4fS The Destnidicni of Sodom and Gomorrah, 



The chemical properties of the waters of the Dead Sea, rather 

 lend countenance to the volganic origin of the surrounding 

 country, as they contain scarcely any thing except muriatic 

 salts, Dr Marcet's analysis giving in 100 parts of the water — 



24.580 



Now, we not only know that muriatic acid is commonly ex- 

 haled from volcanoes in a state of activity, but that muriatic 

 salts are also frequent products of their eruption. 



The' other substances met with are no less corroborative of 

 the cause assigned. Great quantities of asphaltum appear 

 floating on the surface of the sea, and are driven by the winds 

 to the east and west bank, where they remain fixed. Ancient 

 writers inform us, that the neighbouring inhabitants went out in 

 boats to collect this substance, and that it constituted a con- 

 siderable branch of commerce. On the south-west bank are 

 hot springs and deep gullies, dangerous to the traveller, were 

 not their position indicated by small pyramidic edifices on the 

 sides. Sulphur and bitumen are also met with on the moun- 

 tains round. 



On the shore of the lake Mr Maundrel found a kind of 

 bituminous stone, which I infer from his description to be 

 analogous to that of Ragusa in Sicily, noticed in my memoir on 

 the Geology of that island.* " It is a black sort of pebble, which 

 being held to the flame of a candle, soon burns, and yields a smoke 

 of a most intolerable stench. It has this property, that it loses a 

 part of its weight, but not of its bulk, by burning. The hills 

 bordering on the lake are said to abound with this sort of sul- 

 phureous (bituminous ?) stone. I saw pieces of it, adds our 

 author, at the convent of St John in the wilderness, two feet 

 square. They were carved in basso relievo, and polished to so 

 high a lustre as black marble is capable of, and were designed 

 for the ornament of the new church in the convent." 



• I have since received a specimen of this stone, which turns out to be pre- 

 cisely similar to that of Ragusa. 



