3 _Sinus_ a Creeke, Gulfe, or Bay, when the sea runnes vp into
the bosome of the land by a narrow enterance but openeth it
broader when it is within; if it bee very litell it is called a
Hauen, _Portus_.
4 _Lacus_ a Lake, a little sea with in the land hauing riuers
running into it, or out of it, or both. If it hath neither it is
called _Stagnum_ a standing Poole, also _Palus_; a fenne.
5 _Fluvius_ a Riuer, which from the pleasantnesse is also called
_Amnis_; from the smalnesse of it _Rivus_.
Now concerning these parts diuers questions are moued; whether
there bee more Sea or Land? whether the sea would naturally
ouerflow the land, as it did in the first creation, were it not
withheld within his bankes by diuine power? whether the deepenes
of the Sea, doth exceede the height of the mountaines? whether
mountaines were before the flood? what is the hight of the
highest hilles? whether Iland, came since the flood? what is the
cause of the Ebbing and flowing of the Sea? what is the original
of springs and riuers? what manner of motion the running of the
riuers is? with such like, whereof some belong not so properly to
this science of Geography as to others. Wee speake onely a word
or two of the last, & so proceed. The question is whether the
motion of the riuers bee streight, or Circular. The doubts on
both sides will best appeare by a figure first drawne: wherein,
Let (_HMO_) be the Meridian of _Alexandria_ in _Ægipt_, or of the
Mouth of _Nilus_ and answerable to the meridian of the Heauens.
Another in the Earth (_XBY_.) Let (_B_) bee the mouth of _Nilus_,
and (_C_) the fountaine and head of it. Now the mouth of _Nilus_,
where it runnes into the mediterranian Sea, is placed by
geographers in the 31. degree of the North latitud; & the head of
_Nilus_ where it riseth is placed by _Polomeus_ in 11. degree of
the South latitud, but by latter & more exact geographers in the
14. degree of the Southern latitud, so that the distance betweene
the founts & _Ostia_ i.e. betweene (_C_) and (_B_) is 45. degrees
of a great Circle, which after the vsuall account makes 2700. one
eight part of the earths compasse. The quæstion now is, whether
the runninge from (_C_) to (_B_) runne continually downward in a
streight line; or circularly in a crooked line. If it runne in a
streight line, as is most agreeable to the nature of the water it
must moue either by the line (_CEB_) or by the line (_DB_.) By
the line (_CEB_) it cannot moue: for when it is come to (_E_,) it
will stand still. Because from (_E_) to (_B_) it must moue
vpward, if it moue at all, which is contrary to the nature of
water. If therefore it moue by a streight line it can bee noe
other, but (_BD_,) and so from (_D_) to (_B_) it shall
continually descend; for of all places betweene (_D_,) & (_B_)
(_B_) is the nearest to (_A_.) But then the fountaine must not
bee in (_B_) but higher in (_D_) which semees altogether
improbable or impossible. For first the line (_AD_) would bee
notably and sent by longer then the line (_AB_) For the compasse
of the earth being about 24000. Miles, and the semidiameter
(_AB_,) or (_AC_) 3828. miles the line (_CD_,) would bee 1581.
miles, which cannot bee true, if as wee haue proued before, the
earth bee round, and that the highest hills make noe sensible
inæquality. Againe they that dwell in (_D_) should see the North
Pole starre (_N_) as well as they that dwell in (_B_,) which also
is false. So then the riuer cannot runne either by (_EB_) or
(_DB_) Runnes it then circularly by the line (_CWB_?) This seemes
probable, and the rather because heereby a reason of the
originall of Riuers might more easily bee giuen. For the
fountaines (_C_) lying euen with the superficies of the Sea, the
water may easily passe through the hollowes of the earth, and
breake out at (_C_) without ascendinge. But here also are some
difficulties: for first wee find by experience that the
fountaines of most riuers, and those greate ons too, lye sensibly
higher then the plaine surface of the Sea. Againe, if the riuer
moue directly round, what should bee the cause that begins and
continues this motion? It is a motion besides the nature of the
water, and therefore violent, what should driue it forward from
the Sea to (_C_,) and from (_C_) to (_B_,) when the water is at
(_C_) or (_W_,) it is as neere to the Center (_A_) as when it is
at (_B_,) and therefore it should seeme with more liklyhood it
would stand still; for why should it striue to goe further,
seeing where it is, it is as neare to the Center as whither it
runnes. Or if some violence doe driue it from (_C_,) towards
(_W_,) yet (as it is the nature of violent motions) the further
it goes the slower it will runne, till in the end it stand still,
if there bee noe aduantadge of ground to helpe it forward.
[Illustration]
As a bowle throwne downe a hill runnes easily and farre, if it
once bee sett a going; but throwne vpon the ice (an euen place)
it will without any lett at last stand still. Answere may bee
made hereunto, that although there bee noe aduantage of the
ground, yet the water will still moue forwarde from (_C_) to
(_B_) because the water that followes, pusheth forwarde that,
that runnes afore. Which answere will stand, when a good cause
may bee shewed, which forcibly driueth the water from the Sea
vnto (_C_) and out of the fountaine (_C_;) considering that
(after this supposition) they lie both in the same circular
superficies. Wherefore seeing, wee cannot without any
inconueniency suppose it to moue by any of these lines either
streight as (_BC_) or (_BD_,) or circular as (_BWC_) let vs
enquire farther.
The most likely opinion is, that the motion of the water is mixt
neither directly streight, or circular, but partly one, partly
the other. Or if it be circular, it is in a circle whose center
is a little distant from the Center of the whole globe. Let vs
place fountaines then neither in (_C_) nor (_D_) but in (_F_) I
say the water runnes either partly streight by the (_FS_) and
partly circular, from (_S_) to (_B_) which motion will not be
inconuenient, for the water descending continually from (_F_) to
(_S_) will cause it still to runne forward; or else wholy
circular in the circle (_FXB_.) And this is most agreeable to
truth. For so it shall both runne round as it must doe if wee
will escape the otherwise vnauoidable inconueniences of the first
opinion and yet in running still descend, and come neerer to the
Center, as is most befitting the nature of water, so that wee
need not seeke for any violent cause that moues it. Let vs then
see what is the hight of (_F_) the fountaines of _Nilus_, aboue
(_C_) that is (_B_) the mouth or outlet of it into the Sea. The
vsuall allowance in watercourses is one foot in descent for 200.
foot in running, but if this bee thought to much because water
will runne awaie vpon any inequality of ground, for euery 500.
foote allow one for descent, & so much we may with reason, in
regard of the swiftnes of many riuers, yea the most, which in
many places runnes headlong, in all places very swiftly
(especially _Nilus_ whose cateracts or downfalls are notable)
which cannot bee without some notable decliuity of the ground.
Thus then the whole course of _Nilus_ being 2700. miles from
(_F_) to (_B_) the perpendicular or plumb descent of it (_CF_)
will be 5. miles. And so high shall the fountaine stand aboue the
mouth, and the surface of the plaine Land (for riuers commonly
arise at foot of hills) which is (_BXF_) swell vp aboue the
surface of the Sea (_BWC_) or (_BY_) which hight of the Land
aboue the Sea although it bee greater then is the height of the
highest mo[~u]taines aboue the plaine Land, yet it is nothing in
comparison of the whole Earth. And this being granted (as with
most probabilitie of reason it may) it will appeare that God in
the beginning of the world imposed noe perpetuall violence vpon
nature, in gathering togeather, the waters into one place, and
being so gathered in keeping them from runing backe to cover the
earth. At the first so soone as those hollow channells were
prepared, the water did naturally slide downe into them, and out
of them without miraculous power they cannot returne. For if the
sea (_BY_) should overflow the land towards (_F_) the water must
ascend in running from (_B_) to (_F_) which is contrary to its
nature. Certainly the midland countries, whence springs of great
rivers vsually arise, doe ly so high, that the sea cannot
naturally overflow them. For as for that opinion that the water
of the sea in the middle lies on a heape higher then the water
that is by the shore; and so that it is a harder matter to saile
out of a Haven to seaward, then to come in (because they goe
vpward): this is an empty speculation contray to experience, and
the grounds of nature it selfe, as might easily be shewed. All
the difficulty that is in this opinion, is to giue a reason how
the waters mount vp to (_F_,) and whence the water comes that
should flow out of so high a place of the earth, wherein I thinke
as in many other secrets of nature we must content our selues
with ignorance, seeing so many vaine conjectures haue taken no
better successe.
[Illustration]