the Wafer of the Lake Elton, 81 



north to south, reaches to about ten. It is so shallow as to be 

 fordable; and,in truth, it is nothing more than a salt-water marsh 

 which extends over great beds of salt, which are there constantly 

 accumulating. 



The water, which was analyzed by Professor Rose, was pro- 

 cured by M. de Humboldt, in his journey of 1829 ; it was pre- 

 served in a bottle well corked. Some crystals of sulphate of 

 magnesia having collected in the lower part of the cork, these 

 were afresh dissolved by heat, previous to the cork being removed; 

 the water was then poured into a bottle having a glass stopper. '• 



At the temperature of 54^ Fahr. the specific gravity of this 

 water was found to be 1.27288; it did not exert any action on 

 turnsol paper, and it supplied the following analysis : — 



Magnesia, 10.22 



Soda, 2.04 



Potassa, 0.14 



Chlorine, 16.97 



Sulphuric Acid, 3.51 



When, then, we subtract from the quantity of chlorine thut 

 found, viz. 16.97, the proportions of it which are combined with 

 the potassium and sodium, and affix to the remainder, viz. 14.55) 

 the quantity of chloride of magnesium at 19.75 parts, we obtain 

 as the analysis of this water — 



Chloride of Potassium, . . . 0.23 



Chloride of Sodium, .... 3.83 



Chloride of Magnesium, . . • 19.7* 

 Sulphate of Magnesium, . . . 6.32 



Water, and a very minute quantity of or- 

 ganized substance, .... 70.87 



100.00 



The quantity of matter, therefore, which wholly resists the 

 action of fire, and which is disengaged from the water, amounts 

 to 29.13 per cent. 



In this water there is no combination of bromine, nor of 

 iodine, or at least these combinations exist only in the most 

 minute quantities ; no more are there any carbonates, nor phos- 

 phates, nor ammonia, nor Hthium, nor metallic substances. 

 Neither does any gypsum appear, nor any of the other salts of 

 lime; which is the more surprising, since the brother of the 



VOL. XXI. NO. XLI,— JULY 1836. F 



