1085

The straits of Gibraltar.

The gulf of the Mediterranean, as an inland sea, received the principal waters of Africa, Asia and Europe that flowed towards it; and its waters came up to the foot of the mountains that surrounded it and made its shores. And the summits of the Apennines stood up out of this sea like islands, surrounded by salt water. Africa again, behind its Atlas mountains did not expose uncovered to the sky the surface of its vast plains about 3000 miles in length, and Memphis [Footnote 6: Mefi. Leonardo can only mean here the citadel of Cairo on the Mokattam hills.] was on the shores of this sea, and above the plains of Italy, where now birds fly in flocks, fish were wont to wander in large shoals.

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

Notebooks of Leonoardo da Vinci
XVII: Topographical Notes.
. . .
1065,
1066,
1067,
1068,
1069,
1070,
1071,
1072,
1073,
1074,
1075,
1076,
1077,
1078,
1079,
1080,
1081,
1082
The straits of Gibraltar.
1083,
1084,
1085
Tunis.
1086
Libya.
1087
Majorca.
1088
The Tyrrhene Sea.
1089
The Levantine Sea.
1090
The Red Sea..
1091,
1092
The Nile.
1093,
1094,
1095,
1096,
1097,
1098
Customs of Asiatic Nations.
1099,
1100
Rhodes.
1101,
1102
Cyprus.
1103
The Caspian Sea.
1104,
1105
. . .