'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎253] (276/448)

The Earth and O
litude: Neverchelefs, the Ocean where far from Land and when undiflurbed bv
wind is flactdm m loco, m its own place ftill and pacifique ^ and yet it may not be de
ny'd, That for the prefervation of its purity and the Life of its Inhabitants from corru
ption it has both motion and internal aeftivation. So having fpoken this little concern
ing the greatnefs of the Sea, forafmuch as Sea and Land make but one Sphere, give me
leave to contemplate the Earth with like admiration Alexander did the Ocean.
That the Almighty created the firft Chaos out of nothing is evident, Gen. i. i. and
Wifd. 11« 14. which fufficiently convinces Arijlotle^^ fuppofcd widteria for out of
th^t mafs both the heavenly and other elementary Bodies were conftituted and formed
By the Fiat of the Almighty the fubter-celeftial Waters were feparated from the fuper-
celeftial, fo that the third day the Earth was viiible, and appeared firm and diftinguiflied
from the Waters v yea, in fuch a beautiful and harmonious manner, that both Earth and
Water had their bounds: fo as the Water which at firft over-fpread the Earth was ga
thered into one place, limited, and not fuffered to invade the Earth's proportion 5 Oc-
cluftt Mare valvar He fhut up the Seas with doors dicens. Hue Ufa denies & non amplify
hitherto lhalt thou go and no further, fluttimm tuorum tyerbia littm hk oppomt, here ftall
thy proud waves ftay, fob 38. 8. And both not as OvU fancies ponderibm librata fm
poiz'd or ballanced by their own weight i but by the diredion of the Great Archited
hung in the Air : Terr am mdiq'-) Coelo diflantem-, in aqmlibrio man ere, lays Parmemdes *, or
as Job Chap. 26. verf. 7. T err am fiifpendit fuper nihilum, the Earth he hung upon nothings
with which that of the Pfalmift differs not, Terram fandavit fitper Maria, He founded
the Earth upon the Waters; the Waters compaffing the Earth and mixing with it in the
moft intrinfique places : whence probably it is Thales Milefim was of opinion that the
Earth'floated and was aptly refemblable to a fhip fwimming in the Water.
Now whereas Solynm maintains That the Ocean is larger and deeper than the Earth as I
lately mentioned with an experiment, we are to underftand that the terreftrial Sphere is a
globe or round body comprehended within the fuperficies of the Earth and Water; which
though by fome fuppofed to be equally difpofed, nay by the Ancients who comprifed
the Earth within an hundred and eighty degrees of longitude, had attributed fcarce one
half of the Sphere, that dimenfion is increaled very much fince Land has been difcover'd
within the Polar circles, and by the addition of that vaft Terr a firma in America. And
albeit Scaliger in his 38 Exercit. is of opinion. That were it polfible to level the Earth
by fpreading the lofty Mountains and rfiaking them even with the plain ground, the
Water would be over-fpread and have no place *. Yet he acknowledges That the Earth
and Sea by their various windings mutually imbrace each other j the one orderly and
indifferently fetting bounds unto the other. Which Rec. Cof. lib. 4. exceeds in averring
that the Earth is ten thoufand times greater than the Sea •, an hypothefis very much dif
fering from moft Cofmographers *, and what authority he has I cannot apprehend, un~
lefs he take that for his guide we find in the 4. lib. Efdras chap. 6. verf.47. where it is
faid, That the Waters were gathered (at the Creation as I fuppofe) into a feuenth part, fo
that fix parts of the Earth were kept dry. Which for that it is apocryphal how far it may
be fide dignm credited for truth, 1 leave to better judgments than my own, and in reve-
% rence to the Author forbear further to queftion.
But how difputable foever the dilproportion be betwixt the Earth and Water as to
magnitude, the profundity or depth is more fatisfadorily deminftrated. For notwith-
Handing the Ocean be ufually ftiled bottomlefs, and in the deepeft parts(which may be
prefumed where it is broadeft) albeit there are riling grounds and Mountains in the O-
cean where the plummet or lead may touch, yet in other places I believe it is not, or at
leaft never hitherto has been fathomed. Howbeit the jiadgment of moft is, the deepeft
exceeds not thirty miles; an uncertain conjedure, but commonly taken from that fimile
of anfwering to the height of Tenerijf or other the higheft Mountains: yea, grants
ing that the depth were an hundred nay a thoufand miles, yet will it not adequate the
craifitude or thicknefs of the Earth, whofe diameter is acknowledged to be feven thoufand
and two hundred miles, allowing the circumference to be one and twenty thoufand and
fix hundred: nay, it will fail fhort of the femi-diameter, feeing that from the center
to the fuperficies of the Earth are reckon'd three thoufand and fix hundred miles which
as to depth clearly gives the Earth the fuperiorityand in comparifon of which, depth
in the narrow Seas is very inconfiderable; being evident, that the log-line in moft fhips
when veered out, ufually finds ground as 1 have fometimes obferved, and find likewife
reported by Prifcian concerning Julm Cxfar, who for his private fatisfadion fathoming
the Seas, found it not exceeding thirty fiadia which make about three miles and a half
ZngUfij ^ although Solynm allows 54 ftades, which almoft doubles the former.
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