Discourse with telling Mehemed Thummin that at his return from the Campaign in Chio he had heard of his being in France and was a Witness of the Universal Acknowledgments that were paid to his Wit and Merit Thummin reply'd that he was oblig'd for so flattering a Compliment to that Candor which is so natural to the French Nation And those mutual Returns of Civility were continu'd for some time on both sides Then the Ambassador took occasion to Discourse of the King of Morocco's Greatness of his Conquests and of the Titles of his Predecessors The Moors were very attentive to what he said on that Subject extolling their Prince's Valour to whom they always gave the Title of Emperour After they had been entertain'd with a Collation the Ambassador shut himself up with 'em making use of la Croix for his Interpreter with whose performance he was very well satisfy'd The Conference lasted an Hour and a half and 't was so late before they came out that the Moors were forc'd to lie on board They order'd a clean Table-Cloth to be spread on the Boards and stepping upon it with their bare Feet began to pray crying often Alla Alla which signifies God and kneeling thirty times in the space of a quarter of an Hour They sate upon their Heels and from time to time stretch'd themselves on their left Side and after they had remain'd a Moment in that Posture they stroak'd their Forehead and Face with their Right-hand which is the Badge of their Religion as the Sign of the Cross is of Christianity The next Day after Dinner which was only a Banquet of Fruits they visited la Gallissoniere who conducted 'em to the Shore and at their Landing were saluted with eleven Guns At the same time a Bark appear'd under Algerine Colours without a Skiff standing into the Mouth of the River she was known to belong to Salley and had taken a French Vessel laden with Cod-Fish The 6th the Ambassador wrote to Mehemed requiring Satisfaction for the Injury done to his Nation and was answer'd that the Master of the Bark was arrested and that the Prize shou'd be restor'd The 7th a Messenger was dispatch'd to Tetuan which is situated two Leagues from the Shore for the French Consul who sent word that he cou'd not come without the Governour 's Permission The same Day Mehemed gave the Ambassador notice that he had receiv'd an Answer from the Alcayd who had desir'd him to carry his Son on board and therefore he entreated the Pinnace might be sent a-shore next Morning His desire was granted and the Pinnace waited upon him at the time appointed but he was forc'd to embark alone for the Youth was afraid to venture on the Sea which happen'd at that time to be very rough In the mean time the Alcayd wrote to the Ambassador to congratulate his Arrival assuring him that he wou'd come with all possible haste to receive him and that the Emperour his Master had commanded him to treat him with the highest respect The 9th several Boats came to the Ship to Land the Ambassador's Retinue and Mehemed went on board to compliment him in the Name of the Alcayd who waited on the Shore to receive him But 't was so late that the Ambassador thought fit to put off his Landing till the next Day assuring Mehemed who resolv'd to lie that Night on board that at Sun-rising he wou'd give Orders to salute the Alcayd with thirteen Guns and a triple discharge of Musquet-shot and the same Evening he sent two Officers to compliment him Next Morning the promis'd Salutation was perform'd and after the Ambassador had heard Mass and din'd with Mehemed he embark'd with all his Retinue besides several Officers of the Ship and Marine Guards and Landed about nine a-clock He found the Shore lin'd with 400 Musquetiers and was met by the Alcayd and his Son at the Head of 200 Horse At their Meeting he told that Officer that he was glad he had the good Fortune to enter the Dominions of the Emperour of Morocco in a place that was under his Government The Alcayd reply'd That he was welcome He and all his Company and enquir'd concerning his Health He was cloath'd in Yellow with a little Cowl or Hood of the same Colour on his Head and a Lance of the length of a Pike in his Right-hand One half of the Horsemen carry'd Lances and the other Fire-locks which they discharg'd and were follow'd by a Volley from the Infantry Then the Squadron broke and some of 'em gallop'd along the Shore turning and managing their Horses with a considerable Dexterity At the same time the Ambassador was conducted by Mehemed to the Alcayd's Tent where there was a large Table-Cloath spread on the Ground with an Indian Cloth and a Coverlet over all of the same largeness Assoon as the Ambassador enter'd he sat down on the Coverlet and Cushions were brought to the Alcayd Then the Ambassador rose up saying that Frenchmen were not accustom'd to sit so low but the Alcayd who knew his meaning reply'd that this Enterview was not to be made a Precedent and that he did not pretend to entertain him with all the Ceremonies of a formal Reception in the mean time he order'd two Cushions to be laid one above another and the Ambassador sate down upon ' em After they had discours'd a quarter of an Hour the Collation was brought in consisting of March-panes which were taken out of a Wicker-Basket and laid upon a piece of Spanish-Leather after the manner of a Table-Cloth adorn'd with some Cyphers Then they presented Nuts and Raisins with very white but very bad Bread All the Company drunk outof the same Pot or Dish which was made of Wood in form of a Porringer and adorn'd on the out-side with Silver-Gilt The Banquet ended they mounted on Horse-back the Infantry marching in the Wings and the Horse in the Front who as often as they met with plain Fields divided themselves into two Squadrons representing the Moorish way of fighting with Lances Some of the bravest of 'em broke out of their Ranks and having darted their Lances into the opposite Squadron gallop'd back to their own with some of the other Party at their Heels Then the whole Squadrons engag'd without observing any Order and after they had fir'd the Commander who march'd in the Front fell back to the Rear galloping and calling on his Men whom he rally'd and put into Order And sometimes one of the Squadrons kept their Ground expecting the Assault of the Enemy They engag'd after the same manner nine or ten times before they reach'd the Town where the French arriv'd about four a-clock and the Ambassador was carry'd to a little and ill-furnish'd but not unpleasant House which they told him was the King's There is a Bason or Pond surrounded with Orange-Trees before the Gate and the Garden is adorn'd with several Arbours of Fruit-Trees The Alcayd sent to inform the King of the Ambassador's Arrival
of which are appointed for Stables some for Sheep-Houses and others contain Stalls for several sorts of Animals In one of these Courts there is a very fine Bird-House for those Birds that must be kept in Cages or Coops and a Fish-Pond in another for the use of Pelicans and several other sorts of Fowl that feed on Fishes On the right hand in places enclos'd with Rails such Animals are kept that they may be safely suffer'd to range about for they may easily pass between the Rails Here are to be seen in different Lodges Ermins Civet-Cats Castors Muscovia-Cats and Rats and Barbary Cats The left side of the same Court is appointed for wild and voracious Animals such as Lyons Tygres Leopards Lynxes Bears and Wolves Such Beasts as are made use of for Labour are lodg'd in another Court and next to that are Mews for all sorts of Fowls Trianon is seated on the other side of the Canal Before that fine and pleasant House there is a Hollow or Bottom resembling a Half-Oval with a Door on each Side and one at the End opposite to the Entry which leads into the Principal Court as those on each Side do into two other separate Courts that reach along the Oval At the End of these two Courts following the Oval you meet with two Doors that open into the Court at the opposite End of which is the Principal Apartment consisting only of one Story and adorn'd on the outside with so vast number of Vessels of several Figures representing Porcelane that nothing else appears to the Eye The Inside also is painted in Imitation of Porcelane the Walls are all cover'd with Looking-Glasses and the Furniture is equally Rich and Genteel The Sides of this Building are border'd with two Square Pavilions built and adorn'd after the same Fashion And there are two other Pavilions lower down which terminate the fore-part of the Structure This place was design'd for a Magazine of all sorts of Flowers which are preserv'd here both in Winter and Summer All the Basons either are or appear to be of Porcelain and Water-Spouts arise out of the Urns. The Flowers and Shrubs are kept in Pots of Procelain or in Boxes that resemble it and there are long Walks of Orange-Trees planted in the Ground with Hedge-Rows of Jasmins and Myrtles under a Gallery of Timber that remains open during the Summer but in Winter is cover'd with Dung to preserve the Trees from the Cold. But Colbert thought there were still some finishing Strokes wanting to compleat the Beauty of Versailles There was no other Water but what was pump'd out of a Pond and from thence distributed by Canals to the places that requir'd its Moisture nor was it free from the usual defects of stagnating Water Stench and Muddiness The Consideration of these Inconveniences made Colbert undertake to bring Water from the River Eure to Versailles by an Aqueduct which reaches from the Hill of Picardon to the Cisterns or Reservers of Water Five large Basons contain both the Water of that River and that which supplies the Machine of Marly Four of 'em are oblong Squares eighty five Toises loing and fifty four broad with Pannels of eighteen Toises at the outward Angles and in the midst of these there is a little Bason of ten Toises in Diameter call'd the Receptacle of Water because it receives all the Water and distributes it to the great Basons at the Corners which are hollow'd and fram'd into Arches of a Circle These five Basons are separated by Walks of eighteen Foot in breadth and surrounded with another of eight Toises which reaches from the outward Brink of the Basons to the Glacis of the Earth that is enclos'd with a Wall The great Basons are eighteen Foot deep and fill'd with Water to the height of twelve Feet so that each of 'em contains 8000 Cubical Toises of Water or 224000 Muids amounting in all the four to 896000 Muids or Hogsheads of Water To retain the Water there is a Lay of Clay eighteen Inches thick both at the Bottom and round the Edges of the Basons or Reservers supported by a Wall four Foot broad above and five below founded on a Woodden Grate laid over the Clay with Platforms 't is call'd The Wall of Douvre and the Talus or Sloping is on the inside by which it loses a Foot of its breadth The Aqueduct is 500 Toises long and its greatest height amounts to fourteen or fifteen The Basis or Ground-Work extends to fourteen Feet which are reduc'd to six on the top and of that number the Canal takes up three in which breadth it contains 648 Inches of Water The River Eure is brought to Versailles from Pontgoin seven Leagues from Chartres the Canal between Pontgoin and Berchere la Margot containing 20000 Toises This Canal is brought along the Surface of the Earth according to its Level and fifteen Foot downwards Its height rises or falls according to the situation of the Ground and the Talus or Slopeness of the Banks is double of the depth In the Bottom or Valley of Berchere where the Aqueduct of Mason's-Work begins there is a Bank or Aqueduct of Earth erected which accompanies that of Stone-Work for the Space of 3607 Toises The Canal of this Earthen Aqueduct is fifteen Foot broad at the bottom and six seven or eight Foot broad at the top the Talus being double the height The Sides or Banks are supported by a Causey nine Foot broad with a Talus double the height to keep the Earth from falling In the Valley of Berchere the height of the Earthen Bank amounts to 100 Feet in other parts to 70 50 40 and 20 Feet and towards Maintenon where 't is joyn'd to the Stone-Aqueduct its height rises to 79 Feet The Stone Aqueduct is 2960 Toises long consisting of 242 Arches The breadth of the Arches amounts to forty Feet their Piles are forty eight Foot long and twenty four broad with Buttresses reaching eleven Feet in breadth and six in Projecture or out-bearing In the deepest part there are three Arches one over another like those at Pont du Guard in Languedoc Towards Berchere there are thirty three single Arches seventy one double forty six treble then seventy two double and in the last place twenty single which rejoin the Earthen Aqueduct coming from towards Versailles at the height of sixty five Feet which is gradually diminish'd for the space of 6055 Toises till it be reduc'd even with the Terrasses and from thence to Versailles 't is brought along the Surface of the Ground as between Pontgoin and Berchere for the space of 25000 Toises unless in some parts where there is a Stone Aqueduct hollow'd in the Ground The greatest height of the Aqueduct in the Valley of Maintenon thro' which the Rivers of Eure and Gaillardon pass and where the treble Arches are amounts to 216 Feet and six Inches to the Pavement of the upper Wreaths or Edges without reckoning the Foundations which are fifteen or sixteen
in the above mention'd Machine It shews also the Swiftness and Slowness of each Planet its Excentricity and when it appears to us to stand still or move backwards for the Machine is so contriv'd that it must of necessity follow both the swift and slow Motion of every Planet as it approaches to its nearest or retires to its greatest Distance from the Sun There is also a Pneumatical Engine for the Experiments of Vacuum a Machine to make Stuffs one to wind a hundred Hanks of Thread at once another to cleanse Sea-Ports and a Catapulta of the Ancients By what has been said the Reader will be easily convinc'd of the Usefulness of the Observatory and that the Ingenious World is highly oblig'd to Colbert for employing his Interest with the King and his own Care and Industry for the Foundation and Erection of that Edifice according to the Directions of those great Men that are now lodg'd in it But these are not the only Obligations France has to that Minister She owes to him all the Advantages she receives by the Union of the two Seas The Success of that Attempt is so much the more surprizing that it was always before esteem'd impossible The Glory of the Invention is due to Riquet a Native of Beziers a Person of a happy Genius and an admirably quick and piercing Judgment for 't was he that found the Secret which had never before enter'd into the Imagination of any Man The several Offices he enjoy'd in that Part of the Country gave him an opportunity to consider it with great Care and Attention and the exact Knowledge he had of it convinc'd him that the way that leads from Higher to Lower Languedoc was the only thing that render'd the Design practicable since on both sides there are Mountains of a prodigious height the Pyrenean Hills on one side and on the other the Black Mountain neither of which cou'd ever have been divided by the united Labors of the whole Kingdom He discover'd also that there was only one place where the Water of the Rivers that fall into the Ocean cou'd be united to those that fall into the Mediterranean That place is call'd Naurouse being a little Eminency or rising-Rising-ground bounded with two Valleys one of which runs sloping from West to East and is wash'd by a little River that falls into the Fresque as that does into the River Aude above Carcassone And the Aude empties it self on one side by its natural Chanel into the Lake of Vandres that communicates with the Mediterranean and on the other is convey'd by an Artificial Canal to Narbon from whence it runs to the Sea The other Valley that descends from East to West is cross'd by the River Lers which enters into the Garonne below Tholouse Now the Springs of these two little Rivers of Aude and Lers being at the Head of the two Valleys about a quarter of a League distant from each other Riquet concluded that if they were Navigable the Boats that past along their Chanels might be brought very near each other All the difficulty was to know whether a Bason or Pond cou'd be dug on the Eminency of Naurouse and two Canals made to descend on one side to the Head of the Lers and on the other to the Source of the River Fresques that falls into the Aude and supposing such a Pond cou'd be made whether it were possible to gather and bring together a sufficient quantity of Water to fill the Canals and make 'em Navigable To clear these Doubts he visited all the neighbouring Mountains examin'd the height of the Sources of several Rivers that arise among 'em run over all the Country consider'd every part attentively and measur'd the Ground so often and so exactly that he was at last convinc'd of the Easiness of the Attempt to gather together the Water of the little Rivers of Alsau Bernasson Lampy Lampillon Rieutort and Sor which fall from these Mountains into the Plain of Revel and the other Countries of Laurageois And besides he concluded that by digging a Canal along the side of the Hills the Water of the Rivers might be convey'd down to the Hillock of Naurouse which he consider'd as the Point of Division from whence the Waters might be distributed on both sides towards the Ocean and Mediterranean to fill the Canals that might be made for the conveniency of Navigation These Considerations having encourag'd him to undertake the Project and convinc'd him of a possibility of Success he address'd himself to Colbert with whom he prevail'd to mention the Design to the King But that Minister being unwilling to engage his Majesty in an unprofiâ—able Expence propos'd that there might be a Tryal made with a little Ditch which was accordingly begun in the Black Mountain above the Town of Revel and carry'd on so happily that it brought the Water of the above-mention'd Rivers to Naurouse So encouraging a Success of the first Essay gave a reasonable Hope or rather Assurance of the happy Accomplishment of the Main Design which was undertaken and carried on with Vigour And the little Ditch was turn'd to a Canal of a convenient largeness and depth for the conveyance of a sufficient quantity of Water It begins near the Forest of Ramondins a little above the Head of the Alsau and descending to the little Rivulets of Comberouge and Coudiere takes in the River of Bernasson with another Brook of the same name a little lower after which it receives the Rivers of Lampy and Lampillon with the Brook Costere and empties all these Waters into the Sor above Campinase The whole Course of the Canal is full of Windings and contains 10761 Toises in length That the Water of those Rivers might enter into the Canal 't was found necessary to to stop their wonted Course with several Banks or Dams of well-cemented Earth which were built of so convenient a height that when the Water rises too high it may run over the Banks and fall into its natural Chanels Nor was it design'd to leave the Beds of those Rivers perfectly dry after the Basons of Communication were furnish'd with a sufficient Stock of Water and therefore there were several Sluces made in the Ditch call'd in that Country Escampadous The Sor having receiv'd so considerable an Addition of Waters carries 'em along with it for the space of 3449 Toises to the Foot of the Mountain where its Course is stopt by Banks like to the former to bring it into a new Canal which nevertheless is only a Continuation of the Ditch and creeps along the Hillocks to Naurouse for the space of 19378 Toises But least the Water of all those Rivulets should not be sufficient to fill the Ditch especially in the Summer when most of 'em are dry 't was judg'd convenient to seek out a fit place in the Mountain to make so considerable a Receptacle that it might be in a readiness on all Occasions to supply that defect The place appointed for this