ISLAND. 
387 
small island situated on its northermost end, and upon the summit of 
which are seen from afar the conical roofs of two Armenian churches. 
The length of this lake is about three times greater than its breadth; 
its position, as far as I could learn, is nearly north and south. I could 
not acquire any positive information of its circumference. My com¬ 
panion, Parsik Aga, told me that he had been three days making the 
tour of it, travelling moderate stages ; but he could not give me a more 
exact admeasurement: the circuit may be accomplished with fatigue 
in two days. From this, and other circumstances, I should con¬ 
ceive the distance to be about seventy miles. To the northward 
and eastward, the lake is bounded by abrupt mountains, rising im¬ 
mediately from the margin, barren and totally destitute of wood. To 
the northward it recedes into a bay, also bounded by mountains, but 
which are less rugged, being partially covered by wood, and green to 
their very summits. In this direction is a tract renowned for its 
pasturage and picturesque beauties, called the Dereh chichek^ or the 
valley of flowers, a favourite haunt of the wandering tribes. Its south¬ 
ern extremities are girded by lands of less height than those to the 
northward, but extremely rugged and barren, and apparently the resort 
of none but wild beasts. One of the characteristics of this lake is the 
constant array of clouds by which it is surrounded, caused by the 
evaporation, which returns again in frequent showers. Its water ap¬ 
peared perfectly fresh and fit for drinking, although the natives do 
not consider it to be wholesome. It swarms with fish, the most de¬ 
sirable of which is the trout, called in Persian Kizzil allaJi; and which 
at the mouths of the rivers that communicate with the lake, is caught 
in incredible quantities. This is doubtless the nursery for the immense 
numbers of trout that are found in all the streams about Erivan. Thir¬ 
teen rivers of different sizes flow into the lake ; and one considerable 
river, the Zengui, flows out of it. At the place where it leaves the 
lake, its stream is only about a foot deep, but it is soon swoln by the 
accession of other waters, and finally discharges itself into the Araxes at 
the base of Mount Ararat. It is said that the waters of the Zengui 
X X 
