'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎18] (37/258)

Xviii
proceedings op the society.
the portion of tha Runu of Cutch around descended in June 1819. There 13 not the
slightest reason to associate any of these convulsions, which must ave °"
a scale vast enough to destroy all animal life, with the destruction of the cities of
Sodom and Gomorah, and the surface of the country in the days of the I atnarchs
was probably not dissimilar to what it is at the present day.
Dr Graves enumerates a number of points in which the Great Salt Lake of
America and the Dead Sea resemble each other. They are both situated m deep
valleys, the mountains surrounding them being marked with terraces or old sea
margins-proofsofa succession of sudden sinkings in the earth beneath. The
shores of both abound with deposits of salt, with pretroleum, and with sulphur ;
near both are hot springs, and other volcanic phenomena In the valleys of both
are fresh-water lakes-Tiberias in the one and Utah in the other, through which
in both cases flow the rivers Jordan, in both cases losing themselves m he salt-
water lakes. They closely resemble each other both in area of surface and dimen
sions of basin. The waters of the two are almost equally heavy, and equally salt,
though they differ entirely in the nature of their saline contents, as will bo seen
below; and they are most unlike each other in matter of depth.
Dea Sea.
Great Salt Lake.
Sea Water.
Specific Gravity
’ 1.22
1.17
1.027
Mur. Magnesia
145.8
T *rv>rv
31
78
6
200
25
6
20
6
1000
1000
1000
It will thus be seen, that though in all likelihood the great American lake owes
its saltness to the rivers washing away the salt from the rocks around, and cai-
ryin^ it down to be concentrated as in a great salt pan, a like explanation by no
means suffices for the saltness of the Dead Sea, whose ingredients are wholly dif
ferent from those composing rock or common sea salt.
I have confined my observations to the depressions on the surface of
the dry land, chiefly dealing with those which were either beneath the
level of the adjoining countries, and not filled up with water, or those rcced-
ing far beneath the surface of the ocean both embosoming lakes in their depths
both receiving supplies of river water, but yielding none. The channel of the
ocean in the structure aud in the diversity of its surface seems in all respects
closely to resemble that of the dry land, which has itself, indeed, at no distant
period occupied its depths, and still bears on its surface loads of marine remains.
Our lesser islands are but the summits of mountains whose bases rest on the val
leys or table-lands far down in the main, presenting at times slopes as smooth
and gentle, and precipices and cliffs as lofty, rugged, and abrupt as any of thooQ