476 TRAVELS IX THE EAST IXDIAX ARCHIPELAGO. 



is a well-built road along tlie eastern side of tlie lake 

 to the kainpoDg of Sinkara on the soutkern shore. Tke 

 lake is ten miles long and about three miles wide. It 

 is parallel to the Barizan chain in this place, and ex- 

 tends in a northwest and southeast direction. Its 

 surface is about seventeen hundred feet above 

 the sea. Its most remarkable character is its great 

 depth at one place, near the cleft of Paningahan, 

 where the plummet runs down eleven hundred 

 and eighty-two feet, nearly a quarter of a mile, so 

 that its bottom, at that spot, is only about iive hun- 

 dred feet above the level of the sea. West of the 

 Sinkara is the great Barizan chain, with its acclivities 

 rising immediately from the margin of the lake, and 

 its peaks generally attaining an elevation of fifteen 

 hundred feet above the lake, or three thousand two 

 hundi'ed feet above the sea. On the eastern side, and 

 on the northern end of the lake, are hills of less than 

 half that height, mostly composed of syenite. The 

 Barizan chain, as shown in the cleft of Paningahan, 

 is composed of chloritic schists interstratified with 

 marble, and overlaid in most places mth lava, 2:)um- 

 ice-stone, and volcanic sand or ashes. These strata 

 of schists and limestone undoubtedly rest on gigan- 

 tic rocks, for such are found outcropping on the op- 

 posite or coast side of the range. The basin of Lake 

 Sinkara, therefore, occurs where a great fault has 

 taken place. Five miles east of the lake, and a short 

 distance south of the kampong Pasilian, is Mount 

 Sibumbun, which, as well as the cleft of Paningahan, 

 has been carefidly examined by Mr. Van Dijk, of 

 the Government Mining Corps, on account of the 



