aines 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 _AEgipt_, 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 quaestion 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 sens