Natural Questions Chapter 4

Primum ergo quaeramus quomodo ad continuandos fluminum cursus terra sufficiat, unde tantum aquarum exeat. Miramur, quod accessionem fluminum maria non sentiant; aeque mirandum est, quod detrimentum exeuntium terra non sentit. Quid est, quod illam aut sic impleuerit, ut praebere tantum ex recondito possit, aut subinde sic suppleat? Quamcumque rationem reddiderimus de flumine, eadem erit riuorum ac fontium.

Examinons en premier lieu comment la terre peut fournir à l’entretien continuel des fleuves, et d’où sort une telle quantité d’eau. On s’étonne que les fleuves ne grossissent pas sensiblement les mers ; il ne faut pas moins s’étonner que tous ces écoulements n’appauvrissent pas sensiblement la terre. D’où vient que ses réservoirs secrets regorgent au point de toujours couler et de suppléer incessamment à ses pertes ? La raison que nous donnerons pour les fleuves s’appliquera, quelle qu’elle soit, aux ruisseaux et aux fontaines.

Let us inquire therefore, in the first place, how the earth can contain sufficient water to maintain the unbroken flow of the rivers, and where such a vast quantity of water comes from. We are surprised that the ocean is not sensible of the additional water derived from rivers. It is no less surprising that the earth is not sensible of the loss of all the water that issues from it. What is it that has so filled it up that it can from its hidden recesses furnish such quantities and continually make good the loss as it does? Whatever explanation we give regarding a river must apply also to streams and springs.