'254, SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANALS, LAKES, 



Strabo's report, in consequence of an earthquake, accompanied by 

 frequent eruptions of fire ; or, according to the words of tiie Bible, 

 in consequence of a rain of sulphur, buried the towns of Sodom and 

 Goinorrha; and is very remarkable on account of the considerable 

 proportion of salt which it contains. In this respect it surpasses 

 every other known water on the surface of the earth. This great 

 proportion of bitter-tasted salts is the reason why neither animal nor 

 plant can live in this water : on which account the name of Dead 

 Sea is applied to it with justice. This great proportion of salt gives 

 to the water so great a specific gravity, that it is capable of bearing 

 weights that would sink in the Ocean. Hence it happens that men, 

 as Strabo long ago informed us, cannot dive in the Dead Sea, but 

 are forcibly suspended on its surface. 



The Dead Sea is farther remarkable on account of the great 

 quantity of asphalt swimming on its surface, which having been ori- 

 ginally thrown up from its bottom in a melted state by the agency 

 of subterraneous lieat, and being again solidified by the cold of the 

 water, is at last collected on the margin of the lake, and forms an 

 important article of traffic. 



Two different sets of chemical experiments have already made 

 TB acquainted with the nature of the salts with which this water is 

 impregnated. 



Tiie first of these is that of Macquer, Lavoisier, and S:ige, in. 

 Serted in the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences for the year 

 1/78, and entitle;! Analyse do r Ilau du Lac Asphalt lie. Two 

 flasks, snil by the Chevalier To lesin Guettard, furnished the requi- 

 site quantity of water for this 



Tliejtfouml the specific gravity of the water 1-240. 

 As me result of thfir analysis, they obtained from 5 pounds of 

 I be water ." ounces of crystallized common salt, but not quite free 

 from a small mixture of the salts with an earthy base. Farther, 

 they obtained 30 ounces of earthy salts, consisting of four parts of 

 muriate of magnesia, and three parts of muriate of lime. These 

 proportions, reduced to 100 parts, give us the constituents of th<* 

 salts of the Dead Sea as follows : 



Mmiait' of magnesia ................ 21*786 



Muriate- of lime .................... 16-339 



Muriate of soda. ................... 6*250 



44375 



