The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World

To relate all their Optick observations through the several sorts of their Glasses, would be a tedious work, and tire even the most patient Reader, wherefore I'le pass them by; onely this was very remarkable and worthy to be taken notice of, that notwithstanding their great skil, industry and ingenuity in Experimental Philosophy, they could yet by no means contrive such Glasses, by the help of which they could spy out a Vacuum, with all its dimensions, nor Immaterial substances, Non-beings, and Mixt-beings, or such as are between something and nothing; which they were very much troubled at, hoping that yet, in time, by long study and practice, they might perhaps attain to it. The Bird- and Bear-men being dismissed, the Empress called both the Syrens- or Fish-men, and the Worm-men, to deliver their Observations which they had made, both within the Seas, and the Earth. First, she enquired of the Fish-men whence the saltness of the Sea did proceed? To which they answered, That there was a volatile salt in those parts of the Earth, which as a bosom contain the Waters of the Sea, which Salt being imbibed by the Sea, became fixt; and this imbibing motion was that they call'd the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea; for, said they, the rising and swelling of the Water, is caused by those parts of the volatile Salt as are not so easily imbibed, which striving to ascend above the Water, bear it up with such a motion, as Man, or some other Animal Creature, in a violent exercise uses to take breath. This they affirmed to be the true cause both of the saltness, and the ebbing and flowing-motion of the Sea, and not the jogging of the Earth, or the secret influence of the Moon, as some others had made the World believe.