934

Of the surface of the water in relation to the globe.

OF THE CENTRE OF THE OCEAN.

The centre of the sphere of waters is the true centre of the globe of our world, which is composed of water and earth, having the shape of a sphere. But, if you want to find the centre of the element of the earth, this is placed at a point equidistant from the surface of the ocean, and not equidistant from the surface of the earth; for it is evident that this globe of earth has nowhere any perfect rotundity, excepting in places where the sea is, or marshes or other still waters. And every part of the earth that rises above the water is farther from the centre.

Taken from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci edited by Jean Paul Richter, 1880.

Notebooks of Leonoardo da Vinci
XVI: Physical Geography.
. . .
Schemes for the arrangement of the materials.
919,
920,
921,
922,
923,
924,
925,
926,
927,
928
General introduction.
929
The arrangement of Book I.
930
Definitions.
931,
932
Of the surface of the water in relation to the globe.
933,
934,
935,
936
Of the proportion of the mass of water to that of the earth.
937,
938
The theory of Plato.
939
That the flow of rivers proves the slope of the land.
940
Theory of the elevation of water within the mountains.
941
The relative height of the surface of the sea to that of the land.
942,
943,
944,
945
Refutation of Pliny’s theory as to the saltness of the sea.
946,
947
The characteristics of sea water.
948,
949
On the formation of Gulfs.
950,
951
On the encroachments of the sea on the land and vice versa.
952,
953,
954
. . .