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

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              <s>
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              that Sand away with it, and there will enſue a deep and broad
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              Trench that will drain away all the water of the Plains in very lit­
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              tle time. </s>
              <s>And I have found by practice, that there having been
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              a great quantity of Sand driven back, by the fury of the South­
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              Weſt-Wind, into the Mouth of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Fiume morto,
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              I having cauſed the
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              little gutter to be made in the Morning, ſomewhat before Noon,
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              a Mouth hath been opened of 40. Braces wide, and notably deep,
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              inſomuch that the water, which before had incommoded all the
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              Champian ran away in leſs than three dayes, and left the Coun­
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              try free and dry, to the admiration of all men. </s>
              <s>There was pre­
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              ſent upon the place, at this buſineſs, on the ſame day that I
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              opened the Mouth, the moſt Serene great Duke, the moſt Serene
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              Arch-Dutcheſs Mother, all the Commiſſioners of Sewers, with
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              many other Perſons and Peaſants of thoſe parts; and they all ſaw
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              very well, that it was never poſſible that a little Bark of eight
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              Oars, which was come from
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              Legorn
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              to wait upon the great
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              Duke, ſhould ever be able to maſter the Current, and to make
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              up into
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              Fiume morto
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              ; and his Highneſs, who came with an intent
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              to cauſe the ſaid Mouth towards the Sea to be ſtopt; and that
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              into
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              Serchio
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              to be opened, changed his judgement, giving order
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              that it ſhould be left open towards the Sea, as it was done. </s>
              <s>And
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              if at this day it ſhall return into
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              Serchio,
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              I am very certain that it
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              will be neceſſary to open it again into the Sea. </s>
              <s>And there was
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              alſo charge and order given to a perſon appointed for the pur­
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              poſe, that he ſhould take care to open the ſaid Mouth, as hath
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              been ſaid upon occaſion. </s>
              <s>And thus things have ſucceeded very
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              well unto this very time. </s>
              <s>But from the middle of
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              October,
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              until
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              this firſt of
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              February,
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              there having continued high South, and
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              South-Weſt-Winds, with frequent and abundant Rains; it is no
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              wonder that ſome innundation hath happened; but yet I will
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              affirm, that greater miſchiefs would have followed, if the Mouth
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              had been opened into
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              Serchio.
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              This which I have hitherto ſaid,
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              is very clear and intelligible to all ſuch as have but competent in­
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              ſight, and indifferent skill in theſe affairs. </s>
              <s>But that which I am
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              now about to propoſe farther, will, I am very certain, be under­
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              ſtood by your ſelf, but it will ſeem ſtrange and unlikely to many
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              others. </s>
              <s>The point is, that I ſay, That by raiſing the level of
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Fiume morto,
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              one half Brace, onely at its Mouth, (it will peni­
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              penitrate into
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              Serchio
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              farther than it would into the Sea) it ſhall
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              cauſe the waters to riſe three, or perhaps more Braces upon the
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              fields towards
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              Piſa,
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              and ſtill more by degrees as they ſhall recede
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              farther from the Sea-ſide; and thus there will follow very great
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              Innundations, and conſiderable miſchiefs. </s>
              <s>And to know that
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              this is true, you are to take notice of an accident, which I give
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              warning of in my diſcourſe of the Meaſure of Running Waters: </s>
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