THE ONYX MARBLES. 577 



from hard bowlders. * * ' The hands were protected by hide bands -wound 

 around the chisel, and several strips were found in the d<5bris. That the alabaster 

 from this mine was only transported in small portions is shown by the fact that 

 there is no made roadway for sledge transport. 



"Another alabaster (quarry remains to be mentioned, situated to the east of the Tel- 

 el-Amarna plain, behind the northern tombs. This was worked by Rameses II and 

 his son Meneptah, the Phnroahs of the Oppression and the Exodus, audits steep sides 

 may have echoed to the blows of the picks of the toiling Israelites.'' 



Per.s'ia.— rThe ouyx fouud in the vicinity of Lake Oroomiah lias 

 already been referred to in discussing the origin of this class of rocks. 

 For a description of its mode of occurrence we have to rely mainly 

 upon the accounts of travelers who are neither chemists or geologists. 

 The writer is informed by Mr. P. Z.^Easton that the quarries, if such 

 they can be called, lie not far from the main road from Tabriz to Mara- 

 gha, about 44 miles from the former place and 28 miles from the latter. 

 I hnd two somewhat detailed accounts of the occurrence in the liter- 

 ature at hand, and venture to give both in full, though the first more 

 as a curiosity than as a contribution to scientific knowledge. This is 

 by Morier * and is as follows: 



" (;)n the 24:th we proceeded to Shirameeu, a village near the lake, and distant 3 fur- 

 snugs from the preceding stage. At the distance of 1 fursung on the right of the 

 road is a spring of chalybeate water, and 2 fursungs farther on, after having discov- 

 ered the expanse of the lake, we diverged from the road to visit the petrifactions. 



"This natural curiosity consists of certain extraordinary ponds or plashes whose 

 indolent waters, by a slow and regular process, stagnate, concrete, and petrify, and 

 produce that beautiful transparent stone commonly called Tabriz marble, which is 

 so remarkable in most of the burial places in Persia, and which forms a chief orna- 

 ment in all the buildings of note throughout the country. These ponds, which are 

 situated close to one another, are contained in a circumference of about half a mile, 

 and their position is marked by confused heaps and mounds of the stone, which 

 have accumulated as the excavations have increased. We had seen nothing in Per- 

 sia yet which was more worthy of the attention of the naturalists than this ; and I 

 never so much regretted my ignorance of subjects of this nature, because I felt that 

 it is of consequence they should be brought into notice by scientific observation. 

 However, rather than omit all description of a spot which perhaps no Europeans 

 but ourselves have had the opportunity of examining, and on which, therefore, we 

 are bound (injustice to those opportunities) not to withhold the information which 

 we obtained, I will venture to give the following notes of our visit, relying upon 

 the candor and the science of my reader to fill up my imperfect outline. 



"On approaching the spot the ground has a hollow sound, with a jiarticularly 

 dreary and calcined appearance, and when upon it a strong mineral smell arises 

 from the ponds. The process of petrifaction is to be traced from its first beginning 

 to its termination. In one part the water is clear, in a second it appears thicker 

 and stagnant, in a third quite black, and in its last stage is white, like a hoar 

 frost. Indeed, a petrified pond looks like frozen water, and before the operation is 

 quite finished a stone slightly thrown upon it breaks the outer coating, and causes 

 the black water underneath to exude. Where the operation is complete a stone 

 makes no impression, and a man may walk upon it without wetting his shoes. 

 Whenever the petrifaction has been hewn into the curious jtrogress of the concre- 

 tion is clearly seen, and shows itself like. sheets of rougli paper one over the other in 

 accumulated layers. Such is the constant tendency of this water to become stone 



* Morier, Second Journey through Persia, May 18, 1818, pp. 284-286. 

 H. Mis. 184, pt. 2 — ^37 



