Litchfield enquirer., 1848-09-28

Ytutabuu NN@ rA9uttEu w AssEOt' ANtNup @H0
assensed tn BY the Secretary Of he Navy in
the Spring Of Is47. The STORE ship ''Supply''
took Out Lieut.. Lynch aud two bOsis an trans
ports. These boats were carried over mrun.
tain gorges and pIecipices by the party APP
! pointed fT he expedition, and on the sih If
April. lS4S, they were launched upon the Sea
| ofGali.ee. The following 10 the article Of Il.
| Msnry. cuudeHsrd-
The navigation Of the Jordan wss found to
be most difficult ayd dangerous from i's fro
the secret otnep, ession between Lake Tihtrias
and the Dead Sea by the toTtuous course Of the
the Jordan, which, in distance rfsixiy miles,
| winds through a course Of two hundred miles.
Within this distance. Lieut.. Lynch and his
party plunged down no less than iweIty.
seven threatening rapids, besides many Others
1T less descent. The difference # Joel be.
tween The two seas is ovrr a thousand feet.
The water ,ot the Jordan was sweet 10
within few yards # iis mouth The waters
| If the Sea were devoid Of smell, hui bitter,
salt and nauseous. Upon entering it, the boats
were encountered by gale land " it seemed as
J if the bows. so dense was the water, wete chs
countering the sledge hamme re- Of the Ti,sns
instead of theeppcsing waves Of an angry sea-"
The party proceeded daily with ihejr cxplo.
rations. making Typographical sketches as they
went, until they reached the southern extresn.
! ity Of the sea. where the most wonderful sight
they had yet seen awaited them. =. In passing
the mountain If Jztlon (Sodom) we unexpec-
teddy, and much 10 our establishment, saw a
large. rounded iurret-shaped acolutpn. facing
s"uth-east. which proved tn be Of solid rock
salt. capped with casb"nate Of lime.--one
mass If specialization. Mr.. Dale took sketch
Of it. end DR.. Anderson and landed with
much difficulty, and procured specimens trcm
| H."
The party circumnavigated the lake. return.
cd 10 their place If departure. and brought
back their boats in as complete order AZ they
received them at New York. They were atl
in fine health. This is a specimen Of the skill.
system, and discipline Of the Ame,ic Navy.
! No nation in the world has such a service.
| The time is coming when i, wit give pr"ofs
Of that fact palpable to the dullest under.
standing.
! Thanks to the good management of Lieusen.
ant Lynch, the whole cost OF this scientific ex>
ploralion Of the Dead Sea {rxcrpt Of course.
The cost Of equipage and maintenance "f the
crew Of the ship) was but seven hundred dol.
| lars.
From the letters Of Lieutenant Lynch, quo.
! ted by Lipuenans Marry. We transc ribe tho
I following interesting facts ELECTED by the ex-
! p;oration:
'The bottom Of the northerh half 1t thls sea
is almost an entire plain. Its meridonal lines
at short distance from the SHIRE scarce vary
in depth. The deepest soundi,.gs thus lar.
,l5s fa'homs, e., 1873 fee,.) Near fire shore the
bottom isgenerally an incs alton "f salt. hut
the intermediate one is soft mud, with maay
RECTANGULAR crvsrals--mrs'ly rnhes-"f pusa
salt. Atone time Stellwaeer's had broneht
mp nothing bnt crysiaie.
The san,hcrn half nj the sea is az shallow
a. the northern "ne is de-r, and fer about one
fourth Of It's entire length The depth docs NIT
exceed three fa,hnms. (is fee..) It's southern
/
are lined with incrnsia,ions Of salt. and when
\ we landed at Uzd m. in the space ri an ho"r,
\ our fao' prints were coated with crvsfa lzation.
4 The opposite shores of the peninsula and the
wet coast present evident masks Of disrup-
iinn,
| 'There are nhquesfinnahlv birdie and insects
| nnon the shores, an; ducks are scrneiiipas
| upon the sea. for we have saen ihem-h ut can.
not detect any living thing withiH IL; aiihoneh
the salt streams flowing into il contain salt
fish. feel sure that tae result. Of This sur.
vey will fully sustain the scriptural account
Of the cities ot the plain
He thus speaks Of Jordan: - The Jordah.
although rapid and impeinons. 10 gra~-f,sl IN
its winnings and fringed with luxurianee
while the waters are sweet, clear. conl and re.
freshing 49,
Afier the survey Of thr sea. the party pro-
ceeded to detesminste the height Of mountains
on it's shores. and torn level thence wa
Jerusalem 10 the Mediterranean. They found
the summit "f IRE west bank oe the Dead Sea
more than 1000 feet above iIs surface. and very
nearly on a level with The Mediterranean.
'hisa.cutions fact.' saws Lieutenant Maury.
? that the distance from the top 10 the bottom
Of the Dead Sea should measure the heights of
ils banks. the elevaiioa of the Mediterranean,
aud the difference Of level between the bottom
| "f the two seas and the depth Of the Dead Sea
| should be also an exact multiple Of the height
Of Jerusalem above il
Another mt LEGS singsiar fact. inlhe opin.
ion of Lieut.. Lvneh. is " that the bottom of the
Dead Sea firms two submerged plains. an els
| waited and depressed one. The frat. iissonth-
ern part. If Shiny mud covered by shallow
hay; the last. i,s northern and largest portion.
Of mud and incrustation and rectangular erys-
| tails of sal,-at great depth, with narrow
ravine running through il, corresponding with