The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-28
THE SHAH A GeoGRAPHER.
But There Is q Suspicion a. at His strange,
New Lake u a Fraud.


The shah of Persia is dabbling in
geography. A recent issue Of The
Ivan, the official gazette Of Teheran,
contains an article, purportIng 70 have
been prepared by the shah himself, dc
scriptiye of a strange, new lake, OF
dimensions large enough to make il
almost an inland sed, that has Of late
years appeared in tho Great Salt
Desert, the ht-.-Kav.r. - The
ground in this desert IS covered with
a white crust Of salt, it is habitable
only in a few isolated spots and there
are said TO be vast morasSos, escape
from which is impossible once a
traveller ventures into them. Tradi-
ton is, however, that once this tract
was covered by sea, with numerous
ports and harbors, lighthouses and
commerce There has always been a
sort of expectation among the Perslans
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 the desert, thirty
five miles from Teheran. The interest
occasioned by this was 50 great that
the car himself visited the spot. III
his account of it he says that small
lake, known as The lake Of Savah. u
formerly existed there, but that j;
dried up about ,357 years ago on tie
day the prophet-may the blessings q
God be upon him and his posteriiy-
was born. 1t reappeared about siN
years ago" The shape Of tins new
body of water the shah describes in
homely fashion. He says' THE figure
of the lake may be compared TO that
Of a pair Of spectacles There are two
lakes joined by q narrow channel
which is about two miles IN width O.
a little less" The shah wears sVect.-
clcs. The size Of tie lake he gives a.
100 miles in circumference is 70 lts
origin he says:
From observations which have
been made we conclude that thi, lake
has been formed by waters which
dubbed up in the Kavir like fountains
from underground, for the rivers
which flow intoit have not changed
their direction and did not form lake
A camel driver Of tie arab nomads q
The Keloku tribe. which has rs camp
ing ground .pn the shores Of the lake.
told MS that Inc had seen with his own
eyes how six years ago a great guam
tity of water bubblod up IN the middle
Of the Kavir and, gradually incgeas-
ing, finally submerged the places
where it had appeared.
Sad 10 say, IN spite II the shah 's APP
parently honest efforts to tell the truth
about his new lake, there is a harrow
ing suspicion that his honesty has
been fooled, and that, instead oi the
lake that disappeared on the day the
prophet was born roappoarng now
ont Of the bosom of the earth INTO
which it vanished, the new body Of
water has its origin in much less
mysterious fashion. There Is com
cidence between The date Of the ap-
pearance of the new lake and that s.
The opening of a new road from Ichc-
ran 10 Kow, which becomes irregular,
in view of the fact that the lake covers
upand renders impossible tho old road
II is also stated that there IS break d.
the dyke Of the Kara Chat, q river
through which the water flows INTO
the new lake. Near the gap lives a
Persian nobeman who has an interest
in the tolls Of the road.-NCW YORK.
Gfp