Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-11-23

countered by gale, and cit seemed as if the
bows, SO dense waS the wQtrr, were encounter
ing the sedge hammers ofihe Titans, instead Of
the opposing waves of an angry sea-"
The party proceeded daily with their explora.
tons making Typographical sketches as they
went until they reached the Southern extremity
OF the sea, where the most wonderful sigh, that
they had yet seen awaited them"
"ln passing the mount Of Uzdom, (Sodom,)
we unexpectedly and much toour establishment"
says Lieut.. Lynch, "saw large, rounded, tur-
ret'shaped column, facing s. f which proved
to be OF solid rock salt capped with carbonate
OF lime; one mass of crystaization Mr.. Dale
took a sketch Of it, aud Mr. Anderson and
landed with much difficulty and procured spec.
linens from it,"
The party circumnavigated the lake, returned
to their place of departure, and brough; back
their boats in as complete order as they received
them at New York. They were all in fine
health
Thanks to the good management of Lieut.
Lynch, the whole cost Of this scientific expora.
tlon Of the Dead Sea was but seven hundred
dollars.
From the letters of Lieut. Lynch quoted by
Nlaury, we translate the following interesting
facts ELECTED by exploration:
"The bottom of the Northern half of this sea
is almost an entire plain. Its Merdanal lines
at Il short distance from the shore scarcely vary
in dept The deepest soundngs thus far $50
fthoms, 1923 faet) Near the shore, the bot
tom is generally an ncrusation Of salt, hut the
intermediate one is soft mud with many re ,tan
gular overwhelmingly cubes-of pure salt. AT
hrnu
but chrystaIs
"The Southern half Of the sea is as shallow
as the Norther one is deep, and for about one
fourth OF lis entire length the depth does not
exceed three iathoms, (i6 feet) Its Southern
bed has presented no chrysals, but the shores
are lined with Incrustation Of salt, and when we
landed at Uzdom, i'll the space Of al hour, our
foot prints were coated with consolidation
"The opposite shores Of the peninsula and the
West coast present evident marks of disruption.
"There are unquestIonably birds and insects
upon the shores and ducks are sometimes upon
the sea, for we have seen them-but cannot de.
tect any living thing within ii, although the salt
streams flowing into it contain fish. | feel sure
that the results of this survey will fully sustain
the ScrpturaI account Of the cities Of the plain "
He thus spe1ks OF the Jordan 1.-The Jordan
although rapid and impetuous, is graceful in its
wlndngS and tringed with luXurance, while its
waters are sweet, clear, cool and refreshing"
After the survey Of the sea- the party pro-
ceeded to determine the height Of mountains on
its shores and To run level thence via .Jerusa-
lem to the Mediterranean, They found the
summit Of the West bank of the Dead Sea, more
than one thousand feet above its surface, and
very nearly on level with the Mediterranean.
at is curious fact" says Lieut. Maury
''that the distance from the top to tie bottom Of
the Dead Sea, measures the height of its bank.
the elevation Of the Mediterranean, and the
difference of level between the bottom of the
two seas, and that the depth of the Dead Sea is
also an exact multiple Of the height of Jerusalem
above it,"
Another no less singular fact, in the opinion
of Lieut.. Lynch, us that the bottom of the Deaf
Sea forms Two submerged plains, an elevated
and depressed one The first, its southern
part. Of Shiny mud covered by shallow bay
the last its northern and largest portion, of mud
and incrusatione and rectangular chrystals oil
salt at great debth with a narrow ravinC
running through it, corresponding with the bee
of the river Jordan at one extremity and the
Wady Eel Jeb, or wady within wady at the
, other"
"The s&my ooze," says Lieut. Maury, "upol
that plain at the bottom of the Dead Sea, will
not fail to remind the sacred historian of tho
slime pits in the vale where were joined il
battle four kings with FIVE "-Richm0nd RcpuJ
. ACaA.