Lartet on the Asphalt of the Dead Sea. 63 



wards the Arabs saw a mass of bitumen floating on the Dead 

 Sea, which they took possession of and sold in the bazaar in 

 Jerusalem for 16,000 francs, being at the rate of 100 francs for 

 a quintal. 



" It is only along the western shore of the Eed Sea that 

 important deposits of bitumen occur. We know that Strabo 

 mentions the existence, in the neighbourhood of Masada, of 

 rocks distilling pitch. We think we have discovered the de- 

 posits to which the Greek geographer alluded, first in the 

 ravine to the south of the hill of Sebbeh, whose summit is 

 crowned with the ruins of the aucient Masada. We meet 

 there with dolomitic rocks, the numerous cavities of which are 

 parti}' - filled with asphalt which must have been introduced in 

 a fluid state, and gradually solidified, giving the rock the 

 character of an asphaltic breccia. More to the south, and 

 nearer the diggings of sal gemmi and gypsum of Djebel- 

 Usdom, if we ascend Wady-Mahawat to the height of about 

 300 metres, we find the same cretaceous formations strongly 

 impregnated with bitumen, which runs from their fissures, and 

 sometimes forms stalactites of asphalt. At certain points the 

 bitumen has cemented together the ancient alluvium resting 

 upon the calcareous rocks, and has formed bituminous 

 pudding-stones, fragments of which are carried by torrents 

 towards the Dead Sea. 



"To the north of Masada we find traces of bituminous 

 emanations at Ras Mersed; and lastly at Nebi-Musa, at the 

 north-western extremity of the sea, the most considerable de- 

 posits of bituminous limestone are found, and where cretaceous 

 fossils (inoceramus, echinus, etc.) are associated with the re- 

 mains of fossil fish. This limestone contains as much as 25 

 per cent, of bitumen ; an<i the cretaceous beds which have 

 been impregnated with it contain also in the same vicinity 

 salt, veins of gypsum, and traces of magnesia. It burns easily, 

 and the Arabs call it Hajar Musa, or Stone of Moses, and 

 make use of it to light their encampments. The Christians 

 of Bethlehem make religious symbols out of it, which they 

 sell, under the name of Dead Sea Stones, to the numerous 

 pilgrims who flock every year to Jerusalem for the solemnities 

 of the Holy Week. 



" In the valley of the Jordan there exists, at the same 

 level, other deposits of bituminous limestone. Such, without 

 doubt, are those of Tiberias, from whence, according to He- 

 bard, arise the Hot Springs of Hammon, the situation of 

 which we could not verify. 



" At Hasbeya, near the sources of the river, bitumen shows 

 itself, as at Nebi-Musa, in fossil fish limestones, but it is less 

 abundant, although it was the only deposit regularly worked at 



