Why the Ocean does not soak into the land
Fresh water is subtler and more penetrating than salt; a margin note on frozen water's weight
Leonardo argues that the Ocean does not penetrate into the earth, citing the many veins of fresh water that rise from the sea floor to its surface and the wells a mile inland that fill with fresh water. He explains this by fresh water being more subtle, and therefore more penetrating, than salt water. The main column repeats a linen-cloth experiment showing that fresh water climbs higher than salt in proportion as it is lighter, while a margin note asks which weighs more, frozen or unfrozen water.
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The Ocean does not penetrate the earth: fresh-water veins and inland wells
The Ocean does not penetrate into the earth, as shown by the many veins of fresh water that rise from the sea floor to its surface, and by wells a mile inland that fill with fresh water. Fresh water is more subtle than salt water and consequently more penetrating.
Fresh water penetrates salt more than salt penetrates fresh
A thin, dry, old cloth hung by its ends into two waters of equal surface height shows that fresh water climbs higher within the cloth than salt water, by as much as the fresh is lighter than the salt.
Which weighs more, frozen or unfrozen water?
A brief marginal query: which weighs more, frozen water or unfrozen water?