OF SEVERAL PARTS OF AVESTERN ASIA. 403 



three cattle were destroyed. On the 24th of the same month, a 

 second more terrible avalanche descended from Ararat, and 

 spread over the surrounding country to the distance of fourteen 

 miles, destroying many houses in several villages." These state- 

 ments were also confirmed to Mr. Perkins by the Emeer Mirzam, 

 commander-in-chief of the Persian army, who happened to be in 

 the vicinity of Ararat at the time. 



The next spot of geological interest to which I wish to call the 

 attention of the Association, is the lake of Oroomiah, in the 

 northwest part of Persia, and nearly one hundred and fifty miles 

 southeasterly from Ararat. Its length is full eighty miles, and its 

 breadth in some places thirty miles. Next to the Dead Sea, 

 its waters are more highly impregnated with salts than any 

 that have yet been analyzed. Like the Dead Sea, it has no 

 outlet; but instead of being depressed below the level of 

 the ocean, like the Dead Sea, it is probably not far from four 

 thousand feet above the Black Sea. The city of Tabreez is situ- 

 ated on its eastern shore, not far from twenty miles distant, and 

 gentlemen connected \\dth the EngHsh embassy there, have de- 

 termined, barometrically, that that city is about four thousand feet 

 higher than the Black Sea; and Tabreez stands nearly on the 

 same level with lake Oroomiah. Anotiicr fact renders these 

 statements probable. By looking at a good map of that region, 

 we shall see that only a few short streams flow into the lake, 

 while several other streams take their rise almost in the same 

 place, and run a vastly longer course, some of them, as the Aras, 

 for instance, into the Caspian Sea ; and others, as some ti'ibuta- 

 ries of the Tigris, into the Persian. Gulf. Now unless those 

 which fall into the lake have a much more rapid descent than 

 the others, and Mr. Perkins informs me they have not, the lake 

 must lie at a much higher level than the Caspian Sea, or the 

 Persian Gulf. But we know that the former is only one hundred 

 and eight feet lower than the Black Sea ; and hence Oroomiah 

 must be much above it. 



The specific gravity of the water of this lake I find to be 1155, 

 which is a mean of several trials with the hydrometer, and by 

 weighing a portion of the water. 



