CASPIAN SEA. 



597 





nal by Captain Woodroofe, of the soundings, or 

 other particulars of consequence, relative to the na- 

 iou of this sea, illustrated hy proper maps and 

 charts, on which is laid clown every thing that seemed 

 most deriving of notice, as well concerning the 

 depths of the water round the whole coast, or in 

 other situations in which any particular reason ren- 

 dered it necessary that they should be known, as 

 concerning the nature of the ground, the conveni- 

 ences afforded for anchorage, and whatever else prin- 

 cipally interests navigators, when entering upon seas 

 little known to them. In Professor Pallas's Tra- 

 vels, there occur also various notices respecting the 

 &>rm, and the arrangement, and the distribution of 

 particular parts, whether contained more within the 

 main outline, or appearing in the character of ex- 

 crescences, and a sort or appendages 10 this >a. 

 with observations relative to its coasts and the adja- 

 cent country, or portions of these, as well as to some 

 that appeared to deserve attention of the races or 

 tribes of men by which these regions, or such parts of 

 them are inhabited. It may be just added, that the ge- 

 neral condition of the principal provinces of Persia, bor- 

 dering upon the Caspian, Shirvan, Ghilan, Mazande- 

 ran, and Astrabad, is, that though tributary to the 

 Sophi, they are yet governed by their respective 

 khans, who, occasionally rendering themselves inde- 

 pendent, are constantly at war with each other, 

 whence the places subject to their authority become 

 the seats of disorder, of rapine, and devastation ; and 

 from the frequency and the exorbitancy of their 

 exactions, of which some instances have been al* 

 ready adduced, the most serious obstacles are often 

 thrown in the way of the success and the prospe- 

 rity of trade. Robberies and piracies are here com* 

 mitted to a great extent. The different tribes of 

 Tartars, which inhabit or roam along the coasts, have 

 been particularly noted for such depredations j the 

 Calmucks towards the north ; the Lesgees in the 

 west ; and the Turkomans and others in the south 

 and east. The robberies of the first of -these tribes 

 have been accompanied with degrees of cruelty and 

 atrocity, indicative of the very depraved character 

 of this people. The rigour of the punishments 

 inflicted on them when taken, by those intrusted 

 with the execution of the laws under the Russian go- 

 vernment, (of which the Calmucks are now consider* 

 ed the subjects,) ii< not inferior to the measure of 

 their own previous guilt. 



The Caspian Sea, .is has been already remarked, 

 is the receptacle of many large rivers. The Emba, 

 the Ural or Yaik, and the Volga, run into it from the 

 north ; the Kuma, Terek, Kur, and Kizil Ozen from 

 the west : those which it receives from the south are 

 inconsiderable ; but from the east it is supposed still 

 to receive the Tedjen. Other rivers were understood 

 formerly to disembogue themselves into it, some of 

 which do not now exist; such are the Jaxartes and the 

 Oxus, which are said to have flowed into it from the 

 east, the latter particularly by one or two branches, till 

 it afterwards bent northwards, and joined the sea of 



Aral.* It is probably owing to the great influx of Capiaa 

 river water into this sea, as well as to the nature of its 

 bottom, that its water, particularly near to the shore, 

 is so generally very turbid and impure. To the 

 same circumstance it must be attributed, that though 

 the taste of this water is salt, yet the proportion of 

 salt found to be actually contained in any given quan- 

 tity of it is comparatively inconsiderable. The de- 

 gree of its saltness is said likewiseTb vary, not only 

 with the depth, and according to the nearness to the 

 shore, but also with the variation of the winds. 

 Besides the salt and bitter taste common to it with 

 all sea water, it has been observed, that the water of 

 the Caspian has a certain peculiar taste quite dis- 

 tinct, and which affects the tongue with an im- 

 pression similar to that made by the bile of animals. 

 The degree in which this taste is perceptible at dif- 

 ferent periods is said, as in the other case just allu- 

 ded to, to vary with the direction of the winds ; and 

 it has been attributed to the springs of naphtha, or 

 other mineral or combustible substances, lying in the 

 tract between Derbent and Baku, towards the west, 

 or in the islands in the bay of Balkhan. Whether 

 there is any plausibility in this notion or not, there 

 is at least no doubt that the substances mentioned 

 are found in and form a valuable production of these 

 parts. Glauber salt, which is so intimately connect- 

 ed with naphtha in its nature and origin, is also ob- 

 served to be a constituent in the water of the Cas- 

 pian, as well as to enter into the composition of the 

 saline earth, that is found in such quantity in efflo- 

 rescence along its coasts. In particular situations, it 

 is dug out of mines, which occur also in the same vi- 

 cinity. 



Much has been written respecting supposed peri-i 

 odical risings and fallings of the water of the Caspi- 

 an ; and it has been represented as a striking peculi- 

 arity, that for the space of thirty or thirty- five 

 years its waters are constantly increasing, and then 

 for the same term continually decrease. It has 

 also been remarked, that, in proportion- to the ex- 

 tent of this sea, the variety of its productions is 

 by no means considerable. This has been attribu- 

 ted, and apparently with justice, to its want of com- 

 munication with the ocean, which is thus precluded 

 from imparting to it of its inexhaustible stores. But 

 of the animals which this sea nourishes, the greater 

 part are of very valuable kinds ; and they multiply- 

 to such B degree, as to be a never failing source of 

 profit and wealth to those of the contiguous nations, 

 that arc in a condition to turn them to account. Sal- Produc* 

 mon, sturgeon, and other fish abound in all parts of tion. 

 the Caspian, as well as in the rivers which communi- 

 cate with it. The salmon is as good as that of Riga 

 and Archangel, and even more fleshy and fat. The 

 herrings, too, are remarkably large, and plumper 

 than the English or the -Dutch, but not so tender. 

 To this list of the fishes of the Caspian may be add- 

 ed, the sterlet, various species of seals, diversified, 

 however, only or chiefly by their colour, and por- 

 poises. The only shell-fish that occur are three or 



* The Jaxartrs is the Syr-Daria that falls into the Aral. The Oxus is the Ula, or the Amu-Darin, connected also with 

 the same sea. S-.-t D'AnviUt; Mvllcr ; Dictionnaire Geoeraphique de J'aloudinier, art. Aral; and the general charts of t*e 

 Academy of Petersburg. 



