600 ANALYSIS OF THE WATER. [1848. 



from even his estimate. According to those, it appears to be 

 a trifle over forty miles in length, and its average breadth is 

 between eight and nine miles. Undoubtedly, the dimensions 

 vary with the season ; but they can never exceed those de- 

 termined by the American Expedition, to any great extent, 

 as they were ascertained but a short time after the season of 

 floods, and before the volume of water swollen by 'the rising 

 of the Jordan' could have been seriously diminished by evap- 

 oration. 



In regard to the depth of water in the sea, there has like- 

 wise been a great diversity of opinion. Some travellers have 

 fancied, from the whirlpools produced by the current flowing 

 in from the Jordan, and the returning eddy, that it was 

 bottomless; and others, with greater haste than wisdom, have 

 adopted the plausible supposition that, inasmuch as it had 

 no visible outlet, there must be some subterraneous communi- 

 cation with the Mediterranean sea, though the latter is thir- 

 teen hundred feet above it. The soundings of the American 



■9 



Exploring party show that the greatest depth of the water — 

 at a point three miles distant from the Arabian shore and 

 twelve miles from the mouth of the Jordan — is two hundred 

 and eighteen fathoms, or upwards of thirteen hundred feet; 

 and that from this point, the bottom slopes upward on every 

 side, but more gradually towards the western shore and the 

 southern extremity of the lake. 



The water of this sea is more salt than that of the ocean, 

 or of any other similar body of water in the known world. 

 It contains about one- fourth part of its weight of saline con- 

 tents in a state of perfect desiccation, and forty-one parts in 

 a hundred in a state of simple crystallization. An analysis 

 of the water was made by Dr. Marcet, in 1807, who says 

 that it "is perfectly transparent, and does not deposit any 

 crystals on standing in close vessels. Its taste is peculiarly 

 bitter, saline, and pungent. Solutions of silver produce from 

 it a very copious precipitate, showing the presence of marine 

 acid. Oxalic acid instantly discovers lime in the water. 

 The lime being separated, both caustic and carbonated alka- 



