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Let us now fu])pofe, the eye of this Whale, in tliat part of it which 

 was expofed to the fea water, to contain fix fqiiare inches in its fu- 

 l)erficies, we may juftly fay, that when the fifli defccnded to the 

 depth of lea we have mentioned, the prefllire on its eye mufl be 

 equal to 23100 pounds weight. For, fix fquare inches are tlie 

 twenty-fourth part of a fquare foot, and, if the prefl'ure on a fquare 

 foot, at the before mentioned depth, is 5541,4,00 pounds, it follows, 

 that the twenty-fourth part, will fuftain a preflure of 23100 pounds, 

 which is one ton, fix hundred, and a quarter of a hundred weight. 



Seeing then, that fix fquare inches of fpace, at the bottom of the 

 fea, where it is 8400 feet deep, do endure a prefllire of water equal 

 to 23100 pounds weight, it is no wonder that the fea in the Bay of 

 Bifcay is not to be fathomed by the lead. For, if the fea water, at 

 the depth we have mentioned, prefles on tlie bottom with the weight 

 we have computed, it follows, that in fome parts of the ocean, whicli 

 are at leaft eight times that depth, the prefllire mufl: be eight times 

 as much. • 



Hence we may fairly infer, that a weight, altlioughof lead, fuch as 

 that which feamen call the deep-fealead, cannot, where the depth is 

 fo very great, touch the bottom, or at leaf}:, not in a manner to be 

 perceptible, not only on account of the very great preflure on the 

 lead, but alfo, on account of the much greater j^reflure on the lead- 

 line, by reafon of its great length, which line itfelf is not mucli 

 heavier than the fea water ; fo that the prefl'ure may very naturally be 

 iuppofed to prevent the lead reaching the bottom. Again, it muft be 

 confidered, that the ocean, though no current may be vifible on its 

 furface, yet is never at reft ; fo that though the lead, when caft, 

 feems to fink ftraight downwards, yet it may be carried away by 

 fome fubmarine current, far from the man who heaves it, and the 

 line may be bent and twifted many ways, by all which means, in 

 fuch great deptlis, the lead may be prevented frosn reaching the bot- 

 tom. But to return, 



