Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-12-04
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
SURVEY OF THE DEAD SEA.

SURVEY OF THE DEAD SEA.
We insert below, from the New York Courier,
an article on the subject of the Exploration and
Survey of the Dead Sea, ordered by our Go'ern-
ment, and for which a national vessel, with suitable
officers and appliances, has just sailed from New
York We agree with several of our editorial
friends that the result of this enterprise will beook-
ed for with very general interest. The history and
associations of that remarkable and but little-kmwn
Lake will invest an authentic description OF II win
uncommon interest Nor we prepared TO cues
ton the propriety Of the enterprise, as undertaken
by our Government, singular as II IS Tor 1t c'raln-
" possesses the merit of originality. Blu how
comes it that it is conceived by Government TO
be within their competency TO fit out at tho public
expense an expedition OF this sort, to survey ana
report upon lake four thousand miles of IN the
bosom of Asia, and yet unconstitutional &c expena
the public money in similar service upon our own
lakes intimately connected they are with all the
business interests of the country! We do not lind
any thing in the Constitution TO authorize the one
in preference to the other, and we believe that the
"Resolutions of 80 are silent on the subject.
FROM YORK COURIER.
An Exploration Of the Dead Sea is about be undertaken
by order o the Federal Government, which, though can
not as now administered by It's Executive head find any
authority in the Constitution whereby il exists TO order ex
poatons improvements the charge in our own
country, has crupes about wandering oil into Paese,
there to make reconnossances and solve geograc
and eucdate story heretofore II mas ouhd no
constitutional objection fitting and carrying out at great
expense an expedition Of discovery in the South Seas and OF
survey and exploration of the coasts Of South America In
both
Do ,vc aIude TO such enterprises these in the way
complaint or condemnation Far otherwise. We applaud
the liberal spirit which prompts hem and only lament that
the same liberal spirit, the reading Of the constitution,
do not influence the Executive regard the and
pressing wants of our own land.
The Dead Sea is TO be explored by American sailors
that Of marves which, after engulfng the guilty " cities
of the been since Invested, TO the magna
tion with awful and supernatural character. pestien-
ta vapo has been sad rises continually from its waters; fish
live in birds fly them iron will sink in
them have they been naygated by ship baque
Such slight examination occasional travellers of more
days have given this bitter sea- has dspeed many
of these fables but still these deep dark mystery
10 the world They have been found TO conanas account
for their extraordinary specific gravity, which led to the
tale that iron would not sink in the4l parts in hundred
of salt much greater proportion than that Of the and
derived from entire rocks of this mineral continually dissov
ing the southern shore Biumen also abundance
from the bottom and floats the suaceand hence these
waters acquire consistency which enables them TO bear up
bodies that would sink in other waters.
The Rev. Dr. Durbn late President Of Dickinson College,
(Pa gives the following illustration of the density of these
waters
al waded in carefully the oft-repeated statements
Of the great specific gravity of the fluid and repeated the
experiment several times. The uniform result was that
when the waters above my pits, but my
shoulders, my body balanced, and could touch
the bottom but my feet tended strongly rise and head
TO descend. When turned my back and drew up my
knees, TO balance the body the surface lay
still knot of wood, my head, knees and half of my
feet out of The water and long perfectly still
foaed in this position These experiments satisfied of
us great specific gravity.
he add that hair al with
the btumen, which, being pressed by the fingers covered
them with a sticky substance.
Josephus in his fourth book Of the of the Jews
aes that the Of the Dead Sea support the surface
whatever Is thrown into the lake. and confirms the relation
by the fact that Vepasian convince himself OF
Of this assertion, ordered several persons with their hands
and legs tied to be thrown into the lake. and that
them sank.
But it is less verify efue problems such these that
exploration Of the Dead Sea by competent and scientific
observers desired, than actual relation
the waters Of the Mediterranean from which il distant not
than between thirty and forty miles yet the ve OF the
Dead Sea said be hundreds Of feet belowha Of the
Mediterranean.
Into Dead Sea the Jordan discharges and loses
self Descending from the Sea Of Tibeas, which is, in
fact shallow outspreading IN the fashion Of lake Of the
river, some sixty miles in winding course the jordan dis
appears this deep and bitter asphac sea- which about
twenyfour miles in length, from north south, and
more, according TO modern travellers than six in
breadth
It comparatively shallow at its southern extremity bu,
Its general depth reputed be uniahomabe Its
shore the side OF Arabia, Moab prodgious black
perpendicular WALL in which there is summit the
smallest peak it, eastern Indian shore Of limestone and
sandy cliffs Of varied and fantastic forms.
ALI however, but the external appearances Of this
dismal and its dreay shores, Of conjecture and
uncertainty and hence the g6eater stimulus nvestg
The u ; stole ship supply, being bound 70 the Medtcr
anean with stores i 10 lie employed under Lieut. Lynch
her commander with Lieut. Dale, who will be more specially
charged with the scientific "Reminiscences
To effect the exploration Of the Dead Sea they WILL il is
presumed land at Acre. and thence direct their operations
across the ancient plains Of Jericho and The point research
carefully eyelng the intermediate route IN order 10 determine
first Of all the relative altitude between the two seas Amply
provided with MISUNDERSTANDING metal boats n light con
srucon and all The and appliances for surveying and
sounjngwe may justly anticipate from this xpedion ac-
information points heretofore wholly coujecured
yet invested with deep interest.
1t Is Of the pecuiaies Of the water Of the Dead Sea
that, although dense and bumuous, il is exceedingly
rIEsucl
II singular that Government o. The New World should
be the first explore and rerfy tie facts concerning re.
gion intimately led wih the faith of Chris.
tendon the witness Of one Of The awful penalties
r4n>s under the Mosaic dpensation and
hois rom Till Expedition what will crafty natural and ntclli
sen curiosity, while confirming tie original record Of tx
Bible