54 NATURAL HISTORY. 



when they are agitated, which strikes the vessels on 

 every side with an intolerable violence. 



Next to the Black Sea, the greatest lake in the uni- 

 verse is the Caspian Sea, \vhose extent in length from 

 north to south is about 300 leagues, and scarcely more 

 than fifty broad, computing it in a moderate propor- 

 tion. This lake receives the Wolga, which is one of 

 the greatest rivers in the world ; and also some other 

 considerable rivers, as the Keir, the Fay, and the 

 Gempo ; but what is singular is, that it does not re- 

 ceive any on its eastern side throughout this whole 

 length of 300 leagues. There are some small islands 

 in the Caspian Sea, and its waters are much less sa- 

 line than those of the ocean. In this sea no large 

 vessels are used, as navigation is very dangerous in it, 

 because it is shallow, and many banks and shoals are 

 scattered under the surface of the water. 



There are lakes which, like pools, neither receive 

 nor emit rivers. There are others which do receive 

 rivers, and from which others run : and lastly, some 

 which only receive rivers. The Caspian Sea and the 

 lake Aral are of the last kind, they receive the waters 

 of many rivers, and contain them. Thus the Dead 

 Sea receives the Jordan, though no river issues from 

 it. In Asia Minor there is a small lake of the same 

 kind, which receives the waters of a river, the source 

 of which is near Congi, and which, like the preceding, 

 has no other mode than evaporation, to throw off the' 

 waters it receives ; there is one much larger in Persia, 

 on which the town of Maraga stands, its figure is oval 

 and it is about ten or twelve kaj>ues long, by six or 

 seven bro;ul ; it receives the river Taurus, which is 

 not very considerable. There is also a similar small 

 lal;e in Greece, about 12 or 15 leagues from Lepnnto, 



