In order to illustrate more clearly the non-resistance of water to penetration, Galileo then directs a cone to be made of wood or wax, and asserts that when it floats, either with its base or point in the water, the solid content of the part immersed will be the same, although the point is, by its shape, better adapted to overcome the resistance of the water to division, if that were the cause of the buoyancy. Or the experiment may be varied by tempering the wax with filings of lead, till it sinks in the water, when it will be found that in any figure the same cork must be added to it to raise it to the surface.—"This silences not my antagonists; but they say that all the discourse hitherto made by me imports little to them, and that it serves their turn, that they have demonstrated in one instance, and in such manner and figure as pleases them best, namely, in a board and a ball of ebony, that one, when put into the water, sinks to the bottom, and that the other stays to swim at the top; and the matter being the same, and the two bodies differing in nothing but in figure, they affirm that with all perspicuity they have demonstrated and sensibly manifested what they undertook. Nevertheless I believe, and think I can prove that this very experiment proves nothing against my theory. And first it is false that the ball sinks, and the board not; for the board will sink too, if you do to both the figures as the words of our question require; that is, if you put them both _in_ the water; for to be in the water implies to be placed in the water, and by Aristotle's own definition of place, to be placed imports to be environed by the surface of the ambient body; but when my antagonists shew the floating board of ebony, they put it not into the water, but upon the water; where, being detained by a certain impediment (of which more anon) it is surrounded, partly with water, partly with air, which is contrary to our agreement, for that was that the bodies should be in the water, and not part in the water, part in the air. I will not omit another reason, founded also upon experience, and, if I deceive not myself, conclusive against the notion that figure, and the resistance of the water to penetration have anything to do with the buoyancy of bodies. Choose a piece of wood or other matter, as for instance walnut-wood, of which a ball rises from the bottom of the water to the surface more slowly than a ball of ebony of the same size sinks, so that clearly the ball of ebony divides the water more readily in sinking than does the walnut in rising. Then take a board of walnut-tree equal to and like the floating ebony one of my antagonists; and if it be true that this latter floats by reason of the figure being unable to penetrate the water, the other of walnut-tree, without all question, if thrust to the bottom ought to stay there, as having the same impeding figure, and being less apt to overcome the said resistance of the water. But if we