Page:Discourse Concerning the Natation of Bodies.djvu/11

Rh though the Conclusions are true, yet are the Causes thus assigned deficient, nor is it true, that the Solid in submerging, raiseth and repulseth Masses of Water, equall to the parts of it self submerged; but the Water repulsed, is alwayes less than the parts of the Solid submerged: and so much the more by how much the Vessell in which the Water is contained is narrower: in such manner that it hinders not, but that a Solid may submerge all under Water, without raising so much Water in Mass, as would equall the tenth or twentieth part of its own Bulk: like as on the contrary, a very small quantity of Water, may raise a very great Solid Mass, though such Solid should weigh absolutely a hundred times as much, or more, than the said Water, if so be that the Matter of that same Solid be in specie less grave than the Water. And thus a great Beam, as suppose of a 1000 weight, may be raised and born afloat by Water, which weighs not 50: and this happens when the Moment of the Water is compensated by the Velocity of its Motion.

But because such things, propounded thus in abstract, are some what difficult to be comprehended, it would be good to demonstrate them by particular examples; and for facility of demonstration, we will suppose the Vessels in which we are to put the Water, and place the Solids, to be inviron'd and included with sides erected perpendicular to the Plane of the Horizon, and the Solid that is to be put into such vessell to be either a streight Cylinder, or else an upright Prisme

The which proposed and declared, I proceed to demonstrate the truth of what hath been hinted, forming the ensuing Theoreme.

THEOREME I.

Et the Vessell be A B C D, and in it the Water raised up to the Levell E F G, before the Solid Prisme H I K be therein immerged; but after that it is depressed under Water, let the Water be raised as high as the Levell L M, the Solid H I K shall then be all under Water, and the Mass of the elevated Water shall be L G, which is less than the