BOOK V.] History of Nature. 69 



speak. It is a pleasant River, and so far as the Situation of 

 the Country will permit, spacious, offering itself to the 

 neighbouring Inhabitants ; and reluctantly, as it were, it 

 passeth to the Lake Asphaltites, cursed by Nature : by which 

 it is swallowed up ; it loseth its own esteemed Waters, by 

 their becoming mixed with those of the Pestilential Lake. 

 And therefore upon the first opportunity of any Valleys, it 

 poureth itself into a Lake, which many call Genesara, which 

 is 16 Miles Long and 6 Broad. This is environed with 

 beautiful Towns : on the East side with Julias and Hippo ; 

 on the South with Tarichea, by which Name the Lake is by 

 some called ; and on the West with Tiberias, an healthful 

 Place on account of the Hot Waters. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

 Asphaltites. 



ASPHALTITES 1 produceth nothing besides Bitumen ; from 

 whence the name. No Body of any Creature doth it receive : 

 Bulls and Camels float upon it. And hence ariseth the 



abouts, and its embouchure is into the Dead Sea ; its inner banks, to within 

 a few miles of this place, are covered with willows, oleanders, reeds, &c. &c. 

 whilst its periodical overflowings have formed a wider channel, defined by 

 a second or outer bank on either side. Wern. Club. 



1 Asphaltites, in other words the bituminous lake, from the abund- 

 ance of asphalt (bitumen) which occurs in it. Dr. Shaw estimated its 

 length at 72 English miles, and its breadth 19 miles. Dr. Robinson, 

 however, estimates its length at only 50, and its average breadth 10 or 12 

 miles. The constituents of the water of the Dead Sea are as follows : 



Muriate of lime 3-920 grains. 



Muriate of magnesia 10-246 " 



Muriate of soda 19-360 " 



Sulphate of lime 0-054 " 



34-580 grains in each 100. 



Several analyses have been made by Marat, Gay-Lussac, Gmelin, &c., 

 with nearly the same result. The origin of this lake accounts for the 

 above facts, and the phenomena by which it is surrounded equally evi- 

 dence its truth sterility in land, water, and air, are its saddening cha- 

 racters. It is reputed to be very shallow, which seems to be a mistake. 

 It also bore the name of the " Sea of the Plain." The history of this 

 lake is best seen in the Bible. Wern. Club. 



