The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-11-20
Scientific Expedition to the Dead Sea-


We stated, few days since, that party of
naval officers, under the command of Lieut.. w.
F. Lynch, would shortly sail from this port, in
the United States store ship Supply, to the Me-
diterranean, for the purpose of making an explo-
ration and survey OF the Dead Sea. We have
since received the following interesting commu-
nication relative to the expedition
To THE EpIToR THE HERALD
In reference to the proposed survey Of the Dead Sea-
several Of the newspapers have asked, ctn bono ~
As the nrst public ntlmation given, without my
knowledge, through your columns, ask permission to
avail myself Of the same medium to answer, briefly, to
the point Of questions at once so natural and
Although most reluctant to parade my magnificent
In print take this step without instants hest
tston, In Justice to the enlightened statesman whose
mind in instant graspsd the Importance Of the quss
ons at issue and the credit to be acquired by
his country in their solution.
For upwards Of four thousand years the Dead Sea has
laid In its deep and wonderous chssm, whitening re-
cord of the visitation of Gods wrath upon his sinful
Gre atures Itself fertile vae teeming with popu
istion and redundant with the products Of favored
cline, IL lies inert and sluggish mass OF dark and
bitter waters, with no living thing upon Its shore or
the mighty volume Of q swift and unfairg river, and
the torrents that plunge into It through the
tary bed with visible outlet for It's tributary waters
Its lofty and fretted sides riven by earthquskes-here
S
and two thousand feet on the other while from the
summit the swe.struok spectator beholds floating
from its mysterious vortex Mount Lebanon is 1000
feet above the and 10 above the Dead
Sea- which little than hundred miles distant
from it. The Corra in the Island Of Madeira is
derfu for 10 the bed of crater nearly level with the
ocean, but here sea- forty miles distant from another
sea, and upwards Of thirteen hundred feet below 1t.
The unhappy Costigan, the only man who has under
taken to oircumnavgste this and who perished in
was indicated by incesaut bubbles and agitated
face Whether or not this be the crater Of
volcano forming subtsrraneous squsduot with the
Their or not through extinct volcano, il oonnexion
with depression Of surface and the height Of
tguous mountain forms the most extraordinary fault
assure, In the known world
One great object of investigation will be to ascertain
whether this sea and its shores are Of volcanic or non
osophers with regard to its formation The eucidatsn
Of this desderatum to science and would be
most gratifying to the whole Christian world IL IL
mystery which has remained impenetrable since the
awful moment when the waters Of that wondrous sea
dim The conhgurston Of one-hslf of its shores and
It's very extent unknown Its waters, of petrify-
hold within their BOSOM and holding will reveal those
ruins, upon the non existence Of which the unbeevr
srabo, Diodorus, fny and phus among the anci.
BRAND La MARITIME, Stephens and Robinson, among the
of the peculiarties Of this Considerable
said to empty into It, the very Of
which are unknown Some have heard the gambolings
sh upon its surface while others deny that any
mated thing whatever exit within its dense and bit
ter waters Fruits luscious to the eye but Of
TASTE and crumbng in the grasp said to be found
upon Its Many travellers deny the existence OF
all vegetation and Chateaubrsnd that he found
Of the tamsrind tree srewn upon the beach
Its southern coast is said of masses Of solid
SALT while far the eye reach from its northern
extreme it bshods only the washed and barren hills
Judea one side, and those Of Arabia Petrea the
other. All Is vague uncertain and mysterious.
Are the questions answered Or. shall small pecu-
mary confederation withhold country such this,
from such q undertaking?
admit that 1t is not summers excursion, and that
British officers said to have twice failed in like at
tempt Should that circumstance deter us venture
to say, that within the broad periphery of this land
which, graded between oceans stretches from the gd
hearted adopted citizen who will answer In the arma
tive We something to the scientific and the Chris
tian world and while extending the blessings Of civil
liberty In the south and west we'll afford to foster
science and strengthen the bulwsrks Of Christianity in
the east. W.. LYNCH, u. s. N.
We shall look forward to the result of this
expedition with no little interest.
AFRIcA.-An arrival at Salem brings accounts
from the West Coast of Africa, down to the end
of September. The Luminayy and Herald have
| been received.
Slave dealing the coast of Liberia was becoming an
improbable and dangerous business eLumnary says
large number Of oaptives who could not be shipped
because of the vigilance employed by the cruisers had
planted themselves near Gaenas built towns Of Their
own, and made runous attacks and inroads upon the
! towns of their former owners.
There had been much sickness among the missionaries
ct the near stations but recent deaths All the sch
were recovering slowly.
The brig Brighton, Capt James A. Glmsr, of Phila
delphia, landed cargo Of merchandise at New Cess
she came up here her to the United
States, via the Brass She here to take in ballast
| and the captain being Ill, brought on shore Sh
remained here some two three weeks when she saet
for New Cess took in about Ave hundred slaves and lef
the coast While this vessel lay in waters, she va
boarded by the United States brig Dolphin and ever
thing appeared fair to remove all suspicion fron
| the mind Of Captain Pope Liberia Herald.
| few days ago brig succeeded In taking on abou
500 slaves from the Galenas The human cargo wa
hardly stored when II. d. M soop Favorte espied he
! and gave chase The brig, acting upon the poeti
maxim "'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view
crowded SAIL and it Ia said, fairly distancing tn
Favorite, when another Of Her Msjesty's vessels tn
Mariner hove In sight The two looked her in the land
The captain, determined not to be taken the bri
ashore, little above Gslenas The slaves LETT but on
| to be rscaptursd and sold agsin.-Heraid
| City In teIliigence.