6.  Survey creation; you will see the power of heat reigning over all that is born and perishes.  On account of it comes all the water spread over the earth, as well as that which is beyond our sight and is dispersed in the depths of the earth.  On account of it are abundance of fountains, springs or wells, courses of rivers, both mountain torrents and ever flowing streams, for the storing of moisture in many and various reservoirs.  From the East, from the winter solstice flows the Indus, the greatest river of the earth, according to geographers.  From the middle of the East proceed the Bactrus, Balkh. the Choaspes, Kerak. and the Araxes, Probably the Volga is meant. from which the Tanais Don. detaches itself to fall into the Palus-Mæotis. Sea of Asov.  Add to these the Phasis Phaz. which descends from Mount Caucasus, and countless other rivers, which, from northern regions, flow into the Euxine Sea.  From the warm countries of the West, from the foot of the Pyrenees, arise the Tartessus Ebro. and the Ister, The Danube. of which the one discharges itself into the sea beyond the Pillars and the other, after flowing through Europe, falls into Euxine Sea.  Is there any need to enumerate those which the Ripæan mountains Used vaguely for any mountains in the north of Europe and Asia.  Strabo (vii. pp. 295, 299) considers them fabulous. pour forth in the heart of Scythia, the Rhone, A varia lectio is Eridanus. and so many other rivers, all navigable, which after having watered the countries of the western Gauls and of Celts and of the neighbouring barbarians, flow into the Western sea?  And others from the higher regions of the South flow through Ethiopia, to discharge themselves some into our sea, others into inaccessible seas, the Ægon Αἰγών is properly the Ægean Sea. the Nyses, the Chremetes, Basil’s geography is bad.  He might have improved it by consulting Strabo or Ptolemæus, but has been content to go for his facts to Aristotle (Met. i. 13), whose errors he repeats.  Fialon remarks “nouvelle preuve de l’indifférence des cités grecques de l’ Asie pour cet Occident lointain dont elles se séparèrent si facilement.”  If this refers to the theological separation it is hardly fair.  The East in the 4th c. and 5th c. shewed no indifference to the sympathy of the W., and when the split came the “separation” was not taken “easily.” and above all the Nile, which is not of the character of a river when, like a sea, it inundates Egypt.  Thus the habitable part of our earth is surrounded by water, linked together by vast seas and irrigated by countless perennial rivers, thanks to the ineffable wisdom of Him Who ordered all to prevent this rival element to fire from being entirely destroyed.