Of drawing water by Engines.
Before I begin with these, take a word or two by the way. Let it bee a generall notion that no engine for water workes of what sort soeuer, whether for seruice, or meere pleasure, can be made without the help of Succurs, Forcers, or Clackes; euery of which, I haue orderly explayned both by words and demonstratiue figures.
A Succur is a box, which is made of brasse (hauing no bottome) in the middest of which, there is a small bar goeth crosse, the same hauing a hole in the middle of it; this box hath a lid so exactly fitted unto it, that being put into it, no ayre nor water can passe betweene the creuise: this couer hath a little button on the top, and a seame that goeth into the box, and so through the hole of the aforesayd crosse barre, and afterwards it hath a little button riueted on it, so that it may with ease flip up and downe, but not be taken, or flip quite out.
A Forcer is a plug of wood exactly turned and leathered about; the end that goeth into the barrell, is semicircularly concaue.
A Clacke is a peece of Leather nayled ouer any hole, hauing a peece of lead to make it lie close, so that the ayre or water in any vessell may thereby bee kept from going out.
How to harden Leather, so as the same shall last much longer in succurs of Pumps, then it doth unprepared.
Lay such Leather as is well tanned to soake in water, wherein there hath beene store of iron filings a long time, or else in the water that hath lien a long time under a grindstone, into the which such yron as hath beene from time to time ground away, hath fallen and there setled.