Excerpt:

You know that there is more water on the earth than dry land. Here is the first proof: The water proves that the earth is flat, level and stationary. Water is liquid. It runs always down and seeks its level, and never runs up unless by power. And the water of the ocean is every way pretty near joined together on the earth, and they call it liquid. It will not stay on a round earth. Take a glass of water and pour it on a round ball and if the water stays on, then the earth must be round, but if the water falls off then the earth must be flat.

This is the proof: Take a pan and fill it with water and see if it is higher in the center than on the sides. If this is true, then the water of the ocean might be round, but if the water in the pan is flat and level, then the water of the ocean must also be flat and level.

The water of the ocean is level and can be nothing else, because it is liquid, which proves that the land is flat and not round. The land is not exactly flat and level, for there are mountains and valleys. But it makes no difference, for if the mountains were in the valleys it would leave the land flat and level and higher than the water. I have been thinking of the question for a long time.

At last I have found out for myself from the water and the sunbeams, the sun’s rising, the sunlight, etc., that the earth cannot be round and in motion, as books and teachers have taught. The teachers offer proofs to show that the earth is round, but the proofs they offer amount to nothing. When the children go to school, the teacher tells them the world is round, and, of course, they believe it, and they do not ask how it is round. They are young and they know very little. When they grow up they still believe the earth is round and in motion, and so in turn they teach this to others.

The water is flat, which proves that the earth is flat and stationary.

From its fruit you will know what kind of a tree it is.

You can tell by looking at a building whether it has a good foundation or not.

A judge will not take witnesses who are far away, but those that are near him, so that he can speak to them and examine the case and find out the truth.

The proofs about the earth are found the same way. The nearer the proofs are to the mind the better we can understand them. The proofs in this book are very good and can be understood by anyone. Don’t pay attention to a far away proof. It may not be the truth.

The sun cannot throw the earth’s shadow on the moon, because sometimes they are very near to each other. This you can tell in the evening and in the morning by seeing the moon and the sun at the same time.

You ought not to believe everything the professors say, because they do not know everything.

The man who said that the earth was proved round by the sight of a row of ships upon the ocean made a mistake, and what he says is not true.

Just because he measured and looked at the subject in his own way, he has not proved it but guessed at it. From his guess he thought the land and water are round; but the water will not stay round, as he thinks.

They claim in the geographies that when the last ship is out of sight, it is a proof that the water is round, but it is a proof that the water is flat. You will see if you look and measure in a good many different ways, as is done in this book.

If he was wise enough he would measure the steamers from different points and see that it always comes to the same thing, like the Fifteen Puzzle which will count fifteen when added in any direction.