340 
I have remarked at the commencement of this paper that the opening 
of the Tertiary period witnessed the upheaval of most of the mountain chains 
of the globe, and here I need only again refer to the level surfaces which 
according to Bauerman’s sections the older crystaline rocks and metamorphic- 
schists exhibit where the Nudian Sandstone rests on them (notwithstanding that 
they are both much pierced by dykes) indicating a gradual upheaval noticed 
by Mr Hudleston, who says: “It is of course well known to those who have 
paid any attention previously to the subject that the great physical break which 
fell upon these regions took place towards the close of the Eocone period, 
After that all was changed, and a marine area became a continental one.” 
THE DEAD SEA 
The superficial area of this sea may be taken at about 
360 square miles or 10,036 millions of square feet. Mons. 
Lartet says that the estimated flow of the River Jordan into 
it may be stated approximatively at certain seasons of the year 
at 6,500,000 tonnes (French) during the day, which would be 
equivalent to 229,534,510 cubic feet. The evaporation to 
account for such a volume of water would be *0228 of a foot or 
somewhat over a quarter of an inch, or 6°9 millimetres. This 
is exclusive of the numerous other affluents that flow direct 
into it, the total of which he assumes may equal but cannot 
surpass that of the Jordan. His figures, are I think, large, but 
he refers to the calculations of Professor Zech, of Stuttgart, 
whose calculations show a necessary evaporation of 13 milli- 
metres in depth from the surface of the Dead Sea to account 
for the maximum flow of the Jordan, and I presume the whole 
of the affluents into the sea. This agrees materially with my 
previous figures. Taking therefore 13 of an inch or a little over 
3-inch as the water to be accounted for without admitting the 
hypothesis of the Arabians that there is a subterranean outlet. 
We will consider the facts :— 
1st.—That the occasional variations before referred to in 
the surface level of the Dead Sea is an argument against such 
an hypothesis, and shows a physical capability and tendency 
for retaining the affluent waters. 
- 2nd.—The saliferous gypseous and other deposits now 
known to be forming in the bed of the sea is another. 
