's hearts, truly pioneering the depiction of the nine-layered hell. With its profound religious philosophy, it was highly praised by the "German Scholars". And the so-called "pepper", it must be the torture of hell, the temptation and torment of demons?!
"Almighty witness! His glory always shines upon me! Devotion is my shield... uh?... The Almighty will protect me... right?... from the vicious, barbaric, demon-like natives?"
Clearly, Scholar Martin's faith was not sufficient, and he would never receive the Almighty's approval.
It was unclear if that beast number mark truly brought demonic corruption, or if too much knowledge "poisoned" his heart that was supposed to be devout. That night, he tossed and turned on the muddy ground, unable to sleep. The dark terror not only devoured his soul but also brought him unprecedented mental stress!
"Almighty! Demon! I must survive! I absolutely cannot die at the hands of barbaric natives, or even be eaten by them... no matter the cost! My outstanding wisdom will surely save me! God! Demon!..."
The pressure of life and death gave Scholar Martin unprecedented motivation, making him like a high-speed spinning top, crazily whipped by the "Devil's Whip". He was acutely aware that this was not an ordinary test but a trial of life and death!
If he couldn't display enough value, even if the natives did manage to salvage the 8-pound cannon, they likely wouldn't grant him any favor or good outcome... He must exert all his effort to showcase his knowledge and skills! This would be the most desperate day of his life, in the hands of barbarians who didn't acknowledge nobility!
By the evening of the second day, Scholar Martin finally with bloodshot eyes, carrying the charcoal sketches on three wooden boards, approached the highest-ranking "Demon Shaman" among the "evil native tribes", adorned with a Feather Crown, Xiu Maoying!
"Respected Lord Cipangu! Allow me to introduce... a brilliant plan from a wise Noble Scholar! Regarding how to retrieve a 2,000-pound 8-pound cannon from over twenty meters undersea..."
"Please look at these three design sketches! The first sketch is a pulley lifting mechanism that can help the diver quickly ascend and descend. It just requires tying different counterweights to both ends of the rope. And the entire lifting mechanism should have three parallel ropes! One for quick descent, one for quick ascent, and one to bind the 8-pound cannon, which can remain underwater..."
Xiu Maoying's sharp gaze fell upon Scholar Martin's three sketches. His eyebrows slightly twitched, feeling a particularly understandable surprise for this "three-dimensional drawing" he had seen for the first time. And this was the first time in all of Central America that they were encountering the latest academic advancements from Europe, even in the smallest aspects! In reality, this was the true force capable of changing the future throughout the European world...
The first sketch depicted a simple fixed pulley mechanism. Xiu Maoying found it somewhat familiar, as if he had heard or seen something similar from his brother or some abstract Divine Revelation paintings.
"Chief Divine bless! According to the Divine Power University's textbook, the forces of nature are always relative...the force determines the acceleration of an object?… And this 'pulley', is it to change the direction of force, impart different accelerations?"
Scholar Martin blinked, staring at the mumbling native shaman, not knowing what "spell" the other was muttering. With these natives' ignorant level, perhaps they were completely unable to understand his great wisdom... but none of this mattered, keeping his noble life intact from the barbarian's axe was most important!
"Cough! Respected Lord, this is the second sketch, it's the detailed binding design for the 8-pound cannon! I've drawn two types: iron chain binding and rope binding... uh, no iron chain? Then rope will do, rope is very good!"
"We need to lower a long fixed object to connect with the 8-pound cannon... It can be an iron bar or hard wood... Then, use a cross-binding method, forming a mutually tightening cross-bind structure between the rope and the cannon barrel... Each rope is estimated to withstand 200 pounds of tension, there should be at least ten knots, preferably twelve!"
"Once bound, inspect all rope knots, insert wooden wedges or stone wedges in loose areas, making all knots bear force and lock each other... Ah! You said what? I need not explain ropes, you are professionals? Uh... Yes! Yes!"
"Right! Right! You are very right! The most crucial aspect still is breath, without adequate breath for diving, such complex binding won't suffice! However, we German Scholars have devised the newest diving apparatus design, the pioneering, never-before-seen, water-immersed, great diving bell!"
At this point, Scholar Martin finally showed pride, pointing to the third wooden board sketch! And on it, clearly drawn was a large bell hanging in the water! Though it seemed just a large bell submerged underwater, the underlying intellectual foundation was precisely the "Renaissance" and "Enlightenment" of European scientific exploration in the last hundred years!
"Almighty bless!...uh! Huitzilopo bless too!... According to Ancient Greek Scholar Aristotle, 'Air is a tangible element, sustaining life'! We can't see air, but can feel it, breathe it in! And it can sink into water, compressed by the 'weight of the water'..."
"The German City States' scholars performed experiments! They submerged a small bell straight down rapidly into the water... and amazingly the water couldn't completely fill the bell's interior, because the bell retained air! These air congregated at the top of the bell, and the water line held at a specific location, the boundary of air and water…"
"And as the bell's depth increased, the water line slowly moved upward, seemingly compressing the air! Though scholars were still unclear on what exactly caused this change, the real existing strong pressure... indeed air could be preserved in water through this diving bell! This is not merely a bell, but a masterpiece enabling underwater breathing and air exchange!"
"Certainly! This 'diving bell' must be heavy enough, robust enough to withstand the pressure over twenty meters deep! It must be metal cast, completely watertight, soft leather won't do, wood won't do!"
"The diving bell, of course, should be cast as large as possible! The larger the bell, the more air it can store, allowing divers to breathe more, even crouch and descend inside... uh! If a large one can't be cast, smaller ones will do, can submerge several, preferably use pulley racks... weight must be balanced left and right, can't tilt at the seabed! If tilted beyond a certain angle, air will escape!"
"Lord, I swear in the name of the Almighty and the demon! This is absolutely the most feasible salvage plan! Three lifting pulleys, ten binding knots, one diving bell... If this still fails, then offer...cough! Let me further refine, I'll surely come up with a feasible solution!"