Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/135

 separated from the Mediterranean by a local upheaval of the coast. During the floods the Eskel has an area of over 80 square miles, and its emissary, the Wed-et-Tinja, or "River of the Lagoon," sends down a large volume to feed the neighbouring Tinja Benzert basin. This is the Lake of Bizerta, which communicates through a long channel with the sea. Covering an extent of about 60 square

miles, it has a far greater depth than the Eskel, even near the banks varying from 10 to 16, and in the middle from 40 to 50 feet. Were it connected by a broad navigable channel with the sea, it would form a spacious harbour, large enough to accommodate all the shipping in the Mediterranean. While the water of Lake Eskel is nearly fresh during the rainy season, that of Bizerta is scarcely less