Archimedes Texts

269
Experiments. And this height the Wa-
ter reach'd to, though the Pipe were held
in as erected a posture as we could: For if
it were inclin'd, the Water would fill a
greater part of it, though not rise higher
in it. And we also found, that when the
inside of the Pipe was wetted before-
hand, the Water would rise much better
then otherways: But we caus'd not all
our flender Pipes to be made straight, but
some of them crooked, like Siphons: And
having immers'd the shorter Leg of one
of these into a Glass that held some fair
Water, we found, as we expected, that
the Water arising to the top of the Si-
phon, though that were high enough, did
of it self run down the longer Leg, and
continue running like an ordinary Siphon.
The cause of this ascension of the Wa-
ter, appear'd to all that were present so
difficult, that I must not stay to enumerate
the various Conjectures that were made
at it, much less to examine them; espe-
cially, having nothing but bare Conje-
ctures to substitute in the room of those
I do not approve. We try'd indeed, by
conveying a very flender Pipe and a small
Vessel of Water into our Engine, whe-
ther or no the Exsuction of the ambient