'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.' [‎252] (275/448)

Alexander admires
thofe fifteen thoufand men he had notice were advanced as far as He there,
nnon nublifiied his refolution to retreat, which was received with general acclamations
ofioy i and after a months reft upon the sftuarium of the River /^ prepared for a
march towards Ormus ; whiles the Conqueror himfelf, heedfully obferviug the flux of
t ie River the fcituation of the Maritime coaft, and that large horizon the place afford
ed, was infinitely delighted with the novelty, but efpecially with the profpeftof the
c n
Now give me leave to paufe a while, andconfider why Wo-had the Ocean in
fuch admiration. The Ocean was defer vedly the fubjeft of his wonder: for the
place of his birth, being fcituatenear the Theifalomc gulph which neighbours the Archi
pelago without doubt gave him not only the profped of that but in the courfe of his
cofiqueft had the view of other Seas, as the Mare de U Tana now Z ah ache y the Euxtne, the
Mediterranean, and the Mare Cafrmm *, all which may well be termed Seas, although much
inferiour to the Mare magnum or Main Sea, which is properly called the Ocean. The
Mediterranean we find called Mare magnum the great Sea in Exodus, and in Jo ft. i. 4.^ Ton- .
m Euxinm alfo has the name of Mare maggiore, and well deferves that attribute feeing it
is well-nigh three thoufand miles in compafs*, fo great, as warranted Ovid and other
Roman Poets to denominate all other Seas by that, as Omnia yonm, Nil nift pontm,
And for the Cajpian, though by reafon it is every where encompafled with Land it indeed
rather refembies a great Lough or Pond than Sea, neverthelefs from its greatnefs and
other properties is worthily ranked inter Dei magnalia, and by Cofmographers in the
Catalogue of other Seas: For Pliny terms it ingens *, and Maginm, Vafflum mare, a large
and vaft Sea; albeit the circuit be ufually taken for little above a thoufand miles. And
for the mare Tanais, or Pains Meotis, 'tis alfo great i feeing that from the middle part,
Land can hardly be difcerned. So that upon the whole, I may conclude the Sea is great 5
for it is Congregatio mult arum Aquarum & Oceano conjunttum, a collection of many Waters,
andjoinedunto the Ocean: but comparatively, the difproportion is great betwixt the
Ocean and the Sea: for, if I may fo refemble, fuch as Loughs are to the Sea, fo may the
Sea be compared with the Ocean •, which is fo great, that in Gen. 1.-2. 'tis ftikd fades
Abyjfi, for then it was an over-fpreading, Element, in extent and depth exceeding all
other Seas; of which, four have moft properly the attribute, viz.. the Atlantick, the
iEthiopick, the Indian and South Ocean. Albeit the Hebrews of old immenfam vim '&
congregationem aquarum Oceanum vacant: But as inVerf. 10. when the Waters were ga
thered together unto one place, that colledion was then called maria. Alfo the circum
fluent Ocean Vniverfam circum-amhiens Terr am on every fide furrounds the Earth, giving
life both to all Springs and receiving into its Womb all Rivers, renders it inexhau-
ftiblefrom whence it is aptly termed Fluviorum fontiumq-. Pater ;. by Virgil, Patrem
rerum and by Homer and Orpheus, Patrem Deorum, Hominum, & aliorum, the Father of
Gods and Men, and all other things t ; for that in the conftitution of all fublunary bodies
moifture is neceflarily required. Mela alfo calls it Immenfum, yaftiffimum, ac infinitum Pe~
lagus ; and Seneca that Nihil eft infinitum nec imperfcrutabile ntfi Oceanus. Nothing is
endlefs, or bottomlefs, iave the Ocean.
Moreover, as it exceeds the Sea for magnitude, fo doth it in depth for the Sea in
moft places may be fathomed : yea, it is well known, that the deepnefs of the Sea ufually
anfwers to the height of Mountains, which feldome exceed three miles perpendicular;
but in our narrow Seas is fcarce found half fo much. So that albeit the Earth, as molt
ponderous, be ordinarily alfigned the loweft ftation neverthelefs Solynus authoritative
ly maintains, that the Ocean is deeper than the Earth : fo profound, that in a vulgar a£-
ception, albeit erroneoufly, it is ftiled bottomlefs. For though in founding the nar
row Seas they feldome fail of ground, 'tis otheftvife in the Ocean: and I very well re
member, that in the great Ocean (inthemid-way betwixt the two great Continents of
Afrk&vA America) when we were for feveral dayes becalmed, the Captain of our Ship,
to fatisfie hiscuriofity, one time let fall his Lead which had all the Log-line he could pof-
fibly make or borrow, probably upwards of three thoufand fathom, and having veer'd it
out to the very end could find no ground, fo as he would have perfwaded us it was abyfs;
albeit that tryal gave no fuch confequence.
I may obferve this further diiFerence: Albeit in our narrow Seas there is commonly
a fiuxus & refiuxus maris an ebb and flood, the Euxin and the Mediterranean have but their
flux in moft places difcernable: for the one ftreams through the Thracian Bojphorm and
Pro-yontis into the Archipelago, but both through the ftreight of Gibrafter into the great
Atlantic Ocean, fic diclm oh velocitatem & per interior a maria difcurrensfooui its bellowing
near the Ihore by Poets ufually ftiled Tauriceps, and by Painters reprefented in that fimi-
litude: