40 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
two of which are about a mile and half, the third about fix 
miles from the eaftern lake. There are fome veftiges of other 
buildings, which alfo feem to have been convents that have long 
fince ceafed to exift. The antelope and the oftrich are feen 
rarely here, and they appear to be the only wild animals that 
frequent that part of the country. No vegetation appears, except 
reeds on the margin of the lake, which is very irregular in its 
form ; fo that it is not very eafy to fay what may be the quan- 
tity of ground covered with water, nor to difcern the extremi- 
ties. It is higher in winter than in fummer ; and, at this pe- 
riod, I could no where obferve that the breadth of it exceeded 
a mile : its length may be nearly four. 
The Arabs told me, that the water during the laft winter had 
been remarkably low. There feem to be marks of its having 
occafionally rifen about four feet higher than at prefent ; which 
muft greatly change the appearance of the whole. Towards the 
end of the fummer, it is faid, thefe lakes are almoft dry; and 
the fpace that the water has retired from is then occupied by 
a thick depofition of fait. Not far removed from the eaftern 
extremity, a fpring rifes with fome force, which much Agitates 
the reft of the water. Clofe to that fpring the depth was far 
greater than my height, in other parts it was obfervable that it 
did not generally exceed three feet. The thermometer near 
this fpring ftood at 76, while in the open air it was 87. The 
more weftern lake differs not materially from the eaftern in 
fize, form, or produdions. The colour of the water in both is 
an imperfect red, and where the bottom is vifible, it appears 
almoft as if covered with blood. Salt, to tlie thicknefs of 
five 
