gia Dr. Marcets" Analysis of the Waters of 
and heated to redness in a platina crucible, lost at most half a 
grain. 
In the analysis of Macquer and Lavoisier, the solid con- 
tents of the Dead Sea are estimated at about 45 per cent, of 
the water, and in the proportions of nearly 1 part of common 
salt to 4 of muriat of magnesia, and 3 of muriat of lime ; pro- 
portions widely different from those which I had obtained. 
But their mode of operating, which they candidly relate, was 
so evidently inaccurate with regard to the separation and de- 
siccation of the salts, and in general so deficient in the estimation 
of quantities and proportions, that these eminent chemists can- 
not be considered as having aimed, in this instance, at any 
thing like an exact analysis. 
It may be observed also, that these gentlemen found the 
specific gravity of the water 1,240 instead of 1,211, as I have 
stated it to be ; but it appears that their specimen had suffered 
some evaporation previous to their experiments, since they 
found crystals of common salt in one of their bottles, which 
could not have happened without evaporation. Besides, the 
specimen which I examined was, I understand, brought from 
a part of the lake not more than two miles distant from the 
mouth of the Jordan, a circumstance which may perhaps ac- 
count for its being somewhat more diluted, than it might be 
found in other parts. 
§ VI. 
Analysis of the Water of the River Jordan. 
As I had scarcely two ounces of this water, and as it con- 
tained but a very small proportion of saline ingredients, it 
would have been in vain to aim at analyzing it with strict 
