TIDES. 145 



water that riseth on the one side falles on the other that is LlB - m - 

 opposite vnto it ; so that it is ful sea on the one side when as 

 it is a lowe water on the opposite, as we see in a kettle full 

 of water, when wee moove it ; when it leanes to the one 

 side the water increaseth, and on the other it diminisheth. 

 Others affirme, that the sea riseth in all partes at one time, 

 and decreaseth at one instant ; as the boyling of a pot, 

 comming out of the centre it extendeth it selfe on all 

 partes, and when it ceaseth, it falles likewise on all partes. 



This second opinion is true, and in my iudgement, cer- 

 taine and tried, not so much for the reasons which the 

 Philosophers give in their meteors, as for the certaine 

 experience wee may make. For to satisfie my selfe vpoii 

 this point and question, I demanded particularly of the 

 said Pilot, how he found the tides in the straight, and if the 

 tides of the South sea did fall whenas those of the North 

 did rise. And contrariwise (this question being true) why 

 the increase of the sea in one place, is the decrease thereof 

 in another, as the first opinion holdeth. He answered that 

 it was not so, but they might see plainely, that the tides of 

 the North and South seas rise at one instant, so as the 

 waves of one sea incountred with the other, and at one 

 instant likewise they began to retire, every one into his sea, 

 saying, that the rising and falling was daily seene, and that 

 the incounter of the tides, as I have saide, was at three 

 score and tenne leagues to the North sea, and thirtie to the 

 South. Whereby wee may plainely gather, that the ebbing 

 and flowing of the Ocean is no pure locall motion, but 

 rather an alteration ; whereby all waters really rise and 

 increase at one instant ; and in others they diminish, as the 

 boyling of a pot, whereof I have spoken. It were im 

 possible to comprehend this poynt by experience, if it were 

 not in the Straight, where all the Ocean, both on th one 

 side and on th other, ioynes together ; for none but 

 Angelles can see it, and iudge of the opposite parts ; for 



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