VOL. I.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 117 



In Number 14 of these Transactions was given an account of the cause of 

 the inundation of the Nile, by M. de la Chambre : This book is to give 

 another, not only of the inundation, but also of the origin of that and of 

 other rivers, showing, 



1 . That those subterraneous channels, through which several philosophers 

 teach that the sea discharges itself into the rivers, are not only imaginary, 

 but useless ; as it is impossible for the water to rise from the subterraneous 

 places up to the mountains, where commonly the sources of rivers are. 



1. He explains why, if a pipe be put into a basin full of water, the water is 

 seen more raised in the pipe than in the basin, and rises higher according as 

 the pipe is narrower. On the contrary, if the same pipe be put into a basin 

 full of quicksilver, the quicksilver is lower in the pipe than in the basin. He 

 adds, that this observation makes nothing for the explication of the origin of 

 rivers ; because, though it be true that the water by this means rises above 

 its level, yet it does never run out at the top of the pipe. Having said 

 this, he answers to the other arguments commonly alleged to maintain this 

 opinion. 



3. He pretends that all rivers proceed from collections of rain-waters; and 

 that as the water that falls upon hills gathers more easily together than that 

 which falls in plains, therefore it is that rivers usually take their source from 

 hills. Thence also it happens that there are more rivers than torrents in the 

 temperate zones; and, on the contrary, more torrents than rivers in the torrid 

 zone ; for, as in hot climates the mountains are far higher, the water that 

 descends from them with impetuosity runs away in a short time, and forms 

 such collections of water as soon dry up ; but in cold climates the waters run 

 off but slowly, and are renewed and recruited by rain before they are quite 

 dried up; because the hills are there lower, and the bed of rivers has less 

 declivity. 



Having thus discoursed of rivers in general, he treats of the Nile in parti- 

 cular ; and there, he proves by many recent relations, that the sources of 

 the Nile are on this side of the equinoxial in j(Ethiopia, of which he gives 



different sovereigns. He held a correspondence with Queen Christina of Sweden, who employed 

 him in some literary commissions ; and at the Queen's request he visited that country, and taught 

 her the Greek language; though she afterwards discarded him, on hearing that he intended to write 

 against Salmasius. In l66'3 he received a present of money from Louis the 14th of France, with a 

 complimentary letter from the minister Colbert. In 167O he came to England, when King Charles 

 the 2d made him canon of Windsor ; though he knew his character well enough to say, there was 

 nothing that Vossius refused to believe except the bible. Vossius was author of many writings ; and 

 died at Windsor in 16"89; leaving, as supposed, the best private librar}' in the world; whicli was 

 afterwards purchased by the university of Leyden. 



