Castelli, Benedetto, Of the mensuration of running waters, 1661

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1with the crime, than quit it thereof. The truth is, that the
Bank was not made of proof, ſince that the ſame now continu­
eth whole and good, and Panaro doth not break out; nay, there
was, when it brake more than a foot and half of its Banks above
the Water, and to ſpare; but it broke thorow by a Moles wor­
king, or by the hole of a Water-Rat, or ſome ſuch vermine;
and by occaſion of the badneſs of the ſaid Banks, as I finde by
the teſtimony of ſome witneſſes examined by my command, that
I might know the truth thereof.
Nor can I here forbear to ſay,
that it would be better, if in ſuch matters men were more candid
and ſincere.
But to ſecure our ſelves nevertheleſſe, to the ut­
moſt of our power, from ſuch like Breaches which may happen
at the firſt, by reaſon of the newneſſe of the Banks, I preſuppoſe
that from Po unto the place whence Reno is cut, there ought to
be a high and thick Fence made with its Banks, ſo that there
would be no cauſe to fear any whatſoever acceſſions of Water,
although that concurrence of three Rivers, which was by ſome
more ingeniouſly aggravated than faithfully ſtated by that which
was ſaid above were true; to whom I think not my ſelf bound
to make any farther reply, neither to thoſe who ſay that Po will
aſcend upwards into Reno, ſince that theſe are the ſame perſons
who would introduce a ſmall branch of the ſaid Po into the
Chanel of Ferrara, that ſo it may conveigh to the Sea, not Reno
onely, but alſo all the other Brooks of which we complained;
and becauſe that withal it is impoſſible, that a River ſo capacious
as Po ſhould be incommoded by a Torrent, that, as I may ſay,
hath no proportion to it.
I come now to the buſineſſe of the Ditches and Draines; and
as to the Conveyance of Burana, it hath heretofore been deba­
ted to turn it into Main-Po, ſo that in this caſe it will receive no
harm, and though it were not removed, yet would it by a Trench
under ground purſue the courſe that it now holdeth, and alſo
would be able to diſ-imbogue again into the ſaid new Chanel of
Reno, which conforming to the ſuperficies of the Water of Po,
would continue at a lower level than that which Panara had
when it came to Ferrara, into which Burana did nevertheleſſe
empty it ſelf for ſome time.
The Conveyance or Drain of Santa Bianca, and the little
Chanel of Cento may alſo empty themſelves by two ſubterranean
Trenches, without any prejudice where they run at preſent, or
without any more works of that nature, they may be turned into
the ſaid new Chanel, although with ſomewhat more of incon­
venience; and withall, the Chanel of Ferrara, left dry, would
be a ſufficient receptacle for any other Sewer or Drain whatſoe­
ver, that ſhould remain there.

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