66 x Mr. Anderson’s Account of 
from the fea, falls with a gentle declivity to it, and is joined 
to the main land on the fouth by the continuation of the Man- 
grove fvvamps ; fo that the bituminous. plain is on the higheft 
part of it, and only leparated from the lea by a margin of 
wood which furrounds it, and prevents a diftant profpect of it. 
Its fituation is fimilar to a Savannah, and, like them, it is not 
feen till treading upon its verge. Its colour, and even furface, 
prefent at firft the afpect of a lake of water ; but I imagine it 
got the appellation of Lake when feen in the hot and dry wea- 
ther, at which time its furface to the depth of an inch is 
liquid, and then from its cohefive quality it cannot be walked 
upon. 
It is of a circular form, and I luppofe about three miles in 
circumference. At my firft approach it appeared a plane, as 
imooth as gtafs, excepting fome fmall clumps of fhrubs and 
dwarf-trees that had taken pofifelfion of fome Ipots of it ; 
but when I had proceeded lome yards on it, I found it divided 
into areola? of different fizes and fhapes : the chafms or divi- 
fions anaftomofed through every part of it ; the furface of the 
areola perfectly horizontal and Imooth ; the margins undu- 
lated, each undulation enlarged to the bottom till they join 
the oppofite. On the furface the margin or firft undulation is 
diftant from the oppofite from four to fix feet, and the fame 
depth before they coale fee ; but where the angles of the areolae 
oppofe, the chalms' or ramifications, are wider and deeper. 
When I was- at it. all thefe chafms were full of water, the 
whole farming one true horizontal plane, which rendered my 
inveftigation of it difficult and tedious, being neeeffitated to 
plunge- into the water a great depth in paffing from one areola 
to another. The trueft idea that can be formed of its furface 
will be from the areolae and their ramifications on the back o£ 
4 a turtle.. 
