the Water of the Lake Elton, 85 



of Mr Lenz, which have been made with the greatest care, and 

 with due regard to those going before, fix the maximum of the 

 specific gravity of the water of the Atlantic at 1,02856, and of 

 the Southern Ocean at 1,028084. 



From his numerous observations, Mr Lenz concludes that 

 the waters of the Atlantic contain a greater proportion of salt 

 than those of the Southern Ocean. The Indian Ocean, as the 

 connecting medium of these two great masses of water, is conse- 

 quently somewhat more salt on the side of the Atlantic than on 

 the confines of the Southern Ocean ; that is to say, on the west 

 than on the east, whilst, at the same time, this difference is not 

 considerable. One circumstance on this point is exceedingly 

 curious, viz., the statement of Wollaston, that the water of the 

 Mediterranean, fifty English miles to the east of the Straits of 

 Gibraltar, at the depth of 670 fathoms gives, when heated to 

 302° of Fahr., a proportion of salt which amounts to 17,3 per 

 cent., and a specific gravity of 1,1288; whilst more to the 

 east, at two places a little removed, it possessed only the usual 

 proportion of the waters of the ocean. 



It is well known that enclosed seas have often a much smaller 

 proportion of salt than others. This is especially notable in re- 

 lation to the Baltic, in which this proportion diminishes as the 

 distance of its communication with the German ocean increases. 

 It even appears, according to the observations ofWilkie in 1771, 

 that in the Sound, near to Landskrone, the west wind, and more 

 especially the north-west, decidedly increases the specific gravity 

 of its waters, whilst the east wind correspondingly diminishes it 

 The Caspian exhibits a similar phenomenon, but in a different 

 direction. Here the water almost entirely loses its proportion 

 of salt in the situation where the enormous watery mass of the 

 Volga enters, and it is only after a continuance of southerly 

 wind that the water becomes salt even at Astracan. 



Mr Rose has analyzed some water which was given him by 

 his brother, and which was taken from this sea in N. Lat. 45° 39, 

 at the distance of 56 miles from the last of the islands which 

 form the embouchure of the Volga, at a place where it was only 

 three and a half fathoms deep. This water was so fresh 

 that it could be drank like spring water. The analysis, although 

 mperfect on account of the small quantity which was subjected 



