1continual Wet, rots and decays, and always
exhales Vapours extreamly noxious to the
Health of its Inhabitants. In ſuch a Place,
the Underſtanding can never be clear, the
Spirits being dampt and ſtupified; nor will
any Kind of Bodies endure long. The Books
will grow mouldy and rot; the Arms will
ruſt, nothing in the Storehouſe will keep, and
in ſhort, the Exceſs of Moiſture will ſpoil and
deſtroy every Thing. If the Sun ſhines in,
you will be ſcorched inſufferably by the fre
quent Reflection of his Rays, which will be
beat back upon you from every Side, and if it
does not, you will be dried and withered by
the continual Shade. Add to this, that if the
Winds gets in, being confined as it were in a
Channel, it will rage there with greater Fury
than in other Places; and if it never enters,
the Air for want of Motion will grow thick
and muddy; ſuch a Valley may not impro
perly be called a Puddle, or Bog of Air. The
Form of the Place therefore in which we in
tend to build, ought to be graceful and plea
ſant, not mean and low, as if it were buried
below the reſt of the Earth, but lofty, and as
it were a Hawk to look clear round about, and
conſtantly refreſhed on every Side with de
lightful Breezes. Beſides this, let there be
Plenty of every Thing neceſſary, either to the
Convenience or Pleaſure of Life, as Water,
Fire and Proviſions: But Care muſt be taken,
that there is nothing in any of theſe Things
prejudicial to the Health. The Springs muſt
be opened and taſted, and the Water tried by
Fire, that there be no Mixture in it of mucous,
viſcous or crude Particles, that may affect the
Conſtitutions of the Inhabitants. I omit the
ill Effects that often proceed from Water, as
breeding Wens in the Throat, and giving the
Stone; as likewiſe thoſe other more wonderful
Effects of Water, which Vitruvius the Archi
tect has learnedly and elegantly ſummed up.
It is the Opinion of the Phyſician Hipocrates,
that they who drink Water not well purged,
but heavy and ill-taſted, grow Cholicky, and
to have large ſwelled Bellies, while the reſt of
their Members, their Arms, their Shoulders and
their Faces become thin and extenuated. Add
to this, that though the Fault of the Spleen ill
digeſting of the Blood, they fall into ſeveral
Kinds of Diftempers, ſome even peſtilential.
In Summer, Fluxes of the Belly by the ſtir
ring of the Choler, and the diſſolving of the
Humours waſte all their Strength; and all the
Year round they are continually liable to heavy
and tedious Infirmities, ſuch as the Dropſy,
Aſthma and Pleuriſy. The young loſe their
Senſes by melancholy Bile; the old are burnt
by the Inflammation of the Humours; the
Women with Difficulty conceive, and with
more Difficulty bring forth: In a Word, every
Age and every Sex will fall by early and un
timely Deaths, deſtroyed and worn away by
Diſeaſes; nor will they enjoy a ſingle Day
while they live, without being tormented with
Melancholy or black Humours, and fretted
with Spleen and Vapours; ſo that their Minds
will never be free from Vexation and Uneaſi
neſs. Many other Things might be ſaid of
Water, which have been obſerved by the an
cient Hiſtorians, very curious and remarkable,
and of extream Efficacy to the Health of Man
kind; but they are uncommon, and might
ſeem rather intended to make a Shew of
Knowledge than for actual Uſe; beſides that
we ſhall ſpeak more copiouſly of Waters in
their proper Place. Thus much certainly is
not to be neglected, and is moſt manifeſt,
namely, that Water gives Nouriſhment to all
Plants, Seeds, and every Thing elſe that has
the vegetative Life, with the Plenty of whoſe
Fruits Men are refreſhed and ſupported. If
all this be granted, certainly we ought very
carefully to examine what Veins of Water the
Country is furniſhed with, in which we intend
to dwell. Diodorus tells us, that the Indians
are generally luſty ſtrong Men, and very ſharp
witted, which he imputes to their having a
wholeſome Air and good Water. Now that
Water we conceive to be the beſt taſted which
has no Taſte, and that is beſt coloured which
has no Colour at all. It is agreed, that the
beſt Water is clear, tranſparent and light, ſuch
as being poured upon a white Cloth leaves no
Stain; and upon boiling has no Sediment, and
which does not cover the Bed it flows in with
Moſs or Slime, nor eſpecially the Stones which
it runs over. A further Proof of the Goodneſs
of Water is, when boiling any Kind of Pulſe in
it makes them tender, and when it makes good
Bread. Neither ſhould we be leſs careful to ex
amine and note, whether the Region ingenders
nothing peſtiferous or venemous, that the Inha
bitants may be in no Danger. I paſs over
ſome Things, which are recorded by the An
cients, to wit, that in Colchos there diſtills from
the Leaves of the Trees a Honey, which who
ſoever taſtes falls ſenſeleſs, and for a whole Day
ſeems to be dead: As alſo what is ſaid to have
happened in Antony's Army, occaſioned by
exhales Vapours extreamly noxious to the
Health of its Inhabitants. In ſuch a Place,
the Underſtanding can never be clear, the
Spirits being dampt and ſtupified; nor will
any Kind of Bodies endure long. The Books
will grow mouldy and rot; the Arms will
ruſt, nothing in the Storehouſe will keep, and
in ſhort, the Exceſs of Moiſture will ſpoil and
deſtroy every Thing. If the Sun ſhines in,
you will be ſcorched inſufferably by the fre
quent Reflection of his Rays, which will be
beat back upon you from every Side, and if it
does not, you will be dried and withered by
the continual Shade. Add to this, that if the
Winds gets in, being confined as it were in a
Channel, it will rage there with greater Fury
than in other Places; and if it never enters,
the Air for want of Motion will grow thick
and muddy; ſuch a Valley may not impro
perly be called a Puddle, or Bog of Air. The
Form of the Place therefore in which we in
tend to build, ought to be graceful and plea
ſant, not mean and low, as if it were buried
below the reſt of the Earth, but lofty, and as
it were a Hawk to look clear round about, and
conſtantly refreſhed on every Side with de
lightful Breezes. Beſides this, let there be
Plenty of every Thing neceſſary, either to the
Convenience or Pleaſure of Life, as Water,
Fire and Proviſions: But Care muſt be taken,
that there is nothing in any of theſe Things
prejudicial to the Health. The Springs muſt
be opened and taſted, and the Water tried by
Fire, that there be no Mixture in it of mucous,
viſcous or crude Particles, that may affect the
Conſtitutions of the Inhabitants. I omit the
ill Effects that often proceed from Water, as
breeding Wens in the Throat, and giving the
Stone; as likewiſe thoſe other more wonderful
Effects of Water, which Vitruvius the Archi
tect has learnedly and elegantly ſummed up.
It is the Opinion of the Phyſician Hipocrates,
that they who drink Water not well purged,
but heavy and ill-taſted, grow Cholicky, and
to have large ſwelled Bellies, while the reſt of
their Members, their Arms, their Shoulders and
their Faces become thin and extenuated. Add
to this, that though the Fault of the Spleen ill
digeſting of the Blood, they fall into ſeveral
Kinds of Diftempers, ſome even peſtilential.
In Summer, Fluxes of the Belly by the ſtir
ring of the Choler, and the diſſolving of the
Humours waſte all their Strength; and all the
Year round they are continually liable to heavy
and tedious Infirmities, ſuch as the Dropſy,
Aſthma and Pleuriſy. The young loſe their
Senſes by melancholy Bile; the old are burnt
by the Inflammation of the Humours; the
Women with Difficulty conceive, and with
more Difficulty bring forth: In a Word, every
Age and every Sex will fall by early and un
timely Deaths, deſtroyed and worn away by
Diſeaſes; nor will they enjoy a ſingle Day
while they live, without being tormented with
Melancholy or black Humours, and fretted
with Spleen and Vapours; ſo that their Minds
will never be free from Vexation and Uneaſi
neſs. Many other Things might be ſaid of
Water, which have been obſerved by the an
cient Hiſtorians, very curious and remarkable,
and of extream Efficacy to the Health of Man
kind; but they are uncommon, and might
ſeem rather intended to make a Shew of
Knowledge than for actual Uſe; beſides that
we ſhall ſpeak more copiouſly of Waters in
their proper Place. Thus much certainly is
not to be neglected, and is moſt manifeſt,
namely, that Water gives Nouriſhment to all
Plants, Seeds, and every Thing elſe that has
the vegetative Life, with the Plenty of whoſe
Fruits Men are refreſhed and ſupported. If
all this be granted, certainly we ought very
carefully to examine what Veins of Water the
Country is furniſhed with, in which we intend
to dwell. Diodorus tells us, that the Indians
are generally luſty ſtrong Men, and very ſharp
witted, which he imputes to their having a
wholeſome Air and good Water. Now that
Water we conceive to be the beſt taſted which
has no Taſte, and that is beſt coloured which
has no Colour at all. It is agreed, that the
beſt Water is clear, tranſparent and light, ſuch
as being poured upon a white Cloth leaves no
Stain; and upon boiling has no Sediment, and
which does not cover the Bed it flows in with
Moſs or Slime, nor eſpecially the Stones which
it runs over. A further Proof of the Goodneſs
of Water is, when boiling any Kind of Pulſe in
it makes them tender, and when it makes good
Bread. Neither ſhould we be leſs careful to ex
amine and note, whether the Region ingenders
nothing peſtiferous or venemous, that the Inha
bitants may be in no Danger. I paſs over
ſome Things, which are recorded by the An
cients, to wit, that in Colchos there diſtills from
the Leaves of the Trees a Honey, which who
ſoever taſtes falls ſenſeleſs, and for a whole Day
ſeems to be dead: As alſo what is ſaid to have
happened in Antony's Army, occaſioned by