'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎347] (420/905)

CHAP. XV.]
THE SALT LAKES.
347
10 and 18 miles, and it has a mean elevation of 2500 feet. 1
Almost adjoining its western shore is the smaller lake of
Morad su-G61u, which is about eight miles long by four wide.
The great lake is without fish, extremely salt, and shallow
towards its borders, which usually terminate in marshes. The
plains on the eastern side contain the tents of the people, pas
ture lands, and the salt mines of Tuz Koi. 2 On the western
side are the habitations of the Kurds, who occupy the plains
spreading from Iskil (a town of 400 houses) round the Murad
Soho Goli, or Murad-su-Golu, salt lake, which latter, how
ever, is almost dried up in summer.
With the latter, the Palus Tattseus of the ancients, 3 the Towns of
monotonous plains of Koniyeh terminate. The towns at the * ai?ar,yah -
north-eastern extremity of the district are Kara-hisar Yara-
pason (Osiana), with 300 houses on the banks of the Halys ; 4
Neu-Shehr, a pleasing and cleanly place, with 2800 houses,
on the side of a bold rocky ravine ; also the town and valley
of Injeh-su (slender water), which contains 1500 good houses,
under the government of a Musellim; and, finally, the similar
government of Kai'sariyah, once Mazaca, 5 and the Mishag of
the Armenians. It is the chief place of the small district
called Kai'sar by the Turks, which extends a little way round
Mount Arjish, and nearly represents Cappadocian Cilicia. 6
The city contains about 8000 substantial houses, of which pro
bably one-fourth are tenantless; it occupies a portion of the fine
plain lying south south-eastward of Arjish Tagh ; and it has
in the interior a castle nearly on the same level as that of the
exterior walls. The Cursor Jami', and some of the other
mosques, are fine buildings, and the bazars are good, but else
where there are evident symptoms of decay. Some remains
1 Mr. Ainsworth's Journey, p. 299.
8 Ibid., pp. 291, 298.
3 Near the Morimenians, and not far from Galatia,—Strabo, lib, XII.,
p. 518.
4 Mr. Ainsworth 's Journey, Vol. X. Part III., of the Journal of the Royal
Geographical Society.
5 Founded by Mosoch.—Josephus, book I., c. vi.
6 Strabo, lib. XII., p. 538.
2 Y 2