lower Danube, the produce of the salt mines of those regions. The existence here of this immense mass of fossil salt, which, according to the latest geological views, is a frequent accompaniment of volcanic action, accounts sufficiently for the excessive saltness of the Dead Sea. At this time, the waters of the lake did not indeed wash the base of the mountain, though they appear to do so on some occasions; but the rains of winter, and the streamlets which we still found running to the sea, would naturally carry into it, in the course of ages, a sufficiency of salt to produce most of the phenomena.' The position of this mountain at the south end of the sea, enables us also to ascertain the place of the "Valley of Salt" mentioned in Scripture; where the Hebrews under David, and again under Amaziah, gained decisive victories over Edom. This valley could well have been no other than the Ghôr south of the Dead Sea, adjacent to the mountain of salt; it separates indeed the ancient territories of Judah and Edom. Somewhere in the neighbourhood lay also probably the "City of Salt," enumerated along with En-gedi as in the desert of Judah.3 This very remarkable mountain appears not to be directly mentioned, either in Scripture, nor by Josephus or any other ancient writer. Yet Galen may 1) According to an analysis by Prof. Rose of Berlin, the salt of this mountain contains no peculiar ingredients, and especially no Bromium. It would seem, therefore, that the waters of the sea must somewhere come in contact with other mineral masses. See above, pp. 224, 225. 2) 2 Sam. viii. 13. 1 Chr. xviii. 12. 2 Kings xiv. 7. The first two passages evidently refer to the same event; but that in Samuel (). The latter reading is doubt- 2 not improbably allude to it, when in speaking of the salt gathered around the Dead Sea, he remarks, that it is called "Sodom-Salt," from the mountains named Sodom adjacent to the lake. In this ancient appellation, as has been already remarked, lies probably the origin of the present name, Usdum. So singular a feature did not escape the attention of the crusaders," in their occasional expeditions through this region; and the earliest direct notice of the mountain seems to be that of Fulcher of Chartres, who accompanied Baldwin I. around the south end of the sea in A. D. 1100. He describes the mountain accurately; and holds it to be the source of the saltness of the sea.3 His account has probably been since regarded as a fable; for the mountain, like the whole tract around, was again forgotten, and remained unexplored for many centuries. Seetzen in A. D. 1806 was the first to raise the veil of darkness from the region; he men-' tions the mountain as being nearly three hours in length, and containing many layers of crystallized rock-salt.1 Irby and Mangles with their party followed in A. D. 1818; and also speak of the mountain and its strata of salt. From that time to the present year, I am not aware that the region had been visited by any traveller.2 5 1) Προσαγορεύουσι δ ̓ αὐτοὺς [τοὺς ἅλεις] Σοδόμηνοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν περιοχόντων τὴν λίμνην ὁρῶν, ἃ και λείται Σόδομα. Galen de Simpl. medic. Facult. IV. 19. Reland Palaest. p. 243. 2) See above, p. 206. 3) Fulcher Carnot. 23, in Gesta Dei p. 405, "Juxta quem lacum, vel Mare illud Mortuum, extat mons unus similiter salsus, non tamen totus sed localiter, constans ut petra, durissimus, et glaciei simillimus; unde sal, quod salis gemma vocatur, multotiens vidistis, quod de monte illo comminuitur." Comp. Gesta Dei p. 581. 4) Zach's Monatl. Corr. XVIII. pp. 436, 437. 5) Travels p. 352. So too Legh: "Along the foot of the high mountain-ridge, whose sides were sometimes formed of pure rock-salt, fragments of which had rolled down, or were seen hanging in other places as stalactites from the perpendicular sections of the rock." May 11th. Bibl. Repos. Oct. 1833, p. 625. 6) Nau in 1674 relates, that at Damascus he met Daniel, abbot of St. Saba, who had once made the tour of the whole Dead Sea. Daniel reported, that on the west As we thus travelled along the strand, I took the opportunity of bathing again in the Dead Sea, which detained us for twenty minutes. The bottom was here of sand, and the water so shallow, that although I waded out some twenty rods, it reached little more than half-way to the knee. It left behind the same oily feeling as formerly; but no deposit of salt upon the skin. We came at 7 o'clock to a cavern in the mountain, of which our Arabs had often spoken. It is on a level with the ground, beneath a precipice of salt. The mouth is of an irregular form, ten or twelve feet high, and about the same in breadth. Here we stopped forty minutes for breakfast, and in order to examine the interior of the cavern. This soon becomes merely a small irregular gallery or fissure in the rock, with a water-course at the bottom, in which water was in some places still trickling. We followed this gallery with lights, and with some difficulty, for three or four hundred feet into the heart of the mountain, to a point where it branches off into two smaller fissures; and then returned. For this whole distance, the sides and roof and floor of the cavern are solid salt; dirty indeed, and the floor covered with dust and earth; but along the water-course it was easy to remark the pure crystallized rock, as worn away by the torrent, which at times evidently rushes violently through the cavern. side of the lake, he found a tree with apples of Sodom like lemons (doubtless the 'Ösher); that the S. end of the sea is not pointed, but round; that at this end a stream flows into it from the S. E. called Saphia; that here too and further north are vast plains and salt mountains; that the sea towards the S. end is cut in two, so that it can be forded in summer, and the water is only mid-leg deep, at least on the east side; and that here is another small round, or rather oval lake, bounded by the plains and salt mountains just mentioned. Now all this is founded more or less in truth; but when the abbot (or Nau) goes on to say, that along the eastern side of the lake there are rich plains with villages and churches and some Christians, it is plain that he or his reporter is speaking at random. Indeed, the whole account is too indefinite, ever to have gained credit. See Nau's Voyage p. 580. As we approached the cave, it had been reported by the scouts, of whom we had always one or more ahead, that a troop of riders was seen coming along the southern end of the sea. As we came out from the interior, the report had become more distinct. All was now alarm and bustle; the guns were primed, and preparation made to meet an enemy. The distance did not allow the scouts at first to distinguish the number of men, nor the animals on which they were riding; but it was concluded, that if they were horsemen, they were certainly a Ghŭzu or marauding party of their enemies. It was determined, at any rate, not to abandon our strong position in the mouth of the cavern; and Sheikh Hussân himself went forward to reconnoitre and hold a parley. But he soon ascertained, that the dreaded troop of marauders consisted of a flock of sheep, with two or three men on donkies. All alarm now vanished, and we set forward at 8h 10', still proceeding along the strand. As we advanced, the approaching party had turned the corner of the sea, and we met them on the western shore. They proved to be a Gaza merchant, who had been buying sheep and butter at Kerak, and was now returning home with his purchases, accompanied by two or three men from Kerak.' The tables were now turned. Our Arabs thus finding themselves to be the stronger party, were willing to make a show of their power, and requite upon the poor strangers a little of the alarm they had themselves at first felt. They therefore, while we were somewhat in advance, drew up in a line, and approached the strangers with menacing gestures; and even Komeh was unwise enough to put himself at their head, and assume a 1) Kerak was formerly celebrated for its butter, which was made and consumed in great quan tities. Burckhardt relates, that in his day it was considered disgraceful to sell it. Travels etc. p. 385. similar mien. But it turned out, that what the rest had intended as a jest, our five Haweitât had meant in earnest. Their tribe, it seems, being at open war with the people of Kerak, they ran forward with all speed, and before we could believe our own eyes, they were actually robbing the other party! One seized a lamb, another a pistol, a third a cloak, and a fourth two small skins of Kerak butter. The injured party of course appealed to us for restitution; but we could only threaten the miscreants to dismiss them immediately without paying them a para for their services, unless they gave back the articles. The old man, who had taken the pistol, now appealed to us with all the eloquence of conscious integrity; he said, the men of Kerak were his enemies, and he was acting lawfully, and doing to them only what they would do to him in like circumstances. My companion, not professing to be a judge of Bedawîn law, replied, that while he was in our service he must be governed by our laws; when he was in the desert, he might act as a Bedawy. With much difficulty, and after great exertion on the part of our resolute Komeh, (who seemed desirous to make good his oversight,) they were constrained to restore, as we supposed, every thing. Yet it turned out afterwards, that they had contrived to retain a skin of butter. Thus instead of being robbed, we ourselves might be said to have turned robbers. We reached the S. W. corner of the sea at 81 o'clock; the shore being all the way strewed with blocks of salt, the debris of the mountain above. At the same point is also the S. E. end or angle of Usdum, as seen from 'Ain Jidy; here the ridge trends off S. W. extending in that direction for a considerabe distance further. The breadth of the sea and Ghôr, at this point, is probably less than two thirds of its |