Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-15
THE saAu's GEOGRAPHY.
Painful suspicion That HIS strange
Few Lake Is a Fraud.

The Shah Of Persia ia dabbling in &C.
ography, SAYS the New York Sun. a
recent issHe of the Iran, the official ga
zette OF Teheran, contains an article,
purporting to have been prepared by the
Shah himself, descriptive OF strange new
lake. of dimensions large enough to
make it almost On inland sea, that has OF
late years appeared in the great salt
desert, the " Dasht-i-Kavir. " The ground
in this desert is covered with a white
crust Of salt it is hsbitable only IN Few
isolated spots. and there are said TO be
vast morasses, escape from which IS lm-
possible once traveller ventures into
tlem. Tradition IS. however, that once
this tract WAS covered by a sea,
with numerous ports and harbors,
lighthouses, and commerce. There has
always been a sort OF expectation among
the persians that some day the sea
would return and cover the desert. and
now a large body of water has actually
appeared in the northwest corner of tie
desert. thirty-hve miles from Iaheran.
The interest OccaslOned 10y tins was 20
great that the Shah himself visited the
spot In his account of it he says that n
small lake. knowd as the Lake OF
Savah, " formerly existed there, bat that
1t dried up about l, }57 years ago on the
day the PrOphet-may the blessings OF
God be upon him and his posterity-was
born. it reappeared about six years
ago" The shape of this now body OF
water, the Shah describes in hOmely
fashion: He says : Tho figure OF the
lake may be compared TO that OF pair
OF spectacles. There are two lakes joined
by a narrow channel, which Is about
two miles in width or q little less The
Shah wears spectacles. The size OF the
lake he gives at 100 miles IN circumler-
encc. As to its origin he says
" From observations which have been
made We conclude that this lake has
been formed by waters which dubbed
up in the Kayir, like fountains from I'M
derground. for the rivers which flow
into It have not changed their direction
end did not form a lake. 4 camel-drlyer
Of the arab nomads OF the heleku tribe,
which has its camping ground on the
shores Of the lake, told rs that he had
seen with bis own eyes how, SIX years
ago, a great quantity Of water bubbled
mp in the middle OF the Ksyif and,
gradually increasing. finally submerged
the places where il had appeared.
Sad to say, in spite OF tine Shah's APP
parently honest efforts to tell the truth
about his new lake. there is a narrowing
suspicion that his honesty has been
fooled, and that, instead Of the lake that
disappeared on the day that the prophet
was born reappearing now out OF the
bosom of the earth into which it van
ished, the new body OF water has It's orr
Gin in a much less mysterious fashion.
There Is a coincidence between the date
of tho appearance Of toe new lake and
that Of the opening of Il new road from
Teheran TO hour, which becomes irre2-
ular. in view Of the fact that the lake
covers up and renders impossible the
old road. Il is also stated that there Is
q break in the dyke OF the Kara Chat, a
river through which the water flows into
the new lake. Near the gap lives n Per
sian nobleman, vino has an interest IN
the tolls OF the new road.